Bojan Krkic

eZe^ · 26-03-2008 4:53pm #1

Ok so Ive been seeing a couple of threads about up and coming youngsters (Anderson/ Pato for example) so I thought Id see what ye think of this kid. 17 year old Bojan Krkic.

For Barcelona's youth teams he has scored 961 goals in seven years, breaking all previous goal scoring records held at the club. Youngest player ever to feature in the CL, Barcelona's youngest ever league scorer. He has scored 7 goals in 9 starts (with a total of 23 appearances) in the league. In a team full of stars he is shining because of his youth and hunger atm.

Throughout the various youth Spanish nationals sides he has shined, he was the best player at Spains victory at the U17's European Championship, finishing joint top scorer. He scored two last night in the U21 clash against Kazakhstan including this nice bicycle kick;
http://www.dailymotion.com/search/bojan/video/x4uj58_30-bojan-espagne-kazakhstan-21_sport

So what are your opinions, do you think he could go down in history as one of Spains greats, or just another overrated kid who will fail to make a big name for himself?

On a sidenote;
U21 Spain's line-up from Goal

Valladolid's keeper Sergio Asenjo, Miguel Torres (R.Madrid), Marc Torrejón (Espanyol), Gerard Piqué (Manchester Utd), Ignacio Monreal (Osasuna), Juan Mata (Valencia), José Manuel Jurado (Atlético de Madrid), Javi Martínez (Athletic), Diego Capel (Sevilla) and Kike Solá (Osasuna) + Bojan (Barcelona)

Spain really have a very very very promising future.

kryogen · 26-03-2008 5:02pm

i havent seen enough to form a full opinion of this kid yet but by all accounts and the little bits i have seen he looks absolutely fantastic, i think he really will be a star for many years if he reaches anything near the potential he has shown so far.

also, he turns into one hell of a striker in football manager

An Citeog · 26-03-2008 5:15pm

I'm a huge fan of Bojan and think he'll go on to achieve great things with Barça (a la Raul with Real). I really like his attitude aswell. He's so determined, always plays with a smile on his face and works his bollix off for the team. I've read a few interviews with him and he seems really down to earth and very mature for his age.

People rave about him all the time over here but he doesn't get as much media attention as he would in England, mainly because the spotlight is on Messi. I remember the first time I saw him was in his debut against Osasuna this season. In the 90th minute and the score is still 0-0, he tried this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiyOw37a9oA

It didn't come off and the game finished 0-0 but I remember thinking, this guy's got balls. Since then, I've been more impressed with him everytime I've seen him play. He's quick (not lightning), strong and very direct and I think he really plays to his strengths. He's also formed a really good relationship with Thierry Henry and Bojan has nothing but praise for him and says that he's always around to offer advice, which is in stark contrast to the way he was cited as a negative influence on the youngsters at Arsenal.

In conclusion, I think Bojan will be a huge player for Barça over the coming years but wont be seen as a real superstar on the world stage (just my opinion). He's still got a lot to learn but at 17, he's got both the ability and the attitude to go on to great things with Barça. He's Catalan(ish:p) aswell, which means he'll get plenty of opportunities at Barça.

Peyton Manning · 26-03-2008 5:40pm

Another of the many prodigys on the scene these days. Not a patch on Pato in my opinion, that guy has the potential to be an all-time great.

An Citeog · 26-03-2008 5:47pm

Archimedes wrote: »

Another of the many prodigys on the scene these days. Not a patch on Pato in my opinion, that guy has the potential to be an all-time great.

I don't think Bojan will go down as an all-time great but I do think he could have a similar effect at Barça as Raul has had at Real. It's early days yet though but imho he has the ability and mentality to do it.

Peyton Manning · 26-03-2008 6:01pm

An Citeog wrote: »

I don't think Bojan will go down as an all-time great but I do think he could have a similar effect at Barça as Raul has had at Real. It's early days yet though but imho he has the ability and mentality to do it.

I meant Pato could go down as an all time great, not Bojan. Although you'd never know...

An Citeog · 26-03-2008 6:04pm

Archimedes wrote: »

I meant Pato could go down as an all time great, not Bojan. Although you'd never know...

I haven't seen that much of Pato tbh so I'm not going to comment on him. If you'd class Raul as one of the all time greats, then I think Bojan can reach that level. Hopefully anyway!:)

Zapp Brannigan · 26-03-2008 6:17pm

My mates are sick of me going on about him. I love the lad, he looks great and he's got a bit of class to him. I think he'll be a big star in the future.

yahoo_moe · 26-03-2008 6:35pm

I think Raul at Real is a really interesting (and worthwhile) comparison.

It's so hard to make it at a big club when you're there from such a young age but from what I've seen, Bojan's got the ability and the confidence (at the moment) to do so. But it's whether he can stay the course like Raul has (eg getting through that dodgy patch a couple of years ago) that'll be the real test and that's impossible to say - what'll certainly help is the support he seems to enjoy from the top people at Barca, which is vital.

denashpot · 26-03-2008 7:06pm

fantastic player for barca! him and messi together will be unstoppable!!

armour87 · 26-03-2008 7:08pm

Really like the look of him, already an FM08 legend!

