Great recent football - Put any videos on

[ScholesEvilTwin]

Jan 18, 2010 16:34:20 GMT Chris said:

You do right praising Doncaster Rovers. They play the best football in the championship I should know, i'm from there! With a bit of consistancy, they can make the play offs, but like the rest of our shit town, they have no money. Shame. Its a shame for Burnley too because they were after the Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll, and he's good enough to manage in the Premiership.

haha....id forgotton you were from doncaster.... they are looking good alrite.

I also ment to say that Barca are reaping what they sow. They took a gamble on paying a young messi's medical bills and looking after his family and it has paid off for them.

[peejay80]

Jan 17, 2010 20:23:40 GMT Bestie said:

Jan 17, 2010 16:46:41 GMT Chris said:

Must disagree Bestie, but please, put on a video yourself about what you consider as total football. Thats what the thread is for.

Last night, Barca beat Sevilla 4-0

They just don't seem to lose the ball. Xavi just see's things that nobody else does.

Should just name this 'the Barcelona appreciation thread'. Other than videos of Arsenal, I can't think of much else to put on!!

Chris, I'd love to stick up videos, but there aren't many online that I can just link to of the Dutch in the 70's, both the national team and Ajax. There were something else. I would agree however, that Barca are probably about as close as it can get to total football in the modern game.

To answer peejay's question, the original total football, the famous Dutch form of playing, includes many things that just aren't incorporated in Barcelona's play. I won't go into all of them, and I don't want to come across as preaching, because I have actually done a lot of research into the ideals of total football and the Dutch way of thinking of football. Incidentally, I cannot recommend brilliant orange, by David Winner, highly enough for anyone who wants to read about the progression of Dutch football and the innovation of what has become 'total football'.

Anyway, the differences between total football and the way Barcelona play. The first major difference is the use of the offside trap as an attacking weapon. In total football, the team will defend very, very high up the pitch. Barcelona do not. Simple as that.

The second point is the fun one, and is the complete position swapping of every outfield player. Everyone is familiar with an overlapping full back, at Barca Daniel Alves bombs foward at any oppurtunity for example. But how often do you see Puyol rampaging through the centre of the park in open play into an attacking position, while Xavi drops back and covers? Sometimes, yes, and it is amazing. Or seeing Ibra drop back to play in the midfield while Xavi and Iniesta flood the box? Ibrahimovic pulling wide left, and Alves moving into right winger. Each player rotating positions over and over to create space. Again, sometimes, but it isn't that often. Barca attack with Xavi and Iniesta from the centre of midfield, with Messi and Henry wide either side of a lone striker. Yes, sometimes these players will move from side to side or move up and down, but rarely will they actually leave that position entirely and go play somewhere else. Same positions, different personnel. Total football has this sort of inter-changing positions of every player, all the time. Constant movement to make space, again and again, fluid and swirling beautifully like art. That is why I say Barcelona are close to total football without playing it completely.

Of course, there are other differences, but I could write for pages on total football. I think anyone with a passion for football would probably sit down and debate for hours if this Barcelona team or any other has or will be able to perfect the exact magic of Rinus Michels.

and what did holland win? the world cup? with this definition of 'total football'?
no, they didnt. football has changed in the last 30 years bestie and what was total football then, isnt now.

if barcas centre backs went gung oh they get buggered too often. different game, different time.

[Bestie]

If you know your football history, you'll realse that the Dutch did not win the World Cup through the arrogance/over-confidence of the players. The system wasn't to blame. The Dutch knew they were better than the Germans, and the players stopped playing total football once they scored. Instead of ruthlessly going for the goal, as total football dictates, the technically superior Dutch effectively mocked the German team, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. This was not what 'total football' called for. Then Germnay nicked the win and the Netherlands lost a final they should have won.

I'd also point out that I've already said this "Barca are probably about as close as it can get to total football in the modern game."

[peejay80]

so total football breads over confidence it seems? is that a paradox?

[Bestie]

No. Like I said, it was the fault of the players, not the system. They knew that individually and as a team, they were better. There was a lot of history and emotion surrounding playing Germany for the Dutch, stuff to do with WWII and some other things. The system was perfect, it was the execution of it that was flawed.

[peejay80]

it was a light hearted joke bestie.

[ScholesEvilTwin]

Put the handbags down ladies

if you want to talk about PROPER total football then look no further than:

[Supatrice>]

If you wanna see total football you need to watch me play subbuteo

[united4lyf]

Don't normally watch Serie A but caught 2nd half of Juve-Roma game. Roma's penalty was soft, and Buffon was sent off for Juve. Del Piero and Riise's goals were pretty good.

[peejay80]

Jan 23, 2010 23:24:37 GMT Supatrice> said:

If you wanna see total football you need to watch me play subbuteo

is that really you? is that your voice? if it is you sound like a camp John Motson. lol

[ScholesEvilTwin]

Jan 24, 2010 14:29:35 GMT peejay80 said:

Jan 23, 2010 23:24:37 GMT Supatrice> said:

If you wanna see total football you need to watch me play subbuteo

is that really you? is that your voice? if it is you sound like a camp John Motson. lol

I was hoping it was really evra and SAF playing subbuteo to work out the teams tactics

[Chris]

This is Real against Deportivo last night. Real (wankers) won 3-1, but I love the second goal here.



Barca won 1-0 and the goal scorer was Pedro. Looks like Barca have discovered another good youngster.

[peejay80]

someone should post the goals from the arsenal game yesterday, seems like a fitting place, i couldnt find decent videos to up .

[SAF_Legend]

Jan 26, 2010 9:32:24 GMT ScholesEvilTwin said:

Jan 24, 2010 14:29:35 GMT peejay80 said:

is that really you? is that your voice? if it is you sound like a camp John Motson. lol

I was hoping it was really evra and SAF playing subbuteo to work out the teams tactics

lol. That'd be a relavation. ;D

[kinggiggs]

Jan 23, 2010 23:24:37 GMT Supatrice> said:

If you wanna see total football you need to watch me play subbuteo

Lol now thats sexy football!