On Vacation
By: Isaiah | March 18th, 2009
So, it’s Wednesday and some of you are probably jonesing pretty hard for your latest Barça Offside fix. Well, the heroin drugs are on their way, sort of. There will be a small service interruption between now and whenever Kevin gets the preview up because I’m headed off to Kansas to visit the extended family.
That is the official reason for going, of course, but the unofficial reason for not doing a preview is this little thing called March Madness. It is my yearly religious experience and I skip everything in order to enjoy it. That includes one weekend of Barcelona and usually work, too. My flights are even arranged so that I get to my destination in time to see most of the first games.
Now I don’t think the Shot from Blue Heaven (above) will happen again this year, but I do fly through Memphis on my way to Kansas, so perhaps I’ll yell Rock Chalk Jayhawk a couple of times in the airport and get my ass kicked. What could be more fun?
So no Barça for me for a few days. If that’s too painful for you, feel free to fill out a bracket of a different kind. Voting has already started!
Category: Nonsense
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Comments
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I think Cesc Fabregas could easily replace Xavi, but can’t think of anyone else at the moment.
Posted from
United States
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ok, i did say “every other player is replaceable”, what i meant was “every other player is MORE replaceable”
that is why i said Messi and Iniesta rank higher in my Indispensability list. Not that they are the only indispensible players on the squad, but imo, the most. Why? youth plays a huge role. because letting them go doesnt mean losing 1 plaer right now, it means losing part of the future. Puyol and Xavi are great, no doubt, but they have expiration dates.
In the whole Xavi vs. Iniesta thing, again, Xavi is alot better than him, in most things (not all), but it came with alot of experience, experience that Iniesta is going to get.
as for Puyol, Pique is tearing it up, i have alot of confidence in Caceres’s development, and i hear Henrique aint doing to shaby.
EVEVYONE is replaceable, even iniesta and messi, i just think out of the pack, they are the least replaceable. and again, everyone has different critera, and in my rubric youth is playing a big part, or atleast the fact that they are SO talented at such a young age.
As far as Ronaldinho. ( i KNOW you will disagree with me here) He wasnt replaceable. We changed our system because of his departure. Our formation? no, but how we use it? yes. To this day i have not seen anyone do what he did for us during 2005-2008. Not here, not anywhere. Not Kaka, not CRonaldo. I see glimpses in Messi, but he is far, and he is a different player.
Posted from
United States -
oh, yeah… in all of that i meant that yeah, Iniesta could replace Xavi. Not exaclty as well as Xavi does (not yet), but Iniesta can take that role.
Posted from
United States -
who is messi replaceable by? gai?
Posted from
United States -
Player – Replaceable by:
Valdes – Cech (or Anyone)
Alves – Sergio Ramos
Marquez – Terry
Puyol – Lucio
Abidal – Rafael (from ManU) or Santon (Inter)
Yaya – Mascherano
Ketia – Cambiasso
Guddy – Xabi Alonso
Xavi – Fabregas
Henry – Arshavin
Eto’o – Villai put 11 players there, without including messi and iniesta, and who they could be replaced with. Im not advocating switching everyone, or that if we used these 11, they would do just as good. im just saying if one person left, there are others we can buy, and move on with.
Posted from
United States -
jordi, messi could be “replaced”, but obviously his “replacement” would be lacking in some form. its like putting a substitute in. They are there to fill the role, but its not going to be exactly the same.
Who can “replace” messi: Cronaldo (
), Ribery, Quaresma, Gio, Pedro!, Walcott, Arshavin, Sean Wright Phillips, David Beckham (lol), etc. etc.Posted from
United States -
wow, where is Isaiah, and why did this debate have to start when everyone is asleep.
i am about to go to sleep, but somethings that i would love to debate about..
