Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino wants and is hoping that the club signs a new central defender but feels no urgency right now.
The new coach believes he has a number of players capable of defending the fort with real guarantees, and the possibility of having a fully recovered Carles Puyol back within a month, reassures him further.
Given these expectations, and fully informed by what Chelsea are asking for David Luiz and what Liverpool are expecting for Daniel Agger, Barca want to play their cards right.
The coach himself said in Thailand that none of the club’s objectives, i.e., neither the Brazilian nor the Dane, fulfill the main requirement to play in the Catalan club: the ability to defend and attack with the ball 40 metres up the pitch.
Reports and videos examined by the club have shown excellent classical central defensive formation, i.e., just outside the 18-yard box and a system that has little to do with the style of Barca.
The question that the club scouts along with Andoni Zubizarreta and Tata Martino are asking is whether these players will offer the same kind of performance with a defense that is pushed up field like that of Barca’s.
That is why Luiz and Agger have been singled out, with the consent of Tata along with a price that the club considers fair for a player who has yet to prove his adaptation at the Catalan giants. This is a valid point because not all players can make the cut for Barca’s first eleven.
The coach prefers not to take risks beyond any reasonable investment. Martino agrees that there is nobody available for the role of central defender this season that will integrate quickly and effectively into the Barca defense.
For the Argentine coach, the prospect of having Captain Carles puyol back in the side agrees with him much more than the prospect of shelling out 50M euros or more for David Luiz, for example. Martino also knows that, in case things get complicated, the winter transfer window is not too far away.
Martino’s message therefore, gives absolute confidence to the current squad and to players like Pique, Mascherano, Bartra and Bagnack, who are essentially the backbone of the team.
It appears that the new Barca coach has a lot of common sense, something for which the club should be grateful.
Do you think Martino’s right in waiting for Carles Puyol, or should Barca sign Luiz or Agger at any cost without any guarantees they will fit in with Barca’s style of play?
I would still buy a cb, All our cb except Bartra are Injury Prone… There are many other players that can fill that void, there is no need to spend big agree. But Players like inigo Martinez, Mangala, Sakho, Rami all fit the profile, and may not cost much
pls try buy defender at least one centere defense bcoz carle puyol is oldplyer pls and pls
One thing I like is that the confidence of our new coach ! Martino is a super tactitian no doubt in that but I also feel doubtful about the recent performance of pique and mascherano at the back. They fell like hell against the world class strikers and counter attacking teams. So an improvement at the back and Goal Keeping is essential if they need to win CL !! I prefer La liga defenders like Rami ! Why take risks ? They can easily win the league and CL if they have a great defense. Because Messi, Neymar ,Iniesta is a dangerous combination that can score against any team.
To my own suggestion, pls we need to add atleast a central defender, is not necessarily to be david luiz or daniel agger. D season is so long for us to risk the likes of Mancherano,puyol and bartra because they are injury prone players. Pls we shouldn’t take gamble… Thank you!
we need a defender because that was de main reason we failed in Europe, Tata please help us
Satiago vergini should be signed not only as a backup but to give Gerrard Pique a cause to be serious at the back defending than thinking of running off front all the time to score goals which are not coming. Look critically at the past season Pique with due respect are one of the high class defenders if not only, that can be dribbled on one to one situation with attackers. Plse Tata buy Vergini to strengthen our defen,ce.
