That's mah boy, Donuts.

Donuts wrote:
i would still take juanfran or any other player with a rating of 5-6 THAT is 2 or less years younger then alves in a heartbeat.

i still don't see the alves hype, the guy does a very simple job, one that he often messes up at that.
and apparently for the past few weeks he is the "best rb in the world" i ask why.. because we stopped conceding a lot all of a sudden from the right side?

although like you and i've said before there is no upgrade to him, but he will get worse, and that's not a matter of opinion but it's practically impossible for him to get better the older he gets.

I hope your not asking me why he "has hype". I had said almost nothing regarding anyone, let alone Alves.

For me, I think you and futball and whoever else just have to be realistic and put your hate or dislike or whatever for Alves aside.

You cant play Montoya next season, you cant play Douglas next season, not if you want to actually do well...this is just as big a fact as Alves wont get better as he gets older.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you still wanted to stick to your opinion of Juanfran, it was more about him than anything. The guy is awful, I cant believe you even would contemplate him playing for us...he has less skill than our centerbacks.

All because he is like a year and 2 months younger than Alves.

I would keep Alves. Simply because there is no choice. Montoya and Douglas is no option. Although I think Montoya and Adriano could do the job from August - December until Barca can buy again in the winter market. Maybe Pedro can be converted or Bartra can play the position in a modified 3 man defense hybrid formation or whatever. But then again there is the problem of players being cup tied in the winter transfer market. Danilo certainly would be, right?

I thought Alves improved a lot in recent weeks with new tactics when he was tasked to make lateral movements and join the midfield instead of overlapping ones. Against Athletic he was horrible again though. Countless misplaced passes and defensively players get outside him with ease. Check 6:10 for example, it's horrible to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnqYmhhXEd8

So at the end of the day it's "so so" with Alves, he certainly won't get better, but everyone else at the club is worse and no one can be bought. Tricky situation.

free_cat wrote:

CBarca wrote:Thing is he's a physical freak and has showed next to zero signs of slowing down.

You've got to be kidding. He is half the player he was before attacking wise. He used to score and assist around 20 goals per season and now it's 10 at most.

I didn't say I think he was playing at the same level. Though I don't think he's ever really dropped off, it's clear to me he isn't the same player he was. However, I didn't say anything about how he's playing.

Just that physically he's not much different than he was. He's still going up and down the right with no problem and typically is one of our most active players as well as one of the best at getting the ball back.

Pedro converted into what converting a striker into FB overnight, just because of his workrate would be real fun. i wish playing football would be that easy.

neuro11 wrote:Pedro converted into what converting a striker into FB overnight, just because of his workrate would be real fun. i wish playing football would be that easy.

Why not? Both del Bosque and Lucho have already entertained the idea. It's not totally outlandish IMO, especially for Barca where the position requires pressing and attacking 70 % of the time rather than conventional defending. Wouldn't be the first time a footballer converts into a different position.

I dont think Pedro can play right back. If this was 5 years ago maybe, but he has spent too long now as a "forward".

I dont think Pedro can cover the distance a fullback covers, I think it would be a total shock to him at this point. He works very hard, but its still not at fullback.

Also, defensively 1 v 1 he wont be able to cope any better than say Adriano, or probably even Montoya. We have no idea how he would defend facing a player who has already turned towards the goal.

What I would offer Dani..

the 3 year contract that he wishes, with the same pay as he wishes...with the condition we insert a very low buy out clause, or no buy out clause at all (not sure if these are required in Spain)

After one season, after we go and buy Danilo or whoever and the transfer ban is lifted I would put him on the market and let him go for whatever is offered to get him off the books. He's been a GREAT talisman to the club for all he's done, but I don't like being black mailed by anybody in a time of need and that's what he is doing. So if he doesn't want to be reasonable, that would be the compromise I would offer hm.

that's not how it works.
if we offer him a luxury 3 year contract even with a small buy out clause or none, he'll stay here.
even if he stays in the bench for the remainder of his career he'll just collect the check and waste our resources.

one reason i'm sure he wasn't sold last summer to PSG, who said they wanted him, was mainly because of his demand of high wages.

Yeah if you offer him what he wants in terms of wages, you'll retain him until his contract is up.

No one wants an old player on massive wages.

New Barcelona transfer adivser Braida has proposed the name of Milan full back Mattia De Sciglio (22) as signing for January 2016. [sport]

New Barcelona transfer adviser Ariedo Braida has attended the Italian league game Sassuolo-Fiorentina today. [mundo deportivo]

I already like this guy.

