The 2012-13 Season Thread Part 2 | Setting the record for setting records

Discussion in 'Barcelona' started by os_mutante, Dec 4, 2012.

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  1. Rattlehead

    Rattlehead Member+

    Barcelona, Inter Milan
    Argentina
    Jun 21, 2010
    Jakarta
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    I didnt know Mulder played for Barcelona

    I'm not actually surprise with the club decision over Abidal. They probably think he will not play at highest level anymore. Whether he actually can still play at top level or not we will never know around this time.
     
  2. Gilmango

    Gilmango Member+

    Jul 20, 2006
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A pretty succinct summary of the Abidal non-renewal controversy from TotalBarca:

    Emotions are running high after FC Barcelona officially announced the departure of talismanic French defender Eric Abidal. This decision has divided Cule opinion around the world with some fans vigorously condemning the move while others are equally passionate about this being the best course of action for all involved.
    The pragmatists argue that Abidal is a financial and sporting risk that the club cannot afford to take. The club has stood by the player during his long recovery and through one protracted relapse. The player is almost 34 and the likelihood of recovering the form that made him such a good fit for the team is low. The timing of this decision is designed to give the player the most time possible to entertain deals from other clubs. There is an open offer for a non-sporting position at the club that Abidal can accept even if he leaves to play with another squad next season.
    The emotionalists think that Abidal deserves more of a chance to prove himself, now that he is presumably able to play again. The club made the player this promise earlier in the Spring, and should make policy like a family rather than a corporation. The club has cynically taken advantage of the emotion around Abidal’s recovery only to close the door in his face. Is Abidal really any less physically fit than Puyol? What effect will this move have on the morale of other players like Puyol or Xavi, who are also approaching the end of their careers, or even Tito Vilanova himself?

    NEXT UP - Valdes, and I also read somewhere, Puyol, have press conferences coming up.
     
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  3. Imperador3

    Imperador3 Member

    Apr 30, 2010
    Club:
    Aris Saloniki
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil

    That's a great summary. First I was more emotional about it, watching that press conference was really hard.

    I understand the decision but it still hard to accept it. But I think it's important to remember that Spanish clubs can only register 25(?) first team players, right? So a player with such a uncertain physical status would be big risk.

    It's kind of worrying seeing so many important personalities leaving the team though. Last year it was Pep and Keita. This year it's Abidal and Valdes.

    It doesn't feel like someone is growing into their roles either. At the same time the team felt kind of tired and out of ideas this season, so a small renewal might be good.
     
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  4. NYfan

    NYfan Member

    Sep 1, 2004
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Sad as it is, I think it is the right decision. The team has to be emotionless about this and it seems that one of the defensive squad members needs to go in order to make room for David Luiz or whomever else. We already have one old CB in Puyol - can the team afford to carry two? Does it make more sense to keep Abidal or the younger, on-the-rise Bartra? Abidal also commanded a higher salary than Bartra, which needs to be factored in. The wage structure is import because if we bring in a #1 CB then he will need to make big money.

    EDIT - on another topic that might belong in another thread, I've been thinking about Cruyff's comment about the Neymar signing that a boat can't have two captains. I don't think Neymar is a captain though - he is a sparkling player of incredible ability, but I don't really think he will take over a team like Messi needs to. It seems with this is-he-going-or-is-he-staying multi-year transfer saga and his struggles with the NT he's a little immature and hesitant about stepping in the limelight of playing against the biggest stars and on the biggest stages. I also got that impression from his deferential comments during the Barça-Santos CWC. I really think a Neymar-Messi partnership could be spectacular, assuming Neymar knows when to pass and gets over the diving he does in the Brasilerao.
     
