Well while I nearly always agree with Cruyff, maybe you could say the same thing about his own dream team which had Stoichkov, Romario and Laudrup?

Laudrup isnt the individualist either of those 3 are today but that really isnt the point. I think the point is, I am not sure they cant fit together but it depends on other things irrespective of their talent or type of game.

That being said, I obviously have said my thoughts on this transfer which dont need repeating.

Shame we want to use that money on Suarez with glaring holes in every area except the forward line.

Cruyff spouts the usual commonplaces and has a political agenda to discredit the current board. In today's football world there are only 2 players who couldn't work together due to heavy egos: Messi and Ronaldo. Imagine Messi setting up Ronaldo's goals and Ronaldo doing those individualistic manchild celebrations while in return taking shots from everywhere and making gazillion wrong decisions in the final third. I mean Messi got annoyed by Villa failing to pass to him. It won't work. Also 2 players who do 0 defensive work.

What's the problem with Suarez though? Guy could have easily broken and not just equalled the EPL goalscoring record but he doesn't even care to take at least 1 penalty while others drag themselves onto the pitch with a *bleep*ed knee to chase some useless record. He works off the ball like Mandzukic and has no problems of releasing the ball when possible. Not everyone who is supremely talented is automatically an egoistic diva who can't coexist with other supremely talented players. Barca's treble winning team had Eto'o and Henry upfront, not exactly humbleness personified.

I also disagree that Barca's attack was good as it was. Alexis remains a flawed player. In 3 years at Barca he only ever scored in 2 CL games. A brace against Leverkusen who let in 10 goals over 2 legs and a tap-in from 2 yards against Benfica. 2 seasons ago he went 6 months without scoring a single goal in the league. Last season he only scored 2 away goals the entire season. I understand that he's likeable and runs a lot but he is not the player to coexist with a Messi (who turns more and more into a #10 and makes less and less off the ball runs) and be a consistent goalscoring threat. Despite some great goals he's not a natural goalscorer. His overall game fluctuates too much. Even in a single game. He goes from making a Messi-esque dribble to tripping over the ball (remember that counterattack against City where he would've been 1 on 1 if he didn't trip over the ball? ), slipping or making 2 turns and twists too much around his own axis without getting anywhere. All within the same game. People like him though because he never lacks the effort.

Cruyff wasnt talking simply personality, but their style of play.

Anyway, I still dont see Suarez as a great personality either. The way he beomans teammates for failing to pass to him isnt good and I dont see that flying with our players. All well and good waving your arms at Sterling's and Sturridge's..but Messi and Neymar aint about to take that.

Didnt say the attack was perfect as it was, but it was easily the least problematic line. So spending by far the most money on that line, doesnt make sense whichever way you want to slice it. Simply put, it wasnt simply a personal move and I think anyone would be quite foolish/pushing an agenda to say otherwise.

The Franchise wrote:Cruyff wasnt talking simply personality, but their style of play.

I'm not sure about that (haven't seen the live interview to know the exact context and am too lazy to research it). I think he meant personality-wise. Simply based on the fact that he said the same thing when Nerman arrived ("2 captains on the same boat not possible" etc.).

It was the least problematic area but it still made sense to trade Cesc + Alexis for Suarez. It's certainly not the reason why we aren't splashing big money on a proven world class CB. If we were short on money because of Suarez we wouldn't have splashed € 20M on a 30 year old while still pursuing targets (€ 43M bid for Marquinhos apparently). But we had this discussion already afaik.

The word individualist, sounds more a football term than a personality term. They are somewhat connected naturally anyway but thats my impression.

Why is it Alexis plus Cesc for Suarez? Did we not sign Rakitic too? In any event, yes perhaps they have money, but that wasnt my point. My point was what the thoughts behind it are..its about signing a star name before what is actually neccesarly.

Bottom line, could of signed any CB money can buy. Instead we signed the best name money can buy.

Started training. Looked lonely in the videos I saw of him. Only Iniesta looked like he was trying to get him involved.

Come back home ffs

nah based on the video everyone was quiet for the most part excluding the brazilians.

Don't call me James wrote:Started training. Looked lonely in the videos I saw of him. Only Iniesta looked like he was trying to get him involved.