Xavi6 · 26-03-2008 11:08pm

eZe^ wrote: »

On a sidenote;
U21 Spain's line-up from Goal

Valladolid's keeper Sergio Asenjo, Miguel Torres (R.Madrid), Marc Torrejón (Espanyol), Gerard Piqué (Manchester Utd), Ignacio Monreal (Osasuna), Juan Mata (Valencia), José Manuel Jurado (Atlético de Madrid), Javi Martínez (Athletic), Diego Capel (Sevilla) and Kike Solá (Osasuna) + Bojan (Barcelona)

Spain really have a very very very promising future.

Everyone knows about Bojan and he will be class but the guy I've bolded is who I'm keeping an eye on.

Jurado is a top quality attacking midfielder at Athletico and I think he has a big future ahead of him in La Liga. You heard it here first!

eZe^ · 26-03-2008 11:13pm

Well, looking at that, Mata, Bojan, Capel, Jurado and Pique could all easily make the Spanish senior squad, its crazy how a team with such depth and skill under performs so badly.

Peyton Manning · 26-03-2008 11:14pm

Id say Javi Martinez is the most exciting prospect from that Spain u21 side.

eZe^ · 26-03-2008 11:17pm

Capel for me personally, he'd probably be on the left of my la liga team of the season, absolutely quality for a 20 year old. He's started to dive regularly though so I hope he can cut that out.

CantGetNoSleep · 26-03-2008 11:41pm

Anyone think Sergio Aguero is as good as him? Only 19 still if I'f correct

eZe^ · 26-03-2008 11:42pm

Aguero is up front with Fabiano in my team of the year. Absolute quality, scored again today against Egypt. Its amazing that players are stepping up to the plate so early in their careers these days.

Dont be at yourself · 27-03-2008 3:20am

The absolute best thing for Bojan would be for him to leave Barca. They're a comedy club, and you cant help but wonder how much better Henry, Ronnie, Messi, Deco and company would be performing at a club with more discipline.

Still, if Frank really is going at the end of the season, things may change.

ShoulderChip · 27-03-2008 3:26am

would they all get into the irish squad?

Xavi6 · 27-03-2008 3:27am

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

The absolute best thing for Bojan would be for him to leave Barca. They're a comedy club, and you cant help but wonder how much better Henry, Ronnie, Messi, Deco and company would be performing at a club with more discipline.

Still, if Frank really is going at the end of the season, things may change.

Nothing wrong with them when they won the Champions League the year before last....

I don't see why any of those players would want to leave when they get to play with such quality players as each other (and Xavi) week in, week out.

UnitedIrishman · 27-03-2008 3:32am

Archimedes wrote: »

Id say Javi Martinez is the most exciting prospect from that Spain u21 side.

Was just about to say that. He's maturing very well basically because he has to really in such a poor side as Athletic. If he decides to leave I'd imagine there'll be a long queue of clubs looking to sign him.

The absolute best thing for Bojan would be for him to leave Barca. They're a comedy club, and you cant help but wonder how much better Henry, Ronnie, Messi, Deco and company would be performing at a club with more discipline.

Still, if Frank really is going at the end of the season, things may change.

There's an interesting article in FourFourTwo this month about the players they've produced and it just shows that whilst there is always the talk about the likes of Arsenal (who buy in their youngsters), Barca get their youths in at 7 or 8 stating that its too late for them to learn the Barcelona way when they're 17 or so.

Iniesta, Messi (at Barca since age of 13) Puyol and Xavi have fared out alright in recent times so Bojan should be ok. I think he can surpass Raul in terms of greatness if the club can get their act together again.

Dont be at yourself · 27-03-2008 3:51am

I don't see why any of those players would want to leave when they get to play with such quality players as each other (and Xavi) week in, week out.

There's no doubting that the squad of players they have is one of, if not the best group of players in the world. However, we too often hear stories of in-squad feuds, kick-about training sessions, players setting their own training schedules and so on. We see that Ronaldinho, once the best player in the world, has piled on the weight and seems wholly disinterested on the pitch. If even half of it is true, they're well on their way to becoming the soccer Harlem Globetrotters.

They say Ten Caat was the bad cop to Rijkaard's good cop. Perhaps something can be drawn from the fact that the players' slump in form and fitness occured around the time he left. With Rijkaard supposedly packing his bags this summer, it is essential that they get in a strong, no-nonsense coach to whip them back into shape. Benitez and Mourinho have both been linked. I don't think Rafa's the man to do it, but Maureen is ideal. Shame about all the malarky when they met in the CL.

Xavi6 · 27-03-2008 3:54am

Apart from Ronaldinho, who else had their weight soar and looks disinterested? Can't say anyone else has been named and shamed.

Dont be at yourself · 27-03-2008 4:03am

Whatever about soaring weight, virtually the entire squad looks less sharp and interested than a couple of years ago.