Meh De Sciglio ain't all that, don't listen to Milan fans. Had a couple of decent games then fell off the face of the planet.

He's basically Santon 2.0 without the excuse of being coached by idiots.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Meh De Sciglio ain't all that, don't listen to Milan fans. Had a couple of decent games then fell off the face of the planet.

He's basically Santon 2.0 without the excuse of being coached by idiots.

If my memory doesn't desert me I liked what I saw from him when Barca played Milan 38295 times in recent years. I know he is said to have stagnated but I really don't think Milan right now is a good environment to develop young players. For 15 - € 20M he would be worth a punt IMO.

Anyway, I'm just happy Braida is actually doing some scouting work and attending games himself. We're already linked to lots of new "not so household" names that would have never happened under Zubi who just pulled out his usual "Vermaelen, Agger, Thiago Silva" list every summer. When Zubi was asked about PSG before the PSG games he said he doesn't know, he didn't watch much French football in 2014. So anything else excites me now.

Wilshere looked like a god against you, doesn’t mean he's any good.

Lots of meh players look good against you lol.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Wilshere looked like a god against you, doesn’t mean he's any good.

Lots of meh players look good against you lol.

There is something to it. I never understood why. We made Wanyama look like prime Vieira on steroids at some point.

Anyway:

Adviser Braida was reportedly at Sassuolo-Fiorentina to watch forwards Berardi, Zaza (both Sassuolo) and Babacar (Fiorentina). [via md]



Ariedo Braida at Sassuolo-Fiorentina today, with Sassuolo general director Carnevali

Gandini (director Milan): "Braida took part in transfers of Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Shevchecnko, Kaka, Thiago Silva..." [ser]

Hope he finds us a new Thiago Silva.

Seems like it's time for a reminder that you can't sign any players

Hapless_Hans wrote:Seems like it's time for a reminder that you can't sign any players

That doesn't hold Barca back from scouting players.

De Sciglio is an average player, hyped as the next Maldini because of a few good performances and then conformed to the current Milan requirement of being a scrub.

You can say Milan doesn't develop youth very well, but I still really can't see him succeeding at a team with such high expectations as Barca. Especially since unlike normal Barca full backs his defending is better than his attacking

doesn't matter..
anyone is better then douglas.

Fußball wrote:New Barcelona transfer adivser Braida has proposed the name of Milan full back Mattia De Sciglio (22) as signing for January 2016. [sport]

New Barcelona transfer adviser Ariedo Braida has attended the Italian league game Sassuolo-Fiorentina today. [mundo deportivo]

I already like this guy.

"Transfer adviser?" I believe his actual title is "International sports director". He worked for Milan, not too impressed with his work there. Meh. For every gem he brought there were 4 scrubs.

just buy Stones in 2016!!!!!!! can play both RB and CB

Fußball wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Wilshere looked like a god against you, doesn’t mean he's any good.

Lots of meh players look good against you lol.

There is something to it. I never understood why. We made Wanyama look like prime Vieira on steroids at some point.

Which reminds me. No doubt we'll make Mangala look like prime Maldini next week.

windkick wrote:What I would offer Dani..

the 3 year contract that he wishes, with the same pay as he wishes...with the condition we insert a very low buy out clause, or no buy out clause at all (not sure if these are required in Spain)

After one season, after we go and buy Danilo or whoever and the transfer ban is lifted I would put him on the market and let him go for whatever is offered to get him off the books. He's been a GREAT talisman to the club for all he's done, but I don't like being black mailed by anybody in a time of need and that's what he is doing. So if he doesn't want to be reasonable, that would be the compromise I would offer hm.

Danilo now? Why didn't you go after for him during the last summer window in stead of Douglas? It's not like that Danilo was an unknown quality.

junkyard wrote:

windkick wrote:What I would offer Dani..

the 3 year contract that he wishes, with the same pay as he wishes...with the condition we insert a very low buy out clause, or no buy out clause at all (not sure if these are required in Spain)

After one season, after we go and buy Danilo or whoever and the transfer ban is lifted I would put him on the market and let him go for whatever is offered to get him off the books. He's been a GREAT talisman to the club for all he's done, but I don't like being black mailed by anybody in a time of need and that's what he is doing. So if he doesn't want to be reasonable, that would be the compromise I would offer hm.

Danilo now? Why didn't you go after for him during the last summer window in stead of Douglas? It's not like that Danilo was an unknown quality.

Ever heard of Andoni Zubizarreta?