Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010 [R]

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

Under. Not because his skills or ability are down, but Villa will score 30+, and Pedro, Ibra and Bojan will score 20+, not enough games I am afraid. His assists though will skyrocket this season.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

It will be hard to hit 40 but I think he can hit the high 30's.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

I'm taking the over. He's spent the past 18 months or so in a zone where goals come looking for him. I don't know that his goal-scoring opportunities will decrease significantly (let's face it, he was assisting most of his own goals anyway), and if they do, he'll just get more clinical. I notice he's ruthless when the result is still in the balance, but when we get to 3 or 4 nil, he'll sometimes try something a bit more difficult rather than just routinely (for him anyway) putting the ball in the net. He could quite easily have gotten close to 60 last season if he really wanted to.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

Did anyone else see Del Nido's face after the 4th goal, he was pissed of and seemed to argue with Rossell about something, what that about?

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

I don't see Villa and Ibra combining for 50+ goals. Unless Villa and Ibra are on the field at the same time often, which I doubt. If they stick with 4-5-1 then the "1" isn't likely to score 50 goals, especially with a finisher like Messi among the "5".

On the supercup...
I know its a glorified preseason friendly but Messi was ridiculous on Saturday! If he doesn't win WPOTY that award loses any shred of credibility it might currently have.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

Why wouldn't Ibra and Villa play together? Villa is outstanding from the LW spot.

I disagree on you with WPOTY. He is up there, but I would understand if Xavi, Iniesta, Sneijder got it. Winners trump all, and they were the main winners this year.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

Scoring is still the toughest thing in this business. (As Ibrahimovic reminds us on a weekly basis. )

But yah, I just assumed the main purpose behind getting Villa is to play him up-front instead of Ibra. No sense having Pedro on the bench at this point in his career.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

If we are talking about performances than Messi should win it. But of course since it was a World Cup year it's different. However this year was also abnormal because Forlan won the best player in the cup and he wasn't part of the finalists which isn't common. Plus I can't recall the last WC year that a player had a club performance as impressive as Messi's.

So overall it's a weird year in terms of voting.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

The Forlan thing is true, he also won the Europa league. Nonetheless, Messi was the best player, but WC weighs so much (deservedly so IMO) that he probably won't win it.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

I think Messi wins it, deservedly. Last time a player reached those heights was Ronaldinho in '05. Alternatively I guess Sneijder or Xavi or even Iniesta might end up winning. I would have said they might steal it, but I'd be happy for Xavi or Iniesta obviously. If one of them won they'd both point to Messi and say he deserved it more.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

Couple this with there is only one award this year, the FIFA Balon D'Or, therefore with coaches,captains and journalists voting the outcome may be different from a normal year.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

I think if someone had a stand-out WC it would be deserved over Messi. But nobody really carried a team deep into this WC like we've seen in some past world cups. Not even Forlan.

 

Re: Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Supercopa de España 2L | FC Barcelona v Sevilla FC | 21 Aug 2010

if the award were given right now, it would be given to one of xavi or sneijder, maybe iniesta. but between now and december, messi is going to blow everyone out of the water ... again

back to the game. i was really impressed by pedro, i think the world cup has done wonders for his confidence and it's amazing watching him grow. last season, i don't think he would have made that run for that first goal. he would usually turn and pass back rather than take on his defender, but he seems to have really grown in confidence, and this might be something we start seeing more and more of from him. we still haven't seen the best of pedro, and that is really exciting! the way pep has man-managed and developed pedro, from subbing him on in stoppage time in the CL final to repeatedly rejecting the offered robinho, should be turned into a text book.

abidal was also a surprise in this game having a solid game at CB. he wasn't challenged much admittedly, but i was surprised by how comfortable he did look there after watching some comical defending from him playing that position for france. but i think he showed that he could grow into that position if given the chance and the coaching . and maybe it's not too crazy to think that his performances in that position may have had more to do with domenech than his own ability? if pep was undecided about recruiting another CB before the game, abidal may have changed his mind with this performance. if he can have a game like that against one of the best teams in la liga, then he has a place as the fourth choice CB, as well as the first choice LB, in the squad.

bojan, pressure is on kid! it was great to see pep showing his faith in bojan, especially after his breakthrough performances at the end of last season. i want to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's still just regaining his fitness after the break. he will get a lot of playing time this season, if he earns it.