Jonathan Tah
- Thread starter Yannik
- Start date
The word on the street was that Romeo must die, but also that Garcia to Girona was agreed but we needed to retain him for depth.
Christensen has played 26 minutes this season and been injured for the rest.
Eric Garcia himself has played 456 minutes, but only 26 minutes of those have been at centreback.
Meanwhile Domingez has played 3x the minutes of both at centreback. So if it is the case of Big Dom or Big Tah, I know which one I am choosing.
Christensen has played 26 minutes this season and been injured for the rest.
Eric Garcia himself has played 456 minutes, but only 26 minutes of those have been at centreback.
Meanwhile Domingez has played 3x the minutes of both at centreback. So if it is the case of Big Dom or Big Tah, I know which one I am choosing.
Birdy
Senior Member
I really don't get this transfer.
Where is the SD?
Where is the long-term planning?
What's the rationale?
1) 28 yrs means older than all of our CBs bar Inigo -> no future prospect/project
2) In terms of abilities he is well behind Araujo, Cubarsi, Christensen HANDS DOWN.
Maybe he is on par with Kounde as CB, who has been the weak link in our CBs, but if we are not selling Kounde it makes 0 sense. Besides Kounde is thought of as makeshift RB these days
3) It would only make sense if he comes here to replace Inigo. Still, he has to be on lower money.
and STILL, there is problem with game-time: Araujo,Christensen, Cubarsi, Inigo/Kounde (after we buy a proper RB) is enough CB depth
Adding another one who will demand minutes creates problems
Where is the SD?
Where is the long-term planning?
What's the rationale?
1) 28 yrs means older than all of our CBs bar Inigo -> no future prospect/project
2) In terms of abilities he is well behind Araujo, Cubarsi, Christensen HANDS DOWN.
Maybe he is on par with Kounde as CB, who has been the weak link in our CBs, but if we are not selling Kounde it makes 0 sense. Besides Kounde is thought of as makeshift RB these days
3) It would only make sense if he comes here to replace Inigo. Still, he has to be on lower money.
and STILL, there is problem with game-time: Araujo,Christensen, Cubarsi, Inigo/Kounde (after we buy a proper RB) is enough CB depth
Adding another one who will demand minutes creates problems
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
28 and being older than our CB is the point.
We don't need young CB at this point, a guy at that age still has solid 5 years in him. Cubarsi is 17 (almost 18) and even though he is the definition of an early bloomer he shows lack of experience a lot. Having Inigo beside him showed the importance of experience.
Kounde is RB at this point, Eric Garcia is being shown the door, Araujo and Christensen are both injury prone with only one more season left. Inigo will be 34 and will either leave this summer or next. We don't have a CB ready to step up from La Masia (it doesn't seem they see Mbacke that way, to my disappointment).
We will need to sign at least one CB by summer 2026, ideally two. Cubarsi/Araujo are the only ones who should stay beyond summer 2026. Christensen is a maybe.
In what world are we set?
We don't need young CB at this point, a guy at that age still has solid 5 years in him. Cubarsi is 17 (almost 18) and even though he is the definition of an early bloomer he shows lack of experience a lot. Having Inigo beside him showed the importance of experience.
Kounde is RB at this point, Eric Garcia is being shown the door, Araujo and Christensen are both injury prone with only one more season left. Inigo will be 34 and will either leave this summer or next. We don't have a CB ready to step up from La Masia (it doesn't seem they see Mbacke that way, to my disappointment).
We will need to sign at least one CB by summer 2026, ideally two. Cubarsi/Araujo are the only ones who should stay beyond summer 2026. Christensen is a maybe.
In what world are we set?
Birdy
Senior Member
If you read again I didn't even mention Eric, he is irrelevant
1) Point is: let's say we want Tah to replace just Inigo (ideal case)
If Inigo is not leaving THIS summer, it's already too many CBs for 2 spots: Christensen, Cubarsi, Araujo, Inigo, Tah is 5 CBs
No top team has 5 CBs for 2 spots. Even 4 on the same level is something no top team does.
Ideally you need 3 on the same level, and a 4th that knows he is only rotation option.
2) Apart from the immediate problems.
Long-term, it makes 0 sense to invest on Tah, when you can renew Christensen and Araujo who are both BETTER than him.
