Barça's Transfers and Rumors

[Haruko The Goon]

We bought Lilian Thuram for 5 million euros at age 34. Vidic for free at 32 is not a bad deal, his injury proneness should be dealt with in the contract.

Vidic has only just turned 32. Puyols 35, going on 36 in April.

Vidic for 2 or 3 seasons would be Ideal. He'S FREE!

Vidic-Puyol would be great. You obviously, wouldn't be getting the Vidic of 06-09, but you'd still be getting one of the finest defenders going.

If it were me in charge, I'd go for Vidic, and at the same time go for a already class CB who's a lot younger, Javier Manquillo or someone.

 

[Neal Faradinho]

Vidic has only just turned 32. Puyols 35, going on 36 in April.

Vidic for 2 or 3 seasons would be Ideal. He'S FREE!

Vidic-Puyol would be great. You obviously, wouldn't be getting the Vidic of 06-09, but you'd still be getting one of the finest defenders going.

If it were me in charge, I'd go for Vidic, and at the same time go for a already class CB who's a lot younger, Javier Manquillo or someone.

Manquillo is a RB

 

[PhilS]

For all of you rooting for one or two new super-CBs as soon as possible, you need to keep in mind how that would likely play out.

All coaches play Masch a lot, they love him. You (everyone on this forum) do not understand football as well as these Liverpool, Argentina and Barca coaches do. There is only one player who has beaten out Masch for a starting position in the last several years, and that is Busquets. Whichever new CB joins Barca had better be ready for a lot of bench time watching Masch play. I think that is the real reason why the likes of Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Marquinos signed/re-signed with lessor teams.

But an experienced, big-time new Barca CB could pretty much zero out Bartra's minutes. I hope Barta can continue to play rotation-player minutes at Barca, that way he could become the starting CB in maybe a couple of years. The best chance for that is for Barca to bring in a stop-gap, #4 type CB, not a big star.

 

[Cule4life]

Thiago Silva didn't come because he had to compete with the mighty Masch?

Pep wasn't perfect but Masch was atleast doing well under him. Tito is not an example of a good coach. Tata is new and maybe scared of too many changes and I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Pardon me but when did Argentine and Liverpool coaches play Masch at CB?

Ideally when a CB comes Masch should be either sold, moved to DM or become 4th choice

 

[Maria]

For all of you rooting for one or two new super-CBs as soon as possible, you need to keep in mind how that would likely play out.

All coaches play Masch a lot, they love him. You (everyone on this forum) do not understand football as well as these Liverpool, Argentina and Barca coaches do.

At least we understand that Mascherano only played as CB for Barca, not Liverpool and certainly not Argentina.

 

[AnfieldEd]

Mascherano never play CB for us........but he did play RB for us.........

 

[ThwiX]

Mascherano is so tiresome. He annoys the shit out of me when he plays as a CB. Mistake after mistake, I can't take it no more.

 

[PhilS]

Masch plays, whether at his original or his current position. Sack Tata, the next coach will play him, too. And not at DM.

I really don't understand why there are all these complaints about Masch, who has not been bad. Why is almost no one is complaining about Pinto? Lots of keepers would have stopped that second goal yesterday, that was not a very good shot. If you want to improve this team for the second half of this season, bring in next season's backup keeper next month. Pinto has always been alarming, but his results were somehow good enough in prior years. He is definitely worse this year, Barca needs better ASAP.

 

[Flavia]

Masch plays, whether at his original or his current position. Sack Tata, the next coach will play him, too. And not at DM.

I really don't understand why there are all these complaints about Masch, who has not been bad. Why is almost no one is complaining about Pinto? Lots of keepers would have stopped that second goal yesterday, that was not a very good shot. If you want to improve this team for the second half of this season, bring in next season's backup keeper next month. Pinto has always been alarming, but his results were somehow good enough in prior years. He is definitely worse this year, Barca needs better ASAP.

yes, masch hasn't been bad, he's been awful. He's not a cb, just shows it time and again. I agree about pinto. It was fine when he just played cdr matches.

 

[JamDav1982]

yes, masch hasn't been bad, he's been awful. He's not a cb, just shows it time and again. I agree about pinto. It was fine when he just played cdr matches.

He has not been on top form this season but far too over the top to claim he has been awful.

He was easily the best defender in the Super Cup games against Atletico Madrid and was good against Real at home even if he did have a couple of rusty moments as just back from injury.

Looked good in the game last night as well.

 

[Flavia]

He has not been on top form this season but far too over the top to claim he has been awful.

He was easily the best defender in the Super Cup games against Atletico Madrid and was good against Real at home even if he did have a couple of rusty moments as just back from injury.

Looked good in the game last night as well.

Yeah, I know all that, you have said this over and over. Anyway, that's not the most importamt thing.
Masch is a dm, too short and has many deficiencies, as positional awareness. Being the "best" when pique was in the worst form of his life, puyol injured and bartra unexperienced isn't good enough for a team like Barça. Barça can and must do better in th cb department. That has been a weakness for far too long.

He was better last game, but still had a few blunders that, against a better team than getafe, would cost for Barça.

 

[Hamzah]

We need a centre back that has some speed and can header properly

 

[JamDav1982]

Yeah, I know all that, you have said this over and over. Anyway, that's not the most importamt thing.
Masch is a dm, too short and has many deficiencies, as positional awareness. Being the "best" when pique was in the worst form of his life, puyol injured and bartra unexperienced isn't good enough for a team like Barça. Barça can and must do better in th cb department. That has been a weakness for far too long.

He was better last game, but still had a few blunders that, against a better team than getafe, would cost for Barça.

You are constantly repeating yourself also as are many on here every day about Mascherano.

He has been a good CB and has not been at the top of his form this season but Pep considered him his best ever signing and Tito and Tata have also played him there for a reason. Due to how well he reads the game and cover for other players.

Just look at his stats even this season he is leading in many defensive areas.

 

[Flavia]

You are constantly repeating yourself also as are many on here every day about Mascherano.

He has been a good CB and has not been at the top of his form this season but Pep considered him his best ever signing and Tito and Tata have also played him there for a reason. Due to how well he reads the game and cover for other players.

Just look at his stats even this season he is leading in many defensive areas.

He is a great dm, so he does read the game well. But that's not good enough to be a cb. The flaws are greater than the advantages of playing him there. Bartra, unexperienced as he is, compared to masch, is already a better cb. Masch keeps being played because there aren't many options, that's the reason. But this makeshift cb experience has lasted too long, and it's like cesc as false 9. It's not the best solution, but the coach doesn't have many options.

 

[JamDav1982]

He is a great dm, so he does read the game well. But that's not good enough to be a cb. The flaws are greater than the advantages of playing him there. Bartra, unexperienced as he is, compared to masch, is already a better cb. Masch keeps being played because there aren't many options, that's the reason. But this makeshift cb experience has lasted too long, and it's like cesc as false 9. It's not the best solution, but the coach doesn't have many options.

It is though, I agree he would not get away with being a CB at many other clubs but the way Barca play he is covering all the time for the other players.

Just go back 100 pages on here as I just did and everyone is gushing over him and many saying he has been the best signing since Alves, some even calling him best defender in world.

Even you yourself posted stats showing how much more balls he recovers compared to any other player in the team.

The coach this season does have options, so did Pep, so did Tito and Masch was one of the first names down every week and justifiably so.

Having said all that I do agree Barta has been better than him this season - albeit not playing against the better teams but Bartra/Pique doesnt seem to be favoured as neither read the game like Masch .. at his best and they are too similar and neither leaders.