Wasn't it this time last year that Etoo had a big moan, refusing to come on to the pitch as a substitute because of injury, despite being declared fit by the medical staff?

At the end of the day, Barcelona have the talent to be head & shoulders above the best team in the world. The fact that they're struggling to catch a Real Madrid who are having possibly their worst ever run of form speaks volumes about their mentality more than anything. They're not in crisis - they'll always do enough to paper over the cracks - but there is no disputing that they're underperforming.

UnitedIrishman · 27-03-2008 4:06am

Barca for a start shouldn't have brought in Henry but I suppose you can say hindsight is 20-20. I mean if Rijkaard was really clued in he would've realised that there was really very little wrong with the squad he already had and with the likes of Bojan and Dos Santos coming through they would only get better. But now he seems to be playing Henry almost because he has to.

That said the problem isn't really up front - Valdes is a liability, Zambrotta isn't working at right back, Puyol is playing extremely poor stuff at the minute.

A strong manager would look at the squad and say that its time to take a chance. Toure, Xavi and Iniesta behind Ronaldinho, Bojan and Messi. Fair enough Ronaldinho has been labelled overweight and out of shape and whatever, but IMO there are players that you can't leave out purely because above all else their class will stand out - Cantona was hardly the fittest man alive in his last year at United.

Xavi6 · 27-03-2008 4:09am

Yet they are still in the Champions League, are only 4 points off Madrid now and dished out a thrashing at the weekend (4-1, they only conceded a peno).

Not exactly panic button material to be fair. Every team suffers a slump, and it wouldn't be the first time Barca did it (if they are in fact even in one)

I thought signing Henry was a great signing. The likes of Bojan and Dos Santos play in a similar role as Thierry so who better to learn from for a year or two?

UnitedIrishman · 27-03-2008 4:19am

Xavi6 wrote: »

Yet they are still in the Champions League, are only 4 points off Madrid now and dished out a thrashing at the weekend (4-1, they only conceded a peno).

Not exactly panic button material to be fair. Every team suffers a slump, and it wouldn't be the first time Barca did it (if they are in fact even in one)

I thought signing Henry was a great signing. The likes of Bojan and Dos Santos play in a similar role as Thierry so who better to learn from for a year or two?

Thats largely down to Madrid dropping more points than Barca in recent times. Before the game at the weekend they had drew, lost, lost, drew and lost in league games. With a squad as good as theirs they shouldn't be on that kind of run. If Madrid had any sort of form (L-L-W-W-L-L) they'd be ten points ahead but amazingly it seems no one wants to win the Spanish league this year!

Henry has been stuck out on the wing for most of the campaign which is slightly a case of trying to stick a square peg in a round hole. You could argue he did this a lot for Arsenal, coming in off the left, but it was totally different.

Xavi6 · 27-03-2008 4:24am

UnitedIrishman wrote: »

Thats largely down to Madrid dropping more points than Barca in recent times. Before the game at the weekend they had drew, lost, lost, drew and lost in league games. With a squad as good as theirs they shouldn't be on that kind of run. If Madrid had any sort of form (L-L-W-W-L-L) they'd be ten points ahead but amazingly it seems no one wants to win the Spanish league this year!

Even with a squad as good as there, the standard of squads in La Liga in general is extremely high hence teams taking points off each other on a regular basis.

Henry has been stuck out on the wing for most of the campaign which is slightly a case of trying to stick a square peg in a round hole. You could argue he did this a lot for Arsenal, coming in off the left, but it was totally different.[/QUOTE]

Not really that different. Arsenal played 4-4-2 and Henry drifted to the left. Now Barca play 4-3-3 and he's on the left. Both formations still had a pivotal centre forward. It could even be argued that the Barca role is better for him and the team as he doesn't have an out and out winger on the left who is wanting to exploit the same space. Sometimes it looked like Arsenal were crowded on the left with A. Cole, Pires and Henry hugging the touchline. Not the same at Barca.

armour87 · 27-03-2008 12:54pm

eZe^ wrote: »

Well, looking at that, Mata, Bojan, Capel, Jurado and Pique could all easily make the Spanish senior squad, its crazy how a team with such depth and skill under performs so badly.

Never mind not picking Arteta!

I think Vicente and Joaquin should be nowhere near the Spain team, saying that theres not an awful lot of other options. I like the look of Jesus Navas when he tries, although Ive seen him play dire at times too.

Abundance of top quality central midfielders.

Spain best 11 anyone?

An Citeog · 27-03-2008 2:01pm

armour87 wrote: »

Never mind not picking Arteta!

I think Vicente and Joaquin should be nowhere near the Spain team, saying that theres not an awful lot of other options. I like the look of Jesus Navas when he tries, although Ive seen him play dire at times too.

Abundance of top quality central midfielders.

Spain best 11 anyone?