1) the current topic of who is most indispensible/ irreplaceable on our team
2) Pato vs. Vela vs. Bojan (i would actually rate them in that order)
3) the Torres v Villa, and Ribery v Silva debates seem to generate great content…
4) Original Triolgy vs. Prequal trilogy. (call me a naive, young, stupid boy, but i like the Prequal triolgy better!, oh and i hate Ewoks and Luke)
5) Why anyone thinks that Lampard and Joe Cole are good players… (yeah im looking at you Chelsea and English National Team!)Posted from
United States -
Puyol – Lucio
Abidal >Rafael (from ManU) or Santon (Inter)
Yaya < Mascherano
Ketia >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fabregas
Henry >>>>>> Arshavin
Eto’o – VillaPosted from
Germany -
Eh…Forgot Lucio…
He WAZZ good. But now? If we still have Oliguer AI would think of it, but Puyol? Forget it.
Posted from
Germany -
I meant:
Xavi>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fabregas (Who is not even better than next year Busquets)Posted from
Germany -
Thats the mess I cause if I start my pc before my morning Coffee…Ok… My answers for Jason test:
1) The most irreplaceable player is Messi. Forget about the theoretical, this guy is Unique. Not only he is the best performer in the world today, but also he makes everyone around perform better. Simply there is no one in the world he can offer that. What puts him over Xavi is that Xavi with all his perfection cant carry the game on his shoulders. And the best part about Messi is that he is young and improving game by game. The only player in the world who can replace Xavi is Iniesta, the other names are just Hype, it goes like snow ball we feel they are better everyday because we don’t have them, and more when they are not playing so our fantasies fool us. Only Iniesta can take Xavi role. Period.
Yet Iniesta is another player i will have a heart attack if he leaves. And valdes! Who else can we blame all the time if he goes?
2) Vela didn’t play enough yet on the highest Level. With youth, it depend on the opportunity they get with their club. Do you know about De santo in Chelsea? If there is a young striker I would like to have, thats him. But he is not even known yet, why? Because its Chelsea…you know… Another name is pelucci (Spelling), he played for Milan last season, showed potentials, before they got a younger striker called Sheva…How stupid! The proven ones are Pato and Bojan, And certainly at the moment Pato has a clear edge. But I am not surprised you have Vela there, he is a big talent. Di rossi, is another name. While if we are rating youth guys regardless of positions, there are others:Giovinco(performing great on LW recently), Walcott, Santon…..
3) Torres Villa, already made my 5 cents. Ribery Vs Silva, there are other options that I put ahead of both.
4)hm…Is it boring to say I am not a Star war fan?
5) Lampard is good for his team, his stats prove it. Cole techniques are out of this world, on Premier league standards. But you know what than means, right? Players in the premier league always look much better than they are for real, All players! So be careful when you include any of them on a Barcelona wish list;)
Out of all Premier league outfield players, the players who can add something to Barcelona are Torres, Mascerano, Essien, Vidic and, yes, Tevez.
The rest, we have better.
Posted from
Germany -
regarding our frontline next year there 3 major possibility:
1)eto stay and renew:
and barca will buy a tall old big cf like crespo,cruz,… and one of a or b or c options:a)pure wing:ribery,silva,mancini,malouda(lol),valencia,nani,nasri,ashly young,ben arfa,guardado,capel,di maria,reyes,…
b)left wing/striker:tevez,aguero,persie,babel,kalou,podolski,lavezzi,vucinic,mata,higuan(just kidding),arshavin,…
c)we dont buy the old cf guy,loan bojan,and buy young developing tall cf (and move henry and iniesta to left) like:negredo,llorente,kerrison,…
2)eto stay but will not renew:in this case i am pretty sure that barca have an agreement with lyon to buy benzema after world cup ,so barca will buy one of the a or b options of 1
3)eto will leave:
barca will buy a direct replacement for eto (probably villa) and then just follow the 1 and choose one of a or b or c options…make your choice barca board…
Posted from
United States -
I’d love to have Tevez at Barcelona. He’s a good team player and his passing is excellent.
He connects very well with Messi and I’m pretty sure those two + Alves + Xavi would play some amazingly sexy football.
Now just imagine Villa, Tevez, Messi, and Ribery as our attacking force. Oooohhh my..
