Barça Squad for 2011/2012

[dalitis8]

Pastore, obviously.

He will cost almost just as much, plays a different position, and is less than half as good. Being the best in Palermo, doesn't qualify you for Barcelona...

 

[Xassiesta]

I really hope we won't waste too much money on Cesc this summer, obviously if we don't get him now for a reasonable we should just keep trying next summer. He should be Xavi's replacement, but Xavi's gonna play a couple more seasons (I hope) so there's no acute need for him right now, imo. I think we should focus more on a striker and a CB.

 

[IrvDizzle]

Meta is right though, we got lucky w/ no injuries to Xavi or Iniesta this past season, and to expect that to continue next season may be pushing for too much. I just don't want to shell out so much for Cesc. or Pastore. or anyone else. Pep having to play Busquets, Masch, and Eric at CB maybe a blessing in disguise because it means with extra midfielders there will always be a healthy mix of PT and competition for the midfield and CB spots.

with no int'l duty for Xavi or Iniesta this summer, I'd be down to wait one more and go full blast on Thiago and JDS next season to see what we have before signing Cesc. Because based on Arsenal's track record and team, if they don't spend serious cash this summer they are out of the CL.

 

[Aryagorn]

okay, it doesn't have to be Cesc, but we need a top-class midfield option to rotate with Xaviesta.

but that's just it, I don't think we will reinforce the defence and we WILL use the versatility of Badger & Busi to great effect. so, for me, 7 is the perfect number.

Xavi - Iniesta - Busquets
Cesc - Keita - Mascherano
Thiago


Afellay, obviously.

kieta is fine not to mention busquets can move up and play CM in the xavi position....anybody who is saying we should get cesc is retarded not for wanting him back but for wanting him regardless of price...we dont have money to fly around for a luxary player especially when we need help up front and in the back

 

[jamrock]

VV,Pinto
Alves,Abidal,Pique,Puyol,Adriano,?
Masch,Busquests,Xavi,Iniesta,Kieta,Thiago,Cesc?
Messi,Villa,Pedro,Affellay,Rossi,Sanchez.

20 men light, just call it the special forces.

 

[Barcafan 2304]

VV,Pinto
Alves,Abidal,Pique,Puyol,Adriano,?
Masch,Busquests,Xavi,Iniesta,Kieta,Thiago,Cesc?
Messi,Villa,Pedro,Affellay,Rossi,Sanchez.

20 men light, just call it the special forces.

That does look immense!

 

[Superfly]

VV/Pinto

Alves - Puyol/Bartra - Pique/Fontas - Abidal/Jose Angel

Xavi/Cesc - Busquets/Keita/Mascherano (CB if needed) - Iniesta/Thiago/Afellay

Pedro - Messi - Villa/Rossi

 

[Aryagorn]

VV/Pinto

Alves/Kiko(Montoya) - Pique/Botia - Puyi/Abi - Adriano/Jose Angel

Xavi/Thiago/Afellay - Busi/Masch - Iniesta/Keita

Pedro - Messi/Aduriz - Villa/Willian

That's 22 players. One that could get the results against all kinds of odds!!

Oh and the costs would be like :
Kiko - 4
Botia - 2
Jose - 4
Willian - 15
Aduriz - 10

And the keeper guy would be 4 I guess. So it's just 35 + 4 for this season.
Excluding Ibra's fee(because it's not going to be a single payment) we could make transfer money for sales :
Henrique - 4/5
Keirrison - 3/4
Caceres - 4/5
VicSan - 3/4
Hleb - NADA(mother fucker he again GLEBed us by getting injured )
Maxwell - 5/6
Milito - Nada(I think we are making wrong moves here, but what do I know)
Jeffren - 5/6

On a whole we could make upto 25million. So from the budget allotted we are actually only using 15 m and the 35m can be put for next season.
We could get to evaluate Botia & Thiago this season. The following season we can purchase the likes of Cesc's & Sakho's if they aren't to the level required

 

[dalitis8]

What we now have.

Plus, Cesc Fabregas, Rossi/Aguero and possibly a defender.

Afellay is not good enough am afraid.

 

[Phatroonaldo]

VV,Pinto
Alves,Abidal,Pique,Puyol,Adriano,?
Masch,Busquests,Xavi,Iniesta,Kieta,Thiago,Cesc?
Messi,Villa,Pedro,Affellay,Rossi,Sanchez.

20 men light, just call it the special forces.

Man speaks the truth.

The name however should be "The midget army"

 

[Barcafan 2304]

What we now have.

Plus, Cesc Fabregas, Rossi/Aguero and possibly a defender.

Afellay is not good enough am afraid.

