CBarca wrote:I don't even need to have a long post to say that saying La Masia isn't anything special is ridiculous.

Saying La Masia isn't much better than the rest (implied by 'nothing special') is just ridiculous

This is Barcelona teams is among the best in history, and this Spanish team is among the best in history (if not the best!), all comprised with a backbone of La Masia youth products. That's special.

I feel like your that special kind of troll that puts good effort into his posts

Thankyou

It's just a mater of agility and mobility. Cesc isn't used to this kind of game and I don't think that he will ever will be. It is true that very few players are suited for Barca's current game and that makes transfers unpredictable.
So far Ibra has failed, Cesc and Sanchez are failing and so on. These players would dominate in other teams. Anyway, I believe that Barca will compete as long as Xavi and Iniesta are playing.

As for La Masia, I think it's both overrated and underated. Overated in a sence that us barca fans are looking for Xavis and Messis in every generation of players coming out of La Masia, when it's obvious that these players are one of a kind. Underrated by others because of the very same reason. Because the new entries are not Xavis and Messis.

Finally, Puyol is one of theh best defenders in the recent years. Period. No need to debate that.

billy_gr wrote:It's just a mater of agility and mobility. Cesc isn't used to this kind of game and I don't think that he will ever will be. It is true that very few players are suited for Barca's current game and that makes transfers unpredictable.
So far Ibra has failed, Cesc and Sanchez are failing and so on. These players would dominate in other teams. Anyway, I believe that Barca will compete as long as Xavi and Iniesta are playing.

As for La Masia, I think it's both overrated and underated. Overated in a sence that us barca fans are looking for Xavis and Messis in every generation of players coming out of La Masia, when it's obvious that these players are one of a kind. Underrated by others because of the very same reason. Because the new entries are not Xavis and Messis.

Finally, Puyol is one of the best defenders in the recent years. Period. No need to debate that.

EDIT: I apologise.. I should not post an emoticon only.. It' just I don't understand what you are trying to say. Cesc isn't used to a game of mobility and agility? Did you not watch Euro's? Did you not watch him through his Arsenal career? Mobility is not a problem for him. He is also adequately agile for the role he plays.

I also don't understand your comment about an apparent under-rated vs over-rated divided opinion on La Masia? It just baffles me.

Puyol has been a great defender. True story

thanks for your input

Come home Cesc. They don't need you and you don't need them.

cesc to milan on a free transfer

Forza Rossoneri wrote:cesc to milan on a free transfer

He isn't a DM O.o??

vivabarca38 wrote:"I've always said that I play for the best team in the world, but I came here to compete, to learn and enjoy, not to sit wracking my brains."

Almost as good as Ibra's quote:

"I am 28-years-old and cannot afford to lose a year sitting on the bench and watching the weather."

i understand him wanting to play more, but seriously when he was heading back to Barca, was he thinking he would bench Xavi or Iniesta?

when he played that false number 9, he was one of the only ones who played good, i remember Barca fans wanting him to start as a false number 9 when you struggled to score for a couple of games

But if he played that in the long run, Missi will probably start to speak again

billy_gr wrote:i understand him wanting to play more, but seriously when he was heading back to Barca, was he thinking he would bench Xavi or Iniesta?

Listening to some of the comments made during the Cesc transfer saga you would be forgiven for believing that lol

meh, none in the Barca camp believed that anyway.
Maybe in the long run should Xavi decided to hang his boots, but he doesn't plan to wait that much and I don't blame him. He shouldn't have come if he wasn't ready to play 2 years as a supersub

If no one believed Cesc would be more than a substitute then why did they make such a huge effort in signing him? Why all those comments about how good he was and Barca DNA?

That's either:

1) Bad management. (Not a foreign concept to Barca tbf )

2) Not true.

You don't put so much into a transfer risking your positive image in the process for a player if you don't think he has what it takes to be a starter. So which is it?

I think for Pep he was close to being a starter but Tito has completely different views on him

The Verminator wrote:Come home Cesc. They don't need you and you don't need them.

You don't either, Arsenal have moved on from Cesc and they are better for it.

There is no place for Cesc now, maybe you need some depth at fullback and a striker if Giroud doesn't cut it but no Cesc.