Come back home ffs

Wanted everyone to give him a hand job? Everyone looked fine (from the quick 20 seconds they showed of him every clip), and everyone was just looking bored. If anything he looked happy to be speaking spanish everyone time he did communicate

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvVtLsxIIAA37pz.jpg

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/434D0A2C151113210969645105152_2b68bf9cb77.0.3.14537161429302701040.mp4?versionId=VF3jhEwbC_r9FVD.0E.1SNQe5jkvEo4M

Our board keeps insisting we only paid £65M for Suarez...

No they don't. Midway through the summer our vp or zubi, one of the two said in an interview the actual sum was like 80 something or whatever. It's that lying puppet Bart that keeps trying to play down our deals because he wants to make things sound good, because he wants to keep that job he should of never had in the first place. Dude cooks up numbers, just how he lied about how much money we made last year (dude didnt include money spent on transfers to make it seem like things were successful)

windkick wrote:No they don't. Midway through the summer our vp or zubi, one of the two said in an interview the actual sum was like 80 something or whatever. It's that lying puppet Bart that keeps trying to play down our deals because he wants to make things sound good, because he wants to keep that job he should of never had in the first place. Dude cooks up numbers, just how he lied about how much money we made last year (dude didnt include money spent on transfers to make it seem like things were successful)

£ 65M = € 80M. I think that's your confusion.

Obviously it's true. Can't bother to search the Barcastuff Twitter timeline but Zubi or Bart (don't remember) recently gave an interview in which he said that Barca paid less than the buyout clause "because of our good negotiation team" or something along the lines. He's not lying that blatantly, fss.

lol

Rakitic wrote:"There are always hundreds and hundreds of people outside of the building, so I need to arrive for training a half-hour early to sign all the autographs and talk to all the fans. It has been an incredible experience. I'm living a dream and enjoying every moment at Barça. I go to training everyday with a huge smile on my face, knowing that I have another opportunity to work alongside the best players in the world.

Suárez? He's a calm guy, very easy going and affable. He's a great person to be around and he knows we all support him, and I feel like that has helped him become a part of the group more quickly. He told us on the very first day that what happened in the World Cup is never happening again. He made a promise that it is not going to happen ever again, and we believe him".

lets hope he keeps that promise, least suarez gets along well with the teammates so far nothing but good compliments about him from the players.

http://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/30CC78ACE61126565245855719424_21d4baa1004.0.0.525834180879747284.mp4?versionId=ZzbIglRihTJ1RJsfGvALU600AcYS9GoD

He is getting Fat ?

Spoiler:

wish he could come back sooner, he was bought specifically for games against malaga etc..

What difference would he have made today? We didnt even get the ball into attacking positions.

Neymar and Pedro came off for Sandro and Munir and literally nothing changed and it was obvious to me it was pointless subs because the problems were not the forwards failing to perform, but the entire team unable to penetrate and instead playing around (down the flanks) and over (failed balls over the top when there is no space behind) instead of through.

he is a player who can create for himself and others, something pedro, and a young sandro/munir cannot even do in their dreams.
also wouldn't hurt to have a strong striker in the box to meet some of the useless crosses we make.

Neymar can create for himself better than nearly anyone. But he had no luck. Granted, I felt like subbing him after 60 minutes was poor by Enrique but he was having a difficult time getting into positions to do damage.

As for the crosses/box presence I agree with you but not even Falcao or the best box strikers in the world can do anything if he is the only target. We do a really poor job of getting numbers in the box/moving inside it.

The best teams who put balls from the flanks in the box do so on more counter attack situations (which we dont do) and have 3-4 players moving inside the area. The opposite winger, the striker and at least one midfielder in there...we often have 1 player and Messi standing on the edge of the area.

I've watched the game until he got subbed off. KSA have some skills. Uruguay are chit. Looked fit enough physically considering it was under 30°C, just a bit rusty understandably. Great first time volley for Uruguay's goal.

I wish I'd come through La Masia - Luis Suarez

Barca DNA

"You know, I’m the kind of person who believes that things happen for a reason, and out of all 19 teams in the league, it’s precisely against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu that I’ll make my comeback. There must be a reason," Suarez told Barca Magazine.

"To see the passes that players like Leo, Neymar, Xavi and Iniesta make! They’re all top quality players and when you think it’d be impossible for them to make a pass, you are stunned to see that they do.

"Sharing training and day-to-day life with those people is spectacular."

What a GOAT.

Eibar is the last banned game , right?? or he cant play vs Ajax as well. would be great if he could get some minutes in midweek....

He can't play till Clasico, so no Ajax.