The FT has run a fascinating article about Barcelona and buried deep within it, they reveal crucial evidence when it comes to juice… notably, Barcelona players ARE allowed to drink it.
‘Just before afternoon practice, Barça midfielder Busquets pops into the kitchen above the training ground for a spot of refuelling. Before training, that usually means fruit juice.’
The f*cking audacity. But wait, it gets worse; and for all those that have been arguing with me about the horrors of juice sugars in elite athletes who burn 5000+ calories a day, you might want to look away…
‘Players are also encouraged to drink beetroot juice to boost nitrate levels (including two shots in the hours before kick-off) and “during busy competition schedule” to eat the equivalent of 100 tart cherries a day (which sounds rather like a challenge in a competitive eating championship).’
For the prominent anti-juicers on Le-Grove, this is a huge blow, but for those of us who truly believed in the sugary goodness of a post-game Sunny-D, this is a great day. That said, word of warning to English folk when you come to America, always say the ‘Sunny’ part, ‘I’m just popping out for some D’ means something different in these parts.
Interestingly the same article also points to caffeine being promoted for improving mental sharpness before games. Not even an elegant cortado, I’m talking about cans of NUCLEAR LEMONERRY MONSTER IN 2 LITRE CANS.
Back to the story. The gist is basically that all that organisational stuff I evangelise about; that the grunts blow off as ‘hipsterism’, is actually a thing at proper clubs. I shouldn’t have to explain that, but you know, this is the internet and being militant about something you have little insight into is human nature (I see you MJ fans).
Now, I’m not suggesting that great players aren’t important. I’m not for one moment considering putting a proposal forward that would put Deep Blue in the hot seat after Emery. I’m just saying that if you’re not considering all of these advanced approaches to nutrition, data, scouting, analytics and psychology, you’re simply putting off the inevitable. You are Blackberry believing in the fixed keyboard. Kodak ignoring the digital camera. My dad saying social media was for dickheads… hold on?
Technology and advanced approaches to specialisations in the game are not there to replace humans. They’re developed to help smart people make more informed decisions. To make more time for creative problem solving.
For the performance team, the richer the data they’re pulling from, the better their prediction models will be for players breaking down. If you could measure stress levels in players saliva and map it against their performance, you might be able to work out who is better suited to taking high-pressure penalties (sorry Auba). MAYBE the club could identify the gene for doing stupid things on the football pitch… I can tell you now for certain, I have that gene, my school friends will attest to this. Could personality mapping work out if players have elite mentality? Could it tell you if a player was suited to a managers style so you don’t end up with £400k wasting away on the bench?
Imagine players learning about tactical models in interactive VR worlds so they don’t fall asleep in video analysis lectures. Wouldn’t it be cool if AI could analyse the game in real time and work out that Luke Shaw may have smashed 40 nuggets before the game and as a result is running at sub-optimal levels and suggest his side of the pitch is overloaded in the second half?
There are so many possibilities…
However, we’re stuck with a fanbase that’s currently in a serious debate about whether having a footballing identity is important. So maybe park this for a bit.
Anyway, bravo Simon Kuper. What a piece. Funny story, I once recorded a podcast with him and the sound failed. Pretty embarrassing.
Moving on from juice.
What the hell is wrong with the UK press? The defence of Harry Kane for being offside looks like the #FakeNews my Russian twitter friends warned me about.
Do you think the England striker is super petty about critique? Most of the slobbering defences of him over the weekend seem to have come from English journalists. One can only assume they are protecting their World Cup access. Imagine getting a late night DM from Hazza.
‘Myster Wollace, read u sleggin me. 2morrow, ure gonna correct it. Say u spoke to the experrts, make me look the victim… or else Jon X gets the exclsive on me favourite color next munth. Uv been warned Wally-ace lollololol wally like ‘u wally’ lolol’
There are obviously some terrific UK journalists, but I swear, the group that dictates the news cycle really jump on some painfully embarrassing narratives. Give me Honigstein, Horncastle and Laurens all day long… none of those boys are drinking MONSTER for breakfast.
Big game this week. Rennes in the Europa round of 16. I like the French team, they have a fun squad, but I think we’d have to play pretty badly not to overpower them with our superior quality. That said, they have had their fixtures moved around by the French FA to allow them max prep time. They’ve not had a game since the 27th of Feb, which to be honest is a hefty amount of time to take off to prepare…
The game is also against the backdrop of a mega match against United at the weekend. That really is a must win for us if we hold out any hope of an upset in the top 4 race. The game is also at home. I’d take a draw with a weaker squad at Rennes if it meant we can flying out of the traps for the weekend’s game.
