Auba will be a hit but I'm not sure if Traore is going to be a starter
How do Barcelona rebuild?
- Thread starter Bojan11
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Auba is a huge upgrade on anyone they currently have for the CF position. He‘s earning about 1/3 of what he was at Arsenal and is initially on a 6 month contract.
Is he a long-term solution, no, but he may secure a top 4 position and given the above, is a fairly low risk “purchase”.
They could’ve done and have done a lot worse.
Not sure if you've been watching the same player I have over the last year but this one looks unmotivated and like his legs have gone. Also seems to have lost his sharpness in front of goal. Agree with being low risk in the same way that buying a kit kat for lunch is low risk. Doesn't mean it's going to fill you up.
Barcelona a few months before Psg signed Neymar for €222M had a net debt of about 200M. Barcelona's model was correct and sustainable, every year they were reducing the debt and with an EBITDA important positive.
That summer was where Bartomeu lost his mind and started with uncontrolled spending on signings and renewals. So for 3 years.
The mistake is to believe that this is Barcelona's model, that was a sad exception for an idiot who was the president.
There was another very similar one in the year 2000, Joan Gaspart.
These things happen where fans vote for president, some come out good and some don't.
Spain played very good football and perhaps with a better centre forward would have won both titles.
You're talking about resultadism and the conversation was about having a game plan.
So taking away Italy and France the others are worthless because they did not win.
Football has too many variables and more than a single game to make analysis based on a result.
Dembele cost about €130M and Pogba a little less, then the commissions I don't know exactly how much they were.
Pogba's salary, that's for sure, is much higher than Dembele's.
So the total cost of Pogba will be higher, but not by much and it's not something relevant either. The 2 signings in my opinion have been a disaster.
I am a demanding person with Barcelona and I criticize it when I think there are reasons for it.
If other people laugh at Barcelona's problems, it's none of my business. I don't like any club to do badly, but everyone gets what they deserve.
Pogba played an average of 3100mn per season since he's back at united.
Dembele played 1700 for Barcelona.
You can't seriously be comparing both.
Sorry, a little less? 40 million? For a club that spent around 350 million on griezemann, coutinho and dembele i can see how 40 million may not be much but to most it is. You say that Pogba isn't relevant now but you were the one that brought him up. Also, it doesn't change the fact that pogba has given WAY better value for money than dembele. Barcelona's last five years or more have been horrendous in terms of transfer dealings. Which is why your insistence that there's some kind of plan is funny.
Barcelona have had a smug, superiority complex about how their club is run for so long, so when it turns out that they've been run into the ground and their mes que un club rhetoric is nonsense...I'm gonna laugh.
Erik Ten Hag
You could however argue that Dembele usually performs better for Barcelona than Pogba does for United. One is injured too often, the other is simply most of the time not in his top form, both aren't worth their money.
You could. You would be absolutely wrong though.
Pogba and Dembélé have been horrible in their respective teams, the number of minutes is indifferent.
I even agree that Pogba's performance at United has been superior to Dembele's at Barcelona. But very far from a club that aspires to something serious. Lazy, horrible decision making, very bad tactically... I wouldn't want either of them for free.
And I also agree that Barcelona have done horrible in recent years.
But I repeat for the umpteenth time that these are now other leaders and with the same philosophy that Bartomeu should not have abandoned, that there is no money or salary limit right now to choose what you want, that is why Auba and Adama were signed instead of Adeyemi and Isak for example.
Fair enough, maybe barca have turned a corner now, will be interesting to see what happens. Whatever else I say about the club, they don't do 'dull'!
Really feel Barca are on the same trajectory Utd were a few years ago. i.e.
Shite CEO in the public eye (Best ones operate in the back office)
Shit high profile money grabbing signings outside academy (Aubamayang et al)
Refuse to believe other clubs are demonstrably better run
Living on the tailcoats of previous heroes' of yesteryear
Shite CEO in the public eye (Best ones operate in the back office)
Shit high profile money grabbing signings outside academy (Aubamayang et al)
Refuse to believe other clubs are demonstrably better run
Living on the tailcoats of previous heroes' of yesteryear
Didn't Aubameyang once publicly announce his desire to play for Real Madrid too?
