afrodoc2:


Between 89 and 95 AC Milan played 5 finals winning 3 including a back to back. They won 2 of those finals 4-0 including their victory over a legendary Barca Dream Team. They had 4 all time greats in Baresi, Maldini, Gullit, Van Basten and a number of other great players. That team at its best was really tough and the best club side in the modern era IMO.

If we are to go all time it is hard to go against the Madrid team of the 50s that won 5 straight European Cups and had both Di Stefano and Puskas who at that time were probably the 2 greatest players who ever lived. It would be like a club having both peak Ronaldo and peak Messi.

Milan of 89-95 that was a 6yr span and had 2 managers Capello and Sacchi. It will be like spanning Barcelona from Rijakaard to Pep or 09-15(Pep to Enrique) which will mean 3 CL wins to include 2 trebles

If its by CL achievement, it will be difficult to look past Zidane three-peat team

raumdeuter:


Milan of 89-95 that was a 6yr span and had 2 managers Capello and Sacchi. It will be like spanning Barcelona from 09-15(Pep to Enrique) or Rijakaard to Pep) which will mean 3 CL wins to include 2 trebles

If its by CL achievement, it will be difficult to look past Zidane three-peat team

It is the same club and many of the same players whether it is 1 manager or 10 managers and feel free to use 09-15 for Barca. Like i said it is my opinion and personally i rate that Milan team higher than the Madrid team.

popizaino:



Yes they are the greatest side. ...not even arrigo sachi's Milan or zidane's Madrid side that won the ucl 3x consecutively could stand in their way .

I hate that Barcelona side. Wish I could be objective but it's never gonna happen, they were boring. 1000 baseless sideways passing. Not my kind of football.

raumdeuter:

Baba leave that thing Rio na soap wey partner another soap called Terry
Vidic na him dey carry am

Just like Sallah and Mane were carrying Liverpool attack, In some years people will wan join Firmino to it as if he was any good

Ain't no way anyone can talk about the Klopp Liverpool Era without mentioning the name Roberto Firmino.

This is just a friendly reminder

Leyqute:


Are you saying that Barca side is the best in the history of football?

There is nothing best about that barca side. Barcelona between '08-'12 lost against Shaktar, Wisla Krakow, Rubin Kazan, Inter, Arsenal and Chelsea and drew against Basel, Lyon, Chelsea (x3), Bayern, Inter, Rubin Kazan (x2), Stuttgart, Arsenal, Copenhagen, Madrid and Milan (x2) . Away from home they where also useless . 6 losses and 15 draws over a four year period.

LostMyZeal:




Ain't no way anyone can talk about the Klopp Liverpool Era without mentioning the name Roberto Firmino.

This is just a friendly reminder

You can mention him doesnt mean he is one of the top 5 performers in a team of 11.

Just like you will mention Man utd of 2008, mention Wes Brown but know the impact of Ronaldo is not the same as Brown

Bombblacks:

There is nothing best about that barca side. Barcelona between '08-'12 lost against Shaktar, Wisla Krakow, Rubin Kazan, Inter, Arsenal and Chelsea and drew against Basel, Lyon, Chelsea (x3), Bayern, Inter, Rubin Kazan (x2), Stuttgart, Arsenal, Copenhagen, Madrid and Milan (x2) . Away from home they where also useless . 6 losses and 15 draws over a four year period.

One could easily argue they were the best team ever between 2008 and 2012.

Barcelona were fearless, they didn’t change their tactics for over 4 years against some of the toughest teams in Europe. Everyone knew how Barcelona would line up and you are still more likely to lose to them.

Their opponents changed tactics to stop them, Barca did not change anything. The trifecta of Xavi, Iniesta & Busquets damaged many teams. They took the same format to the World Cup in South Africa and Euro 2012, every team they faced in the KO stage got destroyed.

raumdeuter:


The Messi goal was because Rio was targeted by a much smaller man aerially

Coman goal had Thiago Silva conducting a meeting inside the box. Thiago lost concentration and cost his team not kimpembe

Another ridiculous take.

Xavi’s cross took Rio completely out of commission. Xavi’s brilliance should be applauded instead of blaming Rio.

Evra gave the ball away as United were trying to break forward. Xavi weaved a delicious cross that got Messi a free header. I don’t know how you can blame Rio for that passage of play seeing that the ball flew over his head into Messi’s path?

What should Rio have done? Catch the ball with his hands?!

Illimitable:


Another ridiculous take.

Xavi’s cross took Rio completely out of commission. Xavi’s brilliance should be applauded instead of blaming Rio.

Evra gave the ball away as United were trying to break forward. Xavi weaved a delicious cross that got Messi a free header. I don’t know how you can blame Rio for that passage of play seeing that the ball flew over his head into Messi’s path?

