Double your Treble, Double Your Fun: The 2015-16 Season Thread, Part One

The latest I've read in Barca / EPL news / rumors: Pedro has supposedly made up his mind to leave (for ManU) but with Ney-mumps Barca has slowed down the operation to keep Pedro for at least tonight's game and possibly for other August fixtures. ManU has to play a CL qualifier and has also started their EPL campaign but till they sign someone shinier and newer, or Pedro changes his mind, it seems we might just use Pedro up till close to when the window closes (giving LVG more excuses to not start Pedro "automatically" as he said he would).

Adama - Aston Villa is the reported destination, price of 12M with a buyback for Barca, who knows as I've seen his buy out as both 5 and 15 so hopefully the latter is true and to save money Aston is paying less which allows us to get the buyback (which we very likely won't use).

Song - no news as his ankle is hurt and his wage bill is high. We'd of course like to recover some of his hefty transfer fee but at this point West Ham might not even be ready to take him for free due to high wages.

Halilovic - also needs a new home via loan or sale. West Ham also reported interested as their coach gave him his international debut. Perhaps if they pay us something for Song they can get Alen for a song.

 

Sad as hell that Pedro is leaving.

 

So, whether or not Pedro leaves only Messi and Suarez are alive to duplicate Pedro's magic of scoring in all 6 competitions in one sextuple campaign. Pedro did not score in the CL last year, and neither did Rafinha. So Messi and Suarez, by scoring in the Spanish Super Copa and the CWCup can match Pedro's feat, but Pedro will always be the first.

 

Surpassing Madrid and AC Milan (20), Barcelona became club with most international trophies (21) in the history of football [via @barcastat] and barcastuff]

Pretty nice.

 

Here's something to keep an eye on.

It's often stated by EPL fanboys that Ryan Giggs has collected the most trophies with his teams (not including individual awards) with a total of 34, all of them won with Manchester United.
Portuguese goalkeeper Vítor Baía has also won 34 team trophies during his stints with Porto and Barcelona

If you add international (i.e. national team) trophies to the mix of "team trophies" and include his two wins with Spain in the 2001 U-17 and 2002 U-19 UEFA European Championships, Don Andres Iniesta now has 30 team trophies after having lifted the 2015 UEFA Super Cup.
Stay tuned.

 

UEFA Best Player finalists:
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Luis Suarez

Winner to be voted on during the Champions League draw on August 27.

 

I'm gonna take a risk and say it's gonna be Messi.

 

@NattyBo
Hope you haven't booked your flight for April yet.

Kind of went under the radar yesterday but in the ongoing battle of the season schedule between the LFP and RFEF, the Spanish High Court ruled in favor of the LFP.

This means a lot of movement of the Liga weekend scheduling.

Apparently, the main issue was moving the J10 fixture Getafe-Barcelona from October 28 to August 26.

• The season will still kick off on August 22-23 and the dates for the opening 9 rounds remain unchanged.

• From Jornada 10 onwards the Liga schedule is being shifted back one week.

• J10 was originally scheduled for midweek October 28 but it will now be played on the weekend November 1.
Barca's J10 game away to Getafe will NOT be moved to August 26. It will be played on November 1 along with the rest of the J10 fixtures.

• El Clasico
The first El Clasico sees a major shift.
J12 at the Bernabeu has been moved from November 8 and before the FIFA dates to November 21 after the international break.
J31 at Camp Nou moves one week, from April 3 to April 10.

• Atlético Madrid
J3 away to Atlético Madrid remains on Saturday September 12.
J22 home moves from January 31 to February 7

• Espanyol
J18 away to Espanyol will be on January 10.
J37 Espanyol at Camp Nou will be May 15.

• The Copa del Rey final is now scheduled for Saturday May 7, two weeks before its original date of May 21.

• La Liga will end on May 22, one week after its original date of May 15.



