FC Barcelona Discussion

[SirBalon]

The Barcelona players all met up for a lunch today in a popular seafood restaurant near the port of Barcelona and the rumours are that the unifying meeting had quite a lot to do with the anti-sentiment many of the players have against the current Barcelona board.  Some of the players are very close to two of the main candidates that could push the presidential elections in the coming months.  Gerard Piqué was apparently the one who called the meeting...  Who else! 

[El Profesor]

If Barcelona wanted one of the PSG´s wingers, Draxler would be a much better option than Di María , in my opinion. 

Di María has had some good moments, but he just can´t sustain it over a season, he´s just too inconsistent. There are better players.

[Philippe Coutinho]

Arda Turan hasn't been playing. Anyone know why that is? 

There's talk of Rafinha going to AC Milan. Really hope that's not the case. The Turk and the Brazilian are valuable squad players.

If anything, ditch Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer. These two just aren't good enough for Barca/aren't contributing.

[SirBalon]

39 minutes ago, Savvy Xavi said:

Arda Turan hasn't been playing. Anyone know why that is? 

There's talk of Rafinha going to AC Milan. Really hope that's not the case. The Turk and the Brazilian are valuable squad players.

If anything, ditch Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer. These two just aren't good enough for Barca/aren't contributing.

Arda Turan has had various offers from Italy, the Premier League, Germany and even China.  The club (FCB) want him to leave and bring in a decent transfer fee, but he doesn't want to go because he thinks he can still offer Barça something...

As for Rafinha, he's got a few clubs enquiring after him but Barcelona don't want to let him go as they don't want a repeat situation with what happened with Thiago Alcántara.

[SirBalon]

Frankin Mala: "PSG want Seri just to fuck Barça"

 

Frankin Mala is Jean Seri's agent and he was on RAC1 a Catalan radio Station last night where he came out with some interesting stuff but none more so than the quote in the headlining title.

They obviously had him on there to quiz him over the Jean Seri situation so as to be able to understand what occurred because everyone knows that the deal was done for Jean Seri to move from Nice to FC Barcelona.  We also have to understand that RAC1 have been doing a series of interviews with certain personalities that have been very outspoken about Barça as there is a current campaign by various sectors of the sports media in Catalonia to force a big enough movement from the Barça fans so as to force a presidential election at the club.

This is the essence of what Seri's agent, Frankin Mala had to say;

"The moment FC Barcelona backed out of the deal at the last minute and it became public, I got a call from PSG where they told me that they were interested in the situation surrounding Jean and that they would be willing to negotiate with Nice as to acquire his services.  I was rather surprised at this because I've never had any interest whatsoever coming in from PSG, so I told them that more had to be spoken about this in person as I wanted to know where the work had been done in the past on Seri as I've never had any approach from their club at all.  At that moment I was asked many questions as to how the deal had evolved with Barcelona and why the Spanish club had backed out when from what they knew, it was done.  This for me in my experience, you get when another club wants to either fuck the side that had been interested in the player in the first place or because they don't really have too much of an idea on analysing players and just go for players that are in the limelight with interest from big clubs."

Even though the RAC1 presenter was shocked at what Seri's agent had just said and wasn't expecting that at all.  The presenter still went on to quiz him on the priority which was to find out what had happened with Barça backing out at the final minute...

"I don't know!  All I can tell you is that the deal was done.  I had been holding conversations with Robert Fernández for about a month where they went through various documented attendances from their scouts and their assessment.  It was a serious planned out move, the move an agent wants for his player because you know he is in the plans of the technical staff and that it's not just acquiring a player because others are talking about him."

"Jean from the first moment he was informed of the interest from FC Barcelona, he was enthused and really wanted the move, it was his dream for something like this to happen."

"The only notice we got was Tuesday night at about midnight when I got a call from Robert Fernández telling me that they were going back to Barcelona and that unfortunately the deal had broken down.  I asked them why and if it had been a last minute negative from Nice, but they told me that Nice had accepted all the terms and the wishes of Jean, but that due to technical decisions at the final moment, FCB had decided against the signing at this point but will be maintaining it as a priority for the future and that the player will continue to be followed with a personal scout at all of his games.  I couldn't believe it, I was stunned!  Nothing in the whole negotiation for Jean had pointed to this outcome and at that moment I was more worried about what I was gong to say to Jean and when to call him with this very bad news."