It's a simply point.
I can justify this signing if the club knows FOR SURE that either Christensen or Araujo are 100% LEAVING this summer or next.
From leaks and everything, I don't see that
3) I don't even mention Kounde, because he is not an RB and he will be replaced sooner or later by a real RB.
Then he won't settle for a mere sub at RB. He will have to go back to CB rotation
More congestion, more people fighting for 2 spots
Bad squad planning persists, and it's all on Deco and Laporta
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
Christensen's ankle/knee might be cooked for all we know and will probably be sold. Araujo's contract talks are moving very slowly. Inigo rumored right now at least to be staying another year.
I don't expect Tah to be more than a rotation option for max two years before we move on unless he's really good.
The long-term investment is in France right now. We're probably waiting to see if he can become legit.
I don't expect Tah to be more than a rotation option for max two years before we move on unless he's really good.
The long-term investment is in France right now. We're probably waiting to see if he can become legit.
Tah had an amazing season last year at Leverkusen which also made him undisputed starter in Germanys national team. When fit he is set there along Rüdiger. Both were a great pairing. Good player, with full dedication and used to playing (suicide) high lines. Some technical flaws but Araujo has them, too. So what....
Don Juan Laporta Estruch
Well-known member
I do not count Christensen as a player at all.
He is always injured and will always be injured. Best to forget about him.
Inigo and Uruguayo are both injured half the time. Both of them only count for one player due to availability.
The only one we can pin our hat on is Pau.
Eric is not counted as he is bad in defence. He should be counted only as a pivot rotation option.
Conclusion : We are far far less strong at centre back than we think we are. An injury today for Pau or Inigo and we are fucked. A centre back for squad depth is needed. I would prefer a young 20m prospect, but if it's Tah, then so be it.
He is always injured and will always be injured. Best to forget about him.
Inigo and Uruguayo are both injured half the time. Both of them only count for one player due to availability.
The only one we can pin our hat on is Pau.
Eric is not counted as he is bad in defence. He should be counted only as a pivot rotation option.
Conclusion : We are far far less strong at centre back than we think we are. An injury today for Pau or Inigo and we are fucked. A centre back for squad depth is needed. I would prefer a young 20m prospect, but if it's Tah, then so be it.
He's 29 in 2 months btw.
Key is to sign hungry players, not the ones looking for nice weather and last payday. Heck, even in Lever forum they comment wishing him all the best and that he enjoys the life at sunny Barcelona and beaches nearby.
Also, Eric is more than good enough for 50% of matches, which is more than enough for 4th option.
3 others are - Araujo, Cuba, Inigo.
Even without Christiansen in equation we're set. Yeah. There's also Faye potentially.
Key is to sign hungry players, not the ones looking for nice weather and last payday. Heck, even in Lever forum they comment wishing him all the best and that he enjoys the life at sunny Barcelona and beaches nearby.
Also, Eric is more than good enough for 50% of matches, which is more than enough for 4th option.
3 others are - Araujo, Cuba, Inigo.
Even without Christiansen in equation we're set. Yeah. There's also Faye potentially.
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
So, he is a perfect fit age wise, only won one league in his career, so a hungry player. You are mentioning hunger as a positive thing?
Real have signed both Rudiger and Alaba at similar or older age btw. Barca has made their first rebuild mostly by players of that age. Players who peaked and have something to prove.
Eric, Inigo, Christensen & Araujo has one thing in common: all expiring contracts in 2026.
Eric isn't Barca level, but has offers from Liga club. Christensen and Araujo are so injury prone and Inigo will be 34. Only Araujo should be renewed. And Cubarsi is a child who is overplayed (and it is showing in his recent performance).
CB is one position we can't get cute at, we need depth, real depth and not injury prone players whom we hope they take turns in injury rather than getting injured at the same time.
So no, we are far from being set in CB.
PS: Deco denied any discussion with Tah, though that means little
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
1) Ideally, you have healthy players. When you don't, you plan based on that.
As said in previous post: Cubarsi is a kid, Christensen is shot, Araujo injury history is scary. Inigo is a 50-50 to stay, and that is a question for only one more year. We have to either address one CB this year, or two next year.
We aren't renewing Christensen, and we are pushing him out, leaks already started about selling him in January, but surgery ended it. Who knows if he is even going to be the same player after the injury.