Right, that’s me done… see you in the comments, let’s talk juice.
xx
Ronaldo really did carry that club
That thing was on a string… and then he is subbed off. LOL
Talk about a horror week, beaten twice in two Clasico’s one being a humbling at Bernabeu and subsequently dumped out of both domestic opportunities for silverware only to complete a hat-rick by getting smashed at home in the CL by Ajax when they had a 2-1 away goal advantage.
Farewell Mr. Scolari…. I mean Solari
Marko
Barcelona will go a similar way in the next couple of years once father time really hits Messi.
Bayern didn’t prepare for life after Robert/Robben either.
Ribery*
Robert was damn good too though.
Solari is so out of job tonight. What a game!
Alex
Please stop worrying about that. Spurs are so meh; they’re not winning anything much less the CL.
Criminal not playing Marcelo or Isco.
Bunch of 21 year olds kids.. captained by a 19year old… Schooling a bunch of over paid grown men.
#Storyofthenight
I mean they’ve beaten Dortmund 4-0 over two legs and are in the QF, I doubt they’ll be scared of anyone.
Could draw winner of Porto-Roma.
Pretty amazing win for the game tonight, shame that it’s all too fleeting as they’ve already lost De Jong to Barca and likely will lose De Ligt and more.
Whoaaa …… that was bizarre series of events.. think this game has had just about everything.
Benzema really is crap. Modric extremely overrated, Bale a shadow. This RM team needs a massive overhaul.
Tonight’s result is made all the more sweet when you think Ramos purposely got a yellow card in the first leg because he felt like the second leg was a given and wanted to be available for the next game. He’ll miss the first game of next season now
Spurs can easily make the semi after that anythings possible.
Potential draw in last 8 of Ajax, Roma or Porto.
Nothing Meh about that, barring fact its Spurs.
Please stop worrying about that. Spurs are so meh; they’re not winning anything much less the CL.
Hope you are right. We have seen this sort of thing many times. And they somehow survived against Barca and Inter. In the Runes.
Jose will rock up at the SB very soon I guess.
Barcelona will go a similar way in the next couple of years once father time really hits Messi.Bayern didn’t prepare for life after Robert/Robben either.
Very true. Dembele might lessen it a bit he’s a good age and a great young player. And they might be looking at a certain french man at PSG
Bale really is like something from the planet of the apes.
Sal
There is nothing special about Spurs. Zero. WE were better than them last weekend. That tells you how good they are. Who cares what they’re doing in the CL. They’re fucking meh and they will win nothing.
Feel for Bale because he’ll be made the scapegoat once again and he hasn’t even played that badly.
Major overhaul pretty much guaranteed in summer, be surprised to see most of Marcelo, Isco, Bale, Benzema still at the club next season.
Hope you are right. We have seen this sort of thing many times
Eh? We haven’t seen Spurs come close to winning Europe or anything really
Still can’t decide what was more comical, Modric winning the Ballon D’or or Messi placing in 5th .
Well we hadn’t seen a Red card yet… haha Really enjoyed this match,.. good viewing.
Bamford
What is currently special about Spurs, is fact they are into last 8 in Europe, whilst we are playing Spursnight footie in Rennes. The definition of Meh.
Quite the payout if they make semi finals as well.
Don’t see them turning Atletico or PSG but over 90 who knows.
Yes, was a joke Modric winning that.
Marko
Dembele is class but Messi at his age was in a different stratosphere and that Messi had the support of prime Xavi and Iniesta.
He’s been carrying them for years now, Barca have been nothing special since 2015.
Things happen. Chelsea won the CL on the back of incredible luck against Barca and BM. Wimbledon beat the Scousers in the FA Cup final, after the Wombles keeper saved a penalty. Could go on and on.
No Ronaldo No Party, He completely carried that Real team.
Absolutely no. That Chelsea team had way more character, way more battle, way more athleticism and way more top-class talent than this very meh Spurs team.
They’ve made it to the quarters. Maybe they’ll make the semi. Won’t change the fact that they’re a nothing team.
