*** Barcelona v Arsenal ***

[the_georgian_genius]

so - let's debate - a better club team?

They need to win alot more as a team before they are labelled as the best ever club side. They can more than do that though.

[Rag_hater]

so - let's debate - a better club team?[/quote]















Maybe the Galacticos side with Zidane,Figo,the first Ronaldo,Raul,and a few more.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

Best ever? Sure they play great, but they are not the best ever. Don't let the beautiful play fool you. They are great but not better than every other team in history

so - let's debate - a better club team?

Off the top of my head, I don't think Barca are better than Ajax in 95, Milan in the early 90s/late 80s, or especially Santos in the 60s with pele. Don't get me wrong, Barca are playing incredible now, but "the best of all time" isn't something that I throw around lightly

would have to completely disagree about ajax in 95 and as for milan in late 80's - nope, don't agree at all. they wa fookin boooooooring..

i must confess i never caught santos in 1965.

they're the "best i've ever seen - same as arsenal (TO ME) are the best "footballing" english side i've seen over the last 10 years or so.

apart from that liverpool - forest game in the mid/late 80's(?) - that was ace.

barcelona were beautiful to watch in both games and i defy anyone to say otherwise

[lets all have a disco]

The Arsenal invincibles team would smash this current set up.

[Goataldo]

The Arsenal invincibles team would smash this current set up.

Funnily enuogh they got done by a ref, at The Death Star.

[dazby]

The Manchester City team of 1997 would blow all of these teams out of the water.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

The Manchester City team of 1997 would blow all of these teams out of the water.

bless.

[lets all have a disco]

The Manchester City team of 1997 would blow all of these teams out of the water.

It didnt contain Stevie Ireland though so it didnt exist.

[Ted Hughes]

I thought the Barca side with Ronaldinho & Eto in it was quite a bit better personally.

Re Arsenal tonight, their passing game was shambolic. Whilst Barca do press well etc, etc, if it was Millwall or Sheffield Wednesday playing the exact same pressing game, Arsenal would one touch their way around it. Because it's Barca, they take two touches, over or underhit passes, dwell on the ball etc. It's psychological, just like when they played at OT & couldn't pass wind; they were far worse than tonight at the swamp. Bottle merchants.

Be interesting to see if they play with more freedom at the swamp this time, with it being FA Cup. Perhaps they won't feel the pressure so much especially with the rags being vulnerable. I won't hold my breath though.

[Buffalo Soldier]

Best ever? Sure they play great, but they are not the best ever. Don't let the beautiful play fool you. They are great but not better than every other team in history

so - let's debate - a better club team?

Off the top of my head, I don't think Barca are better than Ajax in 95, Milan in the early 90s/late 80s, or especially Santos in the 60s with pele. Don't get me wrong, Barca are playing incredible now, but "the best of all time" isn't something that I throw around lightly

I'm guessing football in 1965 wasn't shown around the globe as it is now so what are you basing your opinion of Santos on?

Also, you said in a previous post in this thread that Barca are dominating a 'crap Spanish league', so which giants of world football were Santos facing each week?

This team will go down as the best in history, enjoy them while you can.

[halnone]

I personally can't stand Barcelona. Almost all of their fans are arrogant and complete cocks. Also, am I the only one who finds the excessive passing they do slightly boring? Just shoot ffs.

[john@staustell]

Best ever? Sure they play great, but they are not the best ever. Don't let the beautiful play fool you. They are great but not better than every other team in history

so - let's debate - a better club team?

Off the top of my head, I don't think Barca are better than Ajax in 95, Milan in the early 90s/late 80s, or especially Santos in the 60s with pele. Don't get me wrong, Barca are playing incredible now, but "the best of all time" isn't something that I throw around lightly

I'm guessing football in 1965 wasn't shown around the globe as it is now so what are you basing your opinion of Santos on?

Also, you said in a previous post in this thread that Barca are dominating a 'crap Spanish league', so which giants of world football were Santos facing each week?

This team will go down as the best in history, enjoy them while you can.

Well they've got a long way to go to beat Real Madrid of Puskas and Di Stefano. Barca dont look like winning it 5 times on the trot, in fact if my memory serves me correctly, they didn't make the final last year. Because there is more to football than passing.

Of course no team from the past would beat a team of today for various reasons, but greatness is relative to the era you play in.

