Appreciate they got stuffed but headlines a bit over the top today including Club is rotten to the core.. Have watched Albion for years and have supported good and bad years. Pleasure of a win can last for days and disappointment of defeat last for just hours. Must be strange supporting a team where you expect them to win every game and consider finishing 2nd in your league and getting to quarter final of CL is utter failure.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Football] Barcelona FC
- Thread starter amexer
- Start date
You can argue about getting knocked out of the CL Qtr stages - but an 8-2 is pretty damning. Even funnier that some how Coutihno was allowed to play against his parent club, and even funnier apparently he had a clause in the Liverpool deal that if he wins the CL while contracted to Barcelona (not wins it with Barcelona, just while contracted there) they have to pay up a load of money
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
The issue to me is constant changes of managers / President and zero re-investment in players that are suitable.
Lush
Mods' Pet
Tony Cascarino on Talk Sport suggesting Bielsa as a possible replacement. The Leeds fans are having another meltdown. Still laughing.
Palacefinder General
Well-known member
- Apr 5, 2019
- 2,594
It’s somewhat akin to the two Glasgow clubs in so much as the only thing that really matters is besting ‘the other’ (obviously Real in this case), in terms of titles and CL trophies, Barca and Real defined by those bragging rights in their own minds.
You do wonder if Courtinho will now be considered for a return to Barca, something that, prior to last night, seemed fairly unlikely.
You do wonder if Courtinho will now be considered for a return to Barca, something that, prior to last night, seemed fairly unlikely.
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Doubt it, season long loan to the Gooners next
I think they would be a bit more tolerant about the loss if things were going great in other ways but they are in deep, deep shit.
They have no money, their president is an idiot, Messi is not happy about the shitshow and no single player is as important to his club as he is to Barca. At the same time they need a manager who is not Messi's pet. If tradition is anything to go by they will pick a Dutch one to sort it out and they are not pettable, so it would be interesting to see what it means for the Messi situation.
They have no money, their president is an idiot, Messi is not happy about the shitshow and no single player is as important to his club as he is to Barca. At the same time they need a manager who is not Messi's pet. If tradition is anything to go by they will pick a Dutch one to sort it out and they are not pettable, so it would be interesting to see what it means for the Messi situation.
dingodan
New member
- Feb 16, 2011
- 10,080
With Leeds he is garaunteed to qualify for and then win the Champions League, why would he leave to join some "also ran" club?
Don't get me wrong, Barca is a big club, but this is Leeds United FC we are talking about here.
Doesn't get bigger than that.
Neville's Breakfast
Well-known member
I’ve never forgotten our 8-2 home defeat !
It's much more than that. The Celtic / Rangers analogy isn't really a bad one. Barca are "Mes qui un club" in Catalan - more than a club. To the people of Barcelona who regard themselves as Catalan first they represent an entire way of life. There are Barca Bastketball and Water Polo teams, community projects and associations. Their history when compared to the Franco loving Royalists in Madrid is humbling - but maybe that's the soppy old anti-fascist in me.
Failure is compared against Madrid, success too, at least to a degree. But, of course, that means dominace in everything, since Madrid are inevitably in the CL every season as well. The 8-2 will have hurt badly but losing La Liga to THEM will hurt more.
And there we go. It takes a Swede to understand and nail it.
The old era has never been replaced, arguably because you CAN'T. Replacing Xavi? Maybe if you're lucky. Iniesta? Ditto. Replacing both? Impossible. And Barca have spent a lot of money trying and failing to do just that. And soon they will have to replace Busquets, Pique and Messi as well. Can't be done.
It needs a new start from top to bottom, old guard cleared out, new president, Xavi as coach. I'm not sure any of that will happen but if an 8-2 defeat doesn't trigger it, nothing will.
I was lucky enough to take my son to Barcelona in Jan 2018 for a game, when he was 11. It was the start of the Valverde era and we saw a routine 3-0 win over Levante. Luckily Iniesta was still playing. He only lasted 55 minutes but he ran everything in the game in that time. Messi fed off him and Suarez off Messi, and at that time, that was good enough. By the end of that season they'd conceded 5 goals to the same opposition.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
Lucky indeed, I wish to god I'd watched Iniesta live. What a wonderful player. Wonderful.