There was once a time legrove wanted benzema
Modric may not be Messi, but he’s a brilliant player. No idea what you mean by “overrated,” Benny. See his goal against Brazil if you have any questions about his quality. Or just watch him regularly.
True WE but I think Barca are preparing for life after Messi better than Madrid prepared for life after Ronaldo. Coutinho, Dembele and Malcom suggest that. In contrast Madrid after Ronaldo were left with quite a number of aging players. I’m not suggesting that they’re replacing his output obviously they can’t do that but they stand to have an easier transition
Chelsea were a much worse team than Tottenham are and scalped Pep’s Barcelona and Heynckes’ Bayern in 2012.
There’s no real outstanding team in Europe that would have you soiling your jocks if I’m Poch.
PSG have an ordinary midfield and are missing Neymar, Barcelona have proven in recent seasons they are very beatable in Europe and are awful on the road, Porto or Roma they’ll be heavy favourites.
Atletico are prob the one team they’d really like to avoid as match up wise they are such a tough nut to crack for anyone.
Bamford
You confusing seasons?
2012 Chelsea finished 6th behind Pardew’s Newcastle and had Kalou, Bertrand, David Luiz at CB, a shot Torres, Bosingwa in the team.
Definitely not better than this Spurs team. Better characters, sure.
Don’t care whether Spurs are a nothing team or not. All that matters is that they don’t beat us to a CL final win. There are likely to be some qualifying teams that are on a par with Spurs or behind them. As someone has said, Porto or Roma should frighten nobody. And can Ajax rise to tonight’s heights again?
WE
No chance. That Chelsea team would beat this Spurs team every time they played them. It wouldn’t even be close. Spurs are a bunch of pussies; whatever those Chelsea players were, they had bollocks, and athleticism, and they were winners.
To think this Spurs team is “better” than that Chelsea team is a complete misunderstanding of what made that Chelsea team CL champions.
Thing about the Chelsea team who won the Champions League they were winners they made a habit of it. Spurs are bottlers who haven’t won shit. Big difference
Marko
Yeah agree with that, Valverde would want to be careful though and show Malcom more love or he’ll look for pastures new.
Trust YOU KNOW WHO to take this attack on his god very seriously by driving us down a path of semantics and boring strawman arguments.Barca roll with caffeinated sports drinks, fruit juice and beetroot juice.Whichever way you try and strawman yourself here… the policy is a nonsense.Lighten up, get out on the town and grab yourself some D.
Emery hasn’t banned any freshly squeezed juice ffs….a whole two days of juice posts just to diss Emery lol @ my Arsenal
Obscene amounts of luck and wasteful finishing by Barca and Bayern helped greatly Bam, they really did catch lightning in a bottle and everything went right for them.
Was the only CL since Liverpool in 2005 where you can say that the best team (Milan) didn’t win the CL and the actual winners won it just ad much on fortune as quality.
For the record I’m not betting on Spurs to win the CL, just don’t agree with the claim that they have zero chance.
Absolute banter when Kane scores a worldie in the CL semi final and Banford has to come on here and start his own dribbling about how it wasn’t a Puskas award winner so he’s not top drawer.
Spurs are cunting Dortmund in the CL whilst our lot are hash tagging about Thursdays. Would probably shelf it until they get pumped
Agree it’s anyones trophy this season.
I’d want to avoid, City, Atletico and always Barca with Messi. That said PSG look up for it, curious how they progress.
Anyone left sneaks into the semi finals, its up for grabs.
Di Matteo’s Chelsea fluked that win imo, Bayern bottled the finale at home.
Drogba the difference… always. Kane can play that roll, not on Drogs level but he certainly takes his chances well.
Spurs have got the best poker face in European football; completely unruffled by anything, They can be playing shit, get dominated for large periods, yet they never seem panicked or perturbed and over two legs that can hold their nerve and play the long game better than most. Mentally at least.
Would like to see them play City over two legs. Could easily see City getting frustrated if they don’t make an early break through and Spurs taking advantage when City switch off.
Seems some on here are wishing Spurs win the champions league to win their Pochettino argument
A team that can’t make a domestic cup final are not winning the champions league…Augsburg trashed Dortmund over the weekend so they aren’t exactly invincible.
Every team are praying to draw Spurs in the nexy round.
In Kane they have a player that can score a goal out of nothing and they have enough good players at the back to keep things tight and edgy.
Won’t be pushovers for anyone.
