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If Barca are a decade ahead of time, what does that make the like of Ajax and Holland in the 70s?

Indeed. Almost a shame Pedro didn't smash it in the top corner, because it would have gone down as a truly great goal then. It really irks me how most replays only shown the last two passes of a move, rather than the 30 seconds it was building up for.

I'm not advocating 'total defence' as you put it. I would focus on Xavi because he is the main man. Almost everything goes though him, so stop him and the forwards won't be as big an issue, which will could allow you to use less players focused on defence. I would also employ a high...

Did Chelsea man-mark him? I thought they just pressed him hard rather than just having one person following him around the whole time.

I've seen it done a couple of times. I just don't undertand why more teams don't do it. If I was setting up a Juve team to play Barca, I'd have Poulsen marking Xavi as my starting point, then build the team from there.

Both. I agree. Why don't teams man-mark Xavi? There were times tonight you could see Inter's diamond midfield with Xavi standing by himself in the middle of it with space to recieve and pass the ball.

For Juve, I would agree. However, it couldn't happen because it would hinder Giovinco's development. :D

I don't think Messi is a better forward than Buffon is 'keeper. If I was starting a team from scratch and could only have one, I'd have Buffon.

And you'll get a similar reaction if you try to explain to them that football did, in fact, exist before 1992. Oh, and Buffon isn't just the best goalkeeper in the world, he is arguably the best player in the world.

So why do you prefer Italian football to English or Spanish stuff?

Yup. If you prefer uncontrolled diarrhoea spraying all over the place, that's your call.

I'm, apparently, insane. I don't care how a team plays, so long as it is done to a high standard. Give me a 0-0 with top class defending over a 3-3 with lots of stupid mistakes any day. It's all about quality for me. Sometimes. Juve, under Ferrara, play reasonably balanced...

I think quite a lot of folk have claimed that, actually. Barca were the best team in Europe last season, so, looking at the bigger picture, I'm not going to complain about them winning the thing.

Old git. :D

They played pretty passes, so they deserved to win. It doesn't matter that the passes were getting them nowhere. The team that tries to play 'good' football always deserved to win.

I preferred how former Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl put it: Statistics are just like mini-skirts, they give you good ideas but hide the most important thing.

There is beauty in any kind of football that is played to a high standard. Ironic, really. Arsenal were known as a defensive team for about 80 years before Wenger showed up.