paxtonpale wrote:Alba will be a better opton as he is catalan born

Dumb reason.

and has good dribbling skills and is fast so he can come back to defend more easier than what Abidal, Adriano or even Maxwell do.

Being fast isn't as important as positional awareness for a fullback and getting back to position. Filipe is better at this.

Agree with the dribbling... but we don't need a dribbling machine at fullback. Filipe is very, very good going forward as well. He was one of Depor's best attacking threats for years from fullback. If Alves is still on the other wing, we don't want another cavalier fullback anyway.

The only significant things Alba really has over him are youth, potential and speed. Being Catalan will smooth over the transfer though.

There is no way to slice it, Alba is in no way a better defensive force than Filipe...Abidal isnt even in the conversation, he pisses on Alba defensively.

The Franchise wrote:There is no way to slice it, Alba is in no way a better defensive force than Filipe...Abidal isnt even in the conversation, he pisses on Alba defensively.

Truth. No way I'm comfortable with two midgets as fullbacks, especially as Masch is clearly a regular at CB now. Even if Montoya comes in for Alves eventually, he's not much better in the air anyway....

Dunno... not a fan of the Alba idea.

I think Dani Alves is better than even Montoya in the air, he battled Cristiano pretty well in long balls.

So what Alba is fast? So is Clichy. And its not like Luíz is super slow. He's as quick as Sergio Ramos.

How has Carles Planas been doing lately? He's the likeliest Canterano to play at the left defense as far as Barca B goes IMO.

Must in: WC CB, good LB
Must out: Keita, Fontas
Maybe out: Pedro, Afellay
Maybe in: WC forward, good GK

No need for midfielder IMO.

GK? U need some one other than Valdes looooooooool

In: Javi Martinez, Jose Enrique, Montoya, Tello and Muniesa...
Out: Afellay and Kieta
Loan: Fontas, Bartra and Jds.

Oier has been great and well his contract may be allowed to play with Barca from next season onwards...

I think we won't sign new CB due to our lack of money. The next season squad will shape-up like this:

GK - VV (Pinto), Oier will stay in B-team
DF - Alves (Montoya), Pique (Bartra), Puyol (Mascherano), Alba/Adriano (no clearcut LB, but due to Catalan bias Tito will probably more often start Alba, they are both equal to me, good in attack, average in DF). At least 8 defenders, 2 for every position. Fontas should go, he is not good enough, but due to being Catalan will probably stay. If someone offer even 1 Mln for him = TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. Muniesa is not good enough, should be sold, but EMD and Sport still fabricate rumours about Adriano, because they want two 'canteranos' for LB spot - Alba and Muniesa. This obsession with La Masia players in the squad isn't healthy. Abidal won't come back 8 defenders, maybe one of Muniesa/Fontas will stay in, ideally we would buy new CB and Bartra would stay as 5-th choice, Muniesa and Fontas adieu.
MF - Xavi (Cesc), Busquets (JdS/Keita), Iniesta (Thiago, Afellay). 6 midfielders, if Keita goes to China, JdS should stay in first team. If Keita stays > sell JdS to whoever offers some money. Let this dude go, or give him first team nr. Even of stucking him in boring B-team. Dos Santos deserves medal for staying so long and extending his contract and still playing at boring B-team when garbage player like Fontas quickly get first team nr. Sergi Roberto should stay in B-team. So to conclude, no transfer, if Keita goes let JdS stay and play some minutes.
FW - Messi, Villa, Pedro, Alexis, Cuenca, Afellay. Tello should stay in B-team, he is not good enough for first team, he should play in Barcelona B and if there's injury, he can be called up for A-team. Probably though Afellay will be sold, as press won't get him a break, still creating rumours just like with Adriano. We don't have a money for new forward, so we won't sign anyone. Nilmar I prefer saving money than buying average players like Nilmar.

So to conclude 2012-13 squad.

More realistic version:

Valdes (Pinto)
Alves (Montoya) - Pique (Mascherano) - Puyol (Bartra) - Alba (Adriano) + one of Muniesa/Fontas staying in the squad
Xavi (Cesc) - Busquets (Keita) - Iniesta (Thiago)
Alexis (Tello) - Messi - Villa (Pedro, Cuenca). Afellay can play in MF and FW, but I think he will be sold, Tello will be promoted to the first team.

Idealistic version - new CB with quality, selling Fontas and Muniesa, JdS in, Keita adios, keeping Afellay, not promoting Tello.

Your thoughts?