CALENDARIO 2015-2016

AUGUST 2015
Fri 14: ScE-1 (A) Athletic Bilbao
weekend 15-16: --
Mon 17: ScE-2 (H) Athletic Bilbao
midweek 18-20: --
Sat 22: Liga J1 (A) Athletic Bilbao
Thur 27: UCL group stage draw
weekend 29-30: Liga J2 (H) Málaga

SEPTEMBER 2015
weekend 3-5: FIFA calendar
midweek 6-8: FIFA calendar
Sat 12: Liga J3 (A) Atlético Madrid
midweek 15-17: UCL-M1
weekend 19-20: Liga J4 (H) Levante
midweek 22-24: Liga J5 (A) Celta
Sat 26: Liga J6 (H) Las Palmas
midweek 29-1: UCL-M2

OCTOBER 2015
weekend 3-4: Liga J7 (A) Sevilla (Atlético - LPB)
weekend 8-10: FIFA calendar
midweek 11-13: FIFA calendar
Sat 17: Liga J8 (H) Rayo Vallecano
midweek 20-22: UCL-M3
weekend 24-25: Liga J9 (A) Eibar
midweek 27-29: Copa-4R1 (A)
Sat 31: Liga J10 (H) Getafe <---------- CHANGES FROM ORIGINAL SCHEDULE BEGIN

NOVEMBER 2015
midweek 3-5: UCL-M4
weekend 7-8: Liga J11 (A) Villarreal
weekend 12-14: FIFA calendar
midweek 15-18: FIFA calendar
Sat 21: Liga J12 (A) Real Madrid
midweek 24-26: UCL-M5
weekend 28-29: Liga J13 (H) Real Sociedad

DECEMBER 2015
midweek 1-3: Copa-4R2 (H) [Copa-4R1 for every other tie]
Sat 5: Liga J14 (A) Valencia
midweek 8-10: UCL-6
weekend 12-13: Liga J15 (H) Deportivo
Mon 14: UCL-2R draw
Wed/Thur 16/17: FCWC-Sf (Japan) [Copa-4R2]
Sun 20: FCWC-3P/F (Japan) [J16 - Barça to play J16 in February]
midweek 22-24: Copa-4R2 (H)
weekend 26-27: Catalunya unofficial friendly
midweek 29-31:

JANUARY 2016
weekend 2-3: Liga J17 (H) Betis
midweek 5-7: Copa-Oct1
weekend 9-10: Liga J18 (A) Espanyol
midweek 12-14: Copa-Oct2
weekend 16-17: Liga J19 (H) Granada
midweek 19-21: Copa-Qf1
weekend 23-24: Liga J20 (H) Athletic Bilbao
midweek 26-28: Copa-Qf2
weekend 30-31: Liga J21 (A) Málaga

FEBRUARY 2016
midweek 2-4: Copa-Sf1
weekend 6-7: Liga J22 (H) Atlético Madrid
midweek 9-11: Copa-Sf2
weekend 13-14: Liga J23 (A) Levante
midweek 16-18: UCL-2R1 or Liga J16 (A) Sporting Gijón
weekend 20-21: Liga J24 (H) Celta
midweek 23-25: UCL-2R1 or Liga J16 (A) Sporting Gijón
weekend 27-28: Liga J25 (A) Las Palmas

MARCH 2016
midweek 1-3: Liga J26 (H) Sevilla (LPB - Atlético)
weekend 5-6: Liga J27 (A) Rayo Vallecano
midweek 8-10: UCL-2R2
weekend 12-13: Liga J28 (H) Eibar
midweek 15-17: UCL-2R2
weekend 19-20: Liga J29 (A) Getafe
weekend 24-26: FIFA calendar
midweek 27-29: FIFA calendar

APRIL 2016
weekend 2-3: Liga J30 (H) Villarreal
midweek 5-7: UCL-Qf1
weekend 9-10: Liga J31 (H) Real Madrid
midweek 12-14: UCL-Qf2
weekend 16-17: Liga J32 (A) Real Sociedad
midweek 19-21: Liga J33 (H) Valencia
weekend 23-24: Liga J34 (A) Deportivo
midweek 26-28: UCL-Sf1

