Jordi Alba

[Cruijffista]

we don't need a CB.

Piqué and Mascherano are established as starters there. Puyol is around too and can play at a starter level. Muniesa is coming through and has potential there, Busquets can play there in a pinch too, and I think Bartra is going to surprise a lot of people next season with his CB play.

if we can get someone to lock down the LB spot (Alba or Bale, tbh, but it won't be injury-prone Adriano) then we're covered at the back. spending big on a CB just shits all over Bartra & Muniesa and forces Mascherano back into midfield where he's not as good for us. yes if Puyol retires we'd need a CB, but he's not retiring so we don't need a CB, we need a LB.

and the reason I prefer Bale is because he has the size and strength to be able to play LCB in a back three. I'm sure Alba could play it too, as Adriano has at times this season, but surely not in every situation like Abidal was able to (maybe he can tho? I mean Mascherano makes it look easy). it would reduce the tactical flexibility of the first team because if we wanna play/switch to a back 3 we'd have to pick more of an obvious CB, and then it's harder to switch between 3 and 4 man defences mid-game, or take a risk with Alba in a back 3.

this is all moot if Muniesa hulks out over the summer, because he has all the tools to claim Abidal's LB/LCB spot, but he's not ready to start regularly just yet and I'm sceptical if he will ever make the grade as a starter on account of him having Sadbrows. hope I'm wrong though.

Mascherano has looked feast or famine to me all year in that CB role. One game, he'll have you thinking he really is Puyol's replacement and the next he's giving up crucial goals like he did against Ramires. He tends to slip out of position in crucial moments.

As for Bale, I think he would succeed in a LB role for Barca but 40M is a lot to spend. I think Alvaro Pereira would be perfect as Abidal's replacement and even he would cost at least 10M cheaper.

It'll be interesting to see what course is taken this summer.

 

[Metaphysical]

Have you seen Bale playing for Spurs as a LB,bet you would change your opinion then.

1. he was 18/19/20.
2. Spurs are average now, they were crap then.
3. 'Arry Redknapp was and is his manager.
4. IT'S FUCKING SPURS, MAN, SERIOUSLY. SPURS.

Bale is a beast. he started as a LB and while he has no doubt slackened in his defensive diligence since being pandered to by 'Arry, he still has all the tools to play there, he just needs a manager and team to make him do it. if he commits to defending and playing a more intelligent role in team attacks, he could have a simply phenomenal impact from the LB spot. consider how much space our LB's usually have to run into. and if teams start moving across to cover him then that just stretches the field and creates more room for Messi, Xaviesta and so on.

it would be a risky signing, way moreso than Alba, but the potential upside is off the freakin' scale.

besides him & Bruno Martins Indi, can you name me another quality LCB with that Abidal-esque combination of size, strength & speed that isn't Jan Vertonghen or Mamadou Sakho?

 

[Metaphysical]

Mascherano has looked feast or famine to me all year in that CB role. One game, he'll have you thinking he really is Puyol's replacement and the next he's giving up crucial goals like he did against Ramires. He tends to slip out of position in crucial moments.

I put the Ramires goal wholly on Valdés.

Mascherano did the absolute correct thing in pushing up to press Lampard and win the ball back. the problem came when he slipped and bounced off Frank's fat arse instead of tackling him. that left him stranded and then Lampard did what he does best and whacked a pass into open space. Valdés still should have had it covered tho. if he stays on his line, Ramires has nowhere to go.

Mascherano's not perfect, but no defender is. The Almighty Thiago Silva looked an absolute cunt against Arsenal at the Emirates.

As for Bale, I think he would succeed in a LB role for Barca but 40M is a lot to spend. I think Alvaro Pereira would be perfect as Abidal's replacement and even he would cost at least 10M cheaper.

I dunno how cheap he'll be, tbh. buying from Portugal always costs an arm & a leg.

and Alvaro is in no way Abidal's replacement (look at how Tabarez keeps him away from the LB spot). he would simply be a Coentrao to Adriano's Marcelo. an upgrade, but not really an upgrade, and a complete waste of €30m.

Alba or Bale, for me. Bale is my preference because he offers more, but he's not as safe a transfer as Alba who is cheaper and much more likely to settle. plus Rosell wants to get Neymar, and the cut-price Alba would help with that.

 

[Puyol the wall]

He is a direct player and suits English football,as a LW he is acceptable but as a LB well its suicide.

 

[Puyol the wall]

1. he was 18/19/20.
2. Spurs are average now, they were crap then.
3. 'Arry Redknapp was and is his manager.
4. IT'S FUCKING SPURS, MAN, SERIOUSLY. SPURS.

Bale is a beast. he started as a LB and while he has no doubt slackened in his defensive diligence since being pandered to by 'Arry, he still has all the tools to play there, he just needs a manager and team to make him do it. if he commits to defending and playing a more intelligent role in team attacks, he could have a simply phenomenal impact from the LB spot. consider how much space our LB's usually have to run into. and if teams start moving across to cover him then that just stretches the field and creates more room for Messi, Xaviesta and so on.

it would be a risky signing, way moreso than Alba, but the potential upside is off the freakin' scale.

besides him & Bruno Martins Indi, can you name me another quality LCB with that Abidal-esque combination of size, strength & speed that isn't Jan Vertonghen or Mamadou Sakho?

He won a place in the team when he was played as a LM he would have never won a place playing as a LB,it would be great for the attacking side for us but defensively Dive Maria against him i'm not so sure.At this moment i would like the defensive side to be sorted out.

 

[Fourteen]

Stefan Radu.

Ansaldi, not so great in defense as Radu but better than most of the LBs

Did you find out about Radu on SM?

 

[FCBarca]

Despite not being with Valencia, Emery apparently let it slip to Onda Cero that Alba is gone - perhaps owing to the story a couple months back that a deal had already been struck?

 

[Theconomist]

Despite not being with Valencia, Emery apparently let it slip to Onda Cero that Alba is gone - perhaps owing to the story a couple months back that a deal had already been struck?

Too bad, to me personally he is as good as Adriano not better not worst.

 

[Aryagorn]

Did you find out about Radu on SM?

 

[jamrock]

meta is spot on about us not needing a cb for all those reasons, but i am not so sure about bale but not sure who we should get. not alot of options out there, maybe we should just stick with adriano and develop muniesa over a season are two

 

[Aryagorn]

It makes more sense to sign a CB and keep Adriano... Than signing a LB and not sign any CB

Puyi is 34... And considering he might not be the same next season, with all these operations he's undergoing, we only have Pique and Masch left for the CB position

If we could sign only one defender, I'd buy a high profile CB to rotate with Pique and Masch... promote Bartra to be an under study at CB. Promote Muniesa and groom him to be the successor of Abi, that solid LCB, a profile which seems to be really tough to find in the market.
If Adriano is not trust worthy you think, coz of his injury history, sell him and buy Alba for cheap

 

[mixer]

Valencia's coach said that Jordi Alba is sold, likely to Barcelona. He costs around 12m.

 

[cro-man]

Former Valencia boss Unai Emery has claimed that the club have already sold left-back Jordi Alba. Yes to barcalona but there is not yet an official
confirmation from the clubs...

 

[psychotsek]

Former Valencia boss Unai Emery has claimed that the club have already sold left-back Jordi Alba. Yes to barcalona but there is not yet an official
confirmation from the clubs...

Ok now we done with forwards we need to sign a left back

 

[Boris]

Well, okay, hope Jordi shows up good... Its time to buy CB now, Titoman.