Comments on: Farewell, R10, it’s been a good run (well, not fully)

By: cuzalamontedemoiesera

cuzalamontedemoiesera — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:54:29 +0000

interesting view pionts people, and yess, that is my real name minus the cuza( i didnt want to show my first name)

By: BA

BA — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:43 +0000

if i could have Barça sign any one other player this summer, it would be Arshavin. he’s got outstanding technical skill, tremendous pace, versatility, strong motivation and an extra bit of cheekiness that can earn goals even when they maybe shouldn’t have come. his ability to dribble through defenders and make runs to the touchline means that between him and Messi (the true master at that particular art) pulling opposing teams’ entire back lines to themselves, we could hire a janitor to stand in the middle and finish.

Drogba’s dressing room attitude and outward petulance almost automatically disqualifies him in my book. we’ve had enough giant-egoed players over the past few years for me, and all of the new signings seem not just properly motivated but genuinely enthusiastic about the club. why risk spoiling that with a crybaby and attention whore like Drogba, even if he scores 25 goals a season?

Huntelaar might be a good long-term prospect, but frankly the differences between the Dutch and Spanish leagues make me a little wary as to his ability to effectively play our style.

Berbatov is a better striker than a lot of people give him credit for, but if we DO end up signing a winger, i can’t find a place for a player like Berbatov in the squad. it seems to me that it is either a central striker OR a winger, and at this point i’d take the winger; particularly if it is Arshavin.

By: Ciaran

Ciaran — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:08:27 +0000

For those of you who don’t know all of the players mentioned above he’s a good clip of each of them. Make your own minds up about who are your personal favourites

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IIRxxurh0xg
Arshavin

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8u18EGUw0jE
Thiago Neves

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_qWkWBOdkFE
Berbatov

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mIIGScglFCE
Huntelaar

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PaQpGUpe4G4
Drogba

By: Ciaran

Ciaran — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:45:51 +0000

We need both…
For the left wing spot either Arshavin or Thiago Neves
Arshavin is a perfect fit for the squad. Technically he is definitely up to our standard. Two footed, has plenty of pace and scores around 1 in 4/5 matches consistently. He may not be very big but as a winger he should be the one putting in the crosses. A front three of Arshavin, Henry and Messi has bags of pace – we could even break quickly every now and then.
Thiago Neves would be a different signing. He would be bought to add depth to the squad and be a more long-term signing. He has a lot of potential and is more of a roaming forward than an out-and-out winger. He scores more goals than most wingers and is bigger than Arshavin or Messi on the other wing. One potential short-term problem is another club v country olympics row if he arrives.
For the striker we should only have three realistic options… Berbatov, Huntelaar and Drogba.
Berbatov is big, good in the air, technically the best of the three and although he may not be as consistent as the other two, he normally scores in the big matches. His first touch, passing and creativity could be very successful in La Liga, like Fredi Kanoute. We would also be in the unfamiliar situation in that we would have the upperhand in negotiations. Spurs would presumably accept a lower bid from us than from Man Utd.
Huntelaar is younger and would cost around the same. He is a goal machine in Holland but is not as dominant in the air as the other two. Long-term he is a very good option.
Drogba would definitely be a short-term option as a 31yr old. He would do the job though. He scores goals in big matches and is a physically powerful striker that could get us through the harder matches, at home and in Europe. He would certainly create problems for the English defenses that we have struggled with in recent seasons but he was injury prone last season.
I’ll be happy with either winger or any of the forwards to replace Eto’o so long as we aren’t bent over for a transfer fee.

On another note, Txiki and Laporta should try to find a compromise than we could have Messi for the second leg of the Champions League qualifier if we need him but we have to think long term and make sure Messi is kept very happy. I know the qualifier is important but the other players should have no problem getting through the team it comes up against without him.

By: Mat

Mat — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:30:05 +0000

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YyqrToMIojo

here is a link abt Berbatov…look at 50 sec mark…is this not the aerial threat we want from a No.9…if we have to put long balls…. and then look at the control of the ball and execution at 1 min mark! ..second was relatively easy….

By: IceMel

IceMel — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:15:05 +0000

As exciting as Robinho would be on the left, pairing with Bojan and Messi would create the shortest front line in the world…and I’m really tired of no aerial threat.
Berbatov has height…what about air skills?..anybody know?
In fact be he left winger of central striker I think an aerialist should be “mega-signing” priority

By: Kxevin

Kxevin — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:54:36 +0000

Now it seems that people are admitting that the Eto’o thing was “just a visit,” and that there probably isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that he will be signing anything, not even a hotel bill, in Uzbekistan.

Imagine that.

Robinho is not going to be cheap. If he’s our mega-signing….I dunno ’bout that one. He’s been there too long to come directly here, I say.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:02:15 +0000

Like Kxevin said, players attitudes can go funky in an instant, but so far Hleb is looking good. Love hearing this type of stuff from a player.

By: Larm

Larm — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:45:25 +0000

Getting Robinho wouldnt be a such a bad thing considering he likes playing on the left wing, and we have no natural left-wingers. That frees up Henry, Bojan and Eto’o to play the #9 spot, and Messi loves the right side, so i think it couldt work out.

By: Bobby G.

Bobby G. — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:29:44 +0000

The Uzbeks want Eto’o? Why — did Borat turn them down?

I gotta say, I was skeptical about Hleb, but if we did say that he was prepared to play in any position, including goal, then he gets high marks for having the right attitude. Fewer prima donnas, more team players — that’s what we need.