2012-2013 : What is needed ?

[oz187]

Keita should stay, he provdes a more defensive midfield option compared to Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc and Thiago.
Next season Alexis, Cesc, Thiago, Cuenca and Tello should all improve. Mascherano will have another years experience of CB and so should do even better next season. Montoya will hopefully provide Alves with more rotation and thus improve his performance. Pedro hopefully gets back to something like his best. Villa doesn't have an injury.
Hopefully we start the season with fit CBs.

 

[0n0mat0p0eia]

We've got enough talented wingers.

Yet strangely we have no-one for the wingers to make crosses for.

 

[Wouterinho]

Yet strangely we have no-one for the wingers to make crosses for.

Wingers offer a lot more than just crosses, I like the fact that we're not focussing on crosses.
It's Barcelona's way of playing and I wouldn't change it

 

[PhilS]

If Barca does buy Bale! for 40 million (cheap), that's plenty of reinforcement for both LB and forward, I think Tito would play him in different spots. He could play left midfield in 3-4-3, terrorize opponents at both left forward and centerforward in 4-3-3 or 3-3-4, and he would be a big help on offensive and defensive corner kicks and long direct free kicks. This team could sure use his long-range shooting.

For all the forum members whose first language is not English, the correct spelling is Bale!.

With Bale!, Puyol would no longer ever have to play fullback in 4-3-3. Maybe with Masch, Puyol, Pique, and whoever the team decides to go with among the young guys, that would be enough next year at CB, no acquisitions required. In later years, add Luiz and Neymar to replace Villa and Puyol.

 

[mixer]

If Barca does buy Bale! for 40 million (cheap)

40 million for this clown is cheap?

 

[PhilS]

40 million for this clown is cheap?

I think he looks more like Dumbo the Elephant than like a clown. Camp Nou will roar when he's flying down the left sideline with the ball. He's right up there as one of the most exciting players in the world, lots of teams will pay big bucks for that.

 

[woobie]

I just don't get the hype with Bale. How much of it is because he's UK-born and playing halfway decently (and so the Murdoch/Sky hype machine is bigging him up) and how much of it is because he really is world class? I'm not at all sure. Yes, he had a couple of particularly good games against Inter a couple of years ago but I am not aware of his being CONSISTENTLY that good.

 

[Ryan_Cule]

No positive sign of Bale coming to Barca .

 

[PhilS]

The team Bale would definitely fit in with is RM. He'd have some willing and able running partners there.

Plus, Bale has decent size. For Barca to be true to their beliefs, they need to add tiny Alba. Or even better, Neymar. Neymar weighs quite a bit less than anyone now on the Barca roster.

 

[Boris]

If this guy comes to Madrid, you will all cry after el clasicos ... It'd be great if we got him! And why do you think he is player only capable of crossing and rushing left side?! Look at Tottham's style of play, they all play like that. I'd look at this guy a little better, he is class.

 

[Deco 20]

Can he dribble past 3 players sideways in an area of 10 sqm(about 3x3 m)? Can he play tiki taka? Can he speak spanish? Can he defend? Those are my main concerns.

 

[woobie]

I am looking at Tottenham's style of play and honestly still am not seeing why people seem so keen on having him at Barcelona. Sorry, guys. I just don't get it and would certainly not be in favour of spending crazy money to get him. Barca needs a centerback more certainly than they do someone who can maybe play left wing either in midfield or as a fullback.

 

[Deco 20]

I am looking at Tottenham's style of play and honestly still am not seeing why people seem so keen on having him at Barcelona. Sorry, guys. I just don't get it and would certainly not be in favour of spending crazy money to get him. Barca needs a centerback more certainly than they do someone who can maybe play left wing either in midfield or as a fullback.

A defensive LB would be ideal, especially if he could play CB too. That's really all we need IMO

 

[0n0mat0p0eia]

Wingers offer a lot more than just crosses, I like the fact that we're not focussing on crosses.
It's Barcelona's way of playing and I wouldn't change it

When a winger plays the ball, ALL the time, on the ground back inside, then you narrow down what the oppositions' defence has to cope with. Barca's way of playing IS brilliant, all im saying is that we do not play an all-round game of football.
We dont score headers from corners.
We dont get to the by-line, cross and score from headers.
We dont have a target man hold up the ball, back to goal, and lay the ball off.
We dont have a target man flick on the ball for runners to get behind the defence.
We dont score breakaway goals as we have the majority of the ball.

We get the ball back, teams get in position and they will allow us all day to play in front of them and try to pass through them in a narrow part of the field. Barca had problems last year because more and more teams HAVE to park the bus, they're well drilled, and if Messi has a day off and we miss chances, we struggle. A lack off height in the team and we give up a headed corner or cross ourselves and we're beat 1-0.

Perhaps a change in the Barca way is needed. We may need to allow teams to have more of the ball - press when they get into our half, not in their box - stretch the pitch. Get a big striker who can get headed goals. We stretch the pitch lengthways and by width, THEN passing and Tiki taka REALLY will hurt teams.
And we certainly need more height and power in our defence.

Just an opinion.

 

[0n0mat0p0eia]

40 million for this clown is cheap?

I think he looks more like Dumbo the Elephant than like a clown.

C'mon guys. He's not a clown, and to criticise him because he has big ears! Really? Is that the kind of fair-minded, intelligent, well thought out argument we wnat to see here?
He may not fit into Barca's system, BUT he's a bloody good player playing for an average team in a crappy league. How he'd play in La Liga is a big doubt; he may be brilliant, he may be a waste of money - Barca DOES have a track record on wasting mony...Ibra, Chyg, anyone?
We DO need a LB and a CB with mobility and height, we should be concentrating on these positions. IMO