I really like Navas as a player aswell but he suffers really badly from homesickness and has had to pull out of Spanish underage squads before because of it. Ideally, this is the way I'd like Spain to line up at the Euros,

Casillas

Ramos---Puyol---AN Other---AN Other

Albelda/Senna/Alonso

Xavi

Fabregas

---Iniesta

Villa

Torres

Not sure who should partner Puyol. Maybe Pablo from Atletico or Capdevila who played reasonably well yesterday. There are a few more options aswell. No real standout options at left back for me either (maybe Arbeloa can make that position his own) but the midfield and forwards practically pick themselves. Depending on the opponent and on their relative form, one of Albelda, Senna or Xabi Alonso to anchor the midfield. Xavi and Fabregas are too good to leave out and Iniesta has been unreal this season. I think playing him as a wing forward would give him a lot more freedom and allow him to influence the game more. Torres and Villa pick themselves aswell. Then on the bench, you've got players like David Silva, Joaquin (who's been fairly poor this season), perhaps Capel, Tamudo, Güiza and a few others. They have the players to win the Euros but Aragones really needs to get them playing to their strengths.

armour87 · 27-03-2008 2:09pm

An Citeog wrote: »

I really like Navas as a player aswell but he suffers really badly from homesickness and has had to pull out of Spanish underage squads before because of it. Ideally, this is the way I'd like Spain to line up at the Euros,
Casillas

Ramos---Puyol---AN Other---AN Other
Albelda/Senna/Alonso
Xavi
Fabregas

---Iniesta
Villa
Torres

Not sure who should partner Puyol. Maybe Pablo from Atletico or Capdevila who played reasonably well yesterday. There are a few more options aswell. No real standout options at left back for me either (maybe Arbeloa can make that position his own) but the midfield and forwards practically pick themselves. Depending on the opponent and on their relative form, one of Albelda, Senna or Xabi Alonso to anchor the midfield. Xavi and Fabregas are too good to leave out and Iniesta has been unreal this season. I think playing him as a wing forward would give him a lot more freedom and allow him to influence the game more. Torres and Villa pick themselves aswell. Then on the bench, you've got players like David Silva, Joaquin (who's been fairly poor this season), perhaps Capel, Tamudo, Güiza and a few others. They have the players to win the Euros but Aragones really needs to get them playing to their strengths.

Definetly.

But still no Arteta lol. Also from what I've seen of Tamudo, notably the Barcelona derby last year (I think) and bits of the Uefa final, he seems a real class act.

Any merit in the idea of Ramos at CB, I know he's playing at RB for Madrid mostly but didnt he play there a bit with Sevilla and perhaps even spells at Real?

Arbeloa is a good shout for LB.

An Citeog · 27-03-2008 2:17pm

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

The absolute best thing for Bojan would be for him to leave Barca. They're a comedy club, and you cant help but wonder how much better Henry, Ronnie, Messi, Deco and company would be performing at a club with more discipline.

Still, if Frank really is going at the end of the season, things may change.

4 or 5 years ago, I would have agreed with you but the turnaround at the club has been unbelievable. They went from playing and being knocked out in the Uefa Cup by Celtic to being a regular in the CL quarter finals and even winning it in 2006. And it's not just the turnaround on the pitch either. Have a read here and try and get your hands on the BBC documentary, Barça: The Inside Story.

Another thing that must be remembered is that if La Liga had the same rules as the EPL, Barça would have been champions last season due to their far superior goal difference. It was on head to head that Madrid won it.

And finally, I lay the blame squarely on Frank Rijkaard for Barça's underperformance this season. A lot of the players just don't look interested and it's his job to motivate them. Teams seem to have copped on to their formation and it isn't anywhere near as effective as it used to be. That's understandable but there doesn't seem to be any plan B. I think Rijkaard's tenure at Barça will be over in the summer but I can't really think of any stand-out candidates to replace him. Mourinho knows how to get a team playing effective football and how to win but I don't think that's enough for the Barça fans. They also detest the man himself which will definitely count against him but still, stranger things have happened!

An Citeog · 27-03-2008 2:29pm

armour87 wrote: »

Definetly.

But still no Arteta lol. Also from what I've seen of Tamudo, notably the Barcelona derby last year (I think) and bits of the Uefa final, he seems a real class act.

Any merit in the idea of Ramos at CB, I know he's playing at RB for Madrid mostly but didnt he play there a bit with Sevilla and perhaps even spells at Real?

Arbeloa is a good shout for LB.

Spain have such an abundance of top class creative midfielders that it's going to be nearly impossible for Arteta to force his way into the team. Who would you play him ahead of? Possibly Alonso/Senna/Albelda, but that means Xavi dropping back into a holding midfield role which doesn't offer that much protection to the back four. I think that team would be too attacking and needs more balance. He's definitely worth a place in the squad though.

Tamudo is class for Espanyol and has single-handedly won them games. He's scored 5 goals in 13 games for Spain but I still wouldn't put him at the same level as Villa or Torres. More a case of him being the big fish in a small pond at Espanyol (eZe^'ll like that one!:D).