What should Rio have done? Catch the ball with his hands?!

Smart defenders get close to their markers
Rio was caught napping in the penalty box because Pep already identified him as a weak point, a defender who day dreams in the box, who is never alert rather points to cover his weaknesses



What was Rio doing to prevent a 5ft 7 from scoring an uncontested header against him

Illimitable:


One could easily argue they were the best team ever between 2008 and 2012.

Barcelona were fearless, they didn’t change their tactics for over 4 years against some of the toughest teams in Europe. Everyone knew how Barcelona would line up and you are still more likely to lose to them.

Their opponents changed tactics to stop them, Barca did not change anything. The trifecta of Xavi, Iniesta & Busquets damaged many teams. They took the same format to the World Cup in South Africa and Euro 2012, every team they faced in the KO stage got destroyed.

Best team that was useless away from home. All their champions league trophy won was controversial. They were a good side not great or best.

Bombblacks:

Best team that was useless away from home. All their champions league trophy won was controversial. They were a good side not great or best.

They were games they didn’t really need.

But for Mourinho’s satanic football in 2010 CL semis, Barca would have won 3 CL titles in a row(2009, 2010, 2011).

One could also argue their bus trip to Milan from Barcelona because of the Icelandic ash polluting the sky also caused an enormous amount of fatigue to their players and they lost 3-1.

By the time the 2nd leg was due to be played, The ashes have cleared and Inter flew by air to Barcelona - which gave them a massive advantage to defend the 3-1 lead in the first leg.

Mourinho got lucky with that one.

raumdeuter:


No one will ever blame Vidic for Messis goal

Messi was Rios man, he watched till Messi scored didnt even jump



Thiago Silva was found wanting for Comans winner

Why was vidic not in the box to head out.....was he holding a meeting too ?

raumdeuter:


Smart defenders get close to their markers
Rio was caught napping in the penalty box because Pep already identified him as a weak point, a defender who day dreams in the box, who is never alert rather points to cover his weaknesses



What was Rio doing to prevent a 5ft 7 from scoring an uncontested header against him

Puyol & Etoo(on the channel) were the only sensible outlet to receive the ball from Xavi.

How Xavi managed to weave that cross into the box with a curl caught everyone else napping apart from Messi. It’s not all goals conceded that you can blame a defender on.

Sometimes, you just have to clap your hands. Had Rio contested the ball with Messi and lost, you would be right to blame him. The idea that smart defenders get close to attackers is crap. It wasn’t a set-piece.

TrebleChamp:
Bros i no wan argue further, just so you know iniesta can never replaced Xavi in midfield. Him no fit play wetin Xavi dey play, cos he is more a Messi kind of player with skill and footwork. Barcelona couldn't play the efficient tikitaka because senior man Xavi retired.....

Well,if you ask me they both compliment each other but iniesta was more indispensable and was more important to that side than any other player. Deco could easily have slotted into xavi's role but no one could have been able to replace iniesta.Tiki taka left Barcelona the moment pep guardiola left and not when xavi retired.

Illimitable:


They were games they didn’t really need.

But for Mourinho’s satanic football in 2010 CL semis, Barca would have won 3 CL titles in a row(2009, 2010, 2011).

One could also argue their bus trip to Milan from Barcelona because of the Icelandic ash polluting the sky also caused an enormous amount of fatigue to their players and they lost 3-1.

By the time the 2nd leg was due to be played, The ashes have cleared and Inter flew by air to Barcelona - which gave them a massive advantage to defend the 3-1 lead in the first leg.

Mourinho got lucky with that one.

All these are excuses. Their away record was terrible in the champions league and all their champions league trophy won during that period were controversial. The MSN Barca of 2014 that won the Treble was even better than those boring Barca sides yet no one is calling them the greatest side of all time. It's just nostalgic covering them.

popizaino:



Why was vidic not in the box to head out.....was he holding a meeting too ?

How many Barcelona players were in the box that Vidic needed to conduct a meeting about

See how the Full back was shocked at the level of stupidity displayed by Ferdinand

Illimitable:


Puyol & Etoo(on the channel) were the only sensible outlet to receive the ball from Xavi.

How Xavi managed to weave that cross into the box with a curl caught everyone else napping apart from Messi. It’s not all goals conceded that you can blame a defender on.

Sometimes, you just have to clap your hands. Had Rio contested the ball with Messi and lost, you would be right to blame him. The idea that smart defenders get close to attackers is crap. It wasn’t a set-piece.

