Barça's Transfers and Rumors

[DrPepper]

Don't bother, thankfully the pessimism on this forum has no influence on real world events.

Dortmund and Atletico simply because they play in a way that gives us a lot of trouble. Both teams can be very strong as underdogs, but give them the ball and they're not that dangerous anymore. Not something we'd do though.

 

[klc123]

Don't bother, thankfully the pessimism on this forum has no influence on real world events.

Yeah this is the only place in the world where players like Xavi and Iniesta are regarded as surplus to requirements and "not good enough". Granted Xavi is aging and has injury problems, but when he plays he is still fantastic. Now they are saying the same about Iniesta. The problem is that people on this forum seem to try desperately to find someone to blame when the team doesn't perform 100%. In my opinion it's a disgrace that players like Iniesta and Xavi are taking the blame for the teams short comings, and cesc before them.

 

[bismp]

Yeah this is the only place in the world where players like Xavi and Iniesta are regarded as surplus to requirements and "not good enough". Granted Xavi is aging and has injury problems, but when he plays he is still fantastic. Now they are saying the same about Iniesta. The problem is that people on this forum seem to try desperately to find someone to blame when the team doesn't perform 100%. In my opinion it's a disgrace that players like Iniesta and Xavi are taking the blame for the teams short comings, and cesc before them.

Yeah this is the only place in the world where players like Xavi and Iniesta are regarded as surplus to requirements and "not good enough". Granted Xavi is aging and has injury problems, but when he plays he is still fantastic. Now they are saying the same about Iniesta. The problem is that people on this forum seem to try desperately to find someone to blame when the team doesn't perform 100%. In my opinion it's a disgrace that players like Iniesta and Xavi are taking the blame for the teams short comings, and cesc before them.

You are clearly stuck in the past.Just because Xavi and Iniesta were fantastic players in their prime,it doesn't mean they should be starters until hey retire.Xavi is turning 35 in a month dude!35!!!!!As for Iniesta he is 30,which is a quite decent age for a midfielder,but i think that if you don't look things objectively,you can realize that ,year by year, he is declining.Especially this year,i can hardly name 5 games that he performed close to the Don we loved.He has clearly lost any motivation.This is clear,because he only seems motivated in big matches.
Ofc,both of them are not entirely responsible for our current situation,Lucho is.But we can't hope to hold the midfield against any decent team,let alone RM,Bayern,Chelsea etc,,if we still have the same midfield trio we had 5 years ago.They lack any physicallity,and they are now slow.
I'll just remind you this.The same midfield trio lost to Bayern on aggregate 7-0 two years ago.Have you forgotten that?Do you magically expect them to become GOAT again?

 

[klc123]

You are clearly stuck in the past.Just because Xavi and Iniesta were fantastic players in their prime,it doesn't mean they should be starters until hey retire.Xavi is turning 35 in a month dude!35!!!!!As for Iniesta he is 30,which is a quite decent age for a midfielder,but i think that if you don't look things objectively,you can realize that ,year by year, he is declining.Especially this year,i can hardly name 5 games that he performed close to the Don we loved.He has clearly lost any motivation.This is clear,because he only seems motivated in big matches.
Ofc,both of them are not entirely responsible for our current situation,Lucho is.But we can't hope to hold the midfield against any decent team,let alone RM,Bayern,Chelsea etc,,if we still have the same midfield trio we had 5 years ago.They lack any physicallity,and they are now slow.
I'll just remind you this.The same midfield trio lost to Bayern on aggregate 7-0 two years ago.Have you forgotten that?Do you magically expect them to become GOAT again?

I'll say what I said in the Andres Iniesta thread.
Blaming individual players for the teams lack of performance is not going to get us anywhere.
Football is a team game. The team is only as good as the sum of it's parts. The players are only as good as the players around them allow them to be, which depends on the manager and how he sets things up.

Everyone mentions this lack of physicality as a problem. I must be missing something, because I can't remember any point during the Guardiola years where Iniesta Xavi and Busquets were more physical. Iniesta and Xavi were not players that relied on pace and physicality then, so why is it different now? They still cover the same distance as the rest of the team.

The biggest problem I have is that during the Guardiola years, the midfield was rotated much more and players like Keita were very useful against weaker liga teams, which meant XIB were rested for the big games. Xavi isn't immortal, so we've got an excellent replacement in Rakitic, who was superb for Croatia in the WC. We've also got Rafinha to phase into the team, and hopefully once all the CB's are fit, Mascherano will have a bit more redundancy and will be permitted to play in CDM to give Busi some respite.