Pinkie Brown
I'll look after the skirt
From a couple of weeks ago but we live in hope it comes true. My perfect comedy scenario is Biesla to Barcelona then we sell Ben White to them. Then sit back and watch the implosion.
However it is of course nonsense. No way would the messiah take a sideways move to Barcelona....
https://www.barcauniversal.com/report-lionel-messi-wants-to-replace-coach-setien-with-marcelo-bielsa
And there we go. It takes a Swede to understand and nail it.
The old era has never been replaced, arguably because you CAN'T. Replacing Xavi? Maybe if you're lucky. Iniesta? Ditto. Replacing both? Impossible. And Barca have spent a lot of money trying and failing to do just that. And soon they will have to replace Busquets, Pique and Messi as well. Can't be done.
It needs a new start from top to bottom, old guard cleared out, new president, Xavi as coach. I'm not sure any of that will happen but if an 8-2 defeat doesn't trigger it, nothing will.
I was lucky enough to take my son to Barcelona in Jan 2018 for a game, when he was 11. It was the start of the Valverde era and we saw a routine 3-0 win over Levante. Luckily Iniesta was still playing. He only lasted 55 minutes but he ran everything in the game in that time. Messi fed off him and Suarez off Messi, and at that time, that was good enough. By the end of that season they'd conceded 5 goals to the same opposition.
What they need to do is to find someone who is brave enough to give academy players a chance. Much could be said about van Gaal, but at least he gave Valdes, Oleguer, Gabri, Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta their Barca debuts. Rijkaard then did the same thing, landing debuts to Messi, Pedro, Busquets (even if he didnt establish until Pep took over), Bojan etc.
They need something similar now. Ronald Koeman maybe. Someone cruijffian, ex-Barca or ex-Ajax that know and understand the philosophy of Barca.
Not sure about Xavi though. He is making Al-Sadd all sad currently, from what I've read.
Really bad for them is that their next president election is not until next year. Bartomeu needs out. Both the main candidates, Victor Font and Joan Laporta, would be would be excellent.
Coldeanseagull
Opinionated
Hmm, play in red and blue, have an aging squad and an unhappy superstar........has a familiar ring to it
mejonaNO12 aka riskit
Well-known member
In 2010 barca had a blueprint. A plan
A group.of 23 year olds who were academy products paired with some more experienced academy products
Xavi
Iniesta
Puyol
Valdes
These guys helped out the 23 year olds
Messi
Busquets
Pedro
Pique
In the background they had
Thiago
Delefeu
Muniesa
Barta
Even Montoya
10 years on...those 23 year olds are 33, there no longer appears to be the clear production line of talent and rather than buying one superstar each year (neymar, suarez, alba, alves) to aid the team, they have completely changed policy.
Griezmann, vidal, dembele, Coutinho.
3 of those dont fit the style....the 4th seems the most barca player....and instead scored 2 goals for the opposition.
The culture of the club has been lost. Not just a game 2-8
A group.of 23 year olds who were academy products paired with some more experienced academy products
Xavi
Iniesta
Puyol
Valdes
These guys helped out the 23 year olds
Messi
Busquets
Pedro
Pique
In the background they had
Thiago
Delefeu
Muniesa
Barta
Even Montoya
10 years on...those 23 year olds are 33, there no longer appears to be the clear production line of talent and rather than buying one superstar each year (neymar, suarez, alba, alves) to aid the team, they have completely changed policy.
Griezmann, vidal, dembele, Coutinho.
3 of those dont fit the style....the 4th seems the most barca player....and instead scored 2 goals for the opposition.
The culture of the club has been lost. Not just a game 2-8
Neville's Breakfast
Well-known member
Hmm, play in red and blue, have an aging squad and an unhappy superstar........has a familiar ring to it
Apart from the superstar bit....yes.
Billy the Fish
Technocrat
"Rotten to the core" was from internet troll Chris Sutton.
However, I've heard number of times in the last couple of years Guillem Balague saying that behind the scenes there's a problem and that they're basically skint and wasted all their money on the wrong players.
However, I've heard number of times in the last couple of years Guillem Balague saying that behind the scenes there's a problem and that they're basically skint and wasted all their money on the wrong players.
Coldeanseagull
Opinionated
Yeah, maybe a bit strong on the superstar bit. Clubs top player waters it down a bit!
No way. A defeat ruins my week