I know it's perfectly acceptable to play for one if you like the other, but the tribal nature of the vulture fans over there makes me think this will lead to something truly toxic when he doesn't deliver.
Yeah he did, he said he promised his grandfather that he'd play for Real Madrid. To be honest, I can't blame them for statements made years ago, especially to a dying grandfather, but Xavi's statement shows his profile doesn't fit in his gameplan. I guess Aubam is still better than Depay or De Jong though.
Just seen a stat that Aubameyang never played Champions League football whilst at Arsenal
And maybe he won't in 2022, either; nor 2023.
It looks like they're not doing it the right way, going for semi-big names at big wages.
I'd go nowhere near Auba after he stank the emirates up, that's not the sort of potential issue you want when rebuilding.
I'd go nowhere near Auba after he stank the emirates up, that's not the sort of potential issue you want when rebuilding.
Sell Frenkie to another club please. Then I can continue life without giving three shits about Barcelona.. Now I feel forced to care about what happens there..
If the only incoming move in the summer we make is spending 80M on De Jong I'll be happy enough.
Adama Traore provided the width Xavi wants in his team. Played well last game and a direct replacement for Dembele for fraction of the cost. He did exactly what people expect him to do, is to unsettle the defense and draw 2 players to stop him on the wing.
Hve to agree with you. He will be a good asset for possession based football, in order to open up space in tighter games and give them the ability to play vertical if needed. Of course he will not be a superstar, but will be tactically useful for a lot of games.
He forced Simeone to change positions of Carrasco moved to the left to help Koke and Mario Hermoso to try to stop him. He will be very useful for Barca to unlock defense.
He would have to prove over a longer period of time that he can keep converting his speed into goals/assists and that his assist yesterday wasn't a one-off.. His numbers havent been great to say the least at Wolves, so Im not convinced of him yet. Though I have to admit he already proved more value for Barca in his first game than I would have given him overall.. Lets see how this goes..
Barca’s rebuild will be quicker than ours, despite their financial issues.
Xavi is on the right track ... they are playing in a way reminiscent of Guardiola but more direct.
What the kids lack is the experience to hold on to leads and maintain control when the oppo comes at them physically.
This summer they need a first choice LB, RB and DM and a backup DLP.
GK: Stegen, Youth
LB: NEW, Youth
LCB: Eric Garcia, Umtiti
RCB: Araújo, Mingueza
RB: NEW, Alves
DM: NEW, Busquets
DLP: De Jong, NEW
AM: Pedri, Nico
LW: Fati, Gavi
CF: Depay, Auba
RW: Ferran, Traore
Out: Dest, Pique, Lenglet, Dembele, Braithwaite, Neto, Luuk, Alba, Puig
What the kids lack is the experience to hold on to leads and maintain control when the oppo comes at them physically.
This summer they need a first choice LB, RB and DM and a backup DLP.
GK: Stegen, Youth
LB: NEW, Youth
LCB: Eric Garcia, Umtiti
RCB: Araújo, Mingueza
RB: NEW, Alves
DM: NEW, Busquets
DLP: De Jong, NEW
AM: Pedri, Nico
LW: Fati, Gavi
CF: Depay, Auba
RW: Ferran, Traore
Out: Dest, Pique, Lenglet, Dembele, Braithwaite, Neto, Luuk, Alba, Puig
He may not be able to convince you if you use goal/assist to measure his output. His function or usefulness is pretty straight forward, is to provide width and also draw multiple players to stop him, and open up space for other players in Xavi's system. he won't cross like beckham or give out defence splitting pass. He will never able to do that.
Last edited:
If he is so ineffective won't the opposition just stop being drawn to him?
He used to play with teams don't see much of the ball. Now he is playing for barcelona and I predict his output (not efficiency) will increase. After he beat his man (Left back), someone have to move out of position to stop him attack the penalty box, right? I am not saying he is or will become a superstar, but he is not as useless as people think he is. He may shine in the right system.
Barca closes a sponsorship agreement with Spotify for €280m in 3 seasons (93m a year).
It will include the shirts of the men's and women's teams, the training shirt and the title rights of the Camp Nou from next season.
The idea is to sign it tomorrow.