I think the defence is where a lot of Spain's problems lie. Apart from Ramos, there's nobody that you can really say 100% deserves a spot. Puyol hasn't been great this season. Maybe moving Ramos into the centre would help him, particularly because of his pace, but that leaves you the problem of finding a quality right back to replace him. I still think Ramos' future will be as a centre-half, but at the moment, he's arguably the best RB in the world (tbh, that's more to do with a lack of real top-quality right backs than anything else).

UnitedIrishman · 27-03-2008 2:42pm

armour87 wrote: »

Any merit in the idea of Ramos at CB, I know he's playing at RB for Madrid mostly but didnt he play there a bit with Sevilla and perhaps even spells at Real?

The only thing is Ramos and Puyol are very much alike in terms of how they play. I'd have Ramos out on the right, Capdevilla on the left but not a clue in the middle with Puyol maybe Marchena or Juanito although haven't seen much of them two this season.

kryogen · 27-03-2008 2:53pm

eh, would nobody be willing to let Pique try to make CB his own? there isnt a whole lot of other options that would blow you away in fairness, even puyol has always been overrated, id be tempted to put him at right back and have Ramos and Pique in the centre, could be the future Central defensive partnership of the future for Spain

An Citeog · 27-03-2008 3:53pm

kryogen wrote: »

eh, would nobody be willing to let Pique try to make CB his own? there isnt a whole lot of other options that would blow you away in fairness, even puyol has always been overrated, id be tempted to put him at right back and have Ramos and Pique in the centre, could be the future Central defensive partnership of the future for Spain

Nah, he's not ready tbh. I'm a United fan aswell but I just don't think he can go from warming the bench at United to starting for Spain. Puyol hasn't been at his best this season but I'd still have him in there before Pique. He may be an outside bet for a squad place though. I'd have Ramos at RB, Puyol with Juanito/Pablo/Marchena in the centre and Capdevila on the left.

Alternatively, they could try Arbeloa on the right, Puyol and Ramos in the centre and Capdevila on the left. Actually yeah, that's the defence I'd like to see start. Puyol to RB is a big no no. Maybe Puyol and Ramos are too similar to play together but it's worth a try anyway.

Mitch Connor · 27-03-2008 4:24pm

kryogen wrote: »

eh, would nobody be willing to let Pique try to make CB his own? there isnt a whole lot of other options that would blow you away in fairness, even puyol has always been overrated, id be tempted to put him at right back and have Ramos and Pique in the centre, could be the future Central defensive partnership of the future for Spain

he has only played in 10 games this seaosn for United - surely Spain should be looking at more established players than Pique? I think the guy has the ability, but i reckon he will have to move on if he wants to start on his international career any time soon - cause Vidic and Rio don't look likely to be making way for him.

Tusky · 27-03-2008 4:28pm

Could do something like this as well. They have so many great players that there is almost too much choice. I'll be rooting for them anyway. They seem a little short on quality in defense though.

Castillas

Arbeloa--Puyol--Ramos--Capdevila

Xavi
--Iniesta

Silva

Fabregas

Torres

Villa

Subs: Reina, Joaquin, Raul, Garcia, Alonso ETC

I like the formation that was already posted already though.

Or you could do something like.

Alonso

Iniesta----Xavi----Fabregas

Villa---Torres

OR

Xavi

Iniesta---Fabregas---Silva

Villa--Torres

eZe^ · 27-03-2008 5:32pm

An Citeog wrote: »

Tamudo is class for Espanyol and has single-handedly won them games. He's scored 5 goals in 13 games for Spain but I still wouldn't put him at the same level as Villa or Torres. More a case of him being the big fish in a small pond at Espanyol (eZe^'ll like that one!:D).

Hahaha, small club! I do however think on their day they can beat any team in la liga. Tamudo and De le Pena are the absolute heart of Espanyol, and without Jarque they have looked so suspect.

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

The absolute best thing for Bojan would be for him to leave Barca. They're a comedy club, and you cant help but wonder how much better Henry, Ronnie, Messi, Deco and company would be performing at a club with more discipline.

This type of speech annoys me, a comedy club? On what merits? Sure they haven't been in the formidable form they showed a couple of years ago, but to call an entire institution a comedy club is idiotic. They are playing quite poorly, but again, 4 points off the top of the league (I know Madrid have been terrible lately also), and in the semi's of the CL.

Xavi6 wrote: »

Apart from Ronaldinho, who else had their weight soar and looks disinterested? Can't say anyone else has been named and shamed.

The team has looked quite disinterested in alot of games this season really. Too much side ways passing, no real killer balls. Teams haven't been put to the sword.

armour87 wrote: »

Never mind not picking Arteta!

This is going to sound harsh, but I dont think Arteta is good enough to make the squad ahead of the creativity there atm. Maybe its because there aren't many players like him in the premiership because of the way the EPL plays, but there are Arteta style players at loads of teams in La Liga, its abundant with those creative midfield players.

An Citeog wrote: »

Puyol on the right is a big no no.

