Commentary on the games through the season....

[Tes]

Watched Barcelona Real last night. Barcas performance was probably the best Ive seen in the last 20 years.  They were awesome. Barca should be the bench mark that any manager should attempt to reach. They played total football. Its was like the Liverpool teams of old, simple but destructive football, pass and move.

I think the likes of John Henry should earmark a performance like that and say thats the way I want a Liverpool team of the not so distant future to play, now how do I go about achieving that. That way of playing is never going to happen under someone like Roy.

Hes looking at target men like Carlton Cole. Barca had little David Villa leading the line and he was awesome. They dont use a target man because everything is played on the floor. And what I find interesting that Mascherano sat on the bench without playing. Hes doomed at Barca. They rarely need a player to break up play, they want creativity in centre midfield and Busquets seems to be doing that quiet well in place of Masch.

To attempt to emulate a team like Barca are now could take years but the only way to do it is to start planning now and reap the rewards 10 years down the line. To start we need a young dynamic manager with a total footballing philosophy approach. 

As for Torres if he saw last nights game and Barca came back in for him in the summer you really couldnt begrudge him to play in a team like that.

Totally agree Juan, but does Henry have the knowledge to understand football in that way. By going to Billy Beane for advice and getting Comolli, he's already shown he lacks ideas and knowledge on who he should be asking for advice. The board that's been appointed doesn't have a single non-American or football man on it. Likely footballing knowledge there, grand total of zero. Either Dalglish or someone like Trevor Brooking should have been appointed as a non-executive director. If we're going to have a board with such sparse sporting knowledge then they should have appointed a 3 man football board (like Bayern), instead of the Comolli route.
None of the board members have even grown up watching football.

Purslow is still as a consultant type figure. So we have the man who appointed Hodgson and the general manager of a baseball team seemingly as the advisors to our board.

I wonder how many times Wenger and Ferguson have been consulted on to run an ice hockey franchise.

[the dude abides]

i watched the game live too, Juan....superb performance.

simple pass and move, pass and move.  Madrid had no answers.  Wenger would have impressed.

however, I will say that despite it being awesome, the final half hour was unlike liverpool (during our era of dominance) in that barca did take the p**s out of madrid.  A top team doesn't do that, you keep it professional.

[Clem]

Totally agree Juan, but does Henry have the knowledge to understand football in that way. By going to Billy Beane for advice and getting Comolli, he's already shown he lacks ideas and knowledge on who he should be asking for advice. The board that's been appointed doesn't have a single non-American or football man on it. Likely footballing knowledge there, grand total of zero. Either Dalglish or someone like Trevor Brooking should have been appointed as a non-executive director. If we're going to have a board with such spa*se sporting knowledge then they should have appointed a 3 man football board (like Bayern), instead of the Comolli route.
None of the board members have even grown up watching football.

Purslow is still as a consultant type figure. So we have the man who appointed Hodgson and the general manager of a baseball team seemingly as the advisors to our board.

I wonder how many times Wenger and Ferguson have been consulted on to run an ice hockey franchise.

couldn't agree mpre. Brilliant  Tes.  Did Mascherano play?

[Kopite999]

Mascherano started on the bench, but did a great job. Kind of reminds me of his West Ham days Back to his best. Masch aside, Barcelona were unbelievable. Before the game, with the Mourinho factor i really thought Real were in with a shout. But Barca's football was a masterclass. I actually think La Liga is now the best league in the world and given their tax rates compared to ours, i'm expecting the gap to get bigger in the next couple of years

[Clem]

Mascherano started on the bench, but did a great job. Kind of reminds me of his West Ham days Back to his best. 

[Tes]

At least Mrs M is happy (you'd hope). 

[the dude abides]

loved seeing mourinho rooted to his seat, the entire second half.......powerless to do a thing.

resigned to his team's fate.

[Juan]

Totally agree Juan, but does Henry have the knowledge to understand football in that way. By going to Billy Beane for advice and getting Comolli, he's already shown he lacks ideas and knowledge on who he should be asking for advice. The board that's been appointed doesn't have a single non-American or football man on it. Likely footballing knowledge there, grand total of zero. Either Dalglish or someone like Trevor Brooking should have been appointed as a non-executive director. If we're going to have a board with such spa*se sporting knowledge then they should have appointed a 3 man football board (like Bayern), instead of the Comolli route.
None of the board members have even grown up watching football.