Agree with all that except Afellay. Think he got steadily better and there is enough to suggest he can be a player for us

 

[jamrock]

just read a nice article by master Cryuff and he is basically saying in order to improve the team,

1) we need to bring in high quality players to improve the core of the team.
2) leave the defense has is
3) sell with buy back options our young players to finance the signing of these players, but not players with unique characteristics like Deulofeu use the kid by name, but we should allow a few midfielders to leave, as we have the in abundance (thiago) and get a player like cesc.

Guardiola’s team has surpassed all expectations these past two seasons. The next will even be harder, with Madrid again as its biggest rival.

Winning two major titles, of which one is the Champions League, and add to that a Copa final, in terms of performance, that is an excellent season. However in terms of their game, they [merely] ‘nearly’ achieved excellence. And it is not because of the number of games where they played at the level of the Champions League final, but for the impression they left behind. To me, they were better, stronger, a lot more solid, and a lot more competitive than their first two years with Guardiola.

There was no repeat of the triplete because they have to come up against a very strong Madrid, but along the way they left a lot of records such as the number of wins away from home, and the number of games unbeaten. Records that, in themselves, means nothing but enhances the reputation of this Guardiola side over its two predecessors, even more so than the one that won the treble and six-of-six side. With that said, how then do you improve on this present squad? Sign a few more or a lot more? What kind of signings? Starters or substitute players? Would you keep those that are already here and add to the squad? If so, if this [current] squad is seen as the core of the team, then no one will need to leave.

Even before the start of next season is upon us, we already know some of the things that await us. First off, the two legs of the Spanish Super Cup against Mourinho’s Madrid, which is certain to have nothing in common with the challenge that was posed by Athletic Bilbao or Sevilla before them. In the European Super Cup, Porto will be a lot better than the best version of Shakhtar Donetsk, and in December, they’ll have to make a long trip [to Japan] to play two Club World Cup matches. And as for the rest of the season, it’ll be just like this one: an unforgiving face-off with Real Madrid in the league, and in the semi-finals or final of the Copa, and more of the same in the Champions League. All these [demands] have to be taken into account.

We already have a [very good] team but Madrid is not that far behind them. While their off-field antics have left much to be desired, on it they keep on rising like foam: semi-finals of the Champions League, the Copa title, and more than worthy of second place in the league, only slipping up against Sporting and Zaragoza, but above all, preventing Barca from winning one of the two duels between them this season. In the league they are only going to meet two times next season but once again they will be decisive encounters.

A case for more core players

We all know upon reaching a certain stage of the season, within a span of three or four weeks, if all the pieces fall into place, this Barca team is going to play for everything, and [that is the time when] the team starts to slow down, not because of a drying up of ideas [to kill off matches] but of [a lack of] energy. As good as they are, if the same group of players are used without break, there will come a time when the number of games becomes a burden. And this is where we should go from having [just] 11 or 12 core players to 15 or 16. And that means bringing in key players. Not only to increase the competitiveness of those already in the team but also to make up for whatever shortfall you have during that period: to guarantee all the moving parts are well oiled, and to be able to rest more than one [key player] without the overall quality of the team dropping.

What are the needs of the team then? One player for each department? Maybe we don’t have to. At the back, we have found out that Mascherano and Abidal can play as centre-backs. It is not their natural position but they have performed well and are happy just to play and participate. And Puyol is expected to rid of his right knee problem. If you add in Fontas and Pique the list that can play in central defence is long. What about at the front? It is not going to be easy to find anyone the likes of Messi in your ranks. That’s because he has everything, he is just way up there. And no one can match the Argentinean. For no matter how good they are they will fail [to fill in his shoes]. What was a thorn [on Guardiola’s side] (Ibrahimovic) can now be seen as a lesson learned. Midfielders? If the choice is Cesc, a likely starter, then there will be four of them (Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc) for three places, which also means everyone gets to play a lot of games. Mascherano? He’s the lucky one: he gets to play in two departments.

The key question: What if the budget cannot provide for all that the coach wants? Use the players that you raised yourself. The academy serves as fodder for the first team. Any surplus to requirement can also be used to raise cash. Sell ​​a couple. Those that you hardly see play. And don’t use them as bargaining chips: sell them outright to get the most benefit. Except that is for Barca B players who have yet to make their first team debut. Make sure to add a buy-back option in the deal. Over time they will have matured and become experienced players, and that is the time when you will reap the benefits. And finally, don’t ever sell those that are unique in their position (such as Deulofeu, a pure striker). But with the number of midfielders out there [in the academy], we clearly have no room for all of them [in the first team]

 

[Aryagorn]

LOl Cruyff didn't consider Afellay as core! He doesn't seem to think there's potential at least!!

No mention of Keiteee, wonder what's Pep's thoughts about that

 

[Barcaman]

According to MD:

Barcelona wants to sign 4 players in the summer: a left-back defender, a midfielder and 2 forwards.

 

[Birdy]

is this rumour based on any true intention?
why to buy two wide-forwards? are we going to sell villa?