To run harder, or Arda Turan; That is the question: The (ahem) Winter Transfer Thread

Neymar has been dominant the past three rounds or so. I'm not surprised to see Orellana there with the key passes, he always seems to get/create a few chances. Really great to see Halilovic there for assists and successful dribbles. This is what I sometimes talk about, as a young starlet, do you go to a big team or accept a role with a mid-table/lower table team and play more? Of course, in this case, he did come to a big team, and the club loaned him out to give him that playing time that he needs to develop at this critical juncture. Any of you remember that Gai went to Man City? That was a puzzling move.

You don't realize how phenomenal Messi is when you consider that he has missed half (or more) of the league matches, and he is still pretty much doubling everyone outside of Neymar and Nolito in terms of successful dribbles.

 

I don't think we can sign anyone without offloading. This is a great article on Barca's financial situation.

https://grup14.com/article/understanding-fc-barcelona-s-financial-situation

 

Nice read.

Barca spent 109 million more than 2 years ago!!
The formatting of the page is disastrous tho

 

no issue with formatting here, view it on Chrome.

And with this season projection expenditure will increase to 118m than two years while income will increase by 103m only. Qatar deal should balance the book and Barca should be surplus.

 

If it works only on Chrome that is bad formatting

 

More worrying is we're "supposedly" looking at bringing in Walcott in January ..... Possibly we're considering a loan/ swap deal ??

On a better note guys ... Check out the latest compilation bud of Halilovic's game at the weekend .... is like watching Messi !!!


I'd bring him back ASAP given his improved form

 

The management should've kept Adama and Hali instead of Sandro and Munir , but it seems Zubi is still lurking in the shadows F*ucking shit up in there as always

 

yes I'd agree

 

Just want to point out that I think management did the right thing with Halilovic, because he is so young. At his age he needs to be playing minutes every match. Now that Iniesta and Roberto are back, that probably would not have been the case. It's hard to predict injuries and the times that they will happen.

Regardless (or irregardless) of that fact, I think too much pressure would have been put on his shoulders by the media/fans, when he wouldn't be ready for it, if he had stayed at Barca. Just think about the expectations that we as fans have, we're on players the minute that something goes wrong, or they don't deliver as expected. I think Sandro is finding it tough to deal with the pressure, I can't really explain some of his misses otherwise.

Not sure about Adama, but I would have rather kept him than both Sandro and Munir.

 

Walcott? Just another name in the rumour mill. I wouldn't worry. I mean one week it's Herrera, then it's Van Persie, then it's Walcott, next week it's someone else. Press is just making stuff up - Barca is among the clubs which transfer rumours generate interest, so keep the clicks active even if the rumours base on next to nothing. But anyway it's Barca's advantage if there are many rumoured names, as opposed to "we're gonna sign X, whatever the cost".

As for Halilovic, dunno about it's like watching Messi, but agreed in that he has been quite impressive. That said, I sort of think it would be best if we loaned him away for another year instead of bringing him back in the summer (let alone ASAP). I mean, he is still 19 and has all his career ahead of him, and this is the time where he needs to evolve, not produce game-deciding performances for us. Will he evolve better in our first team or on loan somewhere? In the first team, he's gonna fight for minutes against Iniesta, Rakitic, Turan, Rafinha, S. Roberto and maybe a high-profile summer signing a la Pogba or Verratti. He won't play enough. And while he has been good at Gijon, it's not like he has been impossible-to-ignore-good there. I'd try to get him on loan for a year at a bit higher level club, like Celta (or abroad), and convince him that it will be the last year on loan if he delivers, and after that he might play 10+ years with the first team. Rushing the best youngsters to sit the whole season on the bench doesn't work, and while it's nice to think his quality would shine through and he'd play a lot, I dunno. Gijon is a solid team, but the jump from there to the demands and competition of Barca is not insignificant.

 

I meant watching the highlights compilation of Halilovic yesterday was like watching a young Messi ... The video is on twitter .

 

I've been trying to watch a lot of Halilovic this season and he has definitely been the most impressive offensive player on his team. The team is overall not too convincing and he seems to disappear from games for periods because he isn't getting the ball. But when he does get the ball, he can glide past offensive players, hold the ball under intense pressure, find open teammates with well-weighted passes. And score when the opportunity presents itself. He has been playing a lot on the right wing, sometimes as a number 10 and not doing all that much defending. Honestly, the comparison should never be made but there is a lot of Messi in him...I'm not sure where he really plays and if he can defend and play deeper in a Barça midfield. As Messi's sub you'd be hard pressed to find someone better.

Neymar has looked great. Proves me wrong for saying he'd do better in another league. It will be interesting to see if he keeps up the excellent form when Messi comes back

 

Barca officially out of the Pogba sweepstakes aka Raiola just cares about money and has Pogba thinking that way too. 260 Million?!?! No thanks, our salary structure is out of control already when it comes to keeping Messi and Neymar happy, soon Luis too, no need to overpay Pogba so Turan, Rakitic, Iniesta can get pissed and demand raises or transfers. http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...th-juventus-and-raiolas-pogba-demands-4640674

 

I don't know about "officially" out, but yeah, too much is too much. Pogba is good, but not THAT good.

 

Haven't seen any Juve matches lately, but heard Pogba has been quite mediocre this season. It seems very possible that he will turn into nothing special at all. Guess that's often the risk but for insane money you want a near sure-thing (like Neymar was, for e.g.)

 

He's a decent player and may be a great in time .. I just don't see him as Barca player ... Maybe it's just me .

 

definitely not just you. pogba is very promising but i think there are other midfielders out there that are better suited to Barca and are cheaper.

 

Another great chart of calendar year records, this time limited to Liga only and focused on goal scoring trios, it shows Messi's all time Liga scoring record (2012 calendar year), how our current trio if the first trio ever where all have at least 20 in a CALENDAR YEAR (RMD did it in a season in 2011/12 but not in a calendