I say no lack of squad depth would be the killer, Barca is able to play their core in almost every match, which just wouldnt happen in the physical EPL
We're pretty deep when we have Keita, Affelay, and usually Mascherano riding pine in the MF. Bojan is injured but a very suitable backup along the front. Aren't that deep along the backfield, though. Our backup keeper is even pretty legit.
If they had to play EPL teams every week, I'm not sure they'd survive the onslaught. They would certainly fare well, but one Shawcross or Karl Henry tackle could dismantle their entire lineup.
If Barca had to play in the EPL they'd retool their team to fit that league. As it stands, they're structured to win their respective league and compete for CL titles, just like everyone else
Barca and Madrid would win the EPL most years. They would both win this year easily. I think Barca is the better team, but Madrid would probably fare better. They just have too much depth and also have quite a bit of size too.
no. those spanish cunts dont know how to play physical, and their bitching and moaning wont get them shitty calls. sorry, the physicality of the EPL would wear them down.
To go to a much referenced joke on the Guardian Football podcast, I want to see Messi play at Stoke on a rainy february
Madrid have shown absolutely nothing to suggest they would win the EPL or are a better team than Man U this year. Real would have the same problems Arsenal do. Give up soft goals and some games they just can't score. Barca and Real aren't used to physical teams that tackle and aren't scared of them. Everton-Villa-Stoke-Sunderland-Blackburn-Bolton aren't great teams but unlike similarly placed teams in Spain they aren't scared at all of the top teams and wouldn't be scared of Barca or Real. They'd compete yes but not a chance in hell they'd win it with ease.
at least 2 Barca players careers would be ended before the season ended and at least another 2-3 would have season-ending injuries and Busquets would probably be banned from the league for unprecedented levels of faggotry
I agree. Barca is built for La Liga, and in small doses, in the Champions League, they can zip the ball around on anybody, including EPL squads. They would not survive a full EPL season. Half of them would be in full body traction by the Christmas break.
Barca are so good at holding possession and playing quick one touches that they wouldn't get dinged up nearly as much as you guys are making out. Arsenal have a similarly small and unphysical team and they have been fine injury wise this year (Vermaelen was hurt for Belgium). Also, if depth were were needed for the EPL Barca wouldn't have Zlatan, Hleb, Henrique, and Caceres on loan this season. They have guys like Afellay, Keita, Bojan, Adriano, Gabriel Milito, Jeffren and Maxwell who aren't full time starters. That is plenty of quality depth right there. They also have one of, if not the best youth system in the world. They could easily plug a few of those guys into their lineup if things did ever get bad injury wise. Remember when Guardiola said they have a bunch of Wilshere's in their B Squad? May have been slight hyperbole, but I think there is probably a little truth there. Barca's team this year is the best I've ever seen and I've been watching the CL since the mid 90's. Their style may be more conducive to La Liga, but they would freaking smack around the bottom tier EPL teams and would also do well against the upper tier. They would win the EPL for sure. Even if they somehow lose to Man U at Wembley, I'd think the same.
Sooo maybe they would fail at that adjustment. Could be as good, could not be that's the other side to your uncertainty argument.
half of barca would flop before the ball kicks off when they stare across at the trolls that are Shawcross and Huth
So they would adjust by getting rid of floppers like biscuits and crew, which would then force them to play a completely different style of play, right?
I think you're kidding yourself if you think a team wouldn't have to completely revamp their roster if they moved to a new fucking league. But sorry, I will let you guys continue with your hypothetical concoctions.
We've been fine injury wise. Cesc has been hurt the whole year Vermaelen hasn't played the whole year Song was out for a month Diaby was out for months Van Persie was out for months Walcott was out for 2 months Ramsey was out all year because he got his leg snapped last year We were down to playing Almunia at goalie Djourou was out a month Nasri, Wilshere, Clichy, Sagna, and Koscielny have only been the guys healthy all year and even they have missed a week or 2 each. No chance in hell Messi could play 50+ games, they'd suffer the same injuries like Arsenal. They would have kept Toure and would need better depth at a lot of positions with their style especially defense and center mids. They'd absolutely adjust and be right in the running with Chelsea and Man U whose styles fit the league better but Barca would be right there. Think Real would be around Arsenal.
If you had properly read my post you would have noticed that Vermaelen was hurt due to an injury he picked up playing with Belgium. You know that people can research your false claims on the internet right? You completely over exaggerated Arsenals injury issues. Cesc has made 36 appearances this year. Walcott 35 Djourou 35 Song 40 Diaby missed 2 weeks not months. Ramsey has been on loan at Cardiff and Nottingham Forest Yea sure a few guys have picked up knocks here and there and missed a few games. That happens at EVERY team in every league in Europe. Only one guys missed significant time due to injury and that happened on national team duty.
I'm sure you know more about this than I do. Walcott has missed 10 EPL games, he would have played in every 1 if he could so tell me how long that is? Song missed the Carling Cup final, the 2nd leg of Barca, the Man U FA cup tie, and all the EPL games in between so go and tell me that was not a significant injury Diaby has played 15 EPL games all year and injured every other week. He's been out 2 weeks right now and this is his 8th injury of the year. Djourou was out about a month or 5 weeks after Barca 2nd leg after he fucked up his shoulder. Cesc has missed 10 EPL games and another 10 he's looked half speed. Who cares where Vermaelen's injury happened. Your Ramsey excuse is just stupid. Why do you think he was on loan? You don't just come back and walk into the first team after having your leg snapped in half Obviously been fine injury wise and I left out other injuries. Wilshere was the best player on the field in the first leg vs Barca and damn good 2nd leg and made PFA team of the year so obviously couldn't cut it at Barca. Keep up the great work in this thread. Best CL team ever certainly wouldn't need refs to bail them out of the first ko round and the semis.
