Since this is turning into a general midfield discussion, I am wondering how everyone is feeling about Barnetta. Obviously, it's not an easy transition joining a fully fit team halfway through the season. I think he has now been training with the club for a month, maybe a little longer. They said that he came to the team in pretty good shape, but still doesn't seem to be. I am thinking by September 5th, he should be fully fit and at that point, we can really get a sense of what Nogs, Maidana and Barnetta look like together. They then will have only 7 games to evaluate the midfield heading into next season. Also wondering if they might try Edu in the midfield and throw the Vitoria/Marquez pairing out there again. They've done well together the past (3?) games. The Fire burned us for 3, but I put those mostly on Gaddis and Fabinho.
No Mo losing! Let's hoppenot! (Sorry about that). The one thing that keeps me optimistic is having watched Red Bulls Academy players come in and take it to a preseason Chelsea team. And you can't say that Chelsea didn't care, they were embarrassed and pissed off. So if this is his 'preseason' form, then fine. He has produced for years in one of the top leagues in the world and has extensive European international experience, so I am reminding myself of this with fingers crossed.
Barnetta seems to me to be another one of those much heralded Union signings that turns out to be rather underwhelming. Obviously the jury is still out on him but he hasn't done much that I can remember other than comically give away a PK in his first play in a Union jersey. The characters change but the story is always the same. They got him on a free, right? Must have been a reason no one else wanted him.
No guarantees with Barnetta of course, but you have to say his pedigree is far beyond any other player the Union have ever had - except Mondragon maybe and he's much younger. Bundesliga, Champions League, 75 caps, multiple World Cups. It would really be some bad Union juju to turn him into a bust.