Posted from
United States -
we play bayern
Posted from
Kuwait -
And if Barca goes through, we play against either Liverpool or Chelsea in the semi finals.
Posted from
United States -
and in both the quarters and semis(if we make it), we play home first. Bayern are at the level of Lyon, we should be able to beat them. In the semis I would prefer Chelsea, cause playing liverpool in the second leg at their home is hard.
Posted from
Kuwait -
This is quite a tough draw for us, isn’t it?
Bayern Munich trashed Sporting 12-1 so they are not a team you should underestimate. After that it will be either Liverpool or Chelsea, in both quarter and semi-final we have home-advantage first which actually is a disadvantage.
In the finals, ManUtd will most-likely be the team to beat as they have by far the easiest way to the final.In my opinion the road to winning the CL this season is going to be harder than ever before, so we will need Puyol and Abidal back, keep our good shape AND have a bit of luck on our side.
Posted from
Germany -
Yeah it wouldn’t be good to play there after Madrid’s performance at Anfield.. It’s still hard to play there but it’s even harder now.
Also, Chelsea’s midfield is weak compared to Liverpool’s, and that’s an advantage for us.
Unfortunately, I doubt Chelsea will win that tie.
Posted from
United States -
I wouldnt take bayern’s 12-1 win seriously, and Im aware that playing home first is a disadvantage..
And I think Chelsea will beat Liverpool. When these 2 sides meet, its always the team that plays home first that loses. Chelsea have a better squad than Liverpool, and hiddink will not be tactically outfought easily.
Posted from
Kuwait -
Oh dear, not a very good draw for us. Not the worst possible draw but we play the 1st leg in both the quarters and the semis at home, which is not good. Definitely a disadvantage. We avoid utd which is good. They got really lucky with the draws. The toughest team they play on the way to the final is arsenal, so if we do make it to the final we should expect to play against Utd. Would be the perfect final. If we get there…..
Posted from
United Kingdom -
^^^ WHEN we get there.
Posted from
Trinidad And Tobago -
Interesting draw with Klose likely hurt and some tension between the team and Klinsman at Bayern. Bayern will come out to play so at least the matches should be entertaining. I think Liverpool – Cheslsea is essentially a coin flip. ManU could not have gotten an easier road to the final, I hope Villareal take out Aresenal and ManU, although beating ManU in a final would be the sweetest plum.
And Jason you’re crazy, the original trilogy is sacred, the prequels were crap from the first moment Jar-Jar opened his mouth.
Posted from
United States -
Yes, indeed…..WHEN we get there!
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Well, as far as the draw:
Villareal vs. Arsenal: I think they are pretty even, although i am pulling for Villareal for two reasons. La Liga > the Prem. and two, because in all (4) their competitive matches, Man U has NEVER scored on Villareal. Villareal hasnt scored on them either, but still, it means Pellegrini knows how to play them, and if they make it to Penalties, id be Happy.
Manchester United vs. Porto
As you can tell by my previous paragrapgh, im already giving this one to ManU. dont get me wrong, i’d love if Porto won, but, im going with logic on this one.
Liverpool vs. Chelsea
Liverpool are a better team, but in a rivalry like this it is, like someone mentioned, a coin-flip. Plus the Hiddink factor is sure to count for something. I’m pullying for chelsea because We will own them. They have no wingers which will free up Alves, and leave them to attempt to attack Toure, Puyol and Marquez/Pique. I’d go with marquez simply because Drogba and Anelka are bigger than they are faster.
FC Barcelona v. Bayern Munich
Bayern is deffinitely going to win. j/k. They are just not at the same level as us, and if we can properly control Toni during set pieces, that will be for the best, because it is a concern for us. Also, Alves will have to stay home some to keep Ribery in check. Maybe we should put Pique on the Left CB position because he is big, but not slow. Anyways, im already looking toward the “Chelsea/Liverpool” game.
Posted from
United States -
[i]test[/i]
Posted from
United States
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