Cristiano vs Levante 25/9/10

[Isa1707]

A team that can create opportunities on its own, at least more than half of them. Last year we relied on mistakes and luck a lot, and on team breaks of minutes of good play. I want and hope to see a team that can take something complex, break It down, and attack accordingly.

Yes. Both Ronaldo and Higuain could play that, because they could remain free roaming to the extent of being concious of the rest of the team. So they can move around and help create these oportunities on their own, and with a team support. Its like if Cristiano can move around freely, can he do so while taking account everyone else, and can everyone else move at the same time to exploit what he does? If him, Higuain, Ozil can do that, they can change the dynamic of the team to something systematic and at the same time uncontrollable. Take his genius, and let the team play with him and not around him so to speak...

I don't know what the team will look like at the end of the season, but I trust Mourinho. I believe that as the season progresses we will see improvements, and even if its to early to see the full mind blowing capability this team could have, I can only have faith and wait that maybe I will see it by the end of the season.

[Nisrin]

Isa, why do you think the players (especially the forwards) look so frustrated in their positions? It was obvious for anyone to see since the Osasuna game...

[lynn]

^^Last year, won because they have better & faster players than the teams they played against -- until they came up against Barcelona/Lyon, who also have great players and who have  played together longer.

I agree that Mourinho is fixing the "problem" where wins because they use their better, faster & more talented players. And maybe they'll eventually figure out how to score by some slow methodical method that doesn't depend on having great, talented, fast players who make extraordinary plays.

The question is why do that? This is making up a new formation to fix a problem that wasn't there. could be a great attacking team with a good defense. Instead they're going to be a slow, methodical, boring team with a great defense because that's what they do -- defend.

But at least will have the capability to win without phenomenally talented players....

So instead of the Levantes of the world being an easy game, because 's players are a diferent class, every game is hard because isn't using any of their advantages. So maybe Barcelona won't be such a big deal to play against after Levante has been a struggle.

[Isa1707]

@Nisrin, I was thinking its more because the fact that they are trying, they do push forward, and somehow, no matter what the goals just don't go in... The frustation that should only be in the forwards slowly extends backbard as the demands for a goal increase...

@there was no way to fix how the team played defensively without restarting the way the team though of defense in the first place. The problem these players have is that none of them have ever played a style resembling 'total football' which is what mourinho truly wants, a team where every ones plays everything in some sense. And no the attack may have been fast last year, but most goals came from counter attacks or set pieces, and that isn't necesarily a good thing, because it means the team was not attack effeciently, just fast on break. And considering that defensively we have been doing well, we don't really see those fast breaks from set pieces from last year.

[♥ Majiek ♥]

I expect things to improve as the season goes on.

[Nisrin]

@Nisrin, I was thinking its more because the fact that they are trying, they do push forward, and somehow, no matter what the goals just don't go in... The frustation that should only be in the forwards slowly extends backbard as the demands for a goal increase...

Imo, that's because they're playing out of position and shooting a lot from too far out... There is almost no quick movement because they are sitting outside the box to defend. The build up to the attack is so slow that the forwards face a lot of defenders when they manage to get in the box (exhausted from constant running from one side to the other).

[Isa1707]

^thats more of a credit to the opposing defenses in knowing how to stop an offense that requires buildup... But like a levante coach or player said, the moments when they were caught surprised it almost always resulted in a goal...