Ibrahim Afellay

[PhilS]

Up to 65 games this year. Some players are starting to get old, some have injury histories. A 21 man squad is definitely not too big.

Afellay, Maxwell and Fontas might not play much at all until the injuries pile up, we'll see how their morale holds up. They are all good enough to fill in as regulars if needed. Some big, established Barca stars are also going to lose playing time this year, too, because Cesc, Thiago and Alexis are going to have to play major minutes. The Barca B guys are likely to have much less opportunity than last year.

 

[LaMessiah]

That is why you have scouters...

He did one good thing in half a season. Not something to pin your hopes on...

one thing? come on dude, he played well every time he saw the field in half a season, in a foreign country where the majority of players can't communicate with him. It was basically an extended preseason for the kid.

 

[dalitis8]

My position on Ibi has been clear all along. he is not good enough for Barca.

Wish I am proven wrong. But that will be the case I am afraid. Time will tell.

 

[ZenI]

Up to 65 games this year. Some players are starting to get old, some have injury histories. A 21 man squad is definitely not too big.

Afellay, Maxwell and Fontas might not play much at all until the injuries pile up, we'll see how their morale holds up. They are all good enough to fill in as regulars if needed. Some big, established Barca stars are also going to lose playing time this year, too, because Cesc, Thiago and Alexis are going to have to play major minutes. The Barca B guys are likely to have much less opportunity than last year.

That's the thing, of course Affelay is good enough to be our squad player. But I can't see any of Barcelona B players get many chances, and that's the big problem with Affelay. It's hard to balance having a big squad with lots of quality (like today, we don't really lose much quality if Pedro is out and Sanchez plays or when Iniesta is out and Cesc plays), keeping the squad/rotation players happy AND integrate our youth players. Without Affelay we still IMO have a very good forward line - Villa, Messi, Pedro, Sanchez and Iniesta (and Iniesta should play there sometimes to give Cesc and Thiago more time on the pitch).
But I agree to some extent, it would be nonsense to sell him after just half a season - but who knew we would actually finally sign Cesc and that Thiago would develop so fast.

 

[LaMessiah]

That's the thing, of course Affelay is good enough to be our squad player. But I can't see any of Barcelona B players get many chances, and that's the big problem with Affelay

the young guys will get lots of chances to prove they deserve to be in the first team, no matter who Barca sign. That's pretty evident from pep's history and right now Ibi is an excellent squad player and adds needed, quality, experienced depth that no Barca B attacker has right now.

 

[yusuf]

affellay is a good smart buy last season and he definitely helped us down the stretch especially with the big assist vs madrid which alone justified his price.............with only 4 realy forward he will get his chances and if he doesnt work out hopefully we can sell him and make a profit but now that we have squad depth in the team makes no sense kicking the kid out

 

[Aryagorn]

That is how much you understand the game.

That big post and you pick just that one thing!? THAT is how much you understand just about anything!!

 

[iced1776]

That big post and you pick just that one thing!? THAT is how much you understand just about anything!!

The funny thing is that the comment he quoted was a reference to the quality of the posts on the board and nothing to do with the team, this guy dalitis obviously has a major hate-boner for Affelay for whatever reason.

I really don't see any reason to dislike this Affelay... he's a pretty young player who accepts his role in the squad, did a damn good job of fitting into the squad's possession game last season, doesn't make any bad giveaways, and provides a slightly more direct approach than the rest of the squad to help keep defense on their toes.

As for taking minutes from Barca B players, so what? If he performs better than the Barca B players then he deserves to play, La Masia products should be expected their earn their first team minutes, not have them handed to them simply to uphold the image of our homegrown talent.

 

[La Furia]

That big post and you pick just that one thing!? THAT is how much you understand just about anything!!

You should have learned by now not to bother.

 

[gingerless]

affellay is a good smart buy last season and he definitely helped us down the stretch especially with the big assist vs madrid which alone justified his price.............with only 4 realy forward he will get his chances and if he doesnt work out hopefully we can sell him and make a profit but now that we have squad depth in the team makes no sense kicking the kid out

+1

 

[Aryagorn]

You should have learned by now not to bother.

haha yeah... But it's getting out of hands these days. He knows no bounds apparently

 

[kaisers0ze]

My position on Ibi has been clear all along. he is not good enough for Barca.

Wish I am proven wrong. But that will be the case I am afraid. Time will tell.

Your behaviour is seemingly obsessive regarding Afellay. I mean repeating that exact same point, that you wish proven wrong, over and over and over.. You secretly must be a very big fan of Ibi or something must be very wrong with you.

Ibi doesnt have to prove anything to dalitis by the way, he works for Barca.

Anyone knows the latest on his injury? I heard he will not play for holland tonight.

 

[Daemul]

Ibi not good for Barca? WTF?

 

[FCBarca]

Anyone knows the latest on his injury? I heard he will not play for holland tonight.

Should be soon really, he started practicing with his peers this week

 

[estranged]

I really don't see any reason to dislike this Affelay... he's a pretty young player who accepts his role in the squad, did a damn good job of fitting into the squad's possession game last season, doesn't make any bad giveaways, and provides a slightly more direct approach than the rest of the squad to help keep defense on their toes.

Exactly, it's not like he complains about not getting enough minutes, and he's happy to be a bench warmer at barca rather than a starter at some other club, and he is easily good enough to be a regular at a top top club so I don't get this hate. He cost us barely anything and was given very few minutes last yea but was always solid, the highlight of it all was his assist against madrid, maybe had it not been for him the game would have ended 0-0? I just fear for him since Barca's squad has been strengthened so much this season that he simply may not even get the minute she got last season.