Riiiing! Time for a new beginning, sort of. Pre-season opus.

By: Kevin | July 13th, 2008

Pre-season begins tomorrow, with as many unanswered questions as there are stars in the sky. No, I don’t have any answers, but I do have a boatload of speculation, which can be just as much, if not more fun.

Here’s who is scheduled to appear with the squad, and when:

Monday: Valdes, Henry, Yaya, Marquez, Jorquera, Oleguer, Sylvinho, Krkic, Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen, Pinto, Crosas, Abidal, Pique, Caceres

Tuesday: Messi

Saturday: Keita, Alves, Eto’o

July 23: Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol

Two-a-day sessions are scheduled at the Miniestadi, which will become the first team’s practice home, because Guardiola likes it so much, and is used to it. And these days, what Pep wants, Pep gets.

Now, what we don’t know is who will actually show up. The big rumor is that Ronaldinho is going to Article 17 our asses, and buy out his contract. He won’t show up for training, and someone from Milan is actually in Barcelona to facilitate the process and put the ultimate smack down. We still get paid, Milan saves the money, then they can use it to finalize that cut-rate Adebayor deal and conclude what would be a great summer for them, at our expense.

The excuse Ronaldinho will use will be the club’s refusal to allow him to play for his country in the Olympics. Stay tuned.

The players listed above are who we’ll be beginning the pre-season with. On the block, however, are Crosas, Gudjohnsen, Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Oleguer. We would LOVE to find homes for all of them either while on the tour, or before the summer transfer window closes.

Note that one name is absent from the above list: Aleksandr Hleb. We’ve signed him, we think. Arsenal says no, we haven’t because we’ve offered 15 million, and they want 18 million. Whatever. Look for that deal to be finalized and announced next week at the absolute latest. Hleb will then join the team wherever they are.

More unanswered questions include: Eto’o? Whither thou goest, cranky Cameroonian? We’re playing a dangerous game with him. If we are going to sell him, we have to sell him thisfreakingyearrightnow! Augggggh! Does anyone want to contemplate losing Eto’o for peanuts next season, or free transfer the following season? Repeat after me: “No, uncle Kxevin.”

What about Ronaldinho if the Milan rumors aren’t true? Does he start the season with us, get in shape, play his way back into the side then we deal him in January? That’s more likely, frankly, than the Article 17 business. Then again, if the relationship is that damaged, he wants out and we want him out. So open that checkbook, R10.

Can we find a home for our we-want-outs, Crosas, Gudjohnsen and Oleguer? Rumors have swirled, nobody concrete has bitten. Guardiola says that Crosas is a first-teamer until he is sold. And we’ll probably put him out there in pre-season so that he can show off and we can get some money for him.

The ugly spectre looming over all of this is the unsettled board. Even if we believe the Cruyff in as sporting director rumors (then he can stop trying to run the team from his newspaper column, and put his ass on the line), it’s still gutted. Can it do what it needs to do in the transfer market? And what about that big, strong “9″ that Guardiola is so craving to make his happy world complete?

Well, how about this:

Sport (yes, the ever-reliable Sport) is reporting that we are going to offer Arsenal Eto’o plus 10 million for Adebayor, for our final offer. This gives us our man, and gives Arsenal a replacement. Problem solved, right?

Now before the screaming begins, this is probably what the board is thinking:

1. Man, we want Eto’o gone.
2. If we’re going to sell, it has to be this year. Next year, he’s cut-rate because it’s that or free transfer.
3. Adebayor is younger, bigger and stronger. His up side is unrealized. We know what Eto’o can do, which is….
4. NOT score against Premiership sides. If Adebayor gets us past those hurdles, the risky move is worth it.
5. Can Eto’o recover from his injuries, or is he really the player who can’t outrun Rio Ferdinand now?

He’s been on the market for months, with no takers. We valued him at 40 million, knowing that we’d deal at 30 million. Not a peep. Rumors, but nothing serious. I don’t know what other teams know that we don’t, but there’s something going on that is simpler and deeper that “They’ve said they don’t want him, so wait for them to come to us.” I’d love to know what it is.

We have six friendlies scheduled: July 24 v Hibernian, July 26 v Dundee United, July 30 v Fiorentina, Aug. 3 v Chivas (in Chicago, I’ll be there along with a few other folks), Aug. 6 against the New York Red Bulls and Aug. 16 for the Gamper match v Boca Juniors.

Also, there are two Champions League qualifiers scheduled: 12 or 13 and 26 or 27 August. A reminder: Those qualifying rounds are knockout. For us to not qualify would be catastrophic. Laporta would be run out of town on a rail, and Guardiola would become a wanted man.

Questions still to come: What will be the ultimate squad composition? What B-teamers will be moved up? What will the starting XI be?

Stay tuned for this and more, on “As the Barca Turns.”