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Reply 5380
Original post by jam278
Interesting, heard he's fairly bright, reckon it's just an Adan situation where he'll be happy as backup.

Do you know anything about Alex Grimaldo. Heard he had a pretty bright future at LB but he got ACL. Do you think he has a future? He only appeared 12 times last season apparently.


Typical Barça FB, meaning great technique, very useful in attack but can't defend. His technical ability and pace remind of Alba, but he's even more offensive than him, like Alves. Potential-wise, he is much better than both of them imo. So he definitely has a future, he just needs to become more refined in his role and work on his defensive qualities.

The injury hampered his development as before that, he looked set to become the youngest defender ever to be promoted to the first team (got promoted to the b team before he turned 17) and to bench Alba, but now he needs at least one more full season with the B team to be ready for top level football. He has had a few games in the segunda in the second half of the season and also trained with the first team a couple of times, so he is getting there and is involved in plans for the future. Renewed his contract in January as well.
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qua what do you make of Neymar and his first season at Barca?
Would love to see Barca sign David Silva. But with Messi and the fact that Silva signed a new contract until 2017 I cant see it unless they pay £60m+. They also have more pressing issues at hand - i.e they need a new defence.

On another note, its a bit sad Osasuna seeing going down. I'd kind of developed a soft spot for Osasuna watching them repeatedly wriggle out of trouble just when you thought it might be the year they go down. They'll be back soon probably.
Rumours that toure is unhappy at man city and has suggested that he would take a pay cut to return to barca...
Original post by Jordooooom
Rumours that toure is unhappy at man city and has suggested that he would take a pay cut to return to barca...


Seluk (agent Yaya Toure): "City have treated him with disrespect. This isn't about money, he would take less to return to Barcelona."

Would be a massive signing for Barca, IF it goes through.
Toure is milking Man City so hard it's unbelievable.
Original post by jit987
Seluk (agent Yaya Toure): "City have treated him with disrespect. This isn't about money, he would take less to return to Barcelona."

Would be a massive signing for Barca, IF it goes through.

Lol Toure was saying he was unhappy last season as well and he got a new contract.

This is clearly for money.

"But when you win the title on May 11, a day later you go to Abu Dhabi and on May 13 you have a big party to celebrate the title and nobody comes to Yaya to say, 'Happy birthday', what more do you want?"It is not the first time Seluk has claimed the player is unhappy at City. Last summer the agent also said Toure felt mistreated, before the Ivorian signed a four-year contract later that month.
While Toure's agent claims the club ignored the player's birthday, Manchester City earlier this month posted footage online of the moment they gave the midfielder a cake and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him onboard the club's plane.
Toure seems less than impressed though and refuses to even acknowledge the gesture, keeping his headphones on and staring straight ahead during the celebrations.


Lol it's about something that happened on his birthday when they actually celebrated how pathetic can you get.
(edited 9 years ago)
Apparently it's because they forgot it was his birthday :rofl:

Would be a massive blow to city if it did happen though


edit: also there's possible talks of Sanchez going to juventus with their midfielder vidal being apart of the deal
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by qua
Gotta admit that I was wrong about Zubizarreta, turns out in recent weeks that he isn't as clueless as first thought and is actually one of the more rationally thinking people at the helm of FCB. In retrospect, he didn't have much power under Rosell at all, so perhaps some of the criticism he got was unfair. This window is the first in which he has more freedom, and so far, he's done the right things: Choosing ter Stegen over Courtois, a highly unpopular decision for which he got slated in Barcelona and the Catalan press, but ultimately the right choice imo; blocking the Luiz deal and launching a Benatia bid, promoting Jordi Masip.

Only thing I don't get is extending Eusebio's contract as the B coach, he's hardly capable of developing players.



Masip promoted has already been announced. Doubt anybody else will follow, perhaps Suárez, but only to go on loan.



To be fair, none of those transfers (Alexis, Pedro, Cesc, Mascherano etc) have been reported by any reliable source. Mundo Deportivo and Sport are as reliable as caughtoffside at the moment, plus influenced by politics. The board said 10 players could leave. That includes Valdés, Puyol and Pinto, so the 7 will probably be Alves (PSG), Roberto (loan?), Tello, Dos Santos, Oier, Song, Cuenca. Perhaps one more.

And yes, from a financial viewpoint nobody needs to be sold. €120m transfer kitty excluding sales, 10 (I think) have been used for ter Stegen. Bid for Benatia has reportedly been 35m, alternatively Laporte would cost the same.

I think the transfer policy will change now (at least so far it looks like it) considering it's Bartomeu's last chance to stay in charge after a trophyless season and now that even Messi put pressure on him. Seems like Zubi and the new coach will get more power, at least you hear news about Enrique blocking this and that transfer every day.

Will expand on this but I think Enrique knows enough about the politics at Barcelona and because of this I think he'll do well. He knows what Barcelona needs and he's currently got a team that's not in need of major surgery bar CBs and an RB.

The stuff about Sanchez/Pedro etc. leaving is nonsense I feel as well,

Laporte seems like a weird buy tbh age wise. He's 19 and I feel that paying so much money for a 19 year old will put pressure on him to perform and they'll milk his release clause as Bilbao always do. You know more about him than me probably but I'd be apprehensive before getting him for that money when you can get a top defender around Pique's age, then have a youngster as backup.

