Uproar as Pepe disgraces himself

He is a good player, but the antics were a bit ridiculous. I don't see RM getting rid of him, but they are going to have to address this issue. Both teams were childish.

Not that I love RM Barca crap but I think this is a legit point to make:

Team cohesion. And a well understood style of play, that Barca plays every single game, regardless of how they line up. The core players (messi, xavi, puyol, pique CF, pedro, abidal, alvez, valdez) have been in that set up for years, either thru youth teams or making a transfer seasons ago. TSO's RM can't hope to match that. Especially since the entire team save Ramos and Casillas is basically a new squad. AND the fact that there has been no consistent style of play at RM since at least pre-Zidane makes it no surprise RM can't hang with Barca on the pitch, when individually they have just as good and, in some instances, better players by position.

IMO the Galacticos mentality, which was in essence already at Madrid before Zizou, Ronaldo, Becks, Roberto Carlos, and Figo, has put RM behind the 8-ball vs Barca. It's not who has better players or classier players: they both have top talent, respectable guys and deyoushie beetches. it's not even necessarily youth academies: Barca plays more of their own, RM sells more of their own, but both produce serious talent. It's not even what style of play Barca has: though it is good and flashy, but by no means the best, the correct, or the moralistic apex of how to play soccer. Barca could be playing Catenaccio and RM could have their best version of college football's best spread offense, it wouldn't matter.

It's the fact that Barca has a set system and knows it better than the backs of their own hands, and RM doesn't.

QUOTE(#593):
Originally posted 10:22 AM ET 01.19 by R-Dog
Can't entirely blame him on his approach though. That's how he won last year and how he beat the with Inter. And how Chelsea almost took them out a few years back. If you play an open game vs Barca, you likely get walloped.

Except Inter MADE money off of the Eto'o Ibra deal and then bought Sneijder, Milito, and Motta. Unlike Chelsea, (and much like Barca) Inter had a long-set core of players in Zanetti, Cambiasso, Samuel, Maicon, Stankovic, and Julio Cesear, that played essentially the same style under TSO as Mancini and they myriad of coaches prior. Inter has always played like Ali, Counter-punching catenaccio



QUOTE(#590):
Originally posted 10:18 AM ET 01.19 by Zarco
Got to love this. Mourinho spends hundreds of millions in transfer fees and yet he still plays "bunker-ball and violence" at home whenever Barca comes to town. He's always been a " small team mentality" coach that buys championships.

I think if he were allowed to, TSO'd have RM play that way every game, and I think given a season or two could beat Barca with some regularity. At least, I think it'd be closer to 50/50 than the utter floor mopping going on now. But RM brass won't have it.



QUOTE(#598):
Originally posted 10:29 AM ET 01.19 by sbg
Certainly plays a role.However, didn't Inter have a few (relatively) new players when they won the UCL? (Milito, Lucio, probably forgetting a few, think Eto'o had already been there a year maybe.....)

About 5 of the starters in the final. But again, the core that i mentioned were there, and had been playing a similar style to TSO. and other than Eto'o, no one was really "Galactico" type players brought in

I called the new rumor, but FN deleted my post. No proof....

Wayne Rooney said Pepe was a total idiot. That means something coming for Rooney. Rooney knows all about being an idiot.

QUOTE(#3):

Originally posted 10:41 AM ET  01.19 by CU Tiger

On Pepe: kind of a gay dick.

I'm accustomed to diving in El Clasico.... but the stomping thing was way over the top. Dude needs to get throat-punched.

QUOTE(#5):

Originally posted 10:42 AM ET  01.19 by Bayern

Wayne Rooney said Pepe was a total idiot. That means something coming for Rooney. Rooney knows all about being an idiot.

I think there was a movie about them being conjoined twins a couple years back....

FN mods on the prowl today....

BTW, thanks for the new rumor!

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 10:43 AM ET  01.19 by LetsPlay2

I'm accustomed to diving in El Clasico.... but the stomping thing was way over the top. Dude needs to get throat-punched.

true.

To Bayern's Rooney remark: kinda ironic that Rooney, who stomped CR7's ballz in WC'06, thinks Pepe was an idiot. Pot calling Kettle black. Unless Rooney is ok with that.

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 10:37 AM ET  01.19 by CU Tiger

