Nous from the Camp
By: Isaiah | May 5th, 2008Another week, another crucial injury, another rumor, another mega signing on the way. It’s just humdrum life at FC Barcelona, eh?
First the real news and then the speculation: Gabi Milito has suffered an ACL tear that will require surgery and will put him on the sideline for around 6 months. The injury occurred during the Manchester United match a week ago, but, oddly enough, didn’t cause him to stop playing at the time as it usually does. After the match he got examined by the doctors and they found that he was busted. Crap. That probably means we’ll have to go in a different direction with our transfer policy because we can now no longer focus on the midfield and one defensive position. Rather, we’ll have another two new defenders, which will put our team in the same awkward situation of trying to gel that they were in throughout this year. Hopefully no other disasters befall our team during the next few months (in the league or in Euro2008).Now, on to the rumors: According to both Sport and EMD, quoting TV3, Pep Guardiola will be the manager next year. This is interesting news, if true, and is certainly the direction I’d like to go if (and only if) Frank Rijkaard steps down or is fired. If I were Frankie, I would be out of there because he can no longer do anything correctly by the fans or the board. And while I think he’s eating the bullets that should be aimed at the board, that is the life of a manager at a high-pressure club. It’s unfortunate and I’d like to see him get another year, along with Deco, Ronaldinho, and anyone else who is (supposedly) on the bus out of town. Pep is at least an in-house choice and has worked wonders with the Barca B team. You know he lives and dies Barcelona, so he’ll bring that kind of passion to the first team. Hopefully he can succeed by building on Rijkaard’s brilliance rather than putting the team into an entirely new system. I have my doubts, but if that’s the where the team wants to go, at least they’re keeping it all in the family.
The latest, greatest, rumor is that we’re in the David Villa race. Of course, that’s just stupid, because we have Eto’o, Henry, and some kid named Bojan to fill that position. If Real Madrid really want Villa then maybe we’re just “in it” to increase the price on their end. I just don’t think that we’re really going to go for another huge name striker unless we get rid of both Eto’o and Henry, something that would be very, very unintelligent. In my opinion, of course, as humble as it is…
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Tags: Barcelona, David Villa, Frank Rijkaard, Gabi Milito, Injuries, Pep Guardiola, Team News, Transfers-Transfer RumorsSubscribe
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Milito’s injury sucks, he’s been solid this year, and although this is the best time to get injured, its still gonna hurt the beginning of next year. So who do you guys think is gonna try and fill that void?
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United States
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I say buy Pique,he is good if not world class..would love to come back to Barca..would actually get starts unlike at ManUtd…and can be a very good back-up to Puyol and Milito when Thuram leaves
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Great point about Guardiola. As soon as the rumours came true, I was in favour for him. Something about a home grown coach just makes any team perform to their full potential, something which we have been lacking. Also, his passion for the team, as you said Isaiah, I think will help the team immensely.
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That’s all we need….an expensive midget. Yes, Villa is talented, but more of the same. But I’d swap him for Eto’o in two seconds.
But height. Height, height, height. And I hope that we’re serious about the Coloccini move. He’d be a killer defender who can play across the back line.
I’m all for Guardiola. T’would be a good move, I think. Home-grown and raised. He knows the system so there would be instant familiarity, and his previously stated comments about improving the team: modern medical staff, efforts to foster player togetherness, etc, aren’t bad things at all.
I’m with Mat. Pique would be a pretty cool addition. And I can’t see Eto’o and Henry both staying. And Ronaldinho is as good as gone. The AC Milan “deal dead” comments are just posturing. He’ll go somewhere.
As I’ve said before, Deco is perplexing. His up side is immense. His down side is just plain stanky.
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Interesting article. Put together with the news that Milan say they aren’t interested in Ronaldinho at the price quoted and virtually nobody else could affford him are we moving into a new situation with the partying Brazilian? I’ve always found it interesting that Ronaldinho hasn’t dissed his treatment at the club publicly and likewise that the club have gone along with his supposed injury. both sides seem to be indulging in some weird kind of dance.
Could it be that a new manager and a realisation that he isn’t quite the dream buy any more could combine to ensure another and more profitable season from the greatest player of the last decade?
Won’t catch me weeping if it does.