Argument would be that if he does well then when Pique starts to falter he'd still be at the top of his game though.
Original post by Jordooooom
Apparently it's because they forgot it was his birthday :rofl:

Would be a massive blow to city if it did happen though


edit: also there's possible talks of Sanchez going to juventus with their midfielder vidal being apart of the deal

Not a Barca player imo.

Juve will milk it though if Vidal was part of the deal. He's not leaving and probably wouldn't fit Barca too well.
Reply 5389
Original post by Wilfred Little
qua what do you make of Neymar and his first season at Barca?


He fulfilled expectations imo. He didn't rip the league apart, but he's shown glimpses of brilliance and considering the difficult circumstances, he's has a good season. He even exceeded expectations as he's been one of the most hard-working players, which I didn't think he would be. I feel he's been a bit unlucky with his injuries, as he always picked one up when he was gaining momentum. He also didn't get to play alongside Messi for a long period of time because of that, so the understanding is not as good as it could be, but I think that will come naturally with time.

Generally though, he seriously needs to stay on his feet and improve his finishing. If he does that, he'll be great.

Original post by jam278
Will expand on this but I think Enrique knows enough about the politics at Barcelona and because of this I think he'll do well. He knows what Barcelona needs and he's currently got a team that's not in need of major surgery bar CBs and an RB.

The stuff about Sanchez/Pedro etc. leaving is nonsense I feel as well,

Laporte seems like a weird buy tbh age wise. He's 19 and I feel that paying so much money for a 19 year old will put pressure on him to perform and they'll milk his release clause as Bilbao always do. You know more about him than me probably but I'd be apprehensive before getting him for that money when you can get a top defender around Pique's age, then have a youngster as backup.

Argument would be that if he does well then when Pique starts to falter he'd still be at the top of his game though.


Yeah, Enrique knowing how things work and how the board ticks is crucial imo. He won't let himself be bullied around like Martino was, plus he's quite authoritative so he'll show Xavi who's boss. I still feel this might be too early for him, but he's shown great potential at Celta and certainly is more proven than Guardiola was in 2008.

I'm with you regarding Laporte. For the price you could get someone who's more proven and wouldn't have to hamper the development of your own youngsters. As much as Bartra has failed in big games, he usually was thrown into the cold water. Still has good potential, is more determined than Piqué and just needs more playing time to grow. Don't think it would be fair to bench him for Laporte. I don't think Laporte will happen though as Barça and Bilbao have some kind of gentleman's agreement about not signing players from each other's youth academy to respect the Catalan/Basque identity. It's probably just MD etc campaigning again. Same goes for Vidal, which I don't see happening at all.
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Give me Benetia any day.
Wow didn't see Barcelona had signed Ter Stegen! What a good signing that is.
Man the Spanish press are retarded trying to make out like the MaTS deal is a bad one. It's a complete steal for someone of his ability. They need to stop bringing up Courtois because that transfer is impossible.
Soo, predictions for tomorrow?

I'm going for a Real win on penalties with Atleti equalising from a set piece after Ronaldo opens the scoring.

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Original post by Can Yay
Soo, predictions for tomorrow?

I'm going for a Real win on penalties with Atleti equalising from a set piece after Ronaldo opens the scoring.

Posted from TSR Mobile

I'm going Atlético win on pens.

Reckon they're under less pressure and in pens sometimes it's not even about the quality of the finishing but the pressure. Atlético seem to be able to hold their nerve in any situation, they were holding that Barca game at the nou camp at 1-0, beat Chelsea besides being a goal down away from home, came back from behind in a game they couldn't simply lose at the nou camp.

Plus Courtois vs Casillas, I think Courtois is the better keeper, height will come into play here as the players will try to hit their penalties in the corners.
Real will want it more and Atletico have lost 3-0 and 2-0 against them as well as just drawing 2-2 at home.
Reply 5397
Original post by ozzyoscy
Real will want it more and Atletico have lost 3-0 and 2-0 against them as well as just drawing 2-2 at home.


The copa matches are bad examples. Atléti approached those like training matches, while 2 of those 5 goals came from penalties and 2 came from luckily deflected shots. Besides, Atléti also beat them 1-0 at the Bernabéu without Real even getting close to scoring.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by ozzyoscy
Real will want it more and Atletico have lost 3-0 and 2-0 against them as well as just drawing 2-2 at home.

Atlético have also beat them in the league this season at the bernabeu and used a lot of second team players against them when they lost 2-0 at the calderon, they also scored via 2 penalties and 2 own goals in the copa del rey final, nothing really concrete about that. Atlético also beat them the previous season at the bernabeu in the copa del rey final.

It's closer than people think.
Original post by qua
The copa matches are bad examples. Atléti approached those like training matches, while 2 of those 5 goals came from penalties and 2 came from luckily deflected shots. Besides, Atléti also beat them 1-0 at the Bernabéu without Real even getting close to scoring.

This really.

Plus anyway in the 2-0 they used their second choice fullbacks, third choice CB, didn't use any strikers and had backups.

I still think that the lack of balance in Madrid's team will cost them today. I don't think Illaramendi will be able to pick up the mantle of Alonso yet and that may be key.

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