Which is the point I was making, of course.

“I think that the reason for your tirade…”

Can a person have a 2 sentence tirade?

“…a pre-existing prejudice towards the English and not because of comments about this game. I don’t want to use the ‘r’ word here but you are pushing it.”

Go ahead. Use it. You would be wrong, of course, since an Englishman and I are most likely the same “‘r’ word” so that would make your little hissy fit wrong on several levels instead of just one.

The bottom line is that I find this whole thing amusing. I would call it hypocrasy, but that would imply that there was some integrity to become corrupted.

I still think Chelsea are bitch-ass punks though. (Just kidding.)

You bring up some very valid points. Like I said I am not a Barca fan so trust me i am not trying to make any excuses for them, just wanted to make sure you see the game in the context that it was played because in a game of inches its these types of things that really count.

I think for Barca the league is the most important thing to win. They have not won it in 2 years now and they want it more than anything. My brother is a Barca fan and he would def rather win the league. I dont think they would risk resting players in the league to try and push for the CL with us breathing down their necks (only 4 points now). For them, this is a new coach and a new team, a whole new cycle, so to even contemplate winning the treble is quite an achievement. My brother was expecting a transition year where they maybe won a trophy, he could never have imagined this. The way they see it, they have more than enough time to win the CL in the next few years.

Your point about rotations is extremely valid. The problem is that while Barca’s first 11 is probably the best in the world, their bench is a few notches below. Hleb has failed to perform, Keita is just starting to find his feet now, Bojan and Busquets are basically both just kids and Gudjohnson is not consistent enough. I think come the summer you will see a few key changes. I think Hleb, Gudjohnson and Sylvinho will prob go and you will see players like Ribery, Hernanes and Zhirkov come in. Obviously not necessarily those three but players of the same caliber (those are the 3 my brother want). I think they definitely plan to bolster because they are lacking some quality in depth. Certainly they dont have the depth that Chelsea or Man UTd have which is probably why they are struggling a bit right now.

Of course this is all great news for me because we are going to play a tired Barca on Sat and then Villareal are going to play and even more tired Barca the week after :)

I admit it would be a shame if they didnt win anything this year, they have definitely been the best team in Europe. When they are on, when all their players are fresh, they are pretty much unstoppable. Say what you will about Spanish football, but I have seen them rip top quality teams to shreds like it was a training match.

This may be a little off-subject but you mentioned the team is tired: @Valencia last week, Messi, Iniesta, and Eto’o all played the full 90. Xavi played ~75. I realize every game is important in the title race but Barca did have a six point lead with six games remaining before the game started. Couldn’t Bojan and Hleb have started? Throw Gudjohnsen in there too – sure it’s a gamble but what is more important, trying to ensure a small lead in the title race or being rested before a grueling three-important-games-in-eight-days marathon?

Not to say English teams do everything right (hardly!) but Man U last year rested many players before key Champions League games and ended up dropping some points in the League in the process. This of course made the title race come down to the wire but it was a calculated risk. I personally think Barca could have done a bit more of that in recent weeks (ie at Getafe and hosting Recreativo) instead of playing the A-listers all game (though glancing at the lineups against Recreativo does show some rotation). Ultimately the fact that Barca is tired is their own fault, whether it is from overplaying the starters recently or not having quality depth in the squad – even of course by simply being alive in the late stages of all their major competitions. It’s a problem all the top teams have to deal with, which you did acknowledge. I’m just saying that saying Barcelona was “off form” or “tired” as an excuse for not being able to score is just the same as saying “they didn’t have enough good players” or “our home pitch was bad” – it’s a problem of Barca’s own making. I think that goes along with what I said about Barca’s limited attacking options being their own fault.

That said, it is hardly a Glorious Accomplishment for Our Great Nation that many English papers are making it to be, you are totally right about that.

