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Are Barca 2008-2010 the Greatest Club Side of All-Time?

aqua_duck

Coach
Messages
18,354
Except when we knocked them out...

That team was vastly different to this current one, Alves, Pique, Busquets, Pedro, Mascherano, and Villa, that's half a team, plus Guardiola, and Valdes, Iniesta, and Messi were only a shadow of their current selves
 

WireMan

Bench
Messages
4,479
meh, excuses. The world class players were all there. They lost. So no they are not the bestest side ever. They have not even made 3 finals in 4 years yet.
 

AuDragon

Juniors
Messages
2,253
Hopefully we can stand up to the challenge in the European Supercup against Barca. *
Given the football quality exhibited by both teams, it should be a cracker to watch!

* (If Chelski or City doesn't come and buy half our team and coach again)
 

Rekordmeister

Juniors
Messages
32
How many people still believe anyone could coach Barca? I probably said it too. This Barca team is not a patch on Pep's team. Hardly any pressing which was the staple of Pep's game.

Barca should sign Heynckes tbh
 

Big Sam

First Grade
Messages
8,976
It didn't help that they had no coach for 3 months. Not saying you're wrong TT but the 2nd half of their season was certainly worst than the first.
 

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Losing Pep has proven to be a massive blow. But even moreso the complacency shown by management with regards to recruitment has really hurt them.

Im not sure if it was more incompetence or arrogance that led them to believe going into the season with two centre backs, one being 34; as well as a makeshift CB in Mascherano was going to cut it...but it was a disastrous error.

And to then spend $16 odd million on Alex Song to sit on the bench. Just pathetic. But across the board players have underperformed. Valdes, Pique, Alves, Cesc, Pedro, Villa, Sanchez...all very disappointing. How much of that comes back to the coach? A fair bit id say.

It's a squad that lacks depth and is in desperate need of reinvigorating. And perhaps also a philosophy change. Tica taca is fine; but they need to be more direct IMO. The top European sides have worked them out and just overpower them with storng bodies behind the ball and then squash them on the counter. They were lucky to get past both Milan and PSG, remember.

Id like to see them shift to a 4-2-3-1 system with a more powerful frontman in the vein of a Cavani, Messi directly behind him with some pace and wipth down the flanks to stretch the defense a bit more rather than constantly playing through the middle.
 
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AusKnightRKO

First Grade
Messages
7,393
If Barca have the cash to do so they can fix the team over the summer,

Out
Valdes - 9mill
Sanchez - 16 - 18mill
Fabregas - 15mill + Vermaelen
Alves - 10 mill
Mascherano - 7mill
Villa - 8 - 10 mill

In
Thomas Vermaelen (CB) Cash + P/E
Michael Vorm (GK) - 10mill
Neymar (ST) - 35 mill
Lukasz Piszczek (RB) - 12mill
Isco - (AM) - 13 - 18mill
Ricardo Rodriguez (LB) 3.4mill
Inigo Martinez (CB) 5.6mill
 

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
151,158
Isco has one of those buy out clauses and its about 25 mill or something stoopid like that
 

Big Sam

First Grade
Messages
8,976
If Barca have the cash to do so they can fix the team over the summer,

Out
Valdes - 9mill
Sanchez - 16 - 18mill
Fabregas - 15mill + Vermaelen
Alves - 10 mill
Mascherano - 7mill
Villa - 8 - 10 mill

Valdes is a free agent come June so they won't get anything for him. And no way will they be selling the prodigal son Fabregas. The rest I agree with.
 

whall15

Coach
Messages
15,871
Sid Lowe, the Guardian's Spanish correspondent was making the point that Barca have splashed a fair bit of cash but it hasn't worked out, in your very list you have Mascherano (who has worked), Sanchez and Cesc who have been fairly recent signings.

Oh and AusKnight, you can double the fees for all of your signings.
 

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Dede to bolster the central defense and Neymar would be the two i'd focus on. Neymar is essential. He'd free up Messi whilst also being a serious goal threat himself.
 

AusKnightRKO

First Grade
Messages
7,393
Sid Lowe, the Guardian's Spanish correspondent was making the point that Barca have splashed a fair bit of cash but it hasn't worked out, in your very list you have Mascherano (who has worked), Sanchez and Cesc who have been fairly recent signings.

Oh and AusKnight, you can double the fees for all of your signings.

Mash has been good, when played in the right position. At the moment Barca are stocked in the Cm/DM position pretty well through the A and B team, so he is expendable in the end for a decent fee.

Sanchez has flopped compared to his fee and hype, unfortunately that's not his fault, like Cesc he is often played out of position to accommodate for the big 3. If he was able to free roam around the wings like he did at Udinese, they would probably get his full potential, but highly unlikely considering neither Messi or Iniesta would be played in another spot.