Kounde is a RB, and won't be replaced any time soon. Kounde isn't RB is the new Mascherano isn't a CB, Or Roberto isn't a RB.
Players change positions, and even if they don't like it, they usually stay there. A story as old as football itself. Alaba wanting to be CDM, Kimmich wanting to be a CDM, etc. Kounde is a RB in both NT, and club, under Deschamps, Xavi & Flick. He is a short, who is no longer quivk and mistake prone. He will never became a world class CB. The day we replace him as RB (won't happen before 2027) he will be put on the market.
You yourself ask for the club to show balls and sign Lewandowski replacement, and force him to accept that.
But when we are trying to do the same in CB, address a position of need and show the door for players with no availability, you are complaining.
I am neutral about Tah himself btw, didn't watch him enough to have a strong opinion about him.
But getting a new CB who is ready to compete is important and needed. To show Christensen and Eric the door, and get leverage over Araujo during renewal negotiations.
PS: Tah is Flick's request. Deco is making a move to support the coach for 2nd time
Birdy
Senior Member
Unless the club knows something serious, we don't know, about Christensen's long-term health, it makes 0 sense
Christensen >>> Tah, so the whole strategy of pushing him out makes 0 sense again
As for Kounde, whole logic is flawed. Mascherano was great as CB in our system, Alaba was great as CB in Flick's Bayern, etc.
Point is: players change positions IF IT WORKS
The fact that we had a gap in RB, and were packed in CBs, and some thought 'OK let's play Kounde at RB'
doesn't change the fact that
1) Kounde has n't proven to be a good RB (the contrary, and lately more and more see it)
2) Kounde hasn't proven that he STOPPED being a good CB that he was until 2022 (Against what you say)
PS: Won't change my mind on Deco because Flick requested the player (if that is true).
He shows YET AGAIN he should NOT be the SD of Barcelona
draconifire
NTC with a Positive attitude
But Christensen is almost always injured. You literally can't count on him. So it doesn't matter if Christensen>>>>>>>>>>>infinity>>>>> Tah
Between Araujo and Christensen you have a single player. And as of now, both are out till the end of the year.
Eric seems to have been ruled out as a CB, big Dom is ahead of him, lol.
Inigo will renew his contract, I am sure of it.
So that's 3 players for 2 CB positions. And we need to be competitive going forward. Araujo is already over his head, as he knows he has little competition. That cunt still hasn't apologized for his fuck up. Look at Kounde and Inigo, and how they Man up and admit their fault.
Getting Tah, for free and he won't cost much with wages, who should have the hunger to prove in a bigger team, is ideal. He is almost never injured. He can easily be a rotation player, and who is good enough to be a starter behind Cubarsi and Araujo.
We offload Christensen or Garcia and we are set for next season, without much additional cost.
Bring in Tah 2025. Bring in Faye in 2026, when Inigo leaves. At the same time, having Cuba and Araujo as starters. Solid defense for the future.
Or we can go for RB. I don't mind.
But your assertion that Kounde is bad, is completely wrong. Kounde will be better as an RB than any player we get, except for the cream of the crop.
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Something we don't know? Dude, Christensen has a tendinitis, Xavi himself admit that. It is a freak of an injury that is chronic and doesn't go away. It isn't even something you can diagnos with a standarized tests X-ray or MRI test in many cases. Look at his minutes.
The guy reached 2.5K minutes once in the past 6 seasons, and that was last year, and as a result he has played 26 minutes this one and we know he is out until February. Even a healthy Christensen will be a guy with load management, ie, the healthy version won't be available like other players.
We know why they want Christensen out.
Kounde was signed as a RB, unless you believe that the likes of Xavi, Alemany and J. Crujif were stupid enough to think Bellerin was going to be a starter, there is no way we signed Kounde without a predetermined idea of him being a RB.
And right now, football has been seeing a trend of defensive inverted fullbacks, were teams could have even 4 CB in the starting lineup, with 2 used on sideways. Classic fullbacks are dying breed.
Cancelo was looked at as best fullback in the world in 2021, and now he is in Saudi as no big club was willing to pay for him.
There is barely any fullbacks in the market that we can get, and the biggest threat in the near future for Kounde as a RB, is Araujo who is a CB.
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