Of course you have to attribute something to the way Chelsea defended and I do. It definitely played its part and it made it much harder for Barca. When you have a line of players blocking the goal its hard enough but when those players are Terry, Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Alex, et al. well it is close to impossible wouldnt you say? However I would still attribute their lack of real penetration to their lack of sharpness. Take Messi for example, you asked why he didnt just keep running at Bosingwa, well probably because he has played in pretty much every single game in the last 8 weeks, and that includes a midweek game practically every week plus running off to south america to play another two games in a week for argentina. Its a bit much i think for any player, especially when you consider what a hard working, high octane player Messi is. Eto’o is exactly the same, except he is 28 so it must be even harder on him. It is no coincidence that Henry and Iniesta looked the freshest since they have gotten the most rest the last few weeks.

Sorry but you cannot compare the games Barca has with those Chelsea have. Their run in is completely different. Let me put it into perspective for u, if chelsea were in the same position as Barca they would have this run of games; Liverpool (H), Arsenal(A), Barcelona (H), Man Utd (A), Barcelona (A), Aston Villa (H). That is the kind of schedule Barcelona have to deal with all squeezed into barely three weeks. This is made even more difficult when you consider that compared to chelsea who have 26 outfield players to count on Barca only have 20. So depth is an issue for Barca as well and I think they will need to strengthen their squad a bit next year.

Regarding the money issue I wasnt comparing Chelsea’s worth to Barcelona’s, they are both immensely rich clubs. I was trying to put into perspective what Chelsea had achieved. I am comparing Chelsea’s £200million squad to that of Hull or Stoke or Espanyol in Spain who successfully use the same tactic Chelsea used against top teams. Espanyol beat Barca at home this season using very much the same tactic. They got lucky in the end because Barca got a red card and VV gifted Espanyol a goal but still you can see my point. If Espanyol can beat them, and they are not a rich club by any means, why does Chelsea’s 0-0 draw come off as such an accomplishment. I have read stories in the british papers with the headline; “Heroic Chelsea outclass Barca”….. REALLY!?!?!?!? I mean if Chelsea walked away from the Nou Camp 2-0 winners then i can understand headlines like this, but under these circumstances it just seems silly.

I’m sorry but that is ridiculous, that is one guy’s opinion. You are completely ignoring the fact that I feel the differently, and I know I’m not the only one. This guy claims he is speaking for “all football fans”, not just English ones. And he is wrong. There is a difference between one person having an opinion and an entire nation having an opinion. I think that the reason for your tirade is a pre-existing prejudice towards the English and not because of comments about this game. I don’t want to use the ‘r’ word here but you are pushing it.

Chelsea is supposed to be and considers themselves one of England’s elite squads (if not arguably the best [although that's a bit much]) and yet they go into a match with those tactics and perform like that. To me it’s a disgrace considering the amount of talent they have in that squad. From Drogba to Essien to Lampard they’re loaded with skilled players but a performance like the one we just saw is an absolute disgrace.

I really hope Barça gets that away goal and defeats Chelski at the bridge as I’d really like to see a United-Barça final seeing as they’re truly the two best teams in this competition. I really hope I don’t have to watch another United-Chelski final.

I will say you may be right about Barca being off but I will still argue that Chelsea had something to do with that too. Until this last week Chelsea still had some chance at the title so they’re getting tired too. Also if Chelsea is worth 200 mil how much is Barca worth? If you are referring to the club’s worth (I’m not sure if you meant the players) then according to Forbes Barcelona is actually worth a little more. But I will grant it is easier to defend at any rate.

I don’t understand why Messi didn’t keep running at Boswinga. Maybe that could be explained by your “they were off form” theory – Boswinga already had a yellow and clearly had to be careful.

Really? According to this guy (and a whole host of media outlets) you *do* all feel the same way – or at think that we nonanglos think this way, which makes the English more presumptuous in my book…

“Elliot | April 30th, 2009 at 11:10 am

Barca is toast. Chelsea went to Spain and gave them the what for, and I as well as the majority of football fans are very happy about that. What’s pathetic is the Barca players and fans response to being Shut Down………Messi and Henry who?

All that’s left now is the death blow which will be delivered on home soil.

Well Done Cheslea, well done indeed…..God Save The Queen.”