I dont know about that, he has been so suspect defensively in the past few weeks that he might be quite a big liability in the centre, and as he wont be dropped he might be less of a burden at RB. He has shown alot of promise there imo, and Ramos has been very dodgey the past couple of games too.

lordgoat · 27-03-2008 5:37pm

This season: Arteta > Alonso and warrants a squad place ahead of him.

CantGetNoSleep · 27-03-2008 7:56pm

ShoulderChip wrote: »

would they all get into the irish squad?

No way, I'd say Alan O'Brien is a far better option, with Douglas starting in midfield

Dont be at yourself · 28-03-2008 3:07am

This type of speech annoys me, a comedy club? On what merits? Sure they haven't been in the formidable form they showed a couple of years ago, but to call an entire institution a comedy club is idiotic. They are playing quite poorly, but again, 4 points off the top of the league (I know Madrid have been terrible lately also), and in the semi's of the CL.

While they're not quite rivalling Newcastle or Valencia in the comedy-club stakes yet, there's no doubting that the club appears to be coming apart at the seams. They had a couple of years on top, and it looks to me like they're starting to believe their own hype, and think they can just turn up (to the match, if not training!) and collect 3 points.

Like I said, there's no doubting their talent. It's their mentality that has them unable to catch a Real Madrid side who are catastophically off-form. The CL is papering over the cracks, in my opinion. They seriously need to bring in an iron-fisted coach to replace Rijkaard and motivate the players again.

As for my Spain XI - I was just chatting about this to a mate. They could field three different teams that would be capable of winning the Euros. Their biggest problem is that they dont seem to have any national pride. It'd never happen, but perhaps picking an all Basque or Catalan team for a tournament would see a more motivated performance.

Anyway, my tuppence worth:

Cassilas
Ramos-Puyol-Marchena-Arbeloa

Xavi-Fabregas
---Villa---Iniesta---Silva

Torres

Backline is a bit shakey, but Cassilas is well used to that! Villa playing as man-off, with Iniesta drifting out to the right.

eZe^ · 28-03-2008 9:38am

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

While they're not quite rivalling Newcastle or Valencia in the comedy-club stakes yet, there's no doubting that the club appears to be coming apart at the seams. They had a couple of years on top, and it looks to me like they're starting to believe their own hype, and think they can just turn up (to the match, if not training!) and collect 3 points.

The clubs coming apart at the seams? Could you explain that? Is their something about the way the club is run that at the moment which means its in demise? Maybe next year they'll be fighting for survival in la liga? The club doesnt have a big shot owner who is throwing money at them to buy players so I dont see how its falling apart.

A few years at the top? Oh ya, because clearly Barcelona have never been one of the strongest teams in Europe. That form was just clearly the one purple patch they'll ever have in their history is it?

You seriously make it sound like they are mid table team who have made it into Europe after some shrewd signings and done better than expected over the past 4 years. You know the team does have more league titles than Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and the same amount as Liverpool. They have 2 CL titles, never relegated from the league in its history, they have had more world players of the year than any other club in the world, the biggest stadium in Europe, and are the 3rd richest club in the world.

These are all little things, but there is no doubt that the pedigree is there. To say its any less of a club in comparison to any other team in the world is naive imo. Im not even going to talk about comparing it to this years crisis Valencia or Newcastle.

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

Like I said, there's no doubting their talent. It's their mentality that has them unable to catch a Real Madrid side who are catastophically off-form. The CL is papering over the cracks, in my opinion. They seriously need to bring in an iron-fisted coach to replace Rijkaard and motivate the players again.

This I agree 100% with, Frank was never ever a tactical genius, and you can only keep a team motivated for so long when you have the soft mentality as a manager. I would personally like Pellegrini, as he has experience in La Liga. I know Jose Mourinho worked for Barcelona under Robson, but I personally dont like his approach to managing with all the controversy. Lippi would be good too, but I doubt he'll do it. Laudrup is a distinct possibility also, but he is very inexperienced which may go against him.

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

As for my Spain XI - I was just chatting about this to a mate. They could field three different teams that would be capable of winning the Euros. Their biggest problem is that they dont seem to have any national pride. It'd never happen, but perhaps picking an all Basque or Catalan team for a tournament would see a more motivated performance.

Anyway, my tuppence worth:
Cassilas
Ramos-Puyol-Marchena-Arbeloa
Xavi-Fabregas
---Villa---Iniesta---Silva
Torres

Backline is a bit shakey, but Cassilas is well used to that! Villa playing as man-off, with Iniesta drifting out to the right.

I seriously doubt that fact Spain has Basques, Catalans and Castilles matters when it comes to the national team and pride.

That team will get absolutely eaten in the midfield by teams like France and Italy. The reason Spain aren't the most complete team in the world this year is because they lack a quality DMF who will be a bit of muscle behind the pansies Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas, they have Albelda, but Koemann the fool exiled him so he has no real playing time until the tournament. Imagine if that team came up the French midfield with Vieira and Makelele (actually theres no need to imagine, they lost in the wc to them), or even a midfield of Pirlo and Gatusso, they'd be eaten alive.