"In general when clubs come in for players, they have a project and they show you the whole planning behind that project.  On other occasions you get a situation where a club approaches you and the first thing they tell you is that the club are interested in your client and that even though they've never contacted you as an agent, that they've had information from elsewhere on how he could fit into their plans.  This as an agent you know will be influenced by a lot of money and the negotiating will always be centred that way.  But with Barcelona in this case, in my experience with them, it was all planned out and that's why Jean was so enamoured by the situation.  Not only was a club of the stature of FC Barcelona coming in for him, but they'd done their homework."

"At no point did they receive any negative from Nice.  They knew Jean's position and they were willing to let him go for the price of his buy-out clause."

"Whatever happened in the final minutes, I have no idea, but in my experience it's one of the strangest situations I've ever been involved in and it really brought down Jean.  He just doesn't understand what happened and his dream has died for now."

[SirBalon]

FC Barcelona and Juventus are apparently currently in talks for the move of André Gomes...

[SirBalon]

Now Neymar puts in his own law suit against FC Barcelona on his honours (€26m) that Barça don't want to pay for not honouring his contract. 

[Spike]

The circus that Barcelona has turned into is truly hilarious. 

[SirBalon]

19 minutes ago, Spike said:

The circus that Barcelona has turned into is truly hilarious. 

I'm actually hoping more things happen early on but that it doesn't affect the performance of the team. The sooner elections are called the better. The only shame is that this board will probably spend all of the money received from Neymar going to PSG. 

[Spike]

59 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

I'm actually hoping more things happen early on but that it doesn't affect the performance of the team. The sooner elections are called the better. The only shame is that this board will probably spend all of the money received from Neymar going to PSG. 

Not that I want to watch Barcelona crash and burn, especially under the circumstances of corrupt Qatari scum, but there are levels of humour to be find in a club like Barcelona going into meltdown mode harder than Valencia. The squad has nearly as much bloat as Inter Milan. 

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, Spike said:

Not that I want to watch Barcelona crash and burn, especially under the circumstances of corrupt Qatari scum, but there are levels of humour to be find in a club like Barcelona going into meltdown mode harder than Valencia. The squad has nearly as much bloat as Inter Milan. 

For me the fact two possible candidates for presidency I know of are taking their time is very good news. It means they're taking whatever board they'd bring in to replace this riff-raff is serious and there to put back in place what was. I don't think it will be long past Christmas before the censure is activated. 

[Spike]

@The Rebel CRS @SirBalon @Savvy Xavi @FCBNick

What players need to be culled from the squad? Barcelona is aging and perhaps a season or two of mediocrity would allow the club to return to something it was.

My proposals:

• Sell Mascherano. He is very much on the wrong side of 30. There won't be much return from him and unless he reverses the aging process, his wages are too high to keep around for sentimentality. Samper could replace him as team rotation.
• Sell Alba. I don't like Alba, I haven't liked Alba since Euros 2012. I think he is an average player that has nothing besides pace. Also he cheats too much.
• Sell Turan. He has never established himself and never will. 
• Assassinate Paulinho.
• Sell the gutter rubbish of Vermaelen, Munir, Douglas, etc
• Give Gomes and Vidal one more season to prove their worth otherwise sack them.
• Resign fucking Bartra and Grimaldo. Shit even Fontas or Inigo Montoya (EDIT: It's actually Inigo Martinez) could work. The defence is paper thin.
• Stop playing Roberto as  RB.
• The midfield and forwards are stacked, forget about signing those players. 

A new formation could work, I hate to be the twat to post starting XIs I really do but to illustrate my opinion I have to.

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Spike

[Cicero]

How is Munir gutter rubbish? Lad has been class every time I see him. 

Suarez------Messi

Iniesta-----------Jean Seri

J.Alba-------------------Busquets----------------Semedo

Umtiti-----Martinez----Pique

Ter Stegen

 

 

 

[Spike]

Old-man Iniesta can't be a starter. That is suicide, he doesn't have the legs anymore.