Receding NOBODY wants to see Spurs win anything, that said i’m not going to roll around in ‘horse blinders’ acting as if there not into last 8. Potentially looking at a favorable draw to semi.
So Wanda Narra is now fucking with brozovic?
RH
Dismissing the idea that they have no chance equates to willing them on to win it now?
Stats say Spurs have a 5% chance.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/it-might-finally-be-someone-elses-turn-in-the-champions-league/
WengerEagle Exactly! For the record, I would rather say hello to a great white than see Spurs win the CL. In one fell swoop our greater domestic record would count for nothing in the eyes of the media and the Spurs pig pit.
A few weeks ago it was Spurs could surprise City and Liverpool to pinch the title.. We all know how that ended.
That Spurs team aren’t even getting past Ajax…pffffft
Lol! Footie fans.
There are bigger things to worry about than Spurs winning CL.
I’d fancy City to beat them over two legs. Sure it’d be a case of European bottlers vs bottlers of everything
What happens in the champions league is teams generally bottle it and drop their level due to nerves. That’s why Madrid won it three times in a row. Juve bricked it in the final and lost the steel that got them to the final. Guardiola teams post Barca have regularly embarrassed themselves in the latter stages and lost their heads.
Spurs are as mediocre as anything but they just keep jugging along. They will probably get stuffed in the final though.
Was anyone actually calling Spurs to upset City and Pool to win the title though?
I will leave u guys to dream of Spurs winning the champions league… Most of you pochettino fans can’t even help yourselves.
Even if they just qualified for the final they ain’t winning it.
Eagle I don’t keep track of who said what but someone was on here weeks ago fidgeting on Spurs winning the title
Now its them winning the champions league because they eliminated a team who are worse bottlers than they are
Literally no one wants a Spurs win. Last 8 of the CL with no chance to win it though? Nah, that’s just garbage commentary.
No pedigree, and little chance, but with a good draw they could easily make the semi’s and then it’s an idiot that writes them off just because they’re Spurs.
Could say the same about international football, just knockout football in general induces nervy play as there’s no margin for error and one mistake dumps you out.
No clear favourite this season quality wise, I actually give Atleti a great chance presuming they get the job done in Turin. Real Madrid were the one team that mentally had their number in CL.
I’m writing Spurs off because they’re shit.
Jeez…easy on the name calling guvnor
Idiot this…
Special that…
Let people have their opinions without calling them names. Get over yourself carpenter Charlie
RH
It’s not though you’re jumping to conclusions based off of confirmation bias, you seem to believe that someone uttering anything remotely good about Spurs wants them to win or even fancies them to win these competitions.
Why bring it up if you don’t know or keep track of who said it? You’re just taking a shot at random people who have nothing to do with that claim.
Bayern and PSG are clear fsvouritez to win thd Chsmpionz league followex by followex by Barca, Atletico, Juve and Ajax.
No pedigree, and little chance…it’s an idiot that writes them off just because they’re Spurs.
What if you write them off for having no pedigree and little chance
Eagle if you don’t think anyone said they could win the league on here then that’s your problem not mine
I know it was said and my comment was based on that. I owe you no explanation
Ha we’re back to the old must not praise anything the opposition do phase are we?
Untold a happier home in that case perhaps.
Haha Bayern clear favourites, they’re 50-50 to even ko Liverpool.
People should put the tie against Dortmund into some context though. They literally beat a Dortmund side who’ve been struggling more than them recently. Tie was finished after the first leg. It’s not like they beat a great team over two legs they beat a team in woefully poor form in one. You think anyone is talking up Ajax’s chances tonight? No. You think PSV fans are right about now? No. Perspective please people
I didn’t see Spurs going to the Nou and getting result to keep themselves in competition.
Granted it was a Messi’less Barca but still did it.
The bonus is they are wobbling in league and now have to deal with Champions league last 8. Perfect storm scenario would be crashing out of both, not qualifying for next season with Poch marching.
You boys get yours, i’m off to beer.
RH
Why are you going on about Poch fans and wanting them to win the CL?
Who are you even talking about.
Marko
Dortmund beat Atleti 4-0 in the groups and topped it, they’re still at the top of the league in Germany despite poor form.
4-0 agg nothing to write home about?
OK then.
Ajax have more of chance winning it than Spurs Marko..that’s the thing …Spurs have played in the quarterfinal of this competition with Redknapp…this isn’t even like a once in a lifetime occurrence.
