How do you think Barcelona could improve?

Over the past few games, Barca have been thwarted. Obviously a few games shouldn't mean there's a crisis, however they haven't really done well in the 'big games' this season. Defensively they've been poor too. They've not had a clean sheet in 13 games and that's the worst in 51 years.

To begin with I think Barca need need a defensive fullback. Currently they have Alves and Alba, who are both attacking minded fullbacks. Before they had Alves and Abidal and they had the right balance. Alves has been inconsistent this season. He's 30 this year so Barca could maybe cash in. They have Montoya ready to take his place. At LB, Alba for me, he doesn't look like a Barca player. It still looks like he doesn't have that 'elite team' mentality, however that can always improve.

In terms of CB, obviously Puyol's getting on and it's also obvious they need to get a new CB. Bartra hasn't played many games this season. Mascherano isn't good enough.

In terms of midfield, they need to stick with Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta. When Fabregas plays, Iniesta comes inside anyway and it gets too passive. I don't think Thiago is ready to takeover from Xavi. He's a bit haphazard at times and I feel he's more suited to the more attacking CM role.

For the attack, they need more quality. Pedro's been inconsistent this season and Sanchez has pretty much been a flop. They need wide players who are going to score goals and be decisive. Tello could be that player, but again, he hasn't played much this season.

For their style of play, they need to make sure they're creating chances. At times it looks like there more concerned about possession than goalscoring creating chances.

Also their pressing needs to improve as well.


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So who do you think they should buy in the Summer? How should they improve? They'll most likely win La Liga this season and they aren't out of the CL yet, however they haven't really been as good as they were under Guardiola this season imo.

Blaming Roura for the mishaps .

Assistant manager, dont forget it!

It's a shame Roura is receiving all the blames when the defenders are not doing their job properly. reminds me of our own situation when people were putting all the blames on Mou shoulders.

Anyway i think Barca cares too much about keeping the possession and playing it safe, at some point in the first half they had like 77% possession and there was no urge to create chances, it seemed like they were leading 3-0 or something. they need to be more efficient when they have the ball.

Sign Bale and stick him a let back

They need to change their entire backline+ goalkeeper

This is an easy one in theory.

Sell: Valdes, Mascherano, Alves, Pedro, Alexis, Fabregas, Pique.

Buy: Thiago Silva (yes, impossible now, but in theory ...), Hummels, Courtois, Agüero (or Suarez) and Götze.

Play:

Courtois
Montoya Hummels Silva Alba
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Götze Messi Agüero

And everything will be fine again. Right now there are too many players stinking up the place. Alves getting beaten by Castilla players. Pique, a 6.3 foot guy conceding 3 goals in the air in 3 consecutive Clasicos. Valdes doesn't even want to play for Barca anymore. Mascherano is not a fecking centreback, he can't stick to his marker. Fabregas messing up the shape of the team (you have to get rid of either a defender and play 3-4-3 or push Iniesta to the wing and become impotent upfront to somehow fit Fabregas into the starting XI). Pedro and Alexis doing NOTHING upfront.

Yes, sounds drastic, but a total cleanout is needed just like 2008. If Barca keep all those player for being La Masia graduates or for their past glories, they'll keep stagnating.

futbol wrote:This is an easy one in theory.

Sell: Valdes, Mascherano, Alves, Pedro, Alexis, Fabregas, Pique.

Buy: Thiago Silva (yes, impossible now, but in theory ...), Hummels, Courtois, Agüero (or Suarez) and Götze.

Play:

Courtois
Montoya Hummels Silva Alba
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Götze Messi Agüero

And everything will be fine again. Right now there are too many players stinking up the place. Alves getting beaten by Castilla players. Pique, a 6.3 foot guy conceding 3 goals in the air in 3 consecutive Clasicos. Valdes doesn't even want to play for Barca anymore. Mascherano is not a fecking centreback, he can't stick to his marker. Fabregas messing up the shape of the team (you have to get rid of either a defender and play 3-4-3 or push Iniesta to the wing and become impotent upfront to somehow fit Fabregas into the starting XI). Pedro and Alexis doing NOTHING upfront.