[Cicero]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

Old-man Iniesta can't be a starter. That is suicide, he doesn't have the legs anymore.

Suarez or Roberto rotation 

[El Profesor]

According to L´Équipe, Dortmund and Barcelona have agreed terms and Dembele is going to Barça. 120 million euros + 30 million euros on bonus.

[Spike]

2 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Suarez or Roberto rotation 

Iniesta would be the rotation for me. I'm looking at the future not what is best right now. ALSO: maybe I am harsh on Munir but Barca are stacked in the forward department and I don' tthink they need him,.

Edited August 24, 2017 by Spike

[nfb_10]

My ideal base lineup for this season. Obviously it changes to suit throughout the game, but from the get go this is what I feel Valverde will work with. Messi playing in a false 9 position with Suarez ahead of him ( like Paco in the game against Betis ), Deulofeu or Coutinho if we somehow get him on the left and Dembele on the right.

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by FCBNick

[Spike]

22 minutes ago, FCBNick said:

My ideal base lineup for this season. Obviously it changes to suit throughout the game, but from the get go this is what I feel Valverde will work with. Messi playing in a false 9 position with Suarez ahead of him ( like Paco in the game against Betis ), Deulofeu or Coutinho if we somehow get him on the left and Dembele on the right.

 

 

I guarantee you that Barcelona won't sign all three of those players. Deploying four forwards will destroy Barcelona in the middle of the park, Real Madrid already walkover Barca and that would only exasperate the weakness. That is a very weak team that is top heavy and very vulnerable on the flanks, Barcelona doesn't need that much reinforcement in the forward areas.

[Asura]

Strong news that Dembele has been signed. 

[nfb_10]

3 hours ago, Spike said:

I guarantee you that Barcelona won't sign all three of those players. Deploying four forwards will destroy Barcelona in the middle of the park, Real Madrid already walkover Barca and that would only exasperate the weakness. That is a very weak team that is top heavy and very vulnerable on the flanks, Barcelona doesn't need that much reinforcement in the forward areas.

Either way all four of Messi, Suarez, Dembele and most likely Deulofeu will start, which is why most likely Valverde will play his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation to utilize the double pivot. 

I also see no problem with dropping Alba for Digne seeing as Digne is excellent defensively and could be like our Abidal, since we already have Semedo on the right who, while great defensively, is excellent going forward.

[Cicero]

I think Alba is class personally. Cunt but class. 

 

Messi will love being central again. Where he shined the most. 

[bozziovai]

1 hour ago, Asura said:

Strong news that Dembele has been signed. 

yeah, i'm seeing different figures from different sources.   some say 135million, some say 150million.   maybe it will be cleared within 24 hours ..

[El Profesor]

Leo, Suárez and Dembélé will form the LSD trio. That attack will blow our minds. 

[SirBalon]

First of all...  The Jean Seri deal is dead unless something otherworldly occurs!  Read my report some posts above!

I don't think there's much to do to this side and more time has to be spent on blooding the youth...  But in saying this, there are names that still have a lot to offer and I don't subscribe to anything pre-ordained in life neither do I believe anything is that clear for us mere football fans to ascertain from putting names on a sheet and thinking that this is the winning formula.  Real football isn't the EA FIFA game or the PES.

But I'm all for playing around with teams and debating where weaknesses may lie in assessing the team and not by comparison with others.  Football is won on the pitch with 11 against 11 and not always do those that the media have us believe are the winning formula end up being so.

Barcelona are now officially in a transitional period because the second from last of the original golden era (Busquets is younger and in his prime which doesn't count) with Iniesta and then Messi still playing...  They both have a lot to say!  Messi still has a hell of a lot of football left in him and Iniesta can offer stuff almost no other player on the planet can offer if his minutes are shrewdly used.

My team doesn't have drastic changes!  There is a team to compete while the transition occurs during the next few years and then we can talk further about these things.  Barça are no longer the team to beat but there ain't any that compete as hard as them or that won't be there or there abouts saving a shock.  Ridiculous things happen in football but what's not in doubt is that this club uses its resources not to make money for shareholders, but to use every cent to invest in the attempt to win.

Here's my team...