Fontas was offered 3 million to Betis though Betis were only interested of a loan deal... Afellay won't go as Im sure 7 million isn't worth selling for so much talent for an English Premier League player. Kieta seems to want to stay and I hope he doesn't because of the amount of time JDS has been waiting on, he deserves game time and Kieta really is stopping him. I prefer if we don't promote Tello as he won't (granantee) get game time. B team for another season or loan deal. Muniesa will stay in the B's. They need someone experience in there (as I don't Gomez leading the defense...). Pedro has hit some good form lately with Euro and I expect him fighting his spot for the Barca team .Villa will take some time, regaining his spot and I hope we do sign another defender. Barta definate promotion. I have got good feelings of him being something special!

Valdes (0)
Montoya (0) /Bartra (0) - Pique (5M) - Puyol (0) / Fontas (0)? - Alba (14M) / Muniesa (0)
Xavi (0) / Thiago (0)- Busquets (0) / Jds (0)? - Iniesta (0) / Cesc (29M)
Pedro (0) - Messi (0) - Cuenca (0)/Tello (0)

#LaMasia

matpol wrote:I think we won't sign new CB due to our lack of money. The next season squad will shape-up like this:

GK - VV (Pinto), Oier will stay in B-team
DF - Alves (Montoya), Pique (Bartra), Puyol (Mascherano), Alba/Adriano (no clearcut LB, but due to Catalan bias Tito will probably more often start Alba, they are both equal to me, good in attack, average in DF). At least 8 defenders, 2 for every position. Fontas should go, he is not good enough, but due to being Catalan will probably stay. If someone offer even 1 Mln for him = TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. Muniesa is not good enough, should be sold, but EMD and Sport still fabricate rumours about Adriano, because they want two 'canteranos' for LB spot - Alba and Muniesa. This obsession with La Masia players in the squad isn't healthy. Abidal won't come back 8 defenders, maybe one of Muniesa/Fontas will stay in, ideally we would buy new CB and Bartra would stay as 5-th choice, Muniesa and Fontas adieu.
MF - Xavi (Cesc), Busquets (JdS/Keita), Iniesta (Thiago, Afellay). 6 midfielders, if Keita goes to China, JdS should stay in first team. If Keita stays > sell JdS to whoever offers some money. Let this dude go, or give him first team nr. Even of stucking him in boring B-team. Dos Santos deserves medal for staying so long and extending his contract and still playing at boring B-team when garbage player like Fontas quickly get first team nr. Sergi Roberto should stay in B-team. So to conclude, no transfer, if Keita goes let JdS stay and play some minutes.
FW - Messi, Villa, Pedro, Alexis, Cuenca, Afellay. Tello should stay in B-team, he is not good enough for first team, he should play in Barcelona B and if there's injury, he can be called up for A-team. Probably though Afellay will be sold, as press won't get him a break, still creating rumours just like with Adriano. We don't have a money for new forward, so we won't sign anyone. Nilmar I prefer saving money than buying average players like Nilmar.

So to conclude 2012-13 squad.

More realistic version:

Valdes (Pinto)
Alves (Montoya) - Pique (Mascherano) - Puyol (Bartra) - Alba (Adriano) + one of Muniesa/Fontas staying in the squad
Xavi (Cesc) - Busquets (Keita) - Iniesta (Thiago)
Alexis (Tello) - Messi - Villa (Pedro, Cuenca). Afellay can play in MF and FW, but I think he will be sold, Tello will be promoted to the first team.

Idealistic version - new CB with quality, selling Fontas and Muniesa, JdS in, Keita adios, keeping Afellay, not promoting Tello.

Your thoughts?

I have been a little out of touch but is this really our first team squad for 2012-13 with several youth players having been promoted?


1 GK Víctor Valdés (3rd captain)

2 DF Dani Alves

3 DF Gerard Piqué

4 MF Cesc Fàbregas

5 DF Carles Puyol (captain)

6 MF Xavi (vice-captain)

7 FW David Villa

8 MF Andrés Iniesta (4th captain)

9 FW Alexis Sánchez

10 FW Lionel Messi (5th captain)

11 MF Thiago Alcántara

12 MF Jonathan dos Santos

13 GK José Manuel Pinto

14 MF Javier Mascherano

15 DF Marc Bartra

16 MF Sergio Busquets

17 FW Pedro

18 DF Jordi Alba

19 DF Martín Montoya

20 MF Ibrahim Afellay

21 DF Adriano

22 DF Éric Abidal

23 FW Isaac Cuenca

24 DF Andreu Fontàs

25 DF Marc Muniesa

http://www.totalbarca.com/2012/news/the-front-sport-13-08-2012/

According to SPORT, the starting XI for upcoming season will be something like 4-4-2 with midfield romb (Cesc as the most advaned midfielder), Alves and Alba to provide width, Alexis and Messi as the strikers. I don't like this system, I'd prefer to use 4-3-3 with Cesc on the bench, and three forwards.

matpol wrote:http://www.totalbarca.com/2012/news/the-front-sport-13-08-2012/

According to SPORT, the starting XI for upcoming season will be something like 4-4-2 with midfield romb (Cesc as the most advaned midfielder), Alves and Alba to provide width, Alexis and Messi as the strikers. I don't like this system, I'd prefer to use 4-3-3 with Cesc on the bench, and three forwards.

