Are Alexis, Alves, Cesc and Villa marked men?
The majority of fans are usually right when it comes to footballing matters. And if crowd reaction was anything to go by judging by the past two semi final legs of the Champions League and in recent games, the Barca board should be taking notes on how the Camp Nou feel about certain issues with the club.
If we listen to the audiometer at the stadium and take into account the individual and collective performance of the Barca team, there would be a number of players that would be called into question. This is the case of Cesc Fabregas, who was heckled by the crowd against Bayern Munich (not the first time), Alexis Sanchez, who continues to spark rumours of disapproval, Dani Alves, who’s been irregular all season, and David Villa, who wants more playing time.
From inside the dressing-room, a critical voice has also been raised. It was one of their leaders and one of the players who spoke without mincing his words: Gerard Pique. The Catalan repeated in various interviews on Wednesday that the team had to be overhauled. “The people in charge of bringing in new players should make decisions,” said the defender who acknowledged that the club was no longer the best in the world.
He was not the only one. Coach Tito Vilanova, albeit more moderate than Pique, agreed: “It is obvious that we club has to be strengthened, we have to do it every year, but it’s not about changing a lot or even burning everything”, said the coach. But one thing is clear, Barca must first let those go that do not enter into its future plans.
Cesc in the eye of the hurricane
One player that the public focused much of the criticism on during the match against Bayern was Cesc Fabregas. The midfielder could hear the whistles of most of the fans, who were voicing their anger for his performance this season, which has been far from good.
Cesc started the year well and made the first eleven. He was a favorite of Vilanova and had to displace Iniesta to the left to make way for him. He even allowed Cesc to play center forward when Messi wasn’t available.
The midfielder also showed his discontent. “I’m not doing what people are saying and writing about me. Only I know my future, ” he acknowledged to Radio Cope after the Bayern match. Shortly before Cesc recognized the need for the Barca board to make important decisions so that next season the team doesn’t end up in the same situation: “You should always take them (decisions) when you win and when you lose. We all need to take a step forward and improve, “he acknowledged.
Keep in mind that the four players pointed out by the fans have cost the Catalan club €150 million euros (Cesc 40M, Alexis 38M, Villa 40M and Alves 32M), and Barcelona would seek to recover much of the money invested. The club wants to overhaul the squad but will not do it drastically.
Fab should be given more game time playing on his rightful position that Xavi occupies, fab was brought in to replace xav who is now old and slows the attack of the team
There was once a match where iniesta and fab started and they both had assists and you could see the quickness in attack, something we dont see when xavi is around
Come on we its there and we know it our slow build ups create room for defenders to settle, of cause defenders from small clubs may panic but defenders from big clubs will not the bayern tie speaks and look at the way bayern attacked they never gave barca the time to settle at the back
Barca should sign players who can continously evolve in a single match
There is a time to e quick and a time to slow down
xavi is great but lets not hide it now xavi is only concerned about the perfection of his small yard passess and not the attack of the team, fab is good at realising the ball forward and is also able to make those small passess
just look at pirlo , lamps , schwein they can just switch the ball from the left to the right vice versa , with one touch lamps unleashes the ball to hazard who would be at the attacking wing
Fab is not the problem untill he has failed to shine on his correct position playing consistently, just like song
They must be used in their true place more often
If we dont give thiago, fab , do santos more game time in that position xavi plays, we shall panick when he gets injured.
Just like what happened with puyol our refusal to find a replacement for puyol in time has caused all this disgracefullness and now we want to sell fab so that xavi continues to play week in week out knowing he doesnt have to sit down for anyone and yet we all know that he is old and if he gets injured he will not return soon
If fab is sold then we will all know that barca are not preparing for the future
THE EXPENDABLE AVENGER HAS SAID IT
Fc BarceLona rebuilding project, Tito’s team have played in four competitions this season and look set to win only one (La Liga) The players used in central defence: Abidal, Adriano, Bartra, Busquets, Mascherano, Pique, Puyol and Song, Total defeats this term: |7| three against Madrid; two versus Bayern; one at Celtic, Real Sociedad and AC Milan. |11| Barca’s points advantage over Madrid with five games remaining in La Liga
13 Consecutive games without a clean sheet before the 2-0 win at home to Deportivo in March And the defence was exposed again on Wednesday. Arjen Robben was allowed time and space to attack down the right for the first goal, Gerard Pique sliced the second horribly into his own net as he attempted to clear and Thomas Muller climbed above Marc Bartra and Adriano to head the third after Franck Ribery had raced past Alex Song as if he had not been there. It was men against boys.