Oh and Silva's a good shout.

Dont be at yourself · 28-03-2008 1:05pm

eZe^, I think you're completely taking me the wrong way WRT to Barca. Of course I realise that they're not a flash-in-the-pan success and I recognise their history. I was at pains in my previous post not to liken them to Newcastle and Valencia.

Indeed, it is their long tradition of success that shows up their current dip in form all the more. Barcelona should be able to reign in a lacklustre Real Madrid side - both in terms of their tradition and in terms of their current squad.

Until Laporta and Rijkaard came in, they were in many ways in Madrid's shadow in recent times. The point I was making is that a La Liga and Champions League win seems to have erased the memories of life before then, and if they're not careful, they'll end up right back there. I think we pretty much agree on this point, and that there needs to be some serious changes to the coaching staff.

As a Liverpool fan, I wouldnt want Mourinho at my club either. It wouldn't be against type for Barca to appoint Laudrup , but I reckon it would be a pretty big gamble.

I seriously doubt that fact Spain has Basques, Catalans and Castilles matters when it comes to the national team and pride.

Yeah, I don't know. They've such a talented pool of players that there must be some reason they can't get it together. Reminds me of the Dutch team in the 1990s and early 00s - huge talent, but also huge egos and lots of rumoured in-fighting.

As you say, Albelda is not getting minutes on the field, and he's not getting any younger either. Alonso is another possibility, but he still doesnt bring that much defensive steel, and he's also struggling for form and a place in his club team. I've heard great things about Senna, but I can't say I've ever seen him play. I maintain that the above team would get the best out of their best players.

An Citeog · 28-03-2008 1:05pm

eZe^ wrote: »

A few years at the top? Oh ya, because clearly Barcelona have never been one of the strongest teams in Europe. That form was just clearly the one purple patch they'll ever have in their history is it?

You seriously make it sound like they are mid table team who have made it into Europe after some shrewd signings and done better than expected over the past 4 years. You know the team does have more league titles than Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and the same amount as Liverpool. They have 2 CL titles, never relegated from the league in its history, they have had more world players of the year than any other club in the world, the biggest stadium in Europe, and are the 3rd richest club in the world.

You forgot to mention that FC Barcelona is the only club to be involved in European club competition every year since its inception in 1955.;)

eZe^ wrote:

This I agree 100% with, Frank was never ever a tactical genius, and you can only keep a team motivated for so long when you have the soft mentality as a manager. I would personally like Pellegrini, as he has experience in La Liga. I know Jose Mourinho worked for Barcelona under Robson, but I personally dont like his approach to managing with all the controversy. Lippi would be good too, but I doubt he'll do it. Laudrup is a distinct possibility also, but he is very inexperienced which may go against him.

Laudrup is a good shout actually, he's done brilliantly with Getafe this season and just picked up where Schuster left off. Two Getafe managers to be poached by "the big 2"(tm) in 2 consecutive years.:D

The problem is that there really aren't that many top class managers available at the moment, particularly ones who'd fit in with the style of Barça. They really do seem to be missing Ten Cate though.

eZe^ wrote:

I seriously doubt that fact Spain has Basques, Catalans and Castilles matters when it comes to the national team and pride.

Imho, the Spanish national team's disjointedness is as a direct result of the animosity between the different autonomous regions of Spain. Most of these players were born in the decade after Franco's death, when Spain went through a huge amount of turmoil, military coups etc. There's no such thing as national pride in Spain (well not much anyway), it's all regional, particularly in Catalunya and the Pais Vasco. It mightn't be as bad as it was in the 70's-90's but the animosity is still there. Catalunya even has its own cup competition (the Copa Catalunya) and its own Catalan national team!

eZe^ wrote:

That team will get absolutely eaten in the midfield by teams like France and Italy. The reason Spain aren't the most complete team in the world this year is because they lack a quality DMF who will be a bit of muscle behind the pansies Iniesta, Xavi and Fabregas, they have Albelda, but Koemann the fool exiled him so he has no real playing time until the tournament. Imagine if that team came up the French midfield with Vieira and Makelele (actually theres no need to imagine, they lost in the wc to them), or even a midfield of Pirlo and Gatusso, they'd be eaten alive.

Oh and Silva's a good shout.

Ah right, back to the football so!:p I think that because of the vulnerability of the Spanish defence, they need a destroyer to protect the back 4 and allow the others to get forward and influence the game. Xavi can do that against lesser opponents, but when it comes to the crunch matches, they need someone like Senna or Albelda. Neither is top class imo (maybe Albelda but he's not playing for Valencia) but they do a job and let the others around them concentrate on the attacking.