[bigblue]

I'm guessing football in 1965 wasn't shown around the globe as it is now so what are you basing your opinion of Santos on?

Also, you said in a previous post in this thread that Barca are dominating a 'crap Spanish league', so which giants of world football were Santos facing each week?

This team will go down as the best in history, enjoy them while you can.

Here's Santos beating Benfica (with Eusebio) in 1962. Benfica won the euro champs in 61 + 62, while Santos basically won everything they could for the first part of the 60s. Santos also had two Congo states pause their Civil War for Santos to pass through.

[youtube]-5Dw8TWMJik[/youtube]

But honestly who knows which team is the best of all time. It just really bugs me how assured some of you are about this Barca being the best of all time

[john68]

You just beat me to it John. That Real Madrid side was beyond awesome. The likes of Gento and Santamaria as well as the legends of football you mentioned were unstoppable in their heyday. I remember them scoring 7 goals in a European Cup Final.

Buff, That Santos team of the Pele era came on tour to England and brought another dimension to the game mate....and yes they were shown a number of times on TV.

[Esky]

You just beat me to it John. That Real Madrid side was beyond awesome. The likes of Gento and Santamaria as well as the legends of football you mentioned were unstoppable in their heyday. I remember them scoring 7 goals in a European Cup Final.

Perilous phrasing mate, we don't never another one of those threads.

I only saw the first 60-65 minutes of the game but that red card was ridiculous. Seemingly killed the contest (going by the final score, at least). I can't stand RVP for his usual bitching and histrionics but - If I were him - I'd do my best to bury the referee for that. An even contest between two great teams ruined because the referee bottled it.

98000 people, no flag from the assistant and sent off for failing to hear a whistle from a third of the field away. Glad FIFA passed that rule before considering things like goal line technology - their priorities are clearly in order.

[john@staustell]

You just beat me to it John. That Real Madrid side was beyond awesome. The likes of Gento and Santamaria as well as the legends of football you mentioned were unstoppable in their heyday. I remember them scoring 7 goals in a European Cup Final.

.

Was it Malcolm Alliosn who told the tale that he was watching the England/Hungary match as a young West Ham full back? He said to the bloke next to him - "Look at that little fat bloke, we'll murder these".

Ferenc Puskas it was of course, soon to leave Billy Wright on his arse with a drag-back. England 3 Hungary 6 - 1953

[Ted Hughes]

Barca are a great side who would compete in any era but I'm not sure they face any quality opposition. They were stopped last season by a (imo) well organised but nowt special Inter team, who played a nowt special Bayern team in the final.

Real Madrid are ok but not as good as they have been. If Barca had lost, I'd have been seriously worried that the 5th place Prem team could possibly become european Champs, in a season when the PL top 5 is the worst it's ever been. Imo, Barca rarely play v anyone anywhere who's any good. Nor did Spain in the World Cup for that matter.

[TheGOAT]

You just beat me to it John. That Real Madrid side was beyond awesome. The likes of Gento and Santamaria as well as the legends of football you mentioned were unstoppable in their heyday. I remember them scoring 7 goals in a European Cup Final.

Perilous phrasing mate, we don't never another one of those threads.

I only saw the first 60-65 minutes of the game but that red card was ridiculous. Seemingly killed the contest (going by the final score, at least). I can't stand RVP for his usual bitching and histrionics but - If I were him - I'd do my best to bury the referee for that. An even contest between two great teams ruined because the referee bottled it.

98000 people, no flag from the assistant and sent off for failing to hear a whistle from a third of the field away. Glad FIFA passed that rule before considering things like goal line technology - their priorities are clearly in order.

I agree
And i hate the way it will get brushed under the carpet because "arsenal didn't have a shot anyway"
They where winning the tie ffs, they didn't need to have a shot!!

[Hazy2]

Barca have been are still without a doubt the best team on the planet, what I would like to know is how are we going to deal with them if we ever meet, we keep the ball well we defend play some very sharp pass and move on occasion as good as Arse, not for as long periods, Arsenal, our best footballing team have just been treated as the local pub team, battered and could have been beat by 10/11 if Alves cuts back 8 x, how do clubs like us expect to do if we meet Barca next season.

[guv111]

So i feel like its my duty to say, shut the fuck up you pleb.

Says the man with snogging "babez" as an avatar...