Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 I'm not saying there's anything wrong with what they're doing just that I think there's 0 chance of the move happening and if they are actually putting all their eggs in this basket it could bite them in the arse later. I could very well be wrong about various things there but I'll guess we'll see in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Next summer they might be able to get a bid accepted but it's not like he's being offered to join one of the great Manyoo teams with the best manager in the world. It's a very uncertain team, in transition, managed by David Moyes. It's not the same attraction as it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Come on, they havent suddenly turned into a mid table club just because SAF has left. They are still one of the top 5 powerhouses in European football. Again tho, Barca have just taken in a coach with a smaller rep in Europe than Moyes and hardly have the biggest squad in the world. I would say both clubs are in the same boat, both are going to go through a period of change, but neither is going to drop out of the title challenges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 I think the attraction of the coach is a myth. Look at all the players City signed before Pellegrini took charge. Hazard signed for Chelsea before Di Matteo had been given the job officially. They'd also signed Schurrrrrrrrrrrrle before Jose took over as well. Same with Isco to Madrid, yadda yadda. Now, Barca have a manager who has only managed in South America, and probably has less of a worldwide reputation than Moyes does. I think both teams are in transition, with uncertainty in the coaching position. I think one thing that could be a factor is that Cesc doesn't seem to have a position in the Barca side, and he just seems to play wherever there's a gap, usually as a much more advanced player than he would normally play. Maybe he digs that, or maybe he wants to be a concrete starter in the middle of the pitch. What better place to do that than United, considering United have NO midfield. Except for Carrick. Carrick is boss, but Anderson and Cleverley just ain't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) What's wrong with the Barca squad other than the known center back issue? Maybe the goalkeeper? The squads are hardly comparable. The only transition there is the manager. He must see this year as a better chance to play in midfield than last? Thiago is gone and Xavi is another year older, that you would think that would mean more starts in the midfield for Cesc. Edited July 26, 2013 by Captain America Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 I don't imagine Fabregas ever expected to return to Barca and immediately step into being the main man in the centre of the field. It was always going to take some time, now that he's getting closer, it would be mad to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) Barca have a first 11, and thats about it, and even then they dont have 2 central defenders that will last a season, the 2 they have are questionable at the moment, Pique had a pretty shocking second half of the season and Puyols legs have gone pretty much. If they lose Xavi or Iniesta for a period they will be in big big trouble. I know its very hard to have back ups for players like that, but they really dont have anything to fall back on bar some kids, who looked a bit lost at times against Bayern the other night. Some will be great players, but they are very young at the moment for a club like that. The Barca squad is very thin, another long season could see them end up in trouble with injuries, and when they lose one of those 3 players, they are not the same at all. Edited July 26, 2013 by The Milner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 I think you're exaggerating the weakness of their bench a bit. Obviously it is weaker than their first tea, but still they have: Mascherano, Fabregas, Sanchez, Song, Tello, Cuenca and Affellay as well as a few of the others youngsters on the fringes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) If they lose Xavi or Iniesta for a period they will be in big big trouble. So sell Fabregas. That's the answer. Got it. Edited July 26, 2013 by Captain America Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Mascherano has never really fitted in there, he does a job as a make shift centre back, but offers them nothing in midfield. Fab is in and out and shunted about where needed. Song was voted the worst signing in La Liga last season so i wouldnt really put him up as a top player. Some of the kids do look decent, but right now they are kids, they wont carry that team and they certainly wont replace either of the main three if they get injured. Swapping Xavi for Mascherano is like swapping Scholes for Derek Young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) It looks like Xavi will really be used more sparingly this season anyway. I think Fabregas will get more time back there than before. Edit - Mascherano has been a huge success at Barcelona. Pretty much all fans and journalists agree. Although it has been as a centre back not a midfielder so he wont be replacing Xavi. Edited July 26, 2013 by Paranoid Android Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 So sell Fabregas. That's the answer. Got it. They dont want to sell him, i dont think i said they did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain America Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 I was going to say the same as Paranoid about Mascherano, from the Barca games I've seen the last few years he's been a more than passable center back. Pique had a dip in form at the end of last season but he's still one of the best in the world and that is one of the few positions I do think they need to improve. Going forward they have the choice from Messi, Neymar, Sanchez, Pedro with Tello and Cuenca as the youth for going forward (not to mention Deulofeu loaned out to Everton). Midfield Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Biscuits with Song/Affelay as backup plus youth players. There's not much weakness in that bench other than the center back issue. I don't really get the comparison to Man U's rebuild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 There's certainly nothing wrong with Barca's squad. Just as there's nothing really wrong with United's squad, other than the need for one, maybe two very good midfielders. Same goes for Barca needing a centre back. I don't think anyone is saying Barca are shit now, yet because Fergie is gone, it seems to appear that United are just some mid-table cloggers. It's still the same team that twatted the Premier League last season, but with a different boss, though still a very good boss. Barca also won their title at a canter, but fell short in Europe, as United did. Their situations really aren't that wildly different, except Barca have Messi, who is quite good, and all that. as I've said though, I don't think Cesc is the answer, nor is he the right target. Thiago was the right target, and Woodward made a bollocks of that. Bring back David Gill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 You're right that United aren't missing that much. But I think people feel that Ferguson's skill helped make the difference before and justifiably doubt whether Moyes will be able to do the same. At least not at first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Plus United have to deal with the fact that this year City, Chelsea and potentially Arsenal should all perform better than last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) In the last 3 or 4 years of Fergie's reign, he delegated a hell of alot and became mostly a motivator. Most of the tactical stuff was taken by Meulensteen. Him leaving is probably going to be as a big of a loss as Fergie actually, but I think Moyes' tactics, judging from how his Everton sides play, appear to be alot more modern and fluid to anything United have played for a while, since Quieroz' 4-3-3 with Ronaldo at the top. That was total football. I think Moyes can easily get United playing better football than the drab 4-4-2 they've been playing for a while. It's just about how he handles the pressure, I reckon. Edited July 26, 2013 by Joda Serk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Certainly going to be a very interesting season. So many top clubs in Europe having new managers is very unusual. It's not been talked about too much but I think Ancellotti will do a great job at Madrid. I certainly don't expect them to concede loads of points early on like they did last year. Hopefully Atletico can stay strong and close to the top two again, obviously Falcao is a big loss but they've made some good signings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Villa for Falcao is about as good a replacement as it gets in the short term, and for a fraction of what Monaco paid for Falcao. Good business. I agree that I think that Ancelotti will do great at Madrid. I really liked him at Chelsea. His debut season was terrific, when they were scoring 6 or 7 goals everytime they played at home. Malouda was immense that season too. He went from being LOLbad, to THE BEST, and then just disappeared forever. Is he in Turkey now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 United's problem is that they've never really replaced Scholes. Thiago would've been a good shout but as soon as Pep showed an interest in bringing him to Bayern the United move was never going to happen. If i was Moyes i'd buy Kondogbia for a bit of grit in the holding role and splash a wad on bringing an established box to box midfielder like Gundogan or Ganso and a bit of youth class like Alen Halilovic from Dinamo Zagreb. Their whole midfield needs an overhall and if they get it sorted this season Moyes has a chance of making quite a big impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 How much could school fees be? Surely nothing when compared with a transfer fee and a player's wages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 (edited) Edited July 26, 2013 by Alkaline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Fucking hell? What's so good about that school? Michelin starred lunches? Stationary made of gold? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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