Silva's a very good player but I'd rather have a front 3 of Iniesta, Torres and Villa. He's a great option to have on the bench though.

eZe^ · 28-03-2008 4:06pm

An Citeog wrote: »

You forgot to mention that FC Barcelona is the only club to be involved in European club competition every year since its inception in 1955.;)

Laudrup is a good shout actually, he's done brilliantly with Getafe this season and just picked up where Schuster left off. Two Getafe managers to be poached by "the big 2"(tm) in 2 consecutive years.:D

The problem is that there really aren't that many top class managers available at the moment, particularly ones who'd fit in with the style of Barça. They really do seem to be missing Ten Cate though.

Imho, the Spanish national team's disjointedness is as a direct result of the animosity between the different autonomous regions of Spain. Most of these players were born in the decade after Franco's death, when Spain went through a huge amount of turmoil, military coups etc. There's no such thing as national pride in Spain (well not much anyway), it's all regional, particularly in Catalunya and the Pais Vasco. It mightn't be as bad as it was in the 70's-90's but the animosity is still there. Catalunya even has its own cup competition (the Copa Catalunya) and its own Catalan national team!

Ah right, back to the football so!:p I think that because of the vulnerability of the Spanish defence, they need a destroyer to protect the back 4 and allow the others to get forward and influence the game. Xavi can do that against lesser opponents, but when it comes to the crunch matches, they need someone like Senna or Albelda. Neither is top class imo (maybe Albelda but he's not playing for Valencia) but they do a job and let the others around them concentrate on the attacking.

Silva's a very good player but I'd rather have a front 3 of Iniesta, Torres and Villa. He's a great option to have on the bench though.

Dunno what so say because I agree with nearly all of this. My favoured Spanish team would be;

Casillas

---Ramos---Puyol--Juanito--Capdevila/ Navarro

Xavi

Senna

Fabregas

--Villa

Iniesta----

Torres

Guiza/ Garcia could easily then come on for Torres, Silva for Iniesta , and if they wanted to switch to 4-4-2 Villa can join Torres up to and push Fab to the centre, Xavi to the right and Inista to the left.

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

eZe^, I think you're completely taking me the wrong way WRT to Barca. Of course I realise that they're not a flash-in-the-pan success and I recognise their history. I was at pains in my previous post not to liken them to Newcastle and Valencia.

Until Laporta and Rijkaard came in, they were in many ways in Madrid's shadow in recent times. The point I was making is that a La Liga and Champions League win seems to have erased the memories of life before then, and if they're not careful, they'll end up right back there. I think we pretty much agree on this point, and that there needs to be some serious changes to the coaching staff.

As you say, Albelda is not getting minutes on the field, and he's not getting any younger either. Alonso is another possibility, but he still doesnt bring that much defensive steel, and he's also struggling for form and a place in his club team. I've heard great things about Senna, but I can't say I've ever seen him play. I maintain that the above team would get the best out of their best players.

Alright, sorry man, thought you were calling them a small fish in a big pond. Its ridiculous that the players have lost their hunger alright, and they should never have the bravado attitude of already having games won before being on the field. But to say we should be worried about going back to the Gaspart era is kind of silly, teams will never dominate a league every year. It happens in cycles. I dont really know what manager Id like to see for the blaugrana, all I know is FR must leave.

Im so pissed at Koemann (even though I love him for his free kick in 1992, also his niece goes to UCC!) for exiling Albelda from the squad. He really needs playing time because Alonso has been quite lack lustre this season due to an inconsistency in playing time.

Bounty Hunter · 09-04-2008 8:20pm

after hearing that Stat again tonight 961 goals at youth level! and now at the age of 17 hes playing with the Full squad. so assuming he was still playing youth football at a young 17 and started with Barca at what 7/8years old, giving him around 9seasons at Youth level. Does that mean that he got an average of 106.77* goals per season!! if so I then wonder how many gaems that is spread amongst a year, 40/50 max meaning he scored a minimum of 2 goals a game on average for 9years straight.... HOLY FUPING SNIT!!!

but of course dunphy doesent rate him, so just like Uniteds Ronaldo i guess he will never make it.

eZe^ · 09-04-2008 9:50pm

'Played for FC Barcelona's cantera from 1999 to 2005, scoring 961 goals in seven years, breaking all previous goal scoring records held at the club's youth levels'

Mr.Nice Guy · 09-04-2008 10:21pm

Tell me I'm not the only one who found Bill O'Herlihy's attempt tonight to pronounce Bojan's full name absolutely hilarious?!

"Tonight Barcelona pinned their hopes on young 17 year old Bojan...(look of utter bewilderment) Kra...Krakcic?" (begins laughing uncontrollably)

Brilliant stuff. I really hope someone Youtubes it!

lordgoat · 09-04-2008 10:25pm

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Tell me I'm not the only one who found Bill O'Herlihy's attempt tonight to pronounce Bojan's full name absolutely hilarious?!

"Tonight Barcelona pinned their hopes on young 17 year old Bojan...(look of utter bewilderment) Kra...Krakcic?" (begins laughing uncontrollably)

Brilliant stuff. I really hope someone Youtubes it!

Ya that made me laugh too, got to love Bill though.

Bojan Krkic

Comments