Hours spent on the field doesn't translate to having a degree in it - it varies based on the person. Mourinho didn't play after the youth level. But thanks for sharing your resume with me, I'll put it in a pile with the others and get back to you next week.
You obviously don't even know what tika taka means LMAO!! It's about ball possession and crisp passes not about how physical you are! Spanish players aren't 6'1 200lbs. They aren't physical because they know they can't match up physically with bigger defenders. It's not rocket science that if you can't win with physicality you win with quickness and creativity. Why do you think the EPL has such a hard time with that! Tiki =pass taka= pass
There's nothing to disagree about. It doesn't mean what you think it means. It's like calling counter attack when players use their body to push strikers off the ball.
I didn't begin to share my resume with you. If hours spent on the field doesn't translate to having a degree in it, what does 0 hours spent on the field translate to?
Don't use pointless logic to keep the argument going. Most people who say playing a game gives them authority on the subject spend the entire game complaining about calls and talking. Jordan was a horrible GM. They lack the panache. The rhythm. The grace. To see clearly. I for one, am a rugby and badminton champion.
TBF, those guys are right concerning tiki-taka. Bayern and Barcelona are similar only when they are playing off the ball and trying to gain possession. However, once they've got the ball they could not be more different. As a United fan, I have felt the brunt of the best of tiki-taka, viz Barca 2009. The Barca players will just pass their opponents off the park, passing in little triangles again and again with their opponents chasing shadows. They'll do it until their opponents just throw in the towel in frustration or they manage to probe for a through ball in some unstoppable team move. The objective is quite simple: deprive their opponents of the ball as you can't hurt Barca if you don't have possession. This allows them to play a high line and put midfielders in central defense. Thus tiki-taka is a system where you pass often just for the sake of passing. Bayern (and Dortmund) on the contrary have a completely different on the ball philosophy: once you have possesion, you go at your opponent's goal, no holds barred. The Bayern team is geared to blitz defenses with dynamic midfielders like Kroos and Schweinstiger and flying wide forwards like Muller, Ribery and Robben. In fact, Bayern often turn into big game bottlers when they suppress their natural instincts and emulate tiki-taka to ill-advisedly "manage" a lead. Where I agree with you is that tiki-taka has been "figured out". Teams have now understood that the best way to counteract possession-based tactics is to defend deep with great pressure being applied to the ball carrier once he gets in the final third. This takes advantage of the fact that teams like Barca often plays a "narrow" formation so as to reduce the distance between players and facilitate passing. However, playing a narrow formation mean that you can get bogged into passing from sides to sides in front of two lines of defenders as you cannot create penetration, viz Chelsea vs Barca in last year's CL. The key is to counterract quickly and with numbers once possession is gained to take advantage of weak defenders in advanced position up the pitch. Barca often got around this difficulty through the sheer brilliance of Iniesta and Xavi and the genius of Messi, hoping to unlock the defense with a mazy dribble. However, as Xavi has kept declining from the high-water mark of 2009, Barca has become more and more dependent on Messi. With Messi's recent injury their traditionally slow build-up has grounded to a halt and they look devoid of ideas when they are in a position to counter. The footballing genius that has put them on top is now proving to be their downfall. The tiki-taka powerhouse is definitely waning. Football is a cycle od dominant styles and that of tiki-taka is definitely coming to an end.
The rest of the post was decent and most of it was correct, but the bolded part is wrong. Bayern has significantly more possession and plays something similar to tiki-taka a whole lot (except against Barca). One of Bayern's strengths is that we can play both styles. Schweinsteiger is key because he can control the tempo of the game and make the team switch from one style to another. He is a general on the field. Martinez, like Schweinsteiger, is a beast defensively, and a perfect anti-dote to tiki-taka because he anticipates the passing lanes very well and plays very close to the attacking player, which doesn't leave them much room. Under van Gaal, we played like Barca, but too static. Van Gaal did not use Ribery's and Robben's strengths properly. He forced them into a static corset in order to dominate possession, which required them to never ever leave their position on the wing. That made it too easy for someone like Mourinho to predict how Bayern would play. Heynckes has given these guys more freedom offensively, but is demanding that they work hard on defense as well. So far, this has been working very well.
No offense intended, but Bayern can't really play tiki-taka. It was hilarious to see them attempt to "keep it tight" against Arsenal as they nearly bottled it, again. When they stay true to their natural instincts and attack with abandon, they are a joy to watch and the best team in Europe this season. Also, I highly doubt that you can make your team "play like Barca" without your players having been groomed in the tiki-taka culture in their formative years like those guys from "La Masia". You can play a bastardised version of it, and "possession football" seems a more apt description. But to play like the Barca of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Pedro? No way.
They were simply not focused because they didn't take Arsenal seriously. That had nothing to do with trying to play tiki-taka or anything. Fact of the matter is that Bayern usually has a ton more possession than its opponents, if it is not Barca.
Having a "ton more possession" is not equal to tiki-taka. If you say that Bayern plays a possession-oriented game, then I'm fine with it. Most of the big teams in Europe usually have a "ton more possession" than their opponents, but that's just because they have better players less prone to turning it over, not because they have suddenly started to play tiki-taka which is to pass for the sake of passing. And the collapse against Arsenal is exactly why Bayern does not really play tiki-taka: tiki-taka is primarily a defensive philosophy that is geared towards dealing with a high pressing game, you just don't close out a player in the tiki-taka system high up the pitch, you will usually get passed around. However, the hilariously soft Arsenal midfielders were able to cause a turn-over each time they dared to get in the Bayern players' faces. Was a sight for sore eyes.
You haven't seen Bayern play much - obviously not in the Bundesliga. You talk as if you know a lot, but clearly you do not. I am not saying that Bayern plays or ever played exactly like Barcelona, which is obvious, because that requires a certain type of players, which Barcelona has, and which is very unique. But yes, Bayern plays a strongly possession-oriented game. It was more extreme under van Gaal (who still credits himself for having started this philosophy at Barca). Bayern had 55 % possession even in that game. Bayern had 22 attempts on goal, Arsenal had 5, only 3 on target - their goals were after standards, not out of the game. You constantly referring to that one game shows that you haven't seen much. Schweinsteiger and Ribery didn't even play in that match. That's like Barca playing without Xavi and Iniesta. They won't play exactly the same style just as successfully either without these two guys. Learn more about the game before you post more.
ATW, choose a team for me. Give me a rooting interest. Don't choose your favorite team. Choose as if you're a ridiculously good-looking Irish-American man living in Houston, Texas. Go!!! :grin:
Well, normally, I would recommend Bayern, of course! Haven't had any Irish players, but a Scot - Alan McInally. Definitely support the Irish national team, they have the greatest fans. As to club football - well, Irish players - Roy Keane played on Man U., as well as George Best (Northern Ireland) and Paul McGrath. So I guess if the Irish connection is important to you, Man U would probably be your best choice. But if you want to celebrate victories and titles the next ten years - make it Bayern :grin:.
What ATW's trying to say was to follow Liverpool. They won't be in the Champions League next season, but definitely will the season after that. :grin:
Plus Liverpool are the other British team closest to Aire with the greatest Irish presence and support throught British footy history. The lad should decide between Liverpool and United. Those teams have the support of most of his ppl.