I've gone miles off topic, but the point is that you cannot blame Xavi and Iniesta what happened against Bayern Munich. You have to blame the entire team, and therefore the management, for the decisions they made in how the team plays. The defence was our worst feature in that game, I don't know how you've managed to isolate the midfield as the problem.

edit:
In my opinion the reason Bayern could expose our lack of physicality in midfield was because our forwards were not pressing as all in that game. The reality is that the work rate of Messi and the two wingers is directly related to how well the team performs overall, and that is something the manager has to sort out. Obviously there are still problems in defence that need addressing, such as Alves, but once we have Vermaelen and the rest of the defence fit and functioning as a unit (which will require better management,) the team will be far more better off. I can't think of many top levels teams that rely on big aggressive physical midfielders to control the game. Technical quality always triumphs brawn.

 

[bismp]

I'll say what I said in the Andres Iniesta thread.
Blaming individual players for the teams lack of performance is not going to get us anywhere.
Football is a team game. The team is only as good as the sum of it's parts. The players are only as good as the players around them allow them to be, which depends on the manager and how he sets things up.

Everyone mentions this lack of physicality as a problem. I must be missing something, because I can't remember any point during the Guardiola years where Iniesta Xavi and Busquets were more physical. Iniesta and Xavi were not players that relied on pace and physicality then, so why is it different now? They still cover the same distance as the rest of the team.

The biggest problem I have is that during the Guardiola years, the midfield was rotated much more and players like Keita were very useful against weaker liga teams, which meant XIB were rested for the big games. Xavi isn't immortal, so we've got an excellent replacement in Rakitic, who was superb for Croatia in the WC. We've also got Rafinha to phase into the team, and hopefully once all the CB's are fit, Mascherano will have a bit more redundancy and will be permitted to play in CDM to give Busi some respite.

I've gone miles off topic, but the point is that you cannot blame Xavi and Iniesta what happened against Bayern Munich. You have to blame the entire team, and therefore the management, for the decisions they made in how the team plays. The defence was our worst feature in that game, I don't know how you've managed to isolate the midfield as the problem.

edit:
In my opinion the reason Bayern could expose our lack of physicality in midfield was because our forwards were not pressing as all in that game. The reality is that the work rate of Messi and the two wingers is directly related to how well the team performs overall, and that is something the manager has to sort out. Obviously there are still problems in defence that need addressing, such as Alves, but once we have Vermaelen and the rest of the defence fit and functioning as a unit (which will require better management,) the team will be far more better off. I can't think of many top levels teams that rely on big aggressive physical midfielders to control the game. Technical quality always triumphs brawn.

I never blamed X-I for losing to bayern.
And ofc the defense was shit back then.But,you don't lose 7-0 just because your defense was shit and the attack doesn't press enough.Anyway,what i am trying to say is that the X-I-B trio started showing signs of decline 2 years ago.We can't expect them to regain form now.
As you stated,the biggest problem the past 2-3 years is the tactics and management.It is obvious that,even if you have the best players available,if your tactics are shit and you cannot motivate the players,then it results in this situation.And Tito,Tata and especially Lucho (and the 2014 Tata) failed miserably.The problem started back in the last Pep season.We couldn't break the buses easily anymore.And instead trying to solve the problem,we stuck with the same players.Now,we have reached the absolute bottom.It pains me to watch the players doing nothing on the pitch and dropping points to Granada,Celta,Getafe,Malaga etc.To sum up the problem is:
Other teams defend better season by season+Unmotivated (old)players+really bad static tactics=failure to score a single goal
Nowadays,we really struggle to score the first goal.But,if we do,then it is fairly easy to score more goals,as the opposition doesn't park the bus anymore

What should be done is try to find a coach that can motivate the players and implement some basic attacking strategy,with decent movement off the ball etc.I am not confident Lucho can do that.Finally,if i was the coach i would rotate(50/50) Mascherano with Busquets in CDM,so that Busi can wake up a little bit.Then,i would give Rakitic the CM spot.Xavi should come in as a sub.Also,i would try Samper in the CM spot.Finally,i would also rotate(60/40)Iniesta and Rafinha in the CM/CAM spot,waiting also for Denis Suarez to return from the loan

 

[klc123]