  5. FCBTEX

    FCBTEX Member

    Apr 17, 2011
    Frisco
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Have to say I'm quite disappointed in the club for not sticking by Abidal. It's rare to have loyal players these days and the guy wanted to stay yet he's being forced out. If the club stuck with him through 2 years of illness than why get rid of him when he's finally healthy? I'm sure he would have stayed for a minimum contract the club could just give him a year at a time. I know Rosell was brought in as a shrewd businessman but this is just damn cold. If all that isn't enough how about the fact that he's a freaking defender and God knows we're so stacked in that area. I know people are saying we don't know all the details and it's the pragmatic decision and it may well be but what about loyalty? what about "Mes Que un Club?" We're not just supposed to toss players aside like that who have given their all for the club.
     
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  6. manyfaces

    manyfaces Member

    Feb 4, 2004
    SF Bay Area
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't mind the decision about Abidal. The way it was handled though was shockingly poor. Feels like they strung him (and us) along. If you're going to trumpet how nicely you've treated him, then follow through with it. Instead we bragged about how great a human story he is and took credit for sticking with him and then kicked him to the curb anyway.

    It should have been handled better. And addressed as such at least a year ago. And if we should have signed some CBs two years ago to have the pipeline full so Abidal and Puyol could see what's coming down.

    But then we didn't even play Bartra this season so I don't know what's going on anymore.
     
  7. Rana catesbeiana

    Mar 11, 2008
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I (respectfully) disagree. The club has shown Abidal lots of respect and affection, repeatedly let him the high honour of lifting a major trophy and now they've said he is free to take a job in the club if he wants. Football in the level where Barca competes can't be charity though (as tough as it sounds): Abidal has had huge healthy issues, hasn't played top level football a lot lately, and is anyway soon 34. Abidal has been an example the last years, but not because of his on-pitch contributions, and if we're not counting on him on-pitch in the future (which is very understandable), we can't have him in the squad - it's the same with every players, though, nothing Abi-specific.

    So, briefly, nothing cold about it, imo.
     
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  8. evil_allan

    evil_allan Member+

    May 3, 2004
    Turtle Island
    i agree with this. the club did right by him by sticking with him and honouring his contract through his darkest hours, many clubs would not have done that. he's lucky to be alive at this point, let alone playing professional competitive sports .... let alone competing at barca's level. love the guy, but we can't afford passengers in this squad. maybe they could have given him the summer pre-season to prove himself, but then again they've already seen plenty of him on the training ground to have informed their decision.
     
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  9. os_mutante

    os_mutante Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 8, 2003
    City of Bad Carls
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm a pretty big Abi fanboy as you can prolly tell from my avi. I have to think that his not featuring during the Bayern Munich matches is telling. The club has more information than us and are making the decision not to have him play and not to stick around for preseason based upon that.

    We could have brought him along to Asia and trotted him out to soak in cheers and adoration but he's now free to find a suitable new home. Nothing wrong done imo.
     
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  10. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    For clubs like Sampdoria maybe. For Barca, Man Utd, Bayern, Milan, etc.... not so rare.
     
  11. os_mutante

    os_mutante Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 8, 2003
    City of Bad Carls
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    BTW I haven't watched any of the Abidal farewell videos yet. Can't bring myself to do it. I'm gonna wait till after the Malaga match.
     
  12. .Azulgrana.

    .Azulgrana. Red Card

    Aug 2, 2012
    I'll say that I'm not happy about the decision to let Abidal, but it'd be just one of the things that I don't like about the direction the club has turned under Rosell. However, this change of direction was to be expected since Day 1 of Rosell's presidency. Thank goodness for Pep and Tito though for keeping things together on the pitch and keeping the team at a high level otherwise I don't know what things would be like right now.

    As far as Victor Valdes' press conference today is concerned:

     
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  13. Gilmango

    Gilmango Member+

    Jul 20, 2006
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A Liga best 11 which features 3 Barca starters - 1 will definitely shock you. Perhaps a shopping list too (though the CB in question is more likely to be retained now that his squad qualified for CL):

    http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/tacticsandanalysis/id/1485?cc=5901

    I'd love to see other best 11s if you all have seen and could re-post them. Thanks and have a great off season all.
     
  14. inswinger

    inswinger Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 17, 2001
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Alexis had a terrible looking accident on the highway but was able to walk away from his car. Strangely, the article doesn't mention if he was drunk driving or not...

