*Official* English Football Season 2014-15

[Eds]

They had a ready made midfield in Busquets - Thiago - Fabregas too. But they'll go off and spunk £35m on Koke instead. Absolute joke of a club at times.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yeah it's weird with Barcelona. They need a pretty sizable overhaul and yet they actually had ready-made replacements in most of the positions at one time, they just let them go.

 

[Ikki]

The ****s have too much money. Like Real, they just do stupid ****. If that generational balls-up wasn't bad enough; look at what they did to get Neymar. It was nothing more than just beating Real to his signature and saving face as a 'big' club and for Rosell to show he has influence.

 

[Uppercut]

Was Neymar a mistake? Fair enough if you think he was just overrated. But the consensus was that he was the next best player available after Bale (some even thought he was better), and I don't think it's ever really a mistake to sign players of that quality.

I mean, if United had done it I wouldn't be complaining.

 

[Uppercut]

How awful would Fabregas to Chelsea be?

There are so many reasons why it shouldn't happen though. Fabregas is a massive disciple of passing football (remember his rant at Mark Hughes?) and Mourinho hates Spanish people.

 

[sledger]

Was Neymar a mistake? Fair enough if you think he was just overrated. But the consensus was that he was the next best player available after Bale (some even thought he was better), and I don't think it's ever really a mistake to sign players of that quality.

I mean, if United had done it I wouldn't be complaining.

Yeah, I don't think it's possible to argue that signing Neymar was a mistake tbh.

Besides, in his first season for Barca he scored more goals in fewer appearances than Ronaldo did in his first season at Man Utd. #statsstatsomgilovestats

 

[Ikki]

Was Neymar a mistake? Fair enough if you think he was just overrated. But the consensus was that he was the next best player available after Bale (some even thought he was better), and I don't think it's ever really a mistake to sign players of that quality.

I mean, if United had done it I wouldn't be complaining.

I think he's quality but a lot of Barca fans have been complaining about him getting starts (when fit) over Pedro and Sanchez despite the latter two being much better this season when they were given time. He might come good or he might never reach those touted heights, who knows though. I think Bale coming from a league as good as England's was a better buy and the consensus, now, in Spain seems to be that Bale was the better buy. It could also affect them negatively if the other two (Pedro, Sanchez) decide they're not getting a fair shake and want to leave. Liverpool has been rumoured to be interested in Pedro and it makes sense for us to get that kind and quality of player.

There's also been negativity about it as Barca have had a glaring need for a proper CB for years now, and spending that much money in an area they really didn't have much of a weakness has probably been their downfall. Even if the player himself is class, it was handled pretty terribly and the political implications at the club put it in a big negative light. It was basically spending money for everything other than footballing reasons.

 

[sledger]

There are so many reasons why it shouldn't happen though. Fabregas is a massive disciple of passing football (remember his rant at Mark Hughes?) and Mourinho hates Spanish people.

I can kind of see it though, despite the above. Despite being a great passing midfielder, Fabregas can also play in a very dynamic, driving, and direct way, and these are very Mourinho-like qualities. I'd like to think Fabregas wouldn't want to work with Mourinho because of all the hate stirred up between Mourinho/Barca and Mourinho/Wenger over the last decade or so, but...on the other hand, I can see why it would be an attractive move for him.

Urgh, the very thought of the best Arsenal player of the last 10 years turning out for that mob really turns the stomach.

 

[Cabinet96]

Was Neymar a mistake? Fair enough if you think he was just overrated. But the consensus was that he was the next best player available after Bale (some even thought he was better), and I don't think it's ever really a mistake to sign players of that quality.

I mean, if United had done it I wouldn't be complaining.

Yes it was a mistake. They should've invested all their resources into getting Thiago Silva, Koscielny or Hummels, not some poxy forward who'd done nothing at club level.

 

[Cabinet96]

There are so many reasons why it shouldn't happen though. Fabregas is a massive disciple of passing football (remember his rant at Mark Hughes?) and Mourinho hates Spanish people.

I think it would supplement them really well actually. I like Oscar but I wouldn't call him the most creative 10. He puts in a remarkable defensive shift and scores goals but his key pass rate is miles behind Hazard and Willian and he didn't even play a through ball in the Prem last season. Fabregas would be that creative force in the central areas, and with Matic they've already got physicality and great defensive cover, and it's not like Fabregas was too lightweight to be good in the Prem. He's clearly an upgrade on Ramirez as well, and it's horrible to think they'd make profit on him in and Luiz out. There team would be pretty much complete with him and Costa as well. No weakness and no more excuses to finish 3rd.

Agree that it's a bit weird though.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yes it was a mistake. They should've invested all their resources into getting Thiago Silva, Koscielny or Hummels, not some poxy forward who'd done nothing at club level.

Hmm. It's a bit of both IMO.

As Uppercut says Neymar is quality and an improvement on what they had. He was still one of their very best players last season other than Messi, and this is despite never really having a clear run of games to settle in. Quick check says he only started 19 league games in the season just gone.

That being said you're obviously right that signings in other positions were more pressing concerns. That doesn't mean the Neymar signing was a bad signing if they had the money to buy players other than Neymar but decided not to because they are just ****ing idiots (this seems likely). On the other hand if it was a direct choice between signing Neymar or someone like Hummels then yeah the Neymar signing was bad.

 

[Cabinet96]

The fact they basically tried to cover up how much he cost doesn't install confidence on how much they had free to spend.

To me it just didn't make sense. They already had a brilliant front three, and often played Iniesta wide left anyway, so it's not like they were their only options. They could've kept Villa there as well. It's a bit like what Eds said with Thiago and Fabregas. They're basically prepared to sell players and pay far more for replacements that don't really strengthen the side. They're the favourites to break Reus' release clause next year, and while he'll be a bargain at 35 million, it all seems a bit stupid given they'll probably sell Alexis on the cheap. Basically spending over €100 million to marginally strengthen an already really strong area.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah there is no denying that Barcelona have done so very stupid in the transfer market the last few years.

The way the whole Neymar was done was a joke but agree with Uppercut that it is hard to see it being a bad buy in the long term, he has an awful lot more potential than both Pedro and Alexis

Fabregas was probably the worse buy, always seemed an emotional decision rather than a practical one, if he had never moved then it is very unlikely that Thiago would have left and you have the Xavi replacement (if such a thing actually possible) there already.

Oh and why the hell did they buy Alex Song?

 

[Cabinet96]

Song transfer was hilarious. Guy was turning into a really good box-to-box midfielder at Arsenal and they buy him with the intention of making him a CB. And what was he thinking himself? Surely he knew he'd never get into their midfield.

 

[Uppercut]

Yes it was a mistake. They should've invested all their resources into getting Thiago Silva, Koscielny or Hummels, not some poxy forward who'd done nothing at club level.

They should have signed a defender for sure, but I completely disagree that they should have spent massively on a well-known superstar CB, because that never works. Hummels probably doesn't even speak Spanish, how can you be a Barcelona CB if you don't speak the language?

Should only pay big money for really special talents that you can't get anywhere else and just fill the rest in with whatever you can find IMO.

 

[Pothas]

Inigo Martinez would have made sense, been linked with him forever.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Can't wait for new season. Lump on Salop now we have James Collins back. 16-1 with Coral and Betfred.

 

[duffer]

With Fabianski gone to Swansea we should try and get Vorm in as a backup.

 

[Uppercut]

I had assumed Fabianski was going there as backup to Vorm.

 

[duffer]

Heh. Why wouldn't he just stay then