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Yes I'm well aware he was on Madrid's books mate. Dunno if he played any matches. Sang it on several occasions I believe Good lad Jumped ship for a bigger better club didn't he now?

It was incredible that season and you could almost predict it happening just by watching the team in pre-season. Thierry Henry also had a very underrated season that year. Everyone will (rightfully) speak more of the likes of Messi, Eto'o, Iniesta and Xavi, but Henry had his moments and plenty of them that term. A quality performance at the Bernabeu in the 2-6 comes to mind, as does that cracking goal vs Atletico(I think it was). We didn't quite get to see the Henry of Arsenal, where he was one of the best players I've seen(and easily the best I've seen in the Premier league) but he still offered plenty and when I speak of Pep letting Eto'o leave as being one of his (very few) low points, one thing(of many) that he did get right was keeping Henry, but shipping out Ronaldinho and Deco. Most managers would have kept them considering how brilliant they were for the club, although by that point they were at an end(as you could see in the previous season) and Pep knew this. Not shipping them out would likely have been a massive error. As would have selling Thierry Henry as he complemented the young Messi and Eto'o perfectly. As for this season, it can't be called a failure as 2 trophies were won when I bet most thought that it was set to be an awful season after the result in the Super Cup, but to lose that unbeaten run last night was disappointing after coming so close. Beating La Real's long running unbeaten record was still historic though in itself. Also atleast the team fought to try and come back and Coutinho showed that he has what it takes to step up when needed. The defence, as always, is the big worry for me as when it comes to the crunch they just can't defend.

The best number 9 Barcelona have had over the last 20 or so years. Pep forcing him out was one of his(Pep's) low points without a doubt. It's clear that he is likely a pain to work with for managers at times due to his personality and stroppy attitude, but with him in the team, Barcelona would have likely gone all the way in the Champs league in 09-10 and done back to back trebles.

Eto'o didn't like Real Madrid much and his past there. A bit like Luis Enrique... But then again there's been others that have left Barcelona to go to Madrid with the same sentiment the other way around like Luis Figo (natural the way the fans treated him and continue to do so) and Ronaldo who for years didn't even want to mention Barça (has relaxed on that recently) but curiously had his greatest season of his career in Barcelona's colours.

That's why the Guardiola Era FC Barcelona Team of 2008-2009 is considered and revered as Football Immortals. Rightfully so. Results, trophies AND the most beautiful technically proficient football the world's ever seen. I can wax poetic/wax lyrical about that team all day long. The single most impressive "Greatest Season in European Football History". Not even Barca 2011 and 2015 come close (if we're talking about the overall efficiency, effectiveness, quality and beauty of football played).

Doesn't he look a right wanker in that Madrid strip? LOL! Barca have MORE than proved ourselves in La Liga. Undisputed Domestic Champions of the Decade. We now need to show and prove in Europe. To say that we can't be as successful as Madrid are in Europe is laughable. It's a matter of priorities. Always has been. Time to prioritize cup competitions I, for one, would love to win a few more cups while Messi's still playing. He may be our last chance at one/a few for a while :-/

Wasn´t he the Barcelona player sang once "Madrid cabrón, saluda el campeón" ? Anyway...

Regardless of whether Barca win La Liga again next season (I think they will) we do need to make the semis of the Champions League, at the very least. Going out again at the Quarter Final stage would indicate that FC Barcelona has the very best first-team players a club can have, but are horribly deficient when it comes to the bench/second-string. This is a significant problem the club needs to address this summer. There's a major drop-off in quality between the first team and second team, which may have been why Valverde didn't dare risk rotating players' playing time. In other words, it wasn't so much that he was going for the unbeaten la Liga record, it's that he knew that he had to play his first team players, because the second team just can't get the job done. He knew the limitations of his thin squad. He did the best with what he has, a paper-thin squad. Proud of Barca this season, but there are serious problems with complacency, man-management/rotations and Messidependency that need to be addressed with signings that fit Barca. As great as Valverde has been in his first season, he would be the first to admit he didn't get things exactly right in his very first season in a club of Barca's caliber. He's simply never had to compete on all three fronts before. I fully expect better from him and our Barca next season. He'll use the lessons he's learned in his first season and implement them his sophomore season. No one cares about unbeaten seasons. They care about trophies. Treble Treble coming right up sealed at the Wanda in Madrid in Madrid's face on Saturday June 1st 2019? Fuck beautiful football. Go all out for results and trophies. We want it all (Treble). Passionate lifelong hot-blooded Barca supporter right here is all I can say.

Look at this goal, lads: https://streamja.com/y3jm

Next season's La Liga starts August 18th https://www.sport-english.com/en/news/laliga/start-date-confirmed-for-2018-19-la-liga-season-august-18-6809939

Dennis Bergkamp's Birthday today. One of the most technically brilliant and gifted players of all time. The non-flying Dutchman. A fave of mine, right up there with Laudrup. https://www.irishnews.com/sport/2018/05/10/news/on-this-day-may-10-1969-non-flying-dutchman-dennis-bergkamp-is-born-1326032/

To be released on May 25th. This is a "must get" for me. Would prefer to have the stripes/details over the shoulders and arms but this is as classic as you can get, right up there with one of my all-time favourites the 2009-2010 jersey. The thinner stripes harken back to an earlier Barca era. Classic as can be. (A contemporary take on a classic.) https://www.footyheadlines.com/2017/07/barcelona-18-19-home-kit.html