Erling Haaland

[Luftstalag14]

If we are still catering to the every whim of a 34-35 year old Messi then there are far greater problems at play than which striker we should go after.

That is going to be the case until Messi is gone. As soon as this summer and as late as in 2 or 3 years.

I don't see Haland coming here. No young star wants to play second fiddle these days.

 

[JamDav1982]

Nobody wants to be the 'star after Messi' in the short term. Or nobody who's smart enough to realise why it's a bad idea.

Name one team in any sport who had 20 years era dominated by one GOAT level personality that didn't have to suffer the scorched Earth period of minimum 5 years.

Fairly specific question that.

How many football teams have had a GOAT that has dominated for 20 years?

Cant think of one bar maybe Santos and that was different times.

 

[El Gato]

You lot seem pretty alright after CR7. Not as good as you were with him obviously, but Hazard came. Mbappe seems to be coming this summer or the next.

Yh but they don't come to replace and be their own selves if you like. 90% of it is to play under Zidane or because they have fondness for the badge. If Haaland was a Messi fan, fair enough. I never got the message he really cared that much.

Fairly specific question that.

How many football teams have had a GOAT that has dominated for 20 years?

Cant think of one bar maybe Santos and that was different times.

True. Kind of my point for the past 3 years and people like serghei keep telling me it's no big deal because there's always been a succession of stars in Barcelona. Well, not quite the same. I always thought there'd be a rather big transition into the era where fans will most often feel like orphaned children trying to fill the void. A SAF drought, with a trophy here and there. I think Haaland will realise it.

 

[Devils]

Man this cat Raiola is a goddamn genius.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

Would imagine the last place Haaland wants to go is a slow, old Barca system built to get Messi on ball.

He would play nothing like the role of a CF at Barca in way he would at other clubs that would be built for him.

Don't know where this comes from but slow system isn't cut in stone. It's more a matter of the coach. MSN-Lucho-Barça relied on fast transitional football and this was probably the most entertaining Barça-team to watch. Some will say even better than Pep-Barça.

You could play that with Arthur and Frenkie in midfield. Messi already said he will turn more into a creator in the last years of his career. His passes would cut like a knife through warm butter with a player like Haaland who is fucking fast and running over the defending line all the time.

Right now Liverpool would be the best top-team for him, but Barcelona should definitely try to sign him in 2021 for 75M.

 

[wisconsincule]

Name one team in any sport who had 20 years era dominated by one GOAT level personality that didn't have to suffer the scorched Earth period of minimum 5 years.

Green Bay Packers.

Going from Bret Favre to Aaron Rodgers. Favre is in the hall of fame and Rodgers will be when he retires. Not exactly GOATs but close none the less.

Barcelona will be fine. The same dip that Madrid are experiencing but it’s not like they will suddenly stop attracting top players.

 

[Kul_z]

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/f5ypgr/hålands_sprint_from_side_to_side_against_psg/


Holy fuck what a monster

 

[JamDav1982]

Don't know where this comes from but slow system isn't cut in stone. It's more a matter of the coach. MSN-Lucho-Barça relied on fast transitional football and this was probably the most entertaining Barça-team to watch. Some will say even better than Pep-Barça.

You could play that with Arthur and Frenkie in midfield. Messi already said he will turn more into a creator in the last years of his career. His passes would cut like a knife through warm butter with a player like Haaland who is fucking fast and running over the defending line all the time.

Right now Liverpool would be the best top-team for him, but Barcelona should definitely try to sign him in 2021 for 75M.

Where does 'Messi the creator' play that does not impact the balance of the team, the team pressing as a unit, playing with pace on break etc.

Messi will play deeper and everyone will give him the ball. Undoubtedly he would get good number of assists but the team will be one dimensional, slow and with little variety.

There will be no midfield looking to dominate ball and move it quickly trying to prize teams open. It will be slow, pass to Messi who tries risky actions often.

Messi in my opinion needs to stay up the pitch and hold a position more and receive ball less but in better areas and team given back to energetic midfield that will dictate and give him ball when should receive it.

 

[Marshall D Teach]

Apparently has a 70m release clause.

Do it.

 

[El Gato]

Green Bay Packers.

Going from Bret Favre to Aaron Rodgers. Favre is in the hall of fame and Rodgers will be when he retires. Not exactly GOATs but pretty damn good.

Barcelona will be fine. The same dip that Madrid are experiencing but it’s not like they will suddenly stop attracting top players.

And Rodgers was drafted, played backup for 5 years and became a star naturally with nobody really ever discussing possibilities tediously over his head and fans just being grateful he's turning out to be a GOAT quarterback. Never came with a price tag of 70-200M and presumptions he'd develop or that he 'should try to do his talent justice'.

It's not the same dip. This is, in your fanbase heads', the best player in history leaving within 2 years with the club having no succession strategy. Real are more or less fine, because they didn't dwell on Ronaldo longer than a year with Zidane comeback effectively ending the sulking period and keep at least investing millions in young players who are immediately not alienated but given a shot amongst the rest. Barcelona though? I don't see Haaland being enticed or, if he does choose to come, succeeding.

