2010/11 FC Barcelona - Great Football Team, or Greatest Football Team?

Shekwan

Shekwan

Kim Chi Quaffing Celt
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Barcelona are having one of the most phenomenal seasons possible in European football. If they win the Spanish League (if... :lol:) and the Champions League, are they the best team ever?

I watched some classic football the other day (1970 England vs Brazil) and it was dire, slow paced and clumsy stuff. Today's football seems to be at a way higher level, and that considered, surely Barcelona are the greatest team ever?
 
Hmm? They don't even play football. War Eagle.

:rolleyes:

Spoiler :
let's at least go for an ELO or something though right? I do agree with the idea that a lot of famous "historical" teams are not up to par to modern teams in any sport, but just one year/season/set of championships or whatever doesn't prove enough.
 
They have the greatest football team of this generation, without a doubt. Such amazing talent and players. But I'm not sure I would call them the greatest ever. If they win all cups again like a couple of years ago then maybe.
 
Let's just say I'm reeeeally looking forward to seeing what happens in their Champions League game against Arsenal. They made Madrid, plausibly the second best team in continental Europe, look like children a couple of months back. Xavi is regularly getting nearly as many completed passes as the entire other team and in a few matches, has gotten more. 156 completed passes in 90 minutes against Levante. That's about 1 every 35 seconds. What do you do once every 35 seconds for 90 minutes? What do you do 156 times in a day, for that matter?

And given that they're virtually the World Cup-winning team with Messi up front, there's an argument to be made that they would beat Spain right now.

So maybe approach this from another direction - who would be the contenders for "greatest club side ever"?
 
Arwon said:
And given that they're virtually the World Cup-winning team with Messi up front, there's an argument to be made that they would beat Spain right now.
Click to expand...

Of course they'd beat Spain. The few pieces that aren't Spanish are upgrades (Messi and Alves particularly; I guess Valdes/Casillas is the exception). And the big reason, of course, is that they play together all year, which is why the standard of the club game is way higher than that of the international game.
 
I don't see how they have to do exceptional over multiple seasons either - the team will probably change and players may lose a step over time. Its better to judge against other possible greatest teams best season.
 
How do you beat their style? They're phenomenonally good possessors of the ball, not in a particularly offensive or defensive manner, just in a patient and plotting and choking one. If you're not good enough to get and keep the thing you don't have a hope, period.
 
It will be interesting to see how this team will play against a not-spanish team who play a very different football. At the beginning of the season I would've said that Barcelona could be defeated by Chelsea......

Barcelona are the best at the football they play, but I have no idea if they can adapt that play against other teams, that's what I'm trying to say ;)
 
I think comparing historical teams to modern teams isn't fair to the historical teams... given how much better we are at overall athletic preparation and the amount of resources we devote to sports now, I'm pretty sure that if you took historical athletes and had them grow up in the modern era, they'd still be phenomenal.
 
Jos Ballenbak said:
It will be interesting to see how this team will play against a not-spanish team who play a very different football. At the beginning of the season I would've said that Barcelona could be defeated by Chelsea......

Barcelona are the best at the football they play, but I have no idea if they can adapt that play against other teams, that's what I'm trying to say ;)
Click to expand...

Chelsea would have to get the ball, first.
 
Hmm. Certainly a very good team, and probably the best in Europe at the moment. But, "best of all time" ? I think you're being a bit premature. La Liga is far from over. And there are a few decent teams left in the Champions League. If they go on to win both, then we can maybe talk about them in terms of being amongst the best ever, but until then, this is somewhat precipitate as a judgement.
 
I believe that the current Barcelona squad is the finest collection of players that a team has ever had. Many of the players were in the Spain squad which has won the last European Cup and the World Cup of course. Barcelona also have Messi, who I deem to be one of the best footballers ever, despite his young age, he never ceases to excite and delight. However, it is still quite possible that Barcelona will not win the Champions League. Surely Jose with Inter Milan last year showed that and average squad, who set up the right way, are able to handle anything that's thrown at them. I just guess for Mourinho, it's a pity he didn't use the same tactics when Barcelona steamrolled them 5-0 this year ;)
 
Barça can still flop, I don't think they'll win all three competitions but there's no denying they're the best team of the moment and have been for a couple years now.
 
They'll be out in round one of the Champions League :)
 
Azale said:
They'll be out in round one of the Champions League :)
Click to expand...

Well, that comment is slightly fail. Round one's been played, Last 16 to come. Barcelona vs Arsenal, Arsenal got mauled by Messi last year.
 
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