Arsenal's injuries this year are average if not less than average for a major team that plays CL, in a major league, and makes deep runs in the cups. Not to mention its players are also on international duty part time. Walcott and Cesc missed 10 out of 38 league games. That is what a lot of teams due with their star players who also play CL and on national teams. They sit key guys a few games here and there to keep them fresh throughout an extremely long season. Have you ever played high school or college ball? Not just club, where you only play one game a week 6 months a year. It is hard as crap to play 2 games a week over an 8 month period. Guys pick up minor ankle injuries, get serious knee bruises, strain hammy's and quads. There are a lot of times that star guys like Cesc, Walcott, Rooney, Bale, etc can play, but sit to get rest and keep fresh. Vermaellen was hurt on international duty. Not the EPL. Do you even know what you are arguing or did you just see the word Arsenal? It is about people saying Barca guys would get destroyed in the EPL. Well Arsenal's only major injury happened outside of EPL play. Very relevant to the discussion. Also, not sure how you came to the conclusion that I was knocking Wilshere in any way. I was using Pep's comment to show that Barca probably really does have a lot of studs waiting in the wings. This was in reference to the comment that Barca wouldn't have quality depth. In no way was Wilshere knocked, who I think is a great player. And good god...Barca needed refs to bail them out against Arsenal? Barca should have been winning 4-0 at half. They were destroying you guys. You would have easily lost to them still. Just as Real would have lost despite the Pepe sending off. Man U might be the only team that can beat them and they are going to need their A game or Barca's C game to do so. I know it goes against the group think of this board, but Barca would easily win the EPL. Any non biased fan in Europe would say the same thing. If they win the CL this year and continue dominating La Liga and the CL over the next few years, they will absolutely be considered the greatest club team of all time.
Shit, I'm a Barcelona fan and I think his posts are nonsense. I'm not entirely sure we would have progressed over Real Madrid if Pepe didn't get wrongfully sent off. That was the turning point in the game. I honestly think that game would have ended 0-0 and Pepe would have still been available for the second leg.
The post of someone who can't refute specific claims. ^ Again please tell me how Vermaellen getting hurt on international duty has anything to do with the EPL. Find me a major team that has played CL, deep in cup runs, and is made up of national team players that hasn't had numerous key players sit for 5 or 10 games throughout the season. Some of you guys are so brainwashed by the British media its not even funny. I bet you guys thought the Royal Wedding was a big deal too. Find me someone with legit knowledge that doesn't think Barca's current team is an all time great. Heck Koeman just came out and said this current Barca team was better than he "Dream Team" he was a apart of that was dominant.
i agree, this barca team is the greatest of all time team at diving and being cunts. they dont deserve the respect they get. as mourinho has said, let them win a CL without controversy, then we can talk about them being the greatest of all time. it seems YOU are the one being brainwashed by the media... who are the ones spouting this "greatest of all time" nonsense
My argument was that in the revamp, they wouldn't have the players to run the style they currently do. So who knows how the new team would look on the field. If you took this years Barca team, and put them into the EPL this season, they would get a lot more injuries due to the physicality of the league. Would they still win it? Who knows. But they wouldn't be able to flop all over the field, and I would be shocked if they were able to stay healthy the whole season
They probably would but it would be a shit load closer and there are ways to get beyond Barca's midfield and have great goal scoring opportunities. They know this, it's the way they play, if they had bad turnovers or lose the ball their backline is exposed terribly. It's why they flop so much. It's close too. There certainly isn't this huge gap between Barca and everyone else like idiots want to make it out to be and they aren't the GOAT team.
Let's not act like players such as Messi aren't targeted on a game to game basis. Barcelona vs Real Madrid 5-0 - MESSI INJURY & FIGHT - [29-11-10] FC Barcelona vs Atheltico Madrid -Messi Bad Injury Messi kicked in the face! Vs Bilbao (21.11.09) HQ You guys act like you're the only fucking league that has dirty play / injuries.
Better vid of the fucked up tackle on Messi. There were 4 people going in for him. Sergio Ramos gets red card [HD] Only one that stayed on his feet was Alonso.
It happens and Messi is tough but you gotta be made of steel to get through an EPL year un-injured especially when you are as quick as he is and players will just be hacking. You would have players that get through the year fine but you'll also have a good 5-6 extra injuries. Remember the uproar when Ufalujsi had a dirty tackle on Messi. Well you'll have 3-5 of those happen on your team a game and closer to 10 when you play a team like Stoke.
I agree. I'm not saying injuries wouldn't occur at a more frequent level, I'm just pointing out that Messi gets targeted with regularity even in La Liga. Nothing more, nothing less.
lol when was this, tackle didnt look bad at all honestly, yea he kicked him but it is far from the ankle shredding tackles i see every year, and lol at ramos fucking everyone up, gotta make being on the national team kinda awkward
It was this year. We should not have had Messi in (look at the score). However, Ramos and Diara (I believe) both came in for the tackle from behind from different sides. It was pretty sheisty.