I never blamed X-I for losing to bayern.
And ofc the defense was shit back then.But,you don't lose 7-0 just because your defense was shit and the attack doesn't press enough.Anyway,what i am trying to say is that the X-I-B trio started showing signs of decline 2 years ago.We can't expect them to regain form now.
As you stated,the biggest problem the past 2-3 years is the tactics and management.It is obvious that,even if you have the best players available,if your tactics are shit and you cannot motivate the players,then it results in this situation.And Tito,Tata and especially Lucho (and the 2014 Tata) failed miserably.The problem started back in the last Pep season.We couldn't break the buses easily anymore.And instead trying to solve the problem,we stuck with the same players.Now,we have reached the absolute bottom.It pains me to watch the players doing nothing on the pitch and dropping points to Granada,Celta,Getafe,Malaga etc.To sum up the problem is:
Other teams defend better season by season+Unmotivated (old)players+really bad static tactics=failure to score a single goal
Nowadays,we really struggle to score the first goal.But,if we do,then it is fairly easy to score more goals,as the opposition doesn't park the bus anymore

What should be done is try to find a coach that can motivate the players and implement some basic attacking strategy,with decent movement off the ball etc.I am not confident Lucho can do that.Finally,if i was the coach i would rotate(50/50) Mascherano with Busquets in CDM,so that Busi can wake up a little bit.Then,i would give Rakitic the CM spot.Xavi should come in as a sub.Also,i would try Samper in the CM spot.Finally,i would also rotate(60/40)Iniesta and Rafinha in the CM/CAM spot,waiting also for Denis Suarez to return from the loan

I agree completely with what you would do with the midfield, I feel like barca has the players, they just aren't been used properly.
Pique and Vermaelen would probably be our best CB pairing in my opinion, and Jordi Alba is good enough, he just needs discipline. Alves is the weak spot currently, and that may be problematic till 2016. The problem with defence is that it's much more than what players you have. More than any other area of the pitch it depends on cohesion and organisation, two things which are completely dependent on the manager. There is a reason Mourinho teams don't concede goals, and it isn't because he pays big money for defenders.

Rakitic should be starting nearly every game for me, from what I've seen he plays the Xavi tempo controlling role excellently. I wouldn't be adverse to seeing Xavi starting some games, but due to fitness reasons he should spend the majority of this season as a substitute.
Iniesta should be our primary attacking midfielder. I think all the big games. 80% of the time he should play, Rafinha being used the rest of the time to build experience.
I would definitely make more use of Mascherano in CDM if our CB situation wasn't so dire from injuries. In the world cup he was inspirational for Argentina.

But like we said, we need a manager who will get the team attacking and defending as a unit again, rather then just picking the best 11 and hoping for the best. We shouldn't be having problems scoring goals when our front 3 comprises of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez. There is clearly something amiss.

 

[khaled_a_d]

I agree completely with what you would do with the midfield, I feel like barca has the players, they just aren't been used properly.
Pique and Vermaelen would probably be our best CB pairing in my opinion, and Jordi Alba is good enough, he just needs discipline. Alves is the weak spot currently, and that may be problematic till 2016. The problem with defence is that it's much more than what players you have. More than any other area of the pitch it depends on cohesion and organisation, two things which are completely dependent on the manager. There is a reason Mourinho teams don't concede goals, and it isn't because he pays big money for defenders.

Rakitic should be starting nearly every game for me, from what I've seen he plays the Xavi tempo controlling role excellently. I wouldn't be adverse to seeing Xavi starting some games, but due to fitness reasons he should spend the majority of this season as a substitute.
Iniesta should be our primary attacking midfielder. I think all the big games. 80% of the time he should play, Rafinha being used the rest of the time to build experience.
I would definitely make more use of Mascherano in CDM if our CB situation wasn't so dire from injuries. In the world cup he was inspirational for Argentina.

But like we said, we need a manager who will get the team attacking and defending as a unit again, rather then just picking the best 11 and hoping for the best. We shouldn't be having problems scoring goals when our front 3 comprises of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez. There is clearly something amiss.