MAY 2016
weekend 30-1: Liga J35 (H) Sporting Gijón
midweek 3-5: UCL-Sf2
weekend 7-8: Liga J36 (A) Betis / Copa-F
Wed 11: Liga J36 for matches involving the Copa finalists
weekend 14-15: Liga J37 (H) Espanyol
Wed 18: UEL-F in Basel
weekend 21-22: Liga J38 (A) Granada
midweek 24-26:
Sat 28: UCL-F in Milan
midweek 31-2:

JUNE 2016
Fri 10: UEFA Euro 2016 inaugural
JULY 2016
Sun 10: UEFA EURO 2016 Final in St. Denis


I hope I have it all correct.

 

Dafaq .... where the hell is Neymar

 

@unclesox - of course I already booked my flights. I think we'll still be ok, but man the LFP is so bush league sometimes.

 

and what did CR7 do to get on there?

 

They have revealed the results of the top ten (excluding the top three order). Neymar was 5th, behind Buffon.

 

When it has mattered the most, Ter Stegen in Barca has met and beat Buffon and Neuer, while Iker was already out in both cups when they could've met. Of course it's not only Ter Stegen's goodness that we beat them, but neither it is his fault when we lose.

 

He's been crap though in preseason, if it was Pinto people would shout out to replace him. Bravo should stand between the posts. He even went on to win Copa. Lucho is just being stubborn cause he was bought to be nr 1. Bravo all the way.

 

the whole team was crap in preseason. should we be shouting for 12 new signings now?

 

Oh, I agree that currently Bravo is in my books our best goalie. I just think it's a bit meh to smash Ter Stegen like that (though I do get that jokes are jokes).

 

Ok, Let's not over exaggerate, team has the treble hangover and results haven't been great, defence has been abysmal and has put goalie under immense pressure. But one thing I hate is when goalies stare at the ball and don't move a single inch like MATS did on that free kick, there and then I was like wtf at least throw yourself instead of just looking stupid. I'm for giving him more time but still it doesn't make sense that Bravo is on the bench as much as he has been.

One thing I asked a few weeks ago from Lucho was one thing.. and one thing only, it was the CB pair, he needs to decide and mold 2 of them together for consistency but he is swapping too much hoping they will work out. It won't and will just make things worse, just like team was saying last December... We are confused! We see same thing now... Toooooo many goals conceeded. After Sevilla I thought he/they would have learned their lesson but then he experiments more in San Mames... that's just stupid. Complacency and underestimate your opponents and you're slapped in the face. He got slapped in the face but got away thx to Pedro, but then he did it again. So please just make up your mind asap.

 

It seems obvious that Pique-Masch is the primary CB pairing, and it's pretty given they have the chemistry to compete in the highest level. But doesn't it make sense to test out, and give playing time to others as well - after all, we can't play 100% of our matches with Pique-Masch.

Last season, it was all rotations until a certain point, and then sticking to the best XI. Brought us the treble. If we want to have depth, we gotta use depth, as otherwise those depth-bringing-players are just too rusty to play.

 

I agree you should try the bench for depth. Although Vermi is the only new addition, he should play together with Pique or Mascherano.. you have a solid backbone and swap 1 of CB´s at time to try new things in friendlies that dont mean anything. Now he swapped 3 players in defence and played immature youngsters in midfield away to San Mames, its not Elche or Alcoron, its San Mames where they where hungry for blood after the CDR loss. Its like he forgot that!! Doooh!!

Iniesta was subbed in the 65th min or so against Sevilla so he should have been well rested after 3 days. Instead the midfield was weak and so was defence and then you get 4-0. He tought well we got messi and suarez we will surely get 1 away goal and seal the deal in Camp Nou, his gamble backfired like never before. Now this will put pressure on team to turn this tie around.

Another reason is that I really want to see Lucho pick up the sextuple just to show that Pep (im to holier than thou) that he maybe wasnt that special afterall.