It was 5 Man Utd defenders in the box and 2 Barca players, Messi was Rios man directly and he fell asleep, No wonder the full back was so shocked that a pro footballer can fall asleep like that

Its better to contest the header and fall short than stay rooted to a 5ft7 in a major final

Rio na soap if we will be honest

Leyqute:


This train of thought is quite misleading. Beating one strong team doesn't automatically make you stronger. It is your sustained performance against other strong teams over years that makes you the best.

For all their talent and quality, this team only won the UCL twice- against the same manager, and not back to back. And for the 5 years or so that they 'dominated Europe', were eliminated in the semis of the UCL more than twice.

Stop underrating how good your Manchester side was,stop undermining how tactical and a wizard of a coach Ferguson was.Take it from a rival fan,your man united side was not only a strong team but the best team in the world until pep Barcelona side happened. For all their ucl semi finals lost within that four years there was an anomaly .

Bombblacks:

I hate that Barcelona side. Wish I could be objective but it's never gonna happen, they were boring. 1000 baseless sideways passing. Not my kind of football.

Lol....their passes were never baseless,it was their weapon to unsettle every team.

Illimitable:


They were games they didn’t really need.

But for Mourinho’s satanic football in 2010 CL semis, Barca would have won 3 CL titles in a row(2009, 2010, 2011).

One could also argue their bus trip to Milan from Barcelona because of the Icelandic ash polluting the sky also caused an enormous amount of fatigue to their players and they lost 3-1.

By the time the 2nd leg was due to be played, The ashes have cleared and Inter flew by air to Barcelona - which gave them a massive advantage to defend the 3-1 lead in the first leg.

Mourinho got lucky with that one.

popizaino:


Lol....their passes were never baseless,it was their weapon to unsettle every team.

It was baseless and boring. It was even useless away from home in the Champions league. P

raumdeuter:


How many Barcelona players were in the box that Vidic needed to conduct a meeting about

See how the Full back was shocked at the level of stupidity displayed by Ferdinand

Vidic was never here or there,he was not seen in the box to defend against messi,neither was he trying to take of the ball from xavi's so he should be culpable for messi's goal too.

popizaino:



Vidic was never here or there,he was not seen in the box to defend against messi,neither was he trying to take of the ball from xavi's so he should be culpable for messi's goal too.

So Vidic should join Rio to win an aerial ball vs a 5ft7 player? Why is Rio getting paid then when Vidic has to help him in everything in life

Bombblacks:

It was baseless and boring. It was even useless away from home in the Champions league. P

The goal was not to win home and away but to knock out their opponents. Take a look at how they won the first leg in Madrid during 2011 semi finals, only to just secure a draw a even without trying infront of their home crowd and at the end of the day they still won the trophy .

raumdeuter:


So Vidic should join Rio to win an aerial ball vs a 5ft7 player? Why is Rio getting paid then when Vidic has to help him in everything in life

The goal is prevent goals from entering the net it doesn't matter the player scoring,vidic should be seen doing just that and not standing looking at xavi .

popizaino:


The goal was not to win home and away but to knock out their opponents. Take a look at how they won the first leg in Madrid during 2011 semi finals, only to just secure a draw a even without trying infront of their home crowd and at the end of the day they still won the trophy .

For a side acclaimed for their dominance, their style of play was useless away from home in the Champions league. 6 losses and 15 draws over a four year period away from home shows how flawed and how overrated their style of play was.

popizaino:


The goal is prevent goals from entering the net it doesn't matter the player scoring,vidic should be seen doing just that and not standing looking at xavi .

So why is Rio in defence? Maybe he should just leave and let Vidic do it all alone instead of standing rooted like a tree

raumdeuter:


So why is Rio in defence? Maybe he should just leave and let Vidic do it all alone instead of standing rooted like a tree

If vidic does his primary duty we wouldn't have to be blaming Rio. Vidic is a defender and he is not paid to watch xavi chip in a cross to the area.

Official : Nicky butt has left his role as head of first team development.

Sources are saying it was as a result of murtough's appointment.

Yay or nay ?

popizaino:


If vidic does his primary duty we wouldn't have to be blaming Rio. Vidic is a defender and he is not paid to watch xavi chip in a cross to the area.

Xavi released the pass before getting to Vidic

Rios job was to win a header vs a 5ft7 player and he failed

raumdeuter:


Xavi released the pass before getting to Vidic

Rios job was to win a header vs a 5ft7 player and he failed

Yes xavi released the pass before getting to Vidic because he vidic wasn't making any attempt at coming close to xavi. Maybe we might need to ask vidic if he saw a ghost

popizaino:


Yes xavi released the pass before getting to Vidic because he Vidic wasn't making any attempt at coming close to xavi. Maybe we might need to ask vidic if he saw a ghost

So what was Rio's job on the field when Vidic is to mark Xavi and also mark Messi