Someone even found a way to have a pop at his own team for being in the Europa while saying Spurs are doing something special.
Receding
Shut up, you’re on here stirring the pot about Pochettino this, and claiming some folk want Spurs to win it etc when nobody has offered that up whatsoever.
I’ll repeat, an idiot writes off a team in the semi final of the CL. Hardly against the grain stuff.
Spurs winning the Champions league would be like Luton winning the Premier league…it ain’t happening.
Champagne and Eagle speaking truth this evening.
Inter Milan failing to beat PSV at home is the only reason Spurs aren’t playing tomorrow. They only avoided defeat at the Nou Camp which guaranteed them nothing.
No need rewriting history.
Go to bed Carpenter
Carpenter? You’re beyond special I swear
Bayern aren’t clear favourites for shit. Even in Liverpool’a current form
The myth of Gareth Bale is destroyed by his first season away from the brilliance of Ronaldo. He’s been pony all season.
Something something if my aunt had bollocks…
Bale’s not an elite alpha Dissenter, being the alpha at Spurs and the face of the Real Madrid brand are two very different things.
Ronaldo doesn’t get enough respect in that regard, carried the brand for nearly a decade.
Nope just facts… Inter beat PSV…Spurs play Europa.
No if there
The incompetence of Spalleti is why we are having this discussion not the draw against a nothing to play for Barca.
RH
You want to run through all the hypotheticals for when Chelsea won the CL in 2012 too?
Or when we have qualified for the CL over the years (Lasagnagate, Spurs meltdowns)?
I’ll repeat, an idiot writes off a team in the semi final of the CL. Hardly against the grain stuff.
Roma last year. Final 4 were them Liverpool, Bayern and Real. They were well and truly written off. If for example Spurs got Barca in this season’s semi’s barring their form taking a tumble off a cliff I’d be writing off Spurs. Idiot as I am
“Idiot as I am“
You said it
Eagle you really need to learn to follow a conversation or stay in your lane
I was replying to the person who said Spurs got a result to stay in the competition at Barcs…no they didn’t. They stayed because inter failed to do what all thought they would. Spurs didn’t go to Barcelona needing a draw to stay in the competition.
Hope that helps.
Way I see it with Spurs is similar to England in the summer in the World Cup, don’t have them winning the competition as there are better teams but once they progress to a certain point you can’t categorically write them off as having no chance, just as you couldn’t when England beat Sweden.
Weagle
Totally agree, they get far enough, or a fortunate draw, and they’re a threat with their style and individual talents.
Ajax had a far more impressive win tonight and not one of us are getting ahead of ourselves with regards to their chances of winning it. But of course if they get a a reasonable opponent next and they make it to the last 4 only an idiot would write them off. You know just getting to a semi final doesn’t mean you have a 1 in 4 chance of winning the trophy. Burton Albion got to the semi of the Carling Cup you think people were stupid to write them off? I dunno man they came close
RH
You’ve been having a pop all night what’s the difference?
They needed at least a point and came away with 1, you can say that they needed to win but if you followed Inter at all it was never a given that they would beat what is a decent PSV side combined with their own inconsistency.
They were fortunate to even draw in all honesty. Spaletti is a joke.
Burton Albion and Ajax, apt comparison there.
Burton can’t get ahead with Barcelona and PSG pillaging all of their star talent the poor bastards.
WE very apt to compare them to England in the world cup. And like England in the world cup I’d say their chances are slim to none. Spurs perhaps marginally better off cause England weren’t tested in the summer. Any decent team they came up against they lost. And no I don’t have Sweden or Colombia down as decent. Spurs will be hoping for Porto or Roma in the next round to stand a chance of progressing anyone else and they’ll most likely be beaten.
Marko
Sure you’re saying that now, but what you saying that when Trippier put them 1-0 up against Croatia?
There’s no outstanding side in Europe this season, every side has vulnerabilities and soft spots to exploit.
WE my point being that a team getting to a semi final doesn’t simply make them statistically even as the other teams in the semi finals. Burton Albion were written off by everyone in the semi of the Carling Cup are they idiots? If Spurs got Barcelona in the semi final am I an idiot for writing them off? They who’ve never gotten that far and who’ve won fuck all.
Marko
I’m not saying that they have an even chance, I’m saying that its silly to say that they have no chance.
Burton are hardly comparable.
WE yes I was. England were very fortunate