Back in 2003 ,we had players like De Boer who was once considered one of the best CBs,Puyol who was one of the best versatile defenders out there and was just voted best RB in the world .Andersson who was the world best CB in 2001,Luis Enrique& Overmars who was again considered gr8 Wings ,a gr8 play making talent like Riquelme .Mendieta ,Cocu,Kluivert who was one of the top strikers back then and the list goes on .talent wise and the names on paper we were gr8,the players are very good and talented etc but when laporta and Txiki came they cleaned the house and only the young really good players like Puyol/Xavi/Valdes stayed past summer 2004
In 2008 we had R10,one of our all time gr8 ,he wasn't performing as his former self but the guy was still scoring or giving an assist whenever he was healthy ,Deco who was our best midfield player in Rijkaard era ,and many other gr8 players but then again we had to clean the house and make some huge sacrifices .sometimes still being good is just not enough tbh .sometimes if you aren't as good as you once was means you need to be shown the exit door and leave your place for someone else with hunger ,someone who isn't used to an old system and is ready to do what is the coach is asking him and change his game for the better of the team

 

[Jadentheman]

Yeah but is there anyone with enough vigor to even announce a cleaning house. If the resistance on a forum is big, then a resistance overall would be big. The backlash because so many hold on to the past. "Oh no he's still got a lot more to give". We need to clean house big time because we have been 3 years past due and the fact that you hire a few mediocre players to replace the mediocre ones that left don't count.

 

[SeloBarca]

Back in 2003 ,we had players like De Boer who was once considered one of the best CBs,Puyol who was one of the best versatile defenders out there and was just voted best RB in the world .Andersson who was the world best CB in 2001,Luis Enrique& Overmars who was again considered gr8 Wings ,a gr8 play making talent like Riquelme .Mendieta ,Cocu,Kluivert who was one of the top strikers back then and the list goes on .talent wise and the names on paper we were gr8,the players are very good and talented etc but when laporta and Txiki came they cleaned the house and only the young really good players like Puyol/Xavi/Valdes stayed past summer 2004
In 2008 we had R10,one of our all time gr8 ,he wasn't performing as his former self but the guy was still scoring or giving an assist whenever he was healthy ,Deco who was our best midfield player in Rijkaard era ,and many other gr8 players but then again we had to clean the house and make some huge sacrifices .sometimes still being good is just not enough tbh .sometimes if you aren't as good as you once was means you need to be shown the exit door and leave your place for someone else with hunger ,someone who isn't used to an old system and is ready to do what is the coach is asking him and change his game for the better of the team

Agree, you cant live on old merits.
Xavi and Iniesta are the best midfield in history, but that was 4 years ago.
You have to realize when you have to phase out old players and get new ones, or youll get stuck like we are now, with old players, and youngsters without enough playingtime or talent.
There are stil lalot of players that thinks that the players from the ~2010 lineup is STILL as good. Its not, not even close.
The board also thought so, and see where we are now. Pep was the only one that knew, and left becouse he couldnt, and werent allowed to do anything about it.
Iniesta could stay, but shouldnt be first selection anymore.
We got Mathieu, Vermaelen, Douglas, Rakitic and Suarez this year. None of them, except Suarez if he finds his place, are good enough to win Champions League with.
The youngsters in the squad are not even close to filling the shoes.

 

[DinhoR10]

The problem with phasing out or replacing iniesta is who do you replace him with? Even if we could buy players, the level of [player we need (Gotze/isco) isn't available at the moment. The only thing I could see happening is a baptism by fire of Halilovic.

 

[KingMessi]

The problem with phasing out or replacing iniesta is who do you replace him with? Even if we could buy players, the level of [player we need (Gotze/isco) isn't available at the moment. The only thing I could see happening is a baptism by fire of Halilovic.

Or of Denis Suarez or Rafinha.

 

[DinhoR10]

Or of Denis Suarez or Rafinha.

Yeah honestly I was too lazy to type out their names too

 

[KingMessi]

Yeah honestly I was too lazy to type out their names too

Thanks for the honesty.

 

[klc123]

How is rakitic not good enough?
Did you want any of the Croatia games in the World Cup?

And I find it hard to take anyone seriously who says Iniesta isn't good enough to start. In 3 years time we shouldn't be starting messi either right? Ok.

 

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

Okay so I know it's goal but they are reporting some interesting rumors: apparently Laporta has sounded out Pep about returning as the sporting director and prefers to have an ex Barça player as the new head coach with both Xavi and Puyol pursuing their coaching badges.

Puyol as Head Coach, Xavi as assistant/tactical coach. Pep as sporting director, overseeing the entire project from the Cadet B to the 1st team.

If Laporta pulls this off, he is an absolute god. Most surprising thing is Pep is supposedly open to it. Seems he well and truly does not enjoy the spotlight and this sort of role would see him take a back seat role. Interesting, lemme know if anyone disproves this.