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Gilmango

    Gilmango Member+

    Jul 20, 2006
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From TotalBarca and the FCB team website and oh so apt for this thread title - setting records for setting records:
    The TEAM in La Liga:
    It has been a very good season,” said Tito Vilanova following the final league match against Málaga. But the numbers show this season has been more than very good, aspects of it have been historic. Details after the jump.
    Points and Goals
    I don’t think anyone will reach 100 points and 120 goals again.” Well José Mourinho was only half correct in that pre-season proclamation.
    FC Barcelona did reach the 100 points total thereby equaling the La Liga record set last season (2011/12) by Mourinho’s Real Madrid. This mark did however break the club record of 99 points recorded in 2009/10.
    Barça netted 115 goals over the 38 game season, and while still six behind the absolute league record of 121 (Real Madrid – 2011/12), it was enough to set a new club record by beating out the previous benchmark of 114 (2011/12).
    Still Barça did however set a new La Liga record by scoring in every one of the 38 match-days. This has never been accomplished in a league made up of 20 clubs.
    In our dust
    Since league wins have been assigned a value of three points the previous record margin between 1st and 2nd place was 13 points (Real Madrid-Mallorca, 1998/99). Therefore a new La Liga record has been inked with Barça outdoing Real Madrid by 15 points.
    Barça also looked down from 1st position on all its opponents since the first day of the league until the very last. This is the 2nd time the club has managed such a feat and not since 1984/5.
    Winning
    Thirty-two total league victories is on par with the La Liga record once again set last season by Real Madrid. Barça equalled another La Liga and club record with 18 home wins first achieved in 2009/10.
    Quick off the block
    Accumulating 55 of a total possible 57 points in the first half of the season set a new La Liga record. At the middle mark Barça was already 11 points ahead of Atlético Madrid and 18 in front of Real Madrid. Mourinho’s men only managed to makeup three points since.
    Fair play
    FC Barcelona collected 60 yellow cards on route to the title. This is the cleanest performance by a team since the 1994/5 season when Sporting Gijon received only 58.
    Messi:

    3 – Lionel Messi finished the season with 46 league goals and consequently wins another European Golden Boot award.
    Messi once again separates from the herd with this his third Golden Boot, something never achieved by any player.
     
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  16. unclesox

    unclesox BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 8, 2003
    209, California
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    With the season over, new (off-season/pre-season) thread?

    Updated 2013-14 pre-season schedule:
    Sat 20 July: Lechia Gdansk in Gdansk
    Wed 24 July: Bayern Munich in Munich
    Sat 27 July: Vålerenga in Oslo
    Fri 2 Aug: Trofeu Gamper (Santos rumored but unconfirmed)
    Wed 7 Aug: Thai Premier League XI in Bangkok
    Sat 10 Aug: Malaysia Super League XI in Kuala Lumpur
    Wed 14 Aug: FIFA international calendar date
    Sun 18 Aug: Liga J1
    Sat/Sun 24/25: Supercopa-1 in Madrid
    Wed/Thur 28/29: Supercopa-2 in Barcelona

    MD / SPORT
     
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  17. Gilmango

    Gilmango Member+

    Jul 20, 2006
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks, Unclesox. Lots of early season travel again, hopefully no injuries and lots of time to gel with any newcomers, on the field, not just in airports and hotels (not that bonding doesn't occur there too).

    Here's another fun looking ahead graphic - possible pots for the CL draw next year. A quick look shows that they assumed the teams with the highest UEFA coefficient will advance from the qualifying rounds, ergo no Sociedad in pot 4 of this graphic. Personally, I think (and hope) Sociedad will qualify. (Graphic from Sport via BarcaStuff)

    Groups of death could include any with Juventus, ManSee, or BVB Dortmund from the third pot (though after qualifying occurs I suspect Juventus may well move up to the 2nd pot).

    [​IMG]
     
  18. os_mutante

    os_mutante Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 8, 2003
    City of Bad Carls
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

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