Yes, sounds drastic, but a total cleanout is needed just like 2008. If Barca keep all those player for being La Masia graduates or for their past glories, they'll keep stagnating.

It won't happen . too many players to sell and there are not many teams that are willing to pay much for fab, song, sanchez or pedro ...
but of couse the defense is a priority , hope that this summer we targert strong defs ( not guys like Vermaleen )

futbol wrote:This is an easy one in theory.

Sell: Valdes, Mascherano, Alves, Pedro, Alexis, Fabregas, Pique.

Buy: Thiago Silva (yes, impossible now, but in theory ...), Hummels, Courtois, Agüero (or Suarez) and Götze.

Play:

Courtois
Montoya Hummels Silva Alba
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Götze Messi Agüero

And everything will be fine again. Right now there are too many players stinking up the place. Alves getting beaten by Castilla players. Pique, a 6.3 foot guy conceding 3 goals in the air in 3 consecutive Clasicos. Valdes doesn't even want to play for Barca anymore. Mascherano is not a fecking centreback, he can't stick to his marker. Fabregas messing up the shape of the team (you have to get rid of either a defender and play 3-4-3 or push Iniesta to the wing and become impotent upfront to somehow fit Fabregas into the starting XI). Pedro and Alexis doing NOTHING upfront.

Yes, sounds drastic, but a total cleanout is needed just like 2008. If Barca keep all those player for being La Masia graduates or for their past glories, they'll keep stagnating.

omg this is so realistic why didn't we do it earlier

They need a rest from dominating ffs.

Muzza wrote:omg this is so realistic why didn't we do it earlier

Dunno. Pep apparently tried though: http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2012/10/26/3480442/guardiola-wanted-to-sell-fabregas-pique-villa-dani-alves

Pep.

Before we purchase any attacker I think that Tello should get a fair amount of minutes first. And Deulofeu/Cuenca can't stay as canteranos forever so if we do wrap up the league then they should really consider promoting deu and giving him minutes toward the end of the season. Same for Tello and I haven't followed up on Cuenca but I'm almost positive he'll play more at Ajax than at Barca. Plus this thread lacks a disturbing amount of Nerman. He's the only name we should buy upfront and I think everyone would be ok with that happening after the WC.

Lol @ batman @ LB, he'd go up more than alba ffs. I'd love for Barca to sign him but he's likely going to Madrid before us. And Bartra is the same as the other canteranos. I think it's fair if he were given a chance before we splash the cash on another CB.

I know many on here feel that Barca should begin to grab talent from outside of la cantera but it was barely THIS VERY season when fielded an all-cantera XI for the first time ever. I'm not saying we should keep it strictly La Masia but the only real outside purchases we should make in the next few seasons are Nerman down the line and a new GK after V.V.

But never mind the CL. I don't think these results are entirely Roura's fault but if we begin to stumble and lose our grip on La Liga, Roura has to go. Tito will be back soon however. I guess managing Barca's not as easy as it seems. Now I know why Pep entered the job with a full head of hair and left bald. He took 4 years of that.

futbol wrote:This is an easy one in theory.

Why bother with theories? We aren't playing fantasy football here.

Buy Neymar, buy a real CB, and buy a good LB. Promote Deulo.

Get Tito back with those changes in place and problems are fixed.

According to MOST (not all) Barca fans in this forum is just getting Tito back.

Anyone who believes that is delusional.

Noone said that, like literally noone.

They said Roura sucks and is messing us up right now, they said he is clueless..they said we was much better with Tito and him coming up can improve us tactically at the very least.

But noone said bringing Tito back would make us a perfect team or without flaws.

