Champions League 2017/18
- Thread starter El Flaco
- Start date
El Gato
Villarato!
Well that Copa was a first one since 1995(?), so I guess they have an excuse for that. Doesn't really matter tho.
It is hard, absolutely, but not impossible. So long as you have a plan to make it happen. After years of affluency there'll be a drought of a few years perhaps, or maybe not? Maybe there'll be a league title here and there if Kovacić, Ceballos et al develop as they're expected to. This potential 3-in-a-row is a complete anomaly, everyone knows that, but it is just reaping of the benefits of retaining those veterans and making the right transfer calls in 2012-2015 period. This Liga season is also an anomaly and consequence of Zidane trustiness in the last summer window. This is his 3rd managerial season. LOL.
Not sure what you're trying to argue anymore mate. You know fairly well that what Barca are doing is nothing, but their own version of a Galactico policy bar a few signings like Mina, which may actually be very good for you long term. Barca completely slept through that crucial time where they should've bought the right guys at young age when Xavi, Puyol and Iniesta were still here along with Messi, so that they can learn from them. Something Real have tried to avoid doing.
KingMessi
SiempreBlaugrana
So EL incoming next season.
serghei
Senior Member
Barca have had 2-3 poor seasons in CL. Otherwise, they are getting a good return of titles from this team. And have started to make a transition with several very good young players. 2 years later, but still it's a good step. We know very well our team. We know we can't win the CL any other way than by dominating our rivals. There's no way we would've went through after being outplayed by Bayern.
Which is why most are against Valverde, for acting as if this Barca is similar to Madrid. It's not.
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Stoichkov1
New member
This Liga season isn't an anomaly, after all you've won 2 league titles in 10 years and it happened before that you lost the title in December(2013 and 2016 when you finished so close only because of Barca's collapse in April).
Its an anomaly that the league is decided in december, we are at least competitive most seasons.
El Gato
Villarato!
These are the same titles that made you oblivious to the post-Messi transition and shifted the focus away from your youth policy. Again, something Real are trying to avoid doing amid a run of constant CL and patchy domestic success. You may know how your team performs, but your board is more oblivious to that period in 3-5 years than Real's is.
There's a lot of imagining that can happen by 2021, but there is more certainty with RM:
1) Asensio will be reaching his peak age and Isco will be a full on offensive centerpiece
2) Ronaldo, Benzema, Marcelo and Ramos will all be saying their goodbyes, if not gone by then already.
3) Midfield will almost surely have Kova, Kroos and maybe Casemiro within it as veteran leaders
4) Carvajal will be groomed as the next captain with Varane as the support for the next more vocal, but less experienced player learning from him
5) Peak age striker who will be bought if not this year then next
Uncertainties amid all this: Vallejo as CB, next LB
Barca 2021:
1) Peak Coutinho and peak Roberto, maybe Umtiti as your CB leader, maybe Griezmann starting to decline
2) Messi either continuing to do his thing like Ronaldo does, or starting to sulk under the weight of responsibility
3) A bunch of old dudes
4) A bunch of younger players, like Arthur, in rotation who will have at most 3 years in the first team among this current crew (given you replace your Rakitić, Gomes etc in this window with some guys like Seri)
You can do the maybes for Barca. Im running out of ideas
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Barca have finally started to look at youth recently with Dembele, Arthur and Mina. The Umtiti signing was also inspired. Still the management is awful and a club the size of Barcelona should be competing for the champions league especially with Messi still at his peak.
El Gato
Villarato!
Still, these things are useful, because not enough fans think about them. How many plans for Barca can you list as clearly as I can for Real with some degree of probability at this point in time for 3-5 years ahead? You probably can't right now, because Barca's policy is a state. But if you keep looking at these Arthurs and Minas within next 2 years and not focus on Griezmanns and don't buy the entirety of post-Wenger Arsenal team then maybe there is hope that it won't just be a Coutinho show with 3 different managers until then.
Put these posts in that detective thread. It'll probably be worth the wait, lol.
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It's 3 CL matches now since juve 1-3. Hopefully,Madrid wouldn't climax at the worst moment (for us). Then it'll be zero chance of cr winning balloon dor, unless he does a euro again in russia. Edit: his team do.
I feel like there is missing one real elite team in Europe these days, though Bayern might actually be the only one right now, with a full squad.
I dont mean top teams, several of those, but there is really no Bayern 2013(though i did mention Bayern probably being the best side in Europe), Barcelona 2009-11, or even Inter 2010 around, i feel. Any of those sides would have done us in already.
Last season we were somewhat in the same ballpark as some of those previously mentioned, but not this year, not at all.
Several teams going through a transition these days, i guess.
I dont mean top teams, several of those, but there is really no Bayern 2013(though i did mention Bayern probably being the best side in Europe), Barcelona 2009-11, or even Inter 2010 around, i feel. Any of those sides would have done us in already.
Last season we were somewhat in the same ballpark as some of those previously mentioned, but not this year, not at all.
Several teams going through a transition these days, i guess.
behindbrowneyes
Well-known member
Hopefully Salah can rip Marcelo a new one. Basically Liverpool has the necessary firepower to expose Madrid's defence. I don't trust Klopp's record in finals though. I fear Madrid will win this with having played good football.
For the sake of attacking football and for million other reasons Liverpool has to win this.
For the sake of attacking football and for million other reasons Liverpool has to win this.
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