Cruyff tips Barca to beat 'long ball' United

MI5 · Post by **MI5** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:07 am

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 37&cc=5901

Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes his former side can pull Manchester United apart by keeping possession when the teams meet in the Champions League semi-final.

Cruyff, who now acts as an official adviser to club president Joan Laporta, denies there is any reason to be pessimistic, however, and says that Sir Alex Ferguson's men have as much to fear as anyone.

The Dutchman coached Barcelona to their first European Cup triumph back in 1992, and he believes he knows the way to beat the English champions.

He told El Periodico today: 'They run a lot. Their style of football, and that of all the English teams, gives the false sensation that they run more than anyone.

'That's because despite having a majority of foreigners in their squads they maintain the philosophy of long-ball football and sprinting 60 yards.

'That is how they exploit spaces in front of the midfield. If they played in the other team's half more often those spaces wouldn't exist.

'Despite recognising their effort, you can disarm an English side that presses and looks for the long ball by keeping possession and moving the ball around quickly.

'And if you know they will expend all their energy on closing down and chasing long balls, then you know where to beat them: by playing the ball horizontally.

'However badly Barca is doing we have at least the same chance of progressing to the final as United.

'They are very good, that's true. Of the three English teams in the semis, for me Manchester is the best.

'But I'm absolutely convinced that they're thinking exactly the same about Barca. That of all the semi-finalists, the Blaugranes are the strongest.'

YemiBrazil · Post by **YemiBrazil** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:12 am

I tip Cottbus Energie to beat 'boring' Barren Munchies again!!

MI5 · Post by **MI5** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:16 am

I tip Barcelona to trash Manure home and away...

YemiBrazil wrote:I tip Cottbus Energie to beat 'boring' Barren Munchies again!!

YemiBrazil · Post by **YemiBrazil** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:22 am

Ok, i've been trying to nail you for a very long time - let's have it this way:

1.) If Barcelona beat the great Manchester United of the whole universe home and away I will use Barren Munchies' jersey or logo as my avatar till the opening day of 2008/2009 season (EPL).

2.) If Manchester United dump Barcelona and qualify for the final, you will use United's jersey or logo till the opening day of 2008/2009 season. (Choi, my belle don dey sweet for this prospect already!!

).

So are you game or you don turn to jelly like Bayern against the great Energie Cottbus??

MI5 wrote:I tip Barcelona to trash Manure home and away...

YemiBrazil wrote:I tip Cottbus Energie to beat 'boring' Barren Munchies again!!

MI5 · Post by **MI5** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:52 am

Hahahaha Unfortunately.. I do not make deals with manure fans...

There are no deals to make... I expect Barca to win here..

YemiBrazil wrote:Ok, i've been trying to nail you for a very long time - let's have it this way:

1.) If Barcelona beat the great Manchester United of the whole universe home and away I will use Barren Munchies' jersey or logo as my avatar till the opening day of 2008/2009 season (EPL).

2.) If Manchester United dump Barcelona and qualify for the final, you will use United's jersey or logo till the opening day of 2008/2009 season. (Choi, my belle don dey sweet for this prospect already!! ).

So are you game or you don turn to jelly like Bayern against the great Energie Cottbus??

MI5 wrote:I tip Barcelona to trash Manure home and away...

YemiBrazil wrote:I tip Cottbus Energie to beat 'boring' Barren Munchies again!!

Post by **Waffiman** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:06 am

I hold no touch for Manure but I think Cruyff has got it wrong on Manure. Yes! Manure do use the long ball and the diagonal to exploit the spaces behind the full back but Cruyff is been very ignorant if he think this is the norm.

One of Manure's strengths is the ability to adapt and exploit the opponents weaknesses and if they have to play the passing game they can. True, Manure do play the quick two to four short passing move to set a trap for the deep runner for the long ball behind the defence but Cruyff is misguided when he arrogantly labels Manure as some sort of crude long ball, kick and rush team.

The real deal · Post by **The real deal** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:26 am

Waffiman wrote:I hold no touch for Manure but I think Cruyff has got it wrong on Manure. Yes! Manure do use the long ball and the diagonal to exploit the spaces behind the full back but Cruyff is been very ignorant if he think this is the norm.