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Pep was great as a player, his were the shoes that Xavi stepped into…he understands total football. My preference is Frank, Pep, then Jose.
I swear I’m going to go back and look at Kxevin’s comments in re: Eto’o from earlier in the season. My feeling is Kxevin has very strong opinions of the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately variety. Of course, I wouldnt trade anyone for Kxevin. Every blog needs a player like him.
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First, I’m here to testify that Deco’s nagging injury, the one in this calf, was real. I have cast off all speculation. Why you ask? Personal experience. I’ve had this nagging twinge in my calf for the past four weeks. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong, so I figure it was nothing. That is, until last night. I was playing in the midfield of an adult league game and I could really feel it. I thought I should sub out, but in the meantime went to make a run, as I pushed off I heard this sickening snapping sound and face-planted in the grass. Yup, I ruptured my damn calf-muscle off the back of my tibia. So I’m here to testify, just because the medicos can’t diagnosis a specific injury, it doesn’t mean shit. I’m out for the season, shit, and I was having so much damn fun. I’m now squarely in the newly created Deco camp. Furthermore, I thought he played well yesterday and agree he needs to be giving time.
More on the game, trades and rumors later, right now I’m crutching off to a meeting.
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Awww, sorry Jenny. It always sucks to get injured. (Would this be the proper moment for a Run Forrest Run joke?)
ballbeav, I actually just laughed at “I wouldn’t trade anyone for Kxevin.” I wouldn’t either, though. We disagree about as much as you can on the Eto’o-Henry front, but that’s good for us, I think and the upcoming debate about it after El Clasico will be awesome in its brilliance and insight. If I do say so myself.
I want Deco, Ronnie, and Frank to stay. If they go, we better find a lot of depth out of Barca B that I don’t know about…
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Search away, Ballbeav. What you’ll almost certainly find is that I was more in love with the IDEA of Eto’o than the reality. I give everyone credit for playing well when they do (even Gudjohnsen
). I’ll also admit to having had quite the love/hate relationship with Deco this season.
But, you can only make calls in the totality of a season. With that in mind, I think that Eto’o is a great striker. But so is Villa, plus he can take free kicks with style and aplomb. No brainer.
And thanks for considering me “untradeable.” This is a cool place to be.
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Pep as assistant coach to Frank wud be a better option IMO. Frank anyway has one season left, Pep could learn the tricks of the trade during that period. Frank has got us playing beautiful football, and that’s something I want to see for ever and ever….
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Ewan McDonald has the crack pipe going full throttle over at Goal.com, with a piece that tries to name our player of the season.
http://goal.com/en-US/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=685645
I’ll spare you having to read it. He picks Iniesta, with Yaya in second place, and Messi third. Now, I don’t mind Messi being third. His talent and influence are immense, but he’s been injured too much to really be player of the season.
I would, frankly, flip those top two. Yaya is player of the season, period. And I will brook no argument. But go read for yourselves.
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JC, that’s not a bad thought…Pep as assistant…
I don’t know what the internal politics are like when it comes to replacing lower-level managerial staff…sometimes a coach is very attached to his assistants and demands particular ones wherever he goes, but I don’t know if this is how Rijkaard works or not. Ten Cate obviously made a huge difference during the 05/06 season so perhaps a different set of assistants or just one different would be great for us. It’s hard to tell, of course, but I think that Rijkaard is out and that we’re going to see a changing of the guard.
Whether or not a green coach is the way to go remains to be seen, of course, but I like the idea of an in-house manager being promoted.
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More great news! Yaya is in the squad for Wednesday. I figured he wouldn’t miss that one. Puyol didn’t have a lot to say about suggestions that Deco and Eto’o deliberately picked up yellow cards to avoid having to take part in the “guard of honor” before tomorrow’s match.
Puyol admitted that he didn’t like it either. One little bit. But still, folks have to man the hell up, yo.
In other news….
Henry is going, with informal interest from Inter Milan.
“I’m staying,” says Henry, citing his intention to play out the rest of his Barca contract.Ronaldinho’s recovery program is going apace, say his medicos. He’s four and a half weeks in, and the drinking/dancing phases are almost complete, report his jubilant doctors. Next comes the staying up late having sex phase of his recovery, and he should be ready to play, just in time for the last train out of Barcelona.
What luck!