Cazorla >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

anyways.

Zealous wrote:If no one believed Cesc would be more than a substitute then why did they make such a huge effort in signing him? Why all those comments about how good he was and Barca DNA?

That's either:

1) Bad management. (Not a foreign concept to Barca tbf )

2) Not true.

You don't put so much into a transfer risking your positive image in the process for a player if you don't think he has what it takes to be a starter. So which is it?

the first of course. how are you even asking about it?
paying a great deal of money for a player that could be essensial after a 2 year period. or they were just thinking what Maadrid were thinking when they bought Coentrao. Stupid in both cases

They don't love you like we do Cesc

Marcelo > Coentrao but a lot of people thought a starting spot was within Coantrao's grasp. (Not me, Marcelo is teh awesome.)

That's not the same as believing Cesc can replace Xavi or Iniesta now is it? Not when no one at Barca believed that was possible (your words). So then why the active pursuit of him? Why all the tapping up? It definitely felt like Barca had big plans for him. Why put so much effort into signing a substitute?

Cesc has good mobility when he has the ball and he is playing the Messi role. But, mobility off the ball and as a facilitator in terms of creating space, he is not really good.

Zealous wrote:Marcelo > Coentrao but a lot of people thought a starting spot was within Coantrao's grasp. (Not me, Marcelo is teh awesome.)

That's not the same as believing Cesc can replace Xavi or Iniesta now is it? Not when no one at Barca believed that was possible (your words). So then why the active pursuit of him? Why all the tapping up? It definitely felt like Barca had big plans for him. Why put so much effort into signing a substitute?

Oh, come on, you know it was a big publicity stunt project more than anything. I am sad that Cesc got caught up in it though.

kiranr wrote:
Cesc has good mobility when he has the ball and he is playing the Messi role. But, mobility off the ball and as a facilitator in terms of creating space, he is not really good.

Translation:

Pass front back, good good

Pass side side, bad bad.

Zealous wrote:

kiranr wrote:
Cesc has good mobility when he has the ball and he is playing the Messi role. But, mobility off the ball and as a facilitator in terms of creating space, he is not really good.

Translation:

Pass front back, good good

Pass side side, bad bad.

A fan of a Mou team will hardly understand this.

The differrence between Marcelo/Coentrao and Cesc/Xavi is the age difference. While in the first case they are of similar age and they seem to overlap (and thus 30m were unjustified) in the second case Xavi will lose his starting 11 role by default in coupe of years. SoI can only guess that Barca's management were rushing Cesc's buy in order to avoid contract renewals or other clubs getting him. Which is silly too but it's the only reason I can think of

kiranr wrote:

Zealous wrote:Marcelo > Coentrao but a lot of people thought a starting spot was within Coantrao's grasp. (Not me, Marcelo is teh awesome.)

That's not the same as believing Cesc can replace Xavi or Iniesta now is it? Not when no one at Barca believed that was possible (your words). So then why the active pursuit of him? Why all the tapping up? It definitely felt like Barca had big plans for him. Why put so much effort into signing a substitute?

Oh, come on, you know it was a big publicity stunt project more than anything. I am sad that Cesc got caught up in it though.

No I don't know. I honestly felt they wanted to make him a part of the team, eventually replacing someone. I mean the switch to 3-4-3 to find a place for him was enough to convince me that they thought he was worth the effort. But since he's teh suckz now Tito doesn't even have him in his plans? Did Tito feel the same way about Ceskkk when Guardiola was in charge?

Cesc - Cazorla - Arteta

billy_gr wrote:The differrence between Marcelo/Coentrao and Cesc/Xavi is the age difference. While in the first case they are of similar age and they seem to overlap (and thus 30m were unjustified) in the second case Xavi will lose his starting 11 role by default in coupe of years. SoI can only guess that Barca's management were rushing Cesc's buy in order to avoid contract renewals or other clubs getting him. Which is silly too but it's the only reason I can think of

I'm not crazy about the Coentrao signing but it's hardly relevant to this thread. So let's avoid getting side tracked

ynwa wrote:Cesc - Cazorla - Arteta

Abou Zidane >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>