Purslow is still as a consultant type figure. So we have the man who appointed Hodgson and the general manager of a baseball team seemingly as the advisors to our board.

I wonder how many times Wenger and Ferguson have been consulted on to run an ice hockey franchise.

I agree Tes it does seem short sighted on the owners part to be taking advice from non footballing people and also not to ensure there are footballing people in place to help the ease into the transition from baseball to football.

That said I think the owners are probably taking advice from people they know and trust. And for the time being until they get up to speed thats fair enough for me. I also think thats why Roy is still in a job. I'm sure they have heard from many quarters that Roys not up to the challenge. I just think they dont want to make rash decision, fire Roy and hire the wrong man again.

[Juan]

i watched the game live too, Juan....superb performance.

simple pass and move, pass and move.  Madrid had no answers.  Wenger would have impressed.

however, I will say that despite it being awesome, the final half hour was unlike liverpool (during our era of dominance) in that barca did take the p**s out of madrid.  A top team doesn't do that, you keep it professional.

I dont know Dude, I think if Liverpool were playing United and were beating them like Barca humbled Madrid Im not so sure they would ease off either.

Its a big thing with American sports I believe not to attempt to humiliate your opponent if you are winning comfortably.

Even when Manny Paquiao fought Antonio Margarito recently in the Dallas Cowboys stadium, Pacquiao had battered Margarito and could have gone all out for the knockout in the 12th round but instead eased off and just saw out the fight without feeling the need to further hurt his opponent.

[Juan]

loved seeing mourinho rooted to his seat, the entire second half.......powerless to do a thing.

resigned to his team's fate.

Only last week did I say if I could have any manager in the world at Liverpool it would be Maureen. How did I not think of Guardiola also.

Who is the mastermind behind Barcas success? Its not Guardiola because this team has been in the making for some time. Hes is obviously an important cog in the wheel but I would like to see what kind of influence he would have on another team and whether he could replicate the same kind of success at Barca elsewhere.

[barticus]

With the levels of hate between the two clubs of Real and Barca...both would have done the same to each other...
i seem to remember a certain amount of class with manure when we did them 4-1...i have no real problem with opposing hating sides yuking it up against their hated opposition...but i think what people are wary of is the law of sod...that age old law of 'never count yer chickens etc'....

there was an extreme example of this back in about 96...between real and barca...where barca beat real 5-0...only for it to be reversed that season at the bernabeu...the common factor being michael laudrup swapping sides....

[Tes]

Who is the mastermind behind Barcas success? Its not Guardiola because this team has been in the making for some time. Hes is obviously an important cog in the wheel but I would like to see what kind of influence he would have on another team and whether he could replicate the same kind of success at Barca elsewhere.

Juan, I think you answered your own question. To take it further, it will be interesting to see how Rijkaard does at his next job, two on from Barca, considering the hash he made at Gala.

[the dude abides]

interesting issue, Juan and Tes - i.e. who is the mastermind behind awakening Barca (in recent seasons) from her slumber.

one would need to see a breakdown on the source of their team - i.e. how many came through their much-heralded youth system, and who brought the rest of the team's players to the club.  David Villa obviously did not come through their youth system.

I suspect that there are higher forces at work, at the club, re pass and move strategy......than merely the last two managers of the club.

[Tes]

interesting issue, Juan and Tes - i.e. who is the mastermind behind awakening Barca (in recent seasons) from her slumber.

one would need to see a breakdown on the source of their team - i.e. how many came through their much-heralded youth system, and who brought the rest of the team's players to the club.  David Villa obviously did not come through their youth system.

I suspect that there are higher forces at work, at the club, re pass and move strategy......than merely the last two managers of the club.

There's 8 or 9 in the squad that are home produced. I think we can go back to when Cruyff was manager to see the real start of their revival. These things take time but you need the right man to bring it altogether on the pitch. Guardiola played under Cruyff.

[Juan]

Great news with Kelly and more importantly for me Pacheco signing new contracts;

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/new-deals-for-kelly-and-dani

Liverpool have today confirmed youngsters Dani Pacheco and Martin Kelly have signed new contracts at Anfield.

Pacheco has signed a two year extension taking his contract to 30 June 2014, while Kelly has signed a three year extension, also taking his contract to 30 June 2014.