Abidal is still being linked with Liverpool, but he too says he’s staying put.
As we all suspected, the nattering about the Ronaldinho deal being dead at AC Milan is now being seen for what it was: a negotiating ploy. One insane report has he and Zambrotta making the move for 18 million Euros! Laporta might be stupid, but he ain’t THAT stupid.
The Pep announcement is expected in a couple of weeks, most reports are saying. We’ll see about that one, but I’m excited. His biggest job will be to get us playing and functioning like a team. Over at the Evil Empire, that is the biggest difference between now and the Galactico days. They’re a team, the bastards. (Sorry, John.)
We appear to be officially in the David Villa race, if you believe the football rumor mill. He has a big, fat release clause, something around 125 million pounds, but so did one loose-limbed Brazilian. Expect that number to move down to reality so that deal can get done with somebody, maybe even us.
In a post-match press conference, Rijkaard said he isn’t thinking about the future, or reports of his imminent replacement. “I’ve been fiddling while Rome burned all season, so why should I start now,” he said with a smile.
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havent seen the article, but i could go either way: iniesta or toure. dont let the man-crush get in your head too much: iniesta is still a good #1, mainly because of his consistency (every game) and work rate (running his heart out up and down the field. i imagine he runs more than toure). he didnt leave to play in a mid-season tournament, and he is more visible than toure mainly since he can play an attacking role. he is also incredibly versatile, playing defensive or creative mid, either side of the field, or pushing up as a striker. i remember 5 years ago when i started watching iniesta as he came out of the youth ranks, he would come on as a late-game sub, and i would groan, he would always get pushed off the ball (somewhat like bojan now) and i didnt think he would be able to make it, due to his size. but man, the SPF45 kid got skills, and now he knows how to draw the foul, at least, when he is getting pushed off the ball. and usually, he just goes around 3 people.
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I have to agree with you, ballbeav. Toure would be my #1 if it weren’t for the stint in Africa (not that that was his fault), but Iniesta is no bad pick. Not that it really matters. A parent shouldn’t rank his children and a fan shouldn’t rank the players in his favorite team. Except to say that Edmilson sucks.
I’m so happy that SPF45 is sticking! Woohoo!
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Sorry to hear about your injury, Jenny, best with your recovery. Summer is a nice to to put your feet up and have a mojito anyway…
Looks like Villa is the newest name in the “I’ve got a few extra inches of column space to fill before I hit the bar” rumor mill. The press is the same everywhere, I guess. I’m an Eagles fan, and the Eagles have been going through the same thing with wide receivers that Barca has with strikers. Namely, any player that has even a 1% chance of leaving his team has been linked with the Eagles at one point or another, like Barca the list is long and distinguished.
The big three looked pretty sharp up front this week, didn’t they? Granted Eto’o is on a poor run of form, but he still has owned La Liga this season. Maybe they just need another season to gel, with some fresh legs behind them to eat some minutes…
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Agreed, all. I’m just thinking more in terms of overall effect on the game. Yaya, when he is there, essentially closes the middle of the pitch. He also starts attacks, etc, etc. I have nothing but love for SPF 45, but The Black Hole (I just thought of that one….) is magisterial.
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Colin, I still don’t think Henry and Eto’o will work well together week-in week-out because Valencia was about as bad as you can be and allowed our team all the space they desired. Who wouldn’t score against that? Ezquerro? Ha.
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Ezquerro couldn’t score in an empty stadium.
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filled with goals.
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Looking forward to be going to the Bernabeau on Wednesday and give the Guard of Honour… Can’t wait to see it.
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after the guard of honor, a large can of whoop-ass will be opened, with real madrid on the receiving end. and dont tell me real madrid wont be trying to win this game in front of their fans.
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CONFIDENCE…..that was the main element missing when the pressure was on. Take the pressure off and wallah, 6-0. Confidence is everything. I partially agree with Isaiah and ballbeav, keep the team together, minus the obvious departures. Where I disagree is in keeping Rijkaard. He needs to go for this very reason. He was unable to instill the confidence needed when the heat was on. I’m as firm on this one as Kxevin is on our Cameroonian striker.
I think we’ll play well tomorrow, mostly because there’s nothing but pride riding on this one. No title, no silver…no problem.
Posted from
United States
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