What I think is realistic:

Sell: Masche, Song, Alexis, Abidal, Valdes
Buy: WC CB (preferably tall, black and strong), Nerman, Guaita

I would also sell Cesc, Alba and possibly Pedro but I don't think that's realistic

In any case I doubt we'll see Tito clean out half the team. Only a new coach would be in a position to do that.

I would rather keep Abidal than Alba, not going to happen and im fully aware of Abidal' situation but I see very little good with Alba.

The Franchise wrote:Noone said that, like literally noone.

They said Roura sucks and is messing us up right now, they said he is clueless..they said we was much better with Tito and him coming up can improve us tactically at the very least.

But noone said bringing Tito back would make us a perfect team or without flaws.

Neither did I say brining Tito back will make you guys flawless/perfect. Some are saying Roura is clueless... how clueless can someone be with a team like Barcelona?

With Messi,Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, Piqué, Alves, etc etc?
Tito coming back/ or him being present wouldn't have changed anything I'm sure.

As you can see, very clueless. We are not following our game plan at all, that is only down to the coach.

We was following our gameplan with Tito, Tito is gone and we have gone of course and as anyone can see its not working.

A competant coach (which Tito seems to be) puts us back on course, makes the needed adjustments and make decisions.

None of that is happening.

Not to mention, we had not gone off course untill Tito left...considering its been like 5 years and the only thing that has changed in that time was the coach...whats the natural conclusion?

FalcaoPunch wrote:

The Franchise wrote:Noone said that, like literally noone.

They said Roura sucks and is messing us up right now, they said he is clueless..they said we was much better with Tito and him coming up can improve us tactically at the very least.

But noone said bringing Tito back would make us a perfect team or without flaws.

Neither did I say brining Tito back will make you guys flawless/perfect. Some are saying Roura is clueless... how clueless can someone be with a team like Barcelona?

With Messi,Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, Piqué, Alves, etc etc?
Tito coming back/ or him being present wouldn't have changed anything I'm sure.

You are clueless

The Franchise wrote:I would rather keep Abidal than Alba, not going to happen and im fully aware of Abidal' situation but I see very little good with Alba.

Abidal has been inactive for a year and is recovering from cancer. I very much doubt he'll be able to play professional football again, but if he will it won't be at Barca but at a Ligue 1 club. Alba is unfortunately not going anywhere.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

The Franchise wrote:I would rather keep Abidal than Alba, not going to happen and im fully aware of Abidal' situation but I see very little good with Alba.

Abidal has been inactive for a year and is recovering from cancer. I very much doubt he'll be able to play professional football again, but if he will it won't be at Barca but at a Ligue 1 club. Alba is unfortunately not going anywhere.

Thats whats likely to happen yes. But I want to see Abidal play before I deciede that for sure honestly.

After all, we have no example to look at, we havent seen anyone come back from this before. We dont know what usually happens.

He's been gone for too long, and cancer is no flu it affects his body so much, he's lost a lot of muscle + his age does not help him.
as for our situation.
This summer Barcelona need to:
Sell Alexis
Sell Bojan officially
Sell Valdes
Sell JDS
Sell Mascherano
Sell either Cuenca/Tello/Villa
Buy Neymar
Buy new GK
Buy new CB

and start rotating Montoya / Barta more in the system with an aging Puyol and inconsistent Alves.

We need to stop playing Iniesta on the wing, stop playing Cesc Xavi Iniesta Messi all at the same time, rotate Thiagoat with Xavi and cesc only with Iniesta.
If we cannot buy Neymar because he doesn't want to leave yet then continue to play Villa and rotate with Tello or Cuenca whichever isn't being loaned out.
-------------------------New GK
-Alves/Montoya----Pique-------New CB--Alba/Adriano
------------------------Buscuit
-----------------Xavi------------Iniesta
-----Pedro-------------Messi----------Neymar/Villa

Pedro's been inconsistent all season long, only showing up for España and missing chances like its going out of style. Might as well bench him and play Tello or Cuenca more often.