La Liga Round 11: Mallorca vs FC Barcelona

Date: Sunday, 11/11/2012 17:50

Competition: League

Stadium: Estadi Iberostar

City: Palma de Mallorca

Capacity: 23.142

Television: C+ Liga - GolT - C+ Liga HD

Referee: Iglesias Villanueva, Ignacio

Squad going to Mallorca:

Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Fabregas, Xavi, Villa, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi, Jonathan dos Santos, Mascherano, Bartra, Busquets, Pedro, Jordi Alba, Montoya, Song and Tello

Tough away game and well after Thursdays game, I think we want a win from this.

-----------------Valdes----------------
--Alves--Piqué--Mascherano--Alba--
-----Xavi----Busquests-----Cesc-----
----Sanchez---Messi----Villa----

Valdes
Alves Bartra Pique Alba
Xavi Busquets Iniesta
Pedro Messi Villa

I would like to see Bartra instead of Masch in one of the next few games.

Alexis started midweek and did nothing to deserve a start. If Pedro needs a rest, which I doubt he does, I'd play Tello.

BarcaKizz wrote:Valdes
Alves Bartra Pique Alba
Xavi Busquets Iniesta
Pedro Messi Villa

I would like to see Bartra instead of Masch in one of the next few games.

Alexis started midweek and did nothing to deserve a start. If Pedro needs a rest, which I doubt he does, I'd play Tello.

I have a feeling Pedro will be rested. Anyway, I would have Tello over Alexis but for some reason, I think Tito will pick Alexis...
Same with Barta. Would love for him to start instead of Masch but I don't think Tito will opt for that...

Cesc will start in my opinion

Alexis played better than Pedro vs Celtic, so if its about performance he should start. Another thing I wanted to mention in the Celtic game and forgot...dont know why he took Alexis off, he was getting into goalscoring positions. Pedro really had a quite game and did very little.

Anyway, whoever starts is fine with me really.

I would like to see Tello play, he's been several games in the bench and I want him to renew with us. Maybeif he plays a bit more he will sign the contract. So I wouldn't mind him and Villa starting.
I think it's a given that Cesc will start as he rested in Glasgow.

Despite Messi's goal he has been rather poor, and I'm starting to notice every game he plays he seems to be put in a much deeper position then normal it has been affecting his game.
Also why start Villa on RW and Tello LW, surely Villa is better placed in the left and tello can play both.
Amazing free kick from Xavi was much needed to get the feet moving.
Hope the second half is better.

Well this is nice. Mallorca parking the bus but cannot stop Xavi free kick while giving Messi a second. Tello opens up with a nice finish.

Tello has had a pretty good game. He hasnt forced it like he sometimes does, got down the outside and put in some decent balls. Only came inside a few times which has helped. I have noticed, probably because Messi is left footed and the easy pass is to the left because of that, whoever plays on the left, always gets more of the ball than on the right. Tello taking advantage of that.

I dont think he will, but I hope Villa gets a chance over that side, he has looked decent, making good decisions all the time. Just hasnt had much of the ball.

Nice to have Pique back, though he hasnt had much to do.

Great Valdes save at 0-0

Donuts wrote:Despite Messi's goal he has been rather poor, and I'm starting to notice every game he plays he seems to be put in a much deeper position then normal it has been affecting his game.
Also why start Villa on RW and Tello LW, surely Villa is better placed in the left and tello can play both.
Amazing free kick from Xavi was much needed to get the feet moving.
Hope the second half is better.

Well Tello is faster than Villa and when the ball is played out to that side he can get 1 v 1 which is his strength.

Also, Mallorca are parking the bus, Messi has to drop deep if he plans on touching the ball today.

Alves has extended his run of poor performances lately. He doesn't look sharp at all. A player of his type relies so much on his physique and I believe he may have a fitness issue?

Messi has been playing bad as well. Very lazy and slow. Needs to show more determination.

Mascherano scared me with that injury, but looks like he's okay.

Great save by Valdés by the way, can't say the same about Palop though.

Messi loosing to many balls, and Villa was invisible most of the times. Other were decent IMO. Anyway, having Messi and Xavi as FK takers puts more pressure on keepers as well, as they have no clue to who to watch. I think this time he was expecting Messi to shoot, that is why he did not move at all.

EDIT: as danyjr pointed out Alves vas not up to his best as well.

He was very good vs Celtic, what are you on about.

Today he hasnt done much wrong at all, there isnt space for him to make runs so everything is in front of the defence.

I think we expect much more from Alves, and it si true that lately he is not up to 100%.

Also Dude Aoute is in goal, not Palop.

when he does have the ball he has lost it so much, too much for his standards is what we are all getting at.

Cant go 1 game without a Mascherano mistake. Get him out.

Even a 3 goal lead isnt safe with this lot. Incredible.

Who the fk are we, Arsenal? Giving up 2 goals when up by 3, absolutely ridiculous.

Alves, Alexis and Messi combine on the counter, hopefully we hold. Great goal.

Fontas on in midfield lol

Lets see if he can shackle Messi. Gets an early interception.

Sometimes Cesc does the slowest, most loose first touches...its surprising for someone so technically gifted how often his touch isnt good enough.

That goal was amazing.

Still, the amount we concede is worrying.

we need to fix out defence issues, it is getting very bad.
Sanchez actually played well first time this season he has impressed me.

CBarca wrote:That goal was amazing.

Still, the amount we concede is worrying.

Well I would say our defending isnt that bad.

The two goals, one was a Mascherano mistake...we need to accept he is going to give one goal scoring chance away a game it seems.

The second is a pen. Busquets cant put his hand that high in the box, he should know that.

Other than that, they had the odd counter but I think they were all of our misplaced passes.

The Franchise wrote:

CBarca wrote:That goal was amazing.

Still, the amount we concede is worrying.

Well I would say our defending isnt that bad.

The two goals, one was a Mascherano mistake...we need to accept he is going to give one goal scoring chance away a game it seems.

The second is a pen. Busquets cant put his hand that high in the box, he should know that.

Other than that, they had the odd counter but I think they were all of our misplaced passes.

Yeah, the defending wasn't really that bad- but that's just what worries me. In the same way that some teams win without playing very well, we seem to concede without even defending poorly.

It's good the overall defending is OK, but I'd certainly like to see more concentration where we aren't letting in those silly goals (Mascherano...)- it's OK against Mallorca because we'll win anyway, but can we say the same against top sides? Hell, I'd be surprised if this type of thing doesn't hurt us against a couple smaller sides.

You can't always score a bunch, so despite the quality of overall defending, I find it worrying how much we concede.

Mascherano is making these kinds of things a habit- I wouldn't mind starting Bartra a lot more now.