Song had sat out the first match as poor Bartra was left exposed at the Allianz Arena. Early in the season, however, Barca seemed not to trust Bartra when many of their first-choice defenders were out. Given a longer run in the team, he may have been better equipped to cope with a side like Bayern, although his fragile frame meant he was perhaps not the ideal candidate for such a physical battle. In any case, bringing him in for these two games without proper preparation was as unfair as it was inexplicable.
Song is not the solution either. Signed as cover for midfield and defence, the Cameroonian has been unable to make his mark in either position. While he has produced some promising performances in midfield, he rarely looks comfortable in defence and, on Wednesday, Barca were staring at a man who could have solved all of those problems dating back to the summer: Javi Martinez.
The Basque midfielder was excellentin defence last season for Athletic Bilbao and could genuinely operate in either position. He was also keen on a move to Barca but was ultimately deemed too expensive at €40 million. What price for a top-class centre-back now? Barca have said they will sign four or five players this summer. A central defender must be top of that list.
The two games against Jupp Heynckes’side also highlighted the Catalans’weaknesses in the full-back positions. Dani Alves and Jordi Alba are excellent in attack, but both were terribly exposed by Bayern and now may be the time for Barca to consider a move for a disciplined defender out wide. When this team played with Eric Abidal on the left and Alves attacked, the Frenchman slotted in as a third centre-back and gave balance to the side. Barca now need something similar.
“Some decisions need to be made in the summer,”Pique commented on Wednesday. Swimming solo against the tide, the Catalan defender has been unable to cope at times this term, although he must also assess his own contribution. Beaten for pace, in one-on-one situations, lacking concentration and clumsily slicing into his own net against Bayern, Pique has looked off colour in 2012-13, lacking the leadership of Puyol and struggling to take authority himself. With Alba and Alves spending most of their time up the other end of the pitch, however, he has been left isolated – and often without a specialist partner at the back.
Another transfer target must be a forward to provide an alternative to Messi, be it a winger, a centre-forward or even both. Alexis Sanchez has showcased his abilities and attributes against only the smaller sides this term, while David Villa looks like a player on the way down, Cesc Fabregas really wants to be playing in midfield and Cristian Tello,the one man who has ignited the Barca attack with his pace and goals this season, did not play a single minute of either game against Bayern. Pedro, meanwhile, has looked like a world-class forward at times this term – when he has pulled on a Spain shirt. And then there’s Tito. Hailed by some as the tactical genius behind the partnership with Pep, he failed to come up with a proper plan without Messi for the second leg against PSG, produced not one variation for the tough trip to Bayern and was unable to react to the disaster unfolding before his eyes as he made his first change at 3-0 down – and with 83 minutes on the clock. Without Messi, there were no miracle solutions on Wednesday either. Although not without fault, Guardiola always had a tactical variant up his sleeve for the biggest match. Tito does not seem to.
Barca’s players struggled in Vilanova’s absence during cancer treatment in New York, but his return at the end of March was expected to see the team back to their breathtaking best. It simply has not happened and question marks remain over his suitability for the job.Tito is popular with the players, but appears to lack the presence, the tactical nous and the character to lead this team on his own. His health problems persist and will be a concern ahead of the coming campaign, as Barca will hope to avoid a repeat of this term when, essentially, they were without a top-class coach for several months of the season.
“Tito is winning all of the comparisons with Guardiola,”club spokesman Toni Freixa claimed in an interview just two weeks ago. An unnecessary and unbelievable thing to say at the time, such a statement seems even more arrogant, absurd and frankly false now: Pep never lost once by three goals in 247 games as Barca coach, let alone 7-0 in a two-legged tie.
