Barcelona 2-1 Estudiantes de La Plata AET

[Sussex Shrimper]

Not a vintage performance against a spirited Estudiantes side, but Barca confirm their status as the best in the world right now, and what could be more fitting than for the best player to grab the winner?

That's six titles in 2009 for Barca:

La Liga
Copa del Rey
Supercopa
Champions League
UEFA Super Cup
FIFA World Club Cup

Did they actually fail to win anything they entered?

Best club side ever? I'm too young to have seen anything more than brief snippets of grainy footage of the Real Madrid of the fifties, Ajax and F.C. Bayern of the seventies, and I only caught Liverpool's team of the eighties on their way down. They weren't pretty but AC Milan were one hell of a force in the late eighties / early nineties, and should arguably have been crowned European champions for 1992/3 as well. Los Galacticos were immense, but the long term prognosis for a team built upon individual star power and accompanying ego always looked sketchy.

The scariest part is that Barca are still getting better, in my opinion. Pique has added the steadying presence needed to take their defence to the next level, I think that Maxwell will prove a better fit for Barca's style than Abidal, Keita has grown to provide genuine competition for places in midfield and even the doubts about Ibrahimovic may well prove to be unfounded. Iniesta and Messi continue to develop more complete games, and it's not easy to identify any motive for any of Barca's key players to want to leave any time soon. I think we're seeing something very special taking place in Catalonia.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'm not so sure about "best club side ever"... As magical as Barcelona are, they were damn lucky to beat Chelsea last season and looked slightly suspect at the back.

Certainly the best side of recent years, for me, was the United side of 2008/09. My housemate at the time was a die hard United fan and I do have to say, I grew to just love watching them play. Vidic and Ferdinand were awesome, Giggs and Scholes in midfield and that trio of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez was almost perfect. The game that stood out for me was Newcastle... 0-0 at HT, finished 6-0 United I think.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

I'm not so sure about "best club side ever"... As magical as Barcelona are, they were damn lucky to beat Chelsea last season and looked slightly suspect at the back.

Certainly the best side of recent years, for me, was the United side of 2008/09. My housemate at the time was a die hard United fan and I do have to say, I grew to just love watching them play. Vidic and Ferdinand were awesome, Giggs and Scholes in midfield and that trio of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez was almost perfect. The game that stood out for me was Newcastle... 0-0 at HT, finished 6-0 United I think.

Barca did ride their luck against Chelsea, but the key fact for me is that they prevailed. One sided games in the later stages of major competitions are the exception rather than the rule these days, which only makes the manner in which they strolled to victory against the Manure side of 2008/09 all the more impressive. That game that spoke to me of a very clear and visible gulf in class. I've always had my reservations about Marquez, who I believe has played a large part in making Barca appear somewhat brittle at the back, but I think that Pique is the real deal and will serve them well for years to come.

This Barca team probably need another victory or two in Europe to really make their case to be considered the best ever, but who'd bet against that happening for a club who have demonstrated not only dominance and swagger, but the ability to grind results out when need be?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

This Barca team probably need another victory or two in Europe to really make their case to be considered the best ever, but who'd bet against that happening for a club who have demonstrated not only dominance and swagger, but the ability to grind results out when need be?

I would.They were crap against Espanyol the other week and I can't see them repeating their Champions League Final win of last year.I also suspect Madrid will run them close and maybe even overtake them for La Liga this season.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I would.They were crap against Espanyol the other week and I can't see them repeating their Champions League Final win of last year.I also suspect Madrid will run them close and maybe even overtake them for La Liga this season.

A totally unbiased assessment there from our resident Espanyol fan ;)

It's quite amusing reading the Madrid press (I get Marca every day when I am working here) as they try to grab on to every tiny little thing that suggests Barcelona aren't all that GREAT. For example, when Real were buying all those players in the summer, there were commentators already writing off last season's treble as ancient history. Is that because Real never won it? Yup, thought so.

The stuff they played last year, on a consistent basis, was as good as I've ever seen from a club side. More of the same please.

Oh, and while I'm here - MUSHO BETI MUSHO BETI EH EH EH

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

A totally unbiased assessment there from our resident Espanyol fan ;)

Glad my objectivety was shining through, James!:)



<Oh, and while I'm here - MUSHO BETI MUSHO BETI EH EH EH

Mucho, surely shum mistake?;)
A brief word for Mallorca BTW who ARE the revellation (as they say locally)of the season.

 

[BrettieAngell]

I would.They were crap against Espanyol the other week and I can't see them repeating their Champions League Final win of last year.I also suspect Madrid will run them close and maybe even overtake them for La Liga this season.

No team has ever retained the CL so if they did then they could surely claim to be the best club side ever!

 

[Uncle Leo]

Mucho, surely shum mistake?;)

Ah, but remember, Betis are Andaluz; ch = sh and the letter 's' is almost never pronounced (uno, do, tre, etc)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Ah, but remember, Betis are Andaluz; ch = sh and the letter 's' is almost never pronounced (uno, do, tre, etc)

Yeah James I got the joke(such as it was)!;)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

No team has ever retained the CL so if they did then they could surely claim to be the best club side ever!

Agreed.But older zoners (like me) will remember that it used to be called the European Cup.That WAS won in consecutive seasons by Real Madrid among others.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Agreed.But older zoners (like me) will remember that it used to be called the European Cup.That WAS won in consecutive seasons by Real Madrid among others.

Well yeah that is true! Different era's I guess Barca can claim to be one of the best teams of the modern era IMO.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Well yeah that is true! Different era's I guess Barca can claim to be one of the best teams of the modern era IMO.

I just can't wait until Bar$a have to play at Espanyol's(excellent) new stadium in Cornella in April.
I'm predicting a shock home win.:clap:

 

[Rob Noxious]

I just can't wait until Bar$a have to play at Espanyol's(excellent) new stadium in Cornella in March.
I'm predicting a shock home win.:clap:

It's looking increasingly like I've lost the Owen bet with you, so I bet you same again Espanyol won't win...:)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

It's looking increasingly like I've lost the Owen bet with you, so I bet you same again Espanyol won't win...:)

Done.But if it's a draw(quite a likely result) you still owe me the fiver for the Owen bet.:)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Did they actually fail to win anything they entered?

I think you'll find they might have failed to win the Copa de Catalunya.;)

 

[Rob Noxious]

Done.But if it's a draw(quite a likely result) you still owe me the fiver for the Owen bet.:)

Five Southend Pounds? ;)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Five Southend Pounds? ;)

Whatever!:)

 

[Rob Noxious]

I just can't wait until Bar$a have to play at Espanyol's(excellent) new stadium in Cornella in April.
I'm predicting a shock home win.:clap:

What date in April ?

 

[GrumpyBlue]

What date in April ?

Probably the First of April

 

[Rob Noxious]

Probably the First of April

Nice bit of stealth bombing there, Rich. :)