One of Manure's strengths is the ability to adapt and exploit the opponents weaknesses and if they have to play the passing game they can. True, Manure do play the quick two to four short passing move to set a trap for the deep runner for the long ball behind the defence but Cruyff is misguided when he arrogantly labels Manure as some sort of crude long ball, kick and rush team.

The core philosophy of ManU is intact; robust power play. Gritty, stuck-in, aggressive British style. What they lack in genuine artistry of the africans and south Americans, they try to make up for in numbers and systems, 4-4-2,4-3-3 etc They have managed to make skillful players play the same style...Carlito, Anderson etal......Barca don't inspire any confidence @ the moment. FR just doesn't have it right. They can't even score goals. The key for Barca , in addition to what Cryuff said includes
(1) I will not give a big role to Toure in this tie.....too stiff for me and not particularly creative
(2) This is a game to unleash messi.....he sh'd be the play maker
(3) Barca's attack in last 1/3r must not be as pathetic as is been all season.....so slow.....Trio of Henry/Messi and Eto as arrowhead is enuff
(4) This is not a game for the kids.....absolutely no Bojan or GDS in this one
(5) This is a game for Deco and Gudjohnsen form the middle.....If u add Iniesta and Xavi to the MF, u have a far too creative team for ManU to handle
(6) So confident that Zambrota and Abidal can handle Ronaldo's circus @ the wings........ Fast attack in the last 1/3rd, creative MF...and th game is won... Of course, pray that Valdes is @ least average on the night

C'd be quite easy for barca...but then.........

mcal · Post by **mcal** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:18 am

What's the beef with long ball?

If u have fast attackers why not launch it, why dilly dally thru middle when u can send a police ball

YemiBrazil · Post by **YemiBrazil** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:27 am

James Bond wayo man... why not make a deal if you are so sure of Barca in this game?

MI5 wrote:Hahahaha Unfortunately.. I do not make deals with manure fans... There are no deals to make... I expect Barca to win here..

YemiBrazil wrote:Ok, i've been trying to nail you for a very long time - let's have it this way:

1.) If Barcelona beat the great Manchester United of the whole universe home and away I will use Barren Munchies' jersey or logo as my avatar till the opening day of 2008/2009 season (EPL).

2.) If Manchester United dump Barcelona and qualify for the final, you will use United's jersey or logo till the opening day of 2008/2009 season. (Choi, my belle don dey sweet for this prospect already!! ).

So are you game or you don turn to jelly like Bayern against the great Energie Cottbus??

MI5 wrote:I tip Barcelona to trash Manure home and away...

YemiBrazil wrote:I tip Cottbus Energie to beat 'boring' Barren Munchies again!!

MI5 · Post by **MI5** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:00 am

Are you saying you are going to beat Barca? Hmm... You guys are talking to much these days ohh... Is it because you beat Arsenal?

YemiBrazil wrote: James Bond wayo man... why not make a deal if you are so sure of Barca in this game?

MI5 wrote:Hahahaha Unfortunately.. I do not make deals with manure fans... There are no deals to make... I expect Barca to win here..

YemiBrazil wrote:Ok, i've been trying to nail you for a very long time - let's have it this way:

1.) If Barcelona beat the great Manchester United of the whole universe home and away I will use Barren Munchies' jersey or logo as my avatar till the opening day of 2008/2009 season (EPL).

2.) If Manchester United dump Barcelona and qualify for the final, you will use United's jersey or logo till the opening day of 2008/2009 season. (Choi, my belle don dey sweet for this prospect already!! ).

So are you game or you don turn to jelly like Bayern against the great Energie Cottbus??

MI5 wrote:I tip Barcelona to trash Manure home and away...

YemiBrazil wrote:I tip Cottbus Energie to beat 'boring' Barren Munchies again!!

CMS · Post by **CMS** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:33 am

I think Johan got it wrong this time.. Barca has no defense to hold manure's offense.

odi · Post by **odi** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:31 am

Cryuff is a f00l.

tfco · Post by **tfco** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:48 am

The real deal wrote:
Waffiman wrote:I hold no touch for Manure but I think Cruyff has got it wrong on Manure. Yes! Manure do use the long ball and the diagonal to exploit the spaces behind the full back but Cruyff is been very ignorant if he think this is the norm.

