Gerardo "Tata" Martino

[oz187]

Are you serious? CL says hi. And not only that, but if we're unlucky with injuries again, I can see a cb pair of Bartra and Bagnack playing. Do you really think that's good enough? Puyol, Pique, Masch and Bartra?

But that's the same with any team. If Hummels and Subotic get injured Dortmund will struggle. If Ramos and Varane get injured RM will struggle. How many teams are there with more than 2 or 3 high quality CBs? Bayern and Chelsea maybe? Chelsea haven't been that good recently, and Bayern would have a problem if Ribery and Robben both got injured.

It was also enough to have our worst defensive record in 20+ years?

As well as our best attacking record ever. Differing tactics would change the balance more than a new player(Thiago Silva excepted maybe).

 

[instinct]

There has been decided in today's meeting that Barcelona will continue to try to sign a centre back in the summer transfer window. [ser]

 

[beautifulgame]

So even if puyol gets healthy, he is far past his best. Piqué isn't good enough neither is Bartra so there we go. However, even if we did have a starting pair that were good then that still would have required one for cover. Now two good ones in need. A CB in need for 3 seasons like Flav said and the most successful club over last decade and 3rd biggest revenue club (smallest debt out of top 3 revenue teams too) can't buy a CB for three seasons running?! The hell with this board.

 

[aaron101]

There has been decided in today's meeting that Barcelona will continue to try to sign a centre back in the summer transfer window. [ser]

"try"

 

[Barcaman]

Who knows, maybe those Luiz and Agger rumors are just smokescreen for something else. Like that time we got Song. Noone expected it

 

[suckabov]

Who knows, maybe those Luiz and Agger rumors are just smokescreen for something else. Like that time we got Song. Noone expected it

This is exactly what I'm expecting, or at least hoping. The management has made some seriously stupid actions in the past, but I doubt they're completely unaware of the problem. I suspect they are pursuing someone and keeping it quiet, letting the media hold on to the Luiz/Agger rumours.

 

[Flavia]

But that's the same with any team. If Hummels and Subotic get injured Dortmund will struggle. If Ramos and Varane get injured RM will struggle. How many teams are there with more than 2 or 3 high quality CBs? Bayern and Chelsea maybe? Chelsea haven't been that good recently, and Bayern would have a problem if Ribery and Robben both got injured.

Barça's problem is we cannot afford not even one injury. Barça currently has Pique and Masch(who is not a cb), with bartra as backup. Puyol sidelined untill mid september. Bartra is not good enough yet, who knows if he'll be one day. Bagnack is just 18 years old and was just promoted to barça b. There's no depth. There's not even one decent backup.

 

[Corb]

The problem of Barça is that every team already knows they want a CB. It is the basic principle of business, you must not let the seller know you want one of his products.

 

[oz187]

Barça's problem is we cannot afford not even one injury.

We can afford one injury, that's what we've got at the moment with the injury to Puyol. If Pique or Masch get injured as well then there's a problem for a few games until Puyol returns. Backups are Bartra or Adriano, neither is great but they might be able to do the job in La Liga. High press and double pivot could also be used to mitigate the effects of any injuries.

Longer term for the rest of the season, the club doctors will have to gauge whether Puyol can recover and play a full part of the rotation.

 

[Chainsaw]

Barça's problem is that they wasted so much time and many opportunities to get proper CBs that now it's reached a point that nobody wants to let go of their stars unless it's for a huge price and Barça's board are too stubborn to go there.

What I've seen in the last two years up to now only make me think that the main reason Barça hasn't got a CB is nothing but an act of arrogance from the club that feels too content with what they've had. They probably maintaining an attitude like this oz187 guy who is trying to make irrelevant excuses as to why Barca is not desperate for the reinforcements for CB.

 

[Corb]

Barça's problem is that they wasted so much time and many opportunities to get proper CBs that now it's reached a point that nobody wants to let go of their stars unless it's for a huge price and Barça's board are too stubborn to go there.

What I've seen in the last two years up to now only make me think that the main reason Barça hasn't got a CB is nothing but an act of arrogance from the club that feels too content with what they've had. They probably maintaining an attitude like this oz187 guy who is trying to make irrelevant excuses as to why Barca is not desperate for the reinforcements for CB.

On the contrary, Real did very well the job and signed Varane.

 

[Meitux]

Yeah,the truth is that we wanted a defender 2 seasons ago, even before the start of 2011-2012 season. Its not like hard to understand that we need someone, but the just kept on ignoring it and ignoring it making of the excuses like ''Adriano can play as CB ''we signed Song because he is also capable of playing CB'' (which isn't the truth actually). And keep relying on an way off form Pique, a defensive midfielder in Mascherano who is not good playing as defender and on a 35 injury prone Puyol who they if hes fit we won't have problems there. But that isn't the case really, everybody who doesn't want to lie himself knows that Puyol is unfortunatelly at the start of the ending...

Our best options right now is signing someone with potential, if they are cheap they won't make the big of difference if they fail, but if any of them performs we have a player for now and improving for the future. Varane surely is a big example of it, its not like every of them will flourish but we need to take risks at the moment.

 

[oz187]

What I've seen in the last two years up to now only make me think that the main reason Barça hasn't got a CB is nothing but an act of arrogance from the club that feels too content with what they've had.

Two years ago it was borderline in terms of paying big money for Thiago Silva as Pique and Puyol were both still strong. One year ago they were too slow and lost out on him to PSG. This year PSG don't want to sell him.

 

[Flavia]

We can afford one injury, that's what we've got at the moment with the injury to Puyol. If Pique or Masch get injured as well then there's a problem for a few games until Puyol returns. Backups are Bartra or Adriano, neither is great but they might be able to do the job in La Liga. High press and double pivot could also be used to mitigate the effects of any injuries.

Longer term for the rest of the season, the club doctors will have to gauge whether Puyol can recover and play a full part of the rotation.

Actually the ideal was to bring 2 cbs. This kind of mentality, that you share with the board, is the cause of so many setbacks. Pique has no competition, and as a guaranteed starter he is getting sloppier by the minute. Masch is no cb, and after playing so much, it shows. Adriano the same, they hardly get the job done, both have terrible positioning. Bartra is far from the finished product, and to imagine a cb pairing of Masch/Adriano, or Masch/Bartra, or Adriano/Bartra gives me the chills. It's too much for a club as big as Barça. It's amateuristic stuff.

 

[barcanuck]

Yeah,the truth is that we wanted a defender 2 seasons ago, even before the start of 2011-2012 season. Its not like hard to understand that we need someone, but the just kept on ignoring it and ignoring it making of the excuses like ''Adriano can play as CB ''we signed Song because he is also capable of playing CB'' (which isn't the truth actually). And keep relying on an way off form Pique, a defensive midfielder in Mascherano who is not good playing as defender and on a 35 injury prone Puyol who they if hes fit we won't have problems there. But that isn't the case really, everybody who doesn't want to lie himself knows that Puyol is unfortunatelly at the start of the ending...

Our best options right now is signing someone with potential, if they are cheap they won't make the big of difference if they fail, but if any of them performs we have a player for now and improving for the future. Varane surely is a big example of it, its not like every of them will flourish but we need to take risks at the moment.

Well said. Problem is the market is not kind to us, I mean that Marquinos cost 40 million? That's ludicous.