Tata, no disrespect if you’ve decided to wait for Carlos puyol but Barcelona needs a central defender. If you want to win any thing this season David Luis or Agger cus they worth 50m. with one of these guys barca will be unstoppable with Messi, Neymar, iniesta and Xavi
people in the world, everybody knows that Barcelona need central defender and right full back in the squad because Dani Alves has converted himself as winger so Martino just wanted to rubbish his carrier at Barcelona if he fail to buy at list one central defender
Pls we need a defender….just lokk @ wot happen against inter milan, chelsea and baryan munich in d past yrs,,,,,defenders eror,,,dats our probs…
am beginning to think that tata is another idiot who wants to please his masters by telling us that barca does not need a central defender when frailties in our defense where seen against very weak opponents we played in pre-season matches.And one thing i fail to understand is why the idiot rosell keeps on looking for defenders who can attack and not defend.Though we all agree that keeping possession is a good thing,but having 70% possession and losing 7-0 is really embarrassing hence the need to buy atleast one good centerback.because it will be a lie to say there are no centerbacks in smaller clubs such as porto or ajax etc that can fit the bill at camp nou,because all the defenders barca is quoting now came from smaller clubs.(eg luiz from benfica).Another question i want to ask is why did rosell offload Abidal who happen to be younger than puyol and better than alba to leave before he signed a center back?i guess the answer is that because his black and not spanish.Just like alot of spanish fans blame alves for the lapses in defense than they blame alba and pique who are totally useless.offload alves and you will see how barca will suffer because montoya will never be good we can bet on that ,maybe patric gabarron.
In business, if the other party knows you are in desperate need of his commodity he may over charge. Its normal. We wouldnt have gotten to this tight end if we hadnt been penny wise pound foolish last season by stalling in signing Thiago Silva till PSG signed him and we settled for Song cos we felt he was utility enough as a DM and CB combined.
We are about to repeat the same mistake now. I know Rosell is a Financial economist but tacticality prevails in this case. A CB is evidently a neccesity and the cost of another 7-1 defeat is more than £50 M . Daniel Agger and David Luiz are presently two of the best few defenders in the world. They are skilled in positioning and cutting off aerial threat. They are decisive, blessed with speed and insight. They both play in the most competitive league: EPL. And Luiz particularly plays for an Attack prone Brazilian side. Everyone knows after the Spanish national team the country to beat is Brazil and judging by the way Luiz crushed Spain’s hopes at the Confederations Cup its obvious the kid is cut out for the job. With the way Neymar has been fitting in at Barca its pure logic that Luiz will adapt perfectly.
On the economic level of analysis its obvious that Barcelona’s Board has got it wrong. Why release Abidal? Considering the fact that he is the captain of is Monaco sode and has even been called up for national assignment Barca board goofed on that CB case. Also why not sign the likes of Adil Rami or Inigo Martinez who are versed in Tikitaka? Why not sign Vergini on free transfer, as he has Biesla’s blueprint in his head. Its open fact that Cryuff’s Total Football ideology shares Bielsismic elements such as high pressing, ball retention technique etc. Wenger the notorious Economist would never have let this kind of opportunity slip. Futhermore why not sign Hummels?
It could be argued that maybe Tata feels the problem of our defense is not the personnels but the technigue and strategies. Therefore if he trains them their performance at defence may improve once they ‘ve acquired the needed technical know how. But argueably, looking at the injury proned players, the make shift defensive midfielders cum defence, the inadequate discipline at the back, the need for rotation in the face of the current high pressing and attacking game, and the inexperience of the newly promoted Barca B defenders, commonsense dictates that the inclusion of a seasoned CB will never be a waste. It will instill fear on the opposition and promote in-house competition at the defense just as the purchase of Neymar has done at the offense.
Conclusively, i restate the obvious fact, that signing a defender is crucial to Barca’s success this season as virtually every team now knows the defense is their Acheles hills. They seem more comfortable forming a defensive wall and counter-attacking. Also, there will be no economic or logical explanation for failing to purchase a defender this season. Dont be suprised if by winter transfer the price for defenders shoots up skyrocketingly when Barca shows up again.
My onw conern is barca defence 2 strenghten so I want matino 2 do his home work very ok
Barca should nt buy another diffence they should wait 4 puyor till the time he we recover.
Pls try to buy centre back player time is going pls, haryinde harpholaby kenny, luiz or hummel,agger,kompany.
My advice to barcelona is to make a hay while the sun shines..