Not that I love RM Barca crap but I think this is a legit point to make:Team cohesion. And a well understood style of play, that Barca plays every single game, regardless of how they line up. The core players (messi, xavi, puyol, pique CF, pedro, abidal, alvez, valdez) have been in that set up for years, either thru youth teams or making a transfer seasons ago. TSO's RM can't hope to match that. Especially since the entire team save Ramos and Casillas is basically a new squad. AND the fact that there has been no consistent style of play at RM since at least pre-Zidane makes it no surprise RM can't hang with Barca on the pitch, when individually they have just as good and, in some instances, better players by position.IMO the Galacticos mentality, which was in essence already at Madrid before Zizou, Ronaldo, Becks, Roberto Carlos, and Figo, has put RM behind the 8-ball vs Barca. It's not who has better players or classier players: they both have top talent, respectable guys and deyoushie beetches. it's not even necessarily youth academies: Barca plays more of their own, RM sells more of their own, but both produce serious talent. It's not even what style of play Barca has: though it is good and flashy, but by no means the best, the correct, or the moralistic apex of how to play soccer. Barca could be playing Catenaccio and RM could have their best version of college football's best spread offense, it wouldn't matter.It's the fact that Barca has a set system and knows it better than the backs of their own hands, and RM doesn't.QUOTE(#593):Originally posted 10:22 AM ET 01.19 by R-DogCan't entirely blame him on his approach though. That's how he won last year and how he beat the with Inter. And how Chelsea almost took them out a few years back. If you play an open game vs Barca, you likely get walloped.Except Inter MADE money off of the Eto'o Ibra deal and then bought Sneijder, Milito, and Motta. Unlike Chelsea, (and much like Barca) Inter had a long-set core of players in Zanetti, Cambiasso, Samuel, Maicon, Stankovic, and Julio Cesear, that played essentially the same style under TSO as Mancini and they myriad of coaches prior. Inter has always played like Ali, Counter-punching catenaccioQUOTE(#590):Originally posted 10:18 AM ET 01.19 by ZarcoGot to love this. Mourinho spends hundreds of millions in transfer fees and yet he still plays "bunker-ball and violence" at home whenever Barca comes to town. He's always been a " small team mentality" coach that buys championships.I think if he were allowed to, TSO'd have RM play that way every game, and I think given a season or two could beat Barca with some regularity. At least, I think it'd be closer to 50/50 than the utter floor mopping going on now. But RM brass won't have it.QUOTE(#598):Originally posted 10:29 AM ET 01.19 by sbgCertainly plays a role.However, didn't Inter have a few (relatively) new players when they won the UCL? (Milito, Lucio, probably forgetting a few, think Eto'o had already been there a year maybe.....)About 5 of the starters in the final. But again, the core that i mentioned were there, and had been playing a similar style to TSO. and other than Eto'o, no one was really "Galactico" type players brought in

Agree, and is probably why Bayern will be pretty dominant for many years to come. A lot of homegrown talent that has been playing together for a while. Neuer obviously a big purchase but keepers don't affect the style of play all that much.

QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 10:41 AM ET  01.19 by LetsPlay2

I called the new rumor, but FN deleted my post. No proof....

liar

QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 10:46 AM ET  01.19 by R-Dog

Agree, and is probably why Bayern will be pretty dominant for many years to come. A lot of homegrown talent that has been playing together for a while. Neuer obviously a big purchase but keepers don't affect the style of play all that much.

And of course Barca will continue to dominate as well.

There is no bigger thug in major football than Pepe. Remember when he straight up just kicked that Getafe (or was it Racing?) player when he was on the ground a couple of years back?

20th Anniversary of the Film Neu festival in Washington D.C. is January 20th-26th, highlighting German-language cinema. A dubbed version of Chipwrecked will not be featured.

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 10:48 AM ET  01.19 by Bayern

20th Anniversary of the Film Neu festival in Washington D.C. is January 20th-26th, highlighting German-language cinema. A dubbed version of Chipwrecked will not be featured.

where is this at?
Also, can double that on to the DC Auto Show!!!

This headline is misleading. Pepe has been disgracing himself for years together with Marcelo, Carvalho, Mourinho, Alonso ......

I think RM has player for player talent that lines up with Barcelona. They have better athletes and are a more physical team. I think tso was trying to use what he has as an advantage in that area by being a physical team playing Barca. Not a bad strategy, but as with a lot of things the execution of it is different than the theory. I am not giving a pass to tso on this, because he is the one in charge, but if you are going to play that style you have to direct your team on the right and wrong time to use it. Carte blanche "Go hack 'em" is not the way to achieve a result. Use your body, don't let them settle into a passing rhythm, use fouls to disrupt the game when it starts to turn, try and get them into your game to disrupt theirs. Those things i see, not what was evident yesterday. Also, CUT is right about a system. RM needs to figure out who they are and do it the best they can regardless of the opponent. They are beating other teams differently than they are playing Barca. Plus, Barca has their number, mentally, emotionally, and on the pitch.

QUOTE(#15):

Originally posted 10:50 AM ET  01.19 by CU Tiger

where is this at?Also, can double that on to the DC Auto Show!!!

E Street Cinemas.

QUOTE(#16):

Originally posted 10:51 AM ET  01.19 by Zarco

This headline is misleading. Pepe has been disgracing himself for years together with Marcelo, Carvalho, Mourinho, Alonso ......

I wouldn't put Alonso in that list. I think he plays his position and that requires some hard tackles and fouls. He doesn't seem to be a jerk about it though. However, I have not watched as many games as you probably have, so perhaps in the past he has had some moments.

QUOTE(#5):

Originally posted 10:42 AM ET  01.19 by Bayern

Rooney knows all about being an idiot.

^Factually correct.