I think its BS. Tito said nothing is decided yet, he doesnt even know what his starting 11 will look like atm.

I agree cesc needs to be benched, i feel like he got too complacent thinking he is a guaranteed starter last season. For me cesc needs to compete with iniesta/ xavi for a place. pedro, villa, sanchez should also compete for the 2 striker positions.

the only ones guaranteed a startin place are messi and , to an extent, busquets & alves. Thats how Tito needs to make his players feel, otherwise I feel our team will not improve from last season.

I particulaly like the competition btw benzema and higuain last season. Even tho higuian was usually 2nd best, everytime he was given the chance he did well and scored.

The likes of afellay, adriano, thiago, should constantly feel they have a chance of starting the next game, this will only keep cesc, xavi on their toes and ultimately improve the level in our squad.

matpol wrote:http://www.totalbarca.com/2012/news/the-front-sport-13-08-2012/

According to SPORT, the starting XI for upcoming season will be something like 4-4-2 with midfield romb (Cesc as the most advaned midfielder), Alves and Alba to provide width, Alexis and Messi as the strikers. I don't like this system, I'd prefer to use 4-3-3 with Cesc on the bench, and three forwards.

"According to SPORT" - They actually probably know nothing. This is just something they came up with to sell papers. The main article is about Tito ditching the 3-4-3 and going back to 4-3-3. Their evidence is just the preseason btw (should give u an idea of how SPORT comes up with things), but I think they are right. We'll play 4-3-3.

We will play 4-3-3 though I would like to see a formation used to counter a team that parks the bus. 3-4-3 could be an option though I would only use this formation against 'weak' team. 4-2-2 may be an option though it will be hard to use this formation with the style of play we play...

The Sanchez wrote:We will play 4-3-3 though I would like to see a formation used to counter a team that parks the bus. 3-4-3 could be an option though I would only use this formation against 'weak' team. 4-2-2 may be an option though it will be hard to use this formation with the style of play we play...

We have Alba now, so he will provide more width for us. When teams park the bus we'll be playing more of a 3-4-3 sort of formation with Alves and Alba pushed up.

eg.

BarcaKizz wrote:

The Sanchez wrote:We will play 4-3-3 though I would like to see a formation used to counter a team that parks the bus. 3-4-3 could be an option though I would only use this formation against 'weak' team. 4-2-2 may be an option though it will be hard to use this formation with the style of play we play...

We have Alba now, so he will provide more width for us. When teams park the bus we'll be playing more of a 3-4-3 sort of formation with Alves and Alba pushed up.

eg.

Pique - Puyol
Busquets
Alves - Xavi - Iniesta - Alba
Pedro - Messi - Villa

That was your example for the second leg against Chelsea except Adriano was in Albas spot....

With Barca, a 4-4-2 should NEVER be an option.

hi guys... long time no see
so Alba and Song huh?
I guess we will still have aerial problems. Let's see how many of the goals we are going to concede will come from a header.
P.S. I am really sad for Muniesa. The guy can't get a break

Contrary to popular belief, we actually don't concede many headed goals. We have one of the lowest headed goals conceded stats I think.

The Sanchez wrote:

BarcaKizz wrote:

The Sanchez wrote:We will play 4-3-3 though I would like to see a formation used to counter a team that parks the bus. 3-4-3 could be an option though I would only use this formation against 'weak' team. 4-2-2 may be an option though it will be hard to use this formation with the style of play we play...

We have Alba now, so he will provide more width for us. When teams park the bus we'll be playing more of a 3-4-3 sort of formation with Alves and Alba pushed up.

eg.

Pique - Puyol
Busquets
Alves - Xavi - Iniesta - Alba
Pedro - Messi - Villa

That was your example for the second leg against Chelsea except Adriano was in Albas spot....

And if we had Pedro and Villa instead of Alexis and Cuenca we probably would have won... And Alba provides a different sort of width. He tries to go around the opposing fullback.

In fact... even with Alexis and Cuenca, we would have won that game 99/100 anyway. It was ridiculously unlucky... Not much more to it.