Celebrated Catalan chef Ferran Adria told dpa in an interview last week that he had dined with Guardiola and that the main difference between Barca and Bayern right now was”motivation” — and Pep had alluded to being concerned at his players losing their hunger in his last season at Camp Nou. Now they need it back.
The transition to Tito was supposed to stop Barca pining for Pep. It hasn’t.Guardiol -a now heads to Bayern, the strongest side around at the moment, while the Catalans look to rebuild and repair the gaping holes which have appeared this term, with a coach still recovering from a life-threatenin -g illness, a team full of out-of-sorts and fatigued footballers and a bumbling board.
Sandro Rosell’s stewardship has seemed more about discrediting old foe Joan Laporta and the previous regime than extending the club’s glorious era. Upon assuming the presidency in 2010, Rosell stripped club legend Johan Cruyff of his title of honorary president and so started a rocky relationship with Guardiola. It never healed.
I don’t know what Pique is referring to – you will have to ask him. In any case, decisions are made at the end of the season
– Sandro Rosell
While Rosell’s team have eased debts with a shrewd spending policy,the needs of the team were not adequately addressed last summer and the president’s pursuit of Neymar is more about marketing and shirt sales than a pertinent plan to boost Barca’s attack. Freixa’s recent comments have done nothing to aid the board’s credibility, either.
“The scoreline doesn’t reflect the reality, the difference between the two teams.”Rosell said after the Bayern elimination on Wednesday, while he claimed he had no idea what Pique was referring to in terms of the decisions which need to be taken in the summer.”I don’t know what he means; you will have to ask him. In any case, decisions are made at the end of the season and this one still hasn’t finished. We have to support the team.”
That time will soon come. Big changes are now necessary, as well as strong self-assessment -from the board, Tito and the players. As one Catalan columnist put it on Thursday:”Refre -sh or Die!”Eras end, but cycles can continue; the 7-0 aggregate loss to Bayern is either a colossal crack in a crumbling empire, or just one disastrous defeat in this group’s glorious governance. Just how it will be seen in the future depends on one thing: how Barcelona react. Barca should sign 8 good players this summer or More and the names i think they should sign are, Hummels Gundogan Neymar Inigo-martinez Aguero walker Handanovic and Marcelo from PSV he plays side back and center defence, he is very tall,humble and brilliant in the air. The starting eleven for next season should be, Goalkeeper handanovic, Defenders Walker pique Hummels and alba. Midfielders Busquets Mascherano|Gund -ogan and Iniesta, Attackers Neymar Messi and Aguero..’ DeuLofeu,Munisa -and Sergi-Roberto will be needed next season too because of the sale of Fabregas,Alexis -David villa and Victor vaLdes. Honestly i think barcelona should go for a new coach because Tito Titi-taka tatics is no good compare to other teams. They should sign Laudrup from Swansea he has had a wonderful job over there and won the carling-cup in his first season in charge, he was an Ex-barca player so he understands the tiki-taka tatics although he would apply he’s own method which would benefit players like neymar,Aguero and HummeLs because tiki-taka is going nowhere. And the Likes of Alves pairing alba will stop once next season starts because we cant afford to keep attacking but cant defend. Dats ma Thought!!!Tell me urs,Thanks
I want to know if the comments are read by the barcelona board members
if fcbarca didn’t sign Lewandowski.it means Tito is not capable of holding Fc barcas managerial hot seat. Because somebody who score a hard four in C L semi final against our hated rivals Real Madrid in market and up to now fc barca didn’t step in is a shame. Fc barca must sign Lewandowski and Neymar together amd sell all our attack. that is Pedro.Sanchez and Villa..Because signing only Neymar in attack will not be sufficient for Rosell to win election.
Alves! I’m not sure if he should be on that list. Yes he may not be perfect at defending but his determination and work rate is just like Puyol. You have forgotten that assist to Messi’s goal against PSG in Paris. What did Iniesta, Xavi and Tito contribute in the PSG and Bayern games?
What about Iniesta and Xabi. Did they perform better than Alves in the quaters and semis? Alves had a briliant pass to Messi in Paris against PSG. Alves may not be good at defending but few in Barca are better than him as a winger.