Source: RAC1
Barca are reportedly still looking for sponsorship deal for their sleevea. They were in negotiations with Polkadot, but this is no longer they case.
Barca hopes to get 10-15m per year for the sleeve deal to add to the 93 m per year deal with Spotify.
It will include the shirts of the men's and women's teams, the training shirt and the title rights of the Camp Nou from next season.
The idea is to sign it tomorrow.
Source: RAC1
Barca are reportedly still looking for sponsorship deal for their sleevea. They were in negotiations with Polkadot, but this is no longer they case.
Barca hopes to get 10-15m per year for the sleeve deal to add to the 93 m per year deal with Spotify.
Last edited:
Why get rid of Jordi Alba? The guy is phenomenal. Probably the best part about Barca recently.
Ter Stegen
Porro Pau Araújo Alba
Merino
De Jong Pogba
Ferran Memphis Fati
Porro Pau Araújo Alba
Merino
De Jong Pogba
Ferran Memphis Fati
Last edited:
Not sure why people are naming Memphis in their lineups. The man has been awful for Barca.
What?? Since the beginning of last season, Alba has been mistiming tackles, is easy to get past (especially in the 2nd half) and physically looks done. He doesn't dribble as well either.
If he plays as a right winger/he should provide goals and/or assists. A player providing nothing else than depth/width alone is not (i.e. should not be) enough for Barcelona. You dont have to cross like Beckham or pass like KdB in order to give assits. If you are so quick and provide depth/width behind the defensive line you should be able to give the simple assists over the ground..
100 per cent. Barcelona's leadership and football organisation has a clearer idea of how to fix the mess Bartomeu created, it also has a clear philosophy to fall back on and a commitment to only buying players that fit that idea. Much easier to turn the ship around if you know what way you gotta go in. By comparison Man Utd are still spinning about like a top seeking some direction.
Pau - ( €50M, 25yo, 1.91) He is a tall player but he is bad in the air, he is slow and soft. The only characteristic that I value is that he gets the ball very well played. For 50 million that he costs you, I prefer to put 20 more and try to sign Kounde.
Pogba - Why does Barcelona want Pogba when they already have enough midfielders in the team? He is also a player with a very high salary, a huge commission would have to be paid to the agent and he is also a lazy player, with poor decision-making and a tactical disaster. To sign him would be to shoot ourselves in the foot.
Merino - Great player, his coach recently said he was the best player in the spanish league. In a midfield of 3 he does not play in the place of Busquets but in that of Iniesta or Gavi now. Zubimendi plays in that position at Real Sociedad. €70M.
Memphis - horrible playing center forward, low iq, horrible decision making, lazy. Possibly he will not continue in Barcelona next year.
RB: In Barcelona Azpilicueta and Mazraoui are strongly rumored.
CB: Mingueza and Umtiti will most likely not continue next year. There seems to be a strong interest in Christensen. Azpilicueta could also play there.
LB: Jordi Alba will continue in the team. The goal is Gaya, whose contract ends in 2023, just like Grimaldo and Tagliafico, who are the other players that Barcelona is interested in.
Gavi plays in midfield in Iniesta's place, not left winger.
Nico, once Busquets is gone, the most logical thing is for him to start playing in his place
Depay has no future at Barcelona.
Barcelona will try to sign a center forward in the summer as Haaland's top priority and if it can't be, then another could be Isak.
Another player that Barcelona could try to move for is Dani Olmo, he can play in midfield or on the left wing.
I am in no position to determine if Traore is good enough for the current Barcelona. That's Xavi's job. If Xavi get the top 4 spot this season it is a success for him. This is not the Barcelona that had Messi, Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto, Neymar, David Villa, Suarez for front 3 anymore. Xavi is doing a rebuilding job.
Ofcourse, but even for a midtable team in Spain a right winger should provide some amount of assists/goals, depth and width alone is not enough, especially not for a side like (even the current) Barcelona who are expected to win more games than not..
I think one of the key things why Barca will rebuild quicker than us is they have an ingrained way of playing and philosophy of playing. The formations have changed a bit but in general the passing play will always be king. From what I've seen of Xavi he has returned them back to that way at a base level (formation, tactics), now its just about recruiting the right players for that Barca style. But if I was a barca fan id be quietly optimistic.