I'm sure Barca will be 'fine'. I think Madrid are fine. But that's because I don't ask a lot beyond what I know is reasonable while the bulk of the fanbase thinks we're this big club who need to desperately get Mbappe and shamefully can't score for shit etc etc. It happens here on this forum too. It depends if 'fine' is actually fine enough for you.

 

[KingLeo10]

I'm sure Barca will be 'fine'. I think Madrid are fine. But that's because I don't ask a lot beyond what I know is reasonable while the bulk of the fanbase thinks we're this big club who need to desperately get Mbappe and shamefully can't score for shit etc etc. It happens here on this forum too.

You might want to steer from Mbappe if the present trend holds. I know PSG's atmosphere is toxic but that's 3 years in succession Mbappe has gone mostly missing in the R of 16.

 

[El Gato]

You might want to steer from Mbappe if the present trend holds. I know PSG's atmosphere is toxic but that's 3 years in succession Mbappe has gone mostly missing in the R of 16.

I know, I'm aware and a bit miffed he's not 'trying' to at least show a bit of the 'good' arrogance and leadership, but nothing functions normally at PSG doesn't it. If you made excuses for incredibly talented, treble-winning attackers at Barcelona because the coach wasn't the right one to stop the downward spiral, then how can you fault Mbappe, when he was coached by Europa League level managers that haven't even sniffed a major success as coach or player with the CL being the only ambitious target?

 

[Kul_z]

If i was a qsg owner, this summer i would sell ney back to us for cca 200m, sell di maria, sarabia and draxler and with that money buy haaland and salah. Then, i would try to lurk some older experienced middlefielder like modric or vidal with 15m 2 year contract.

Mbappe haaland salah
Veratti vidal
Marquinhos
Bernat silva kimpembe meunier
Navas

This would be interesting side with wide bench options. It could win them cl. Maybe i gave someone a hint, fuck.

 

[Devils]

This guy is going to replace Lewandowski at Bayern. Predictable as ever.

That said, this guy looks generational talent and a far more promising player than that fool Mbappe keeps getting hyped to be.

I think the next decade is going to be tough for Barca, dawgs. While we will still have some of the best players in the world, I don't think we are going to have generational talents of this decade like we did last decade.

SMH.

 

[gregorrin10]

How can we know what the plan B would be then?

Messi wont be gone in two years. I am not even sure Pique, Busi and Suarez will all be gone by then.

There's not a chance in hell Pique and Suarez will be here after the new Board is appointed in 2021. Busquets might be gone too, or at least restricted down to a bench role, being a back up for De Jong, if he'll be willing to do it, which I doubt by the way. Suarez might even be gone this summer already (i'm guessing to Beckham's new Miami team or back to Ajax, like Huntelaar did), if we manage to get Lautaro in.

Messi will be the only senior one still here. Although with the new Board, him getting older, probably not playing every single game anymore, and most, if not all of his amigos gone (all 30+ will be gone anyway, while Alba I honestly don't see him seeing his crazy contract out, as he'll be 35 and a fucking snail on the pitch by then, I could actually see Alba being let go by 2022 too, especially if Firpo can make that LB position his own in the meantime), Messi's power and influence at the club will be greatly diminished. He'll obviously still have the respect (as he absolutely should) of the new Board, but I don't see them bending over back wards to accommodate him and especially not build a team around him anymore, especially if Font wins. But I do see him staying at Barca at least as long as Cristiano stays at Juve, where he's still a threat for the Ballon'd Or. As for Messi (it's obviously gonna depend on him avoiding injuries and how long Cristiano will be around), but I see him retiring at age 35-36.

I doubt Messi is gonna want to retire first though, especially since he's two years younger. It's gonna be interesting to see who blinks first though, and what happens if Cristiano actually stretches his career until he's 40 or something (I could totally see him do that, if injuries don't get to him first), since his ego won't allow him to give up sooner, he'll be trying for as long as he can to overtake Messi in the Ballon'd Or rankings. So by that logic Messi would then have go to 38, which is the absolute maximum I see him playing for, BUT if he's around for that long, I don't necessarily see him at Barca until the end, especially if Cristiano heads out of Europe (I could totally see that too) to the MLS by that time (hopefully Juve won't be stupid enough to keep him around for that long themselves).

I think when Cristiano will leave Europe, Messi will return to Argentina (or retire altogether) too, since there's no way Cristiano can win another Ballon'd Or while not playing in Europe anymore, if Messi was still ahead by then. But as I could only see one maybe two years back in Argentina for Messi after Barca, if he does it at all, I could see Cristiano stretching it out 'Ibra' style easy, head to the MLS for a couple of seasons, then maybe even returning to Europe for a season or so, when he's Ibra's current age, but obviously once (if) he leaves Europe the first time, I don't think he'll be a realistic Ballon'd Or contender after that anymore, even if he does come back to Europe later at some point, so Messi should be safe in any case, even if he does retire first, when Cristiano leaves Europe (for the first time).