One of Manure's strengths is the ability to adapt and exploit the opponents weaknesses and if they have to play the passing game they can. True, Manure do play the quick two to four short passing move to set a trap for the deep runner for the long ball behind the defence but Cruyff is misguided when he arrogantly labels Manure as some sort of crude long ball, kick and rush team.

The core philosophy of ManU is intact; robust power play. Gritty, stuck-in, aggressive British style. What they lack in genuine artistry of the africans and south Americans, they try to make up for in numbers and systems, 4-4-2,4-3-3 etc They have managed to make skillful players play the same style...Carlito, Anderson etal......

oh really!!!

REDSPYDA · Post by **REDSPYDA** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:58 pm

Cruyff likes to hear the sound of his voice. he is an Arrogant fool. Eventhough I cant stand manure they play the best football in Europe and they rarely play long ball. actually they dont

marko · Post by **marko** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:03 pm

long ball, bit suprising, thas chelsea for you

airwolex · Post by **airwolex** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:06 pm

odi wrote:Cryuff is a f00l.

Lol; I wouldn't say Manure use long balls, maybe the dude is high!

platinum · Post by **platinum** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:02 pm

the likes of cruyff, pele and beckenbauer need to learn to hold their tongues sometimes. Long Ball man utd indeed, this season the mancunians have arguably played better footie than Barca. Barca have played the way we all know they can in spurts and starts typified by their clash with celtic in the ucl where in the first leg in scotland they balled the scots out of the park and then back at the nou camp they played like they'd lost their mojo.

marko · Post by **marko** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:37 pm

Man utd play a sleek passing game, we make good use of our wide men in the traditional 4-4-2 formation

You cannot win premier leagues playing long football, man utd are more than capable of matching barcelona finesse players

Their defence better be on form cause Rooney, ronaldo, giggs will give them headaches for 90 minutes

I can see the first leg ending in a draw only for man utd to beat them at home quite comfotably

txj · Post by **txj** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:48 pm

Cryuff knows exactly what he is doing; he is no fool. Neither is SAF on the other hand...
But one thing is clear, much as United has been adaptable in Europe this season, the absence of top flight opposition so far means that their ability to play within limited spaces has never really been tested...

Waffiman wrote:I hold no touch for Manure but I think Cruyff has got it wrong on Manure. Yes! Manure do use the long ball and the diagonal to exploit the spaces behind the full back but Cruyff is been very ignorant if he think this is the norm.

One of Manure's strengths is the ability to adapt and exploit the opponents weaknesses and if they have to play the passing game they can. True, Manure do play the quick two to four short passing move to set a trap for the deep runner for the long ball behind the defence but Cruyff is misguided when he arrogantly labels Manure as some sort of crude long ball, kick and rush team.

tolahs · Post by **tolahs** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:50 pm

Got to applaud Johan for the front - he knows ManU are a more dynamic team than he credits them for. Barca's FBs will need to make ManU wide players play a lotta defense to have a chance. Do Barca have 2 great matche in them? not on the form shown so far - do they have players to revive da dream - hell yea!!

tendai101 · Post by **tendai101** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:21 pm

The key will be Barcelonas defense more importantly how Eric abidal deals with C Ronaldo. If the Barca defense is solid on the day i think barca will win. Having said that very worrying because the great Carles Puyol is suspendedfor the first leg and if Thuram starts i think Rooney will give him a torrid 90 mins with his constant running

mcal · Post by **mcal** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:26 pm

tendai101 wrote:The key will be Barcelonas defense more importantly how Eric abidal deals with C Ronaldo. If the Barca defense is solid on the day i think barca will win. Having said that very worrying because the great Carles Puyol is suspendedfor the first leg and if Thuram starts i think Rooney will give him a torrid 90 mins with his constant running

Amen to that.

So Cryuff psychology of not playing long may not desuade Sir Alex. That's their weapon it's not against fifa rule therefore they'll use it

Dog Bruno · Post by **Dog Bruno** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:29 pm

mcal wrote:What's the beef with long ball?

If u have fast attackers why not launch it, why dilly dally thru middle when u can send a police ball

How's that working for Nigeria and Aiyegbeni?.....yes before you tell me, he was the leading scorer.

The leading scorer scored 1 goal in the ANC.