Jordi Alba

[mitkoa7x]

He seems so sad about being small

He outgrew it I think. If not he will for sure, he's at the perfect place for short footballers after all

 

[PhilS]

Signing Alba does not mean that Adriano is out. Adriano had a good year last year, continuing his improvement. Alves needs to play less, and Alba will not play as much as Abidal did. I expect Adriano to play at least as much next year as he did last year. The call-ups from Barca B will not play much at all, barring serious injuries. To ever earn regular playing time on this team, it is necessary to be a world-class player. For instance, the starting RB for Spain would just ride the bench for Barca.

Of the current crop of youngsters now getting into the first team, Thiago is clearly this type of talent. Both Cuenca and Tello, quite possibly. Any others, I have not seen it yet.

 

[PacoBJuarez]

Signing Alba does not mean that Adriano is out. Adriano had a good year last year, continuing his improvement. Alves needs to play less, and Alba will not play as much as Abidal did. I expect Adriano to play at least as much next year as he did last year. The call-ups from Barca B will not play much at all, barring serious injuries. To ever earn regular playing time on this team, it is necessary to be a world-class player. For instance, the starting RB for Spain would just ride the bench for Barca.

Of the current crop of youngsters now getting into the first team, Thiago is clearly this type of talent. Both Cuenca and Tello, quite possibly. Any others, I have not seen it yet.

I actually like what I've seen from Montoya, but we'll never know until he sees the pitch more regularly.

 

[ZenI]

Signing Alba does not mean that Adriano is out. Adriano had a good year last year, continuing his improvement. Alves needs to play less, and Alba will not play as much as Abidal did. I expect Adriano to play at least as much next year as he did last year. The call-ups from Barca B will not play much at all, barring serious injuries. To ever earn regular playing time on this team, it is necessary to be a world-class player. For instance, the starting RB for Spain would just ride the bench for Barca.

Of the current crop of youngsters now getting into the first team, Thiago is clearly this type of talent. Both Cuenca and Tello, quite possibly. Any others, I have not seen it yet.

Tello is a one trick pony imo. Cuencas repertoire is just so much bigger - his dribbling, passing, positioning, choice making etc. Tello should be loaned or sold...

 

[barcelonista]

Tello can improve though. I don't know why a 20 year old shouldn't be able to add more variety to his game and learn to cut inside for instance.

 

[ZenI]

Tello can improve though. I don't know why a 20 year old shouldn't be able to add more variety to his game and learn to cut inside for instance.

Now we're hijacking the thread Anyway, we have Messi, Villa, Sanchez, Cuenca, Pedro - Affelay will probably stay another season and Jordi Alba could be deployed on left forward position + Cesc could also play as false 9. That's 8 players that are better suited to play on our 3 forward positions. I have no doubt that Tello can improve and add more variety to his game, but I don't think he will become a world class player. Soo, 8 players picked before Tello = very little playing time = slow development. We would just do him a favor if we sell him to a mid table club in a big league + profit for us. La Masia will have better players to offer our first team in the near future.

 

[zanela]

I'm interested what this signing means to Grimaldo's future. I know he's 17, but i doubt if he'd stay put in the Segunda for anything more than 2/3 years. He'll obv generate huge interest amongst other top clubs, and 'd 've first team offers on the table in the near future. what dya guys think will happen? Will we loan/sell with a buy-back to his early 20s, and then bring him back at a later date? Or just dump Jordi a sec time p) when Grimaldo makes the grade? And who of the two is the better talent acc to you?

 

[diegomessi]

grimaldo will play an attacking role perhaps

 

[jamrock]

if grimaldo grows a few inches and keeps developing, when ready for the first team he will send alba to the bench

 

[JDaniels]

I have to laugh a little at people finally buying in after his performances with La Roja in the Euros, he was brilliant last season with Valencia.

I do think he is significantly better than Adriano.

Alba will benefit more.

 

[Maria]

if grimaldo grows a few inches and keeps developing, when ready for the first team he will send alba to the bench

He didn't even played his first game for us and we already want to send him to the bench.

I don't understand why we have to worry about Grimaldo, especially when there are so few good full-backs on the market. If he works hard enough and lives up to our expectations then he will find a place at our club..besides Real Madrid has 2 young WC LBs and nobody is complaining of the lack of playing time.

 

[zanela]

if grimaldo grows a few inches and keeps developing, when ready for the first team he will send alba to the bench

As things stand, Grimaldo is already 2 inches taller than Alba. (if wiki is right)

 

[Deco 20]

I'm interested what this signing means to Grimaldo's future. I know he's 17, but i doubt if he'd stay put in the Segunda for anything more than 2/3 years. He'll obv generate huge interest amongst other top clubs, and 'd 've first team offers on the table in the near future. what dya guys think will happen? Will we loan/sell with a buy-back to his early 20s, and then bring him back at a later date? Or just dump Jordi a sec time p) when Grimaldo makes the grade? And who of the two is the better talent acc to you?

Keep Grimaldo with Barca B for 2-3 seasons, possibly loan him out depending on his evolution and then he'll play alongside Alba in the first team

 

[zanela]

He didn't even played his first game for us and we already want to send him to the bench.

*Subject to Grimaldo's first team promotion. Jamrock has been our La Masia analyst for some years now, and he obviously rates the kid more than alba.

I don't understand why we have to worry about Grimaldo, especially when there are so few good full-backs on the market. If he works hard enough and lives up to our expectations then he will find a place at our club..besides Real Madrid has 2 young WC LBs and nobody is complaining of the lack of playing time.

We've to worry about Grimaldo because he's a highly rated talent, whose shown rapid development for his age. His youngest ever app for Segunda, and Spain U19s suggests so. And here we've bought a former cantero who's still in his early twenties, which means one of them is going to the bench if we decide to keep them both. And with dearth of good full-backs in the market as you say so urself, it's very likely clubs 'd be lining up for Grimaldo's signature promising him regular first team action if he keeps developing in the same vein, and we risk losing him if he all we can offer is a supp. role to the catalan in the near future.

What happens at Castilla is least of my concern.

 

[xaviniesta]

people should really calm down about the grimaldo thing, he is just 17 and he is not even regular for barca b yet