This team just looks done. Expect a shit performance on Wednesday. Obviously, don't expect to advance, but wouldn't be surprised by a loss at the Nou Camp
Was just making of fun of the fan that didn't know Lucho is out after the season is all. But while we are on this topic, it was great to see the fans stay at the end of the match and pay respect to the team
I'd be pretty surprised if juve don't win it this year. Just a really stout team. Any thoughts to the musings that Messi wants Barca to bring in another forward so that he can slot into the midfield? Think we'd have to go with something other than a 4-3-3 if that were to work, as I don't see him tracking back anywhere as much as would be required. Does it work with busquets and rakitic holding and alba bombing up to support a transition? Switch to a permanent 3-4-3 to give Messi another offensive support that way? I think we're fine at RB with sergi Roberto. He's not an alves or a cuadrado or a bellerin (who may or may not be an option moving forward) but he's certainly suitable. Going to need to find find a replacement or two for masch, as mathieu is obviously not that. I'd like to see us get back to drawing from la masia a bit more, or rather, not seemingly abandon it entirely. I suppose the golden age has waned in youth development, but it's still the foundational building block. It's time for the club to decide if they're going to rely on la masia and I guess promote a coach from within, or get an outsider and move in that direction for the time being.
Messi isn't a RW anymore. We should have got a RW last year. Neymar is the future of the team and we need to start building around him. As much as it kills me, Messi is fading fast. Vidal is fine at RB as well. Started playing really well before his injury. Umtiti is amazing. I don't think the team needs as much personnel as it does ideas.
If you want my honest opinion, I think the club has wasted some really good years. Only made it past the UCL quarters once in the last four years. I think we ultimately look back 10 years from now and think about how much we pissed away. Once in a lifetime player in Messi and generational players all around, yet we got dominated in 3 of the last 4 years in the knockout stages
Vidal? Huh? Are you referring to Digne? Even still, he's LB. Honestly shooting blanks in that regard. I think it would be ill advised to build around Neymar. New ideas would be nice, though
Yeah I'm confused by my own stupidity. I was only thinking Arturo. At this point I'd prefer Roberto at RB. Every time I watch Neymar, I'm frustrated. I swear he loses one v one battles more than he wins them. And this is even against lower level league squads.
Umtiti has a bit of that puyol fire in his belly, but he and pique haven't gotten on the same page as of yet.
I wouldn't mind Messi taking over the Iniesta role in the midfield, the only issue with that, like you said, is him getting back and defending. The matches against Juve also showed how forcing him to get the ball around midfield negates his most potent skill of dribbling past defenders and find either the final pass or a shot attempt. I think he'd do really well in a CAM role where he gets the ball higher up the field and can do what he does best. As far as Sergi is concerned, he's obviously still developing as a RB, and Vidal coming on before he got injured helped, I also think we'll be fine there going forward. One or two younger, quicker backup CBs would be fantastic, esp one that could give Busquets a rest as well. I think Neymar gets frustrated and tries to do too much himself from time to time, but he also consistently creates chances. The one thats been frustrating to me is Suarez recently. I feel like he's just too quick to flop and look for a foul all too often. If we had a chance to get a guy like Dybala, I'd be ok offloading Suarez and playing Messi in the middle a little deeper flanked by Neymar on the left and Dybala on the right. Obviously that's a dream scenario. It'd be great to have an aerial threat coming off the bench that could win a header instead of having to have Pique move up in late game situations. I also feel like if Jordi starts the first leg we're looking at a completely different tie. As far as summer moves, I think Masch and Mathieu will be on the move for younger alternatives, and like I said before I wouldn't mind if Suarez moved if there was a deal lined up for another quality winger. More depth across the board is needed unless they have faith in Denis and Gomes (I personally don't have a ton in Gomes, but they're both young). La Masia also needs to be a focus and I think the club realizes that. Ideally: --Neymar------------Suarez (or Dybala esq player)-- --------------Messi----------------- ---Iniesta---------------Rakitic---- --------------Busquets------------- Jordi----Sam------Pique----Sergi
Great post by the way. I think Dybala is a pipe dream unless we are willing to shell out the ridiculous price tag Juve will ask. Suarez has been bad most of the season. Not sure there is a better suited player for us at that position though. Alcacer is not quality enough to play on this team. Gomes will be fine ultimately. Everyone takes a season to understand how to play with us (except Rakitic). He was great when he came on against Juve. My dream is still Veratti. I want him way more than Dybala. Never will happen though. He would fit in so well.
Yep, still feel like a jackass, even a couple weeks later. Attempting to keep up with everything a bit more nowadays so I don't swing and completely whiff again.
Are supporters happy with this? Seemed like there was a lot of unhappy voices when his name was first floated at the beginning of the year?
Fuck nah. Host mom's ex-husband's dad was. Her dad fought for the Catalan State before fleeing to France for a while.
Girlfriend and I will be in Barcelona in August the 17th-23rd and would like to go to a Barca game if possible. Has anybody actually went to a game? I was wondering when the La Liga schedule is usually announced, how hard it is to get tickets, likelihood of them playing at home during that span, etc. Any answers appreciated.
I went last May vs. Espanyol, had a blast. It's not too hard to get tickets, those that haven't sold to club members go on sale about a week before the game online. You'd be looking at probably week 1 of the la liga season, so it's 50/50 whether they'd be at home. I'm not sure when the schedule comes out, but even if they don't play I'd still go on the stadium tour.
Suarez can't hit the broadside of a fucking barn, deulofeu is absolutely terrible, as it stands any team's entire defense can just focus on Messi, and we have less than zero depth. This is fine. On the bright side, Umtiti looks great.
Where to even start... There's zero threat down the left side. Deulofeu is exactly the same player he was three years ago. Woof. Is Dembele the answer there? Messi is dropping so deep, which is fine, but there inevitably is no one down the right. And we continue to have attacks with Messi nowhere to be found, due to dropping so deep. Troubling to watch. Rakitic doesn't make sense on this team and I love the guy. He was great to protect the right flank when Dani flew down the right. Well that's not nearly as important now. We need creativity in the midfield, and that's not his game. Coutinho provides that spark but I'm not convinced he's defensively responsible enough to play in three of our midfield. Where is the control in the midfield? We don't have that guy anymore. Is Seri the answer there? The midfield is a wreck. Let's hope Semedo is the answer at right back. Vidal isn't. He's a step or touch slow on everything. Just doesn't think/play quick enough for our style. That spot worries me because even if Semedo is the answer long term, we know he can't be relied on this season as he takes time to adapt. Sigh. Messi has 2-3 years at a top level left. And this season will be wasted. Really is a shame. At the end of the day, the club needs signings. Why did we wait this late to have a sensible plan? The team seems to still be adjusting to the shock of Neymar leaving. And Paulinho? Fuck me in the ass