The Chances of Fabregas leaving are very slim, and hes Xavi's Successor, but if he does i can only see him going back to Arsenal, and with Barca needing a CB, a deal for Thomas Vermaelen could be penned out, with Barca also still owing 40% of the Fabregas fee, it could help them if he went. If Not im sure they will push hard for Vincent Kompany or Mats Hummels

Plus They have Thiago and Rafa Alcantara to take his place, you have Sergio Roberto in reserves who is getting close to being just too good to play reserve team football, so he either get promoted or loaned, cant see barcelona selling him anytime soon as hes a born and bred Catalan. Plus i still think Sergi Samper will be better than all 3 in a few years time when he hits 20.

With the Prices, Vorm only has 18months left on his contract, unless he signed a new one so the fee shouldn't be too high

Isco has a buyout clause of 30mill, but malaga need money so i could see them making a deal around the 18-20 mill mark+ throwing a player in if they have too.

Neymar. No one will pay 50mill for him, he will go for around 35- 40 at the very most, he is unproven outside of brazil, so that could and should keep his price down.

The rest its hard to gauge how much they could go for, dortmund could settle for 12mill, or they might want 20 who knows.

Barcelona though do have some really good youngsters coming up, Gerard Deulofeu could very well be the next Messi, he has all the talent in the world, the only thing stopping him at the moment is the fact he plays Messi's position.

Plus Samper is a brilliant up and coming CAM in the Fabregas mould, has great vision, two footed and holds up play well and Dongou could be anything from the next Eto to Heskey, hes a comparable player to Lukaku, just Romelu was more advanced because of being in the Anderlecht first team from 16 years old.
 
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AusKnightRKO

First Grade
Messages
7,393
Dede to bolster the central defense and Neymar would be the two i'd focus on. Neymar is essential. He'd free up Messi whilst also being a serious goal threat himself.

Dede only just moved to Cruzeiro last month for 14mill plus Allison, so hes not going to be moving anytime soon.
 

aqua_duck

Coach
Messages
18,354
Cesc isn't going anywhere, he's been our best player in La Liga not named Messi. I think he's surpassed Xavi, the only thing keeping Xavi in the team is sentiment.
 

Rekordmeister

Juniors
Messages
32
IF Barcelona have the money? They are hundreds of millions in debt and still spent 33mio on two players and selling nobody this season.

Isco signed a new contract recently with the express intention of having his buyout clause raised so that when it is time for Barca or Madrid to sign him Malaga will get paid.

Barcelona's current problem is their team are a bunch of short pussies. They have never handled teams that frustrate them but now they have really been crushed by a team that combined frustration with skillful play. No disrespect to the likes of Inter and Chelsea but they did not leave Barcelona feeling like they were outplayed and defeated.

Mascherano is the only commanding player in the team - Sergio Busquests is good, inferior to Martinez, but he is the biggest pussy of them all - and they have nothing to fall back on when passing their opponents around doesn't work or a key player gets injured. They have been found out by a big team (literally and figuratively) they desperately need to get some height in to the midfield and up front. Bayern stretched them out wide and from there they were crossing to players like Messi, Xavi, Fabregas who were being defended by Dante, Van Buyten and Boateng. Complete mismatch.

Barca's biggest target has to be a capable manager. Heynckes. Ancelotti. Anybody that might be available or could be tempted. Tito Vilanova is not up to the task and that was evident long before his illness which did not help at all. The pressing game that Pep employed has been missing from Villanova and that has left their flaws exposed. Albeit this exposing relates to only a handful of teams in the world. It won't matter against 17 other teams in La Liga but their dominance over the CL won't be what it was.

It's been reported that up to a dozen players including Sanchez, Valdes, Villa and Abidal are being sold and that all players on loan won't be returning (not sure if they make up the dozen or not) and signing at least Neymar & Thiago Silva and keen on Hummels and Marquinhos. They should sign Mandzukic if Pep doesn't him too.
 

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Spot on. Barca have become complacent. And Vilanova, rather than seeking to evolve Barca's play, has simply allowed them to become stale. They should jump all over Ancelotti. And get him to bring Silva and Veratti with him.

Busquets has been desperately disappointing this year. At the very least he needs some support in midfield. Buying two quality centre back is a priority...two of Silva, Kompany and Hummels would be ideal. That would also free up Mascherano in midfield.

And yes, a big strong frontman is needed. Cavani isn't realistic but it's still a need they have to address. When Plan A doesn't work they have no Plan B.

Valdes, Alves, Song, Villa, Sanchez and maybe even Pique should be on their way this season. Oh and Vilanova. And replace them with 6 or 7 more determined, physically strong and generally taller players.
 

Rekordmeister

Juniors
Messages
32
Reports are that Ancelotti is going to Madrid and Barca are interested in Heynckes who is not saying anything about his future but just dropped a hint leaning towards retirement. Apparently Barca & BvB have a 25mio deal in place for Hummels it just needs Vilanova's approval.

Barca probably need to alter their formation to allow Mascherano and Busquets to play together, Cesc/Xavi just in front, Iniesta & Messi out wide and a target man up front for an extra dimension. .
 

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