[quote author=KHL link=topic=46503.msg1381572#msg1381572 date=1313663032]
I don't think you could be more wrong Julian-mate even if you tried.
Real under Mourinho are a bunch of bullies and wankers. Marcelo's tackle and kicking of Messi earlier on, Pepe's constant WWF approach and Ramos' attitude are just underlining what kind of team they've become.
And even to try and defend Mourinho's antics and behaviour last night is in my opinion just as pathetic as watching him smirk seconds after pinching Barca assistant, wave his hand in front of his nose when Messi went close by etc.
He's a disgrace and I can't for the world fathom why he's still at Real. The club is really starting to suffer because of him. IMO.
*I didn't witness one hard tackle nor any acting from the Barca-players last night? Not anymore than you'd expect in every game with high tension mind.
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I didn't watch the whole game. I was going by that tackle on the youtube posted as that seems to be the trigger point.
It is a poor tackle. We see tackles like that quite often in the premier league. Sometimes a lot worse than this. I seem to remember Dirk flying in three feet above the ground 'Taekwando style' without making a contact a season or two back. Marcelo went from behind still got a touch on the ball, but the follow through carried him further into Fabregas. Was it reckless? Yes. Did it deserve a red? Depends on the Ref, you can't have any arguments for being given a Red. But it could easily have been just a yellow and many would have said that was the correct decision as well.
Is there a need to act like a the whole world has wronged Barcelona? Absolutely No. It is that reaction that bothers me.
I didn't want to defend Mourinho's actions or the fact that he is a ubercunt. I'm just saying I would be just as frustrated. He is within his right to ask his team to play aggressively.
Madrid play a hard game, so did Holland in the world cup finals. Sometimes a manager (rightly or wrongly) thinks it is necessary to compete. I don't get this "How dare you disrupt our beautiful football" point of view that Barcelona seems to be projecting.
We are not going to face them for another year, so it doesn't really concern us. But if they received that level of protection they seem to want, and we don't get through to the next round in CL because of that, i'll bet there will be a fair few pissed off at the referee...
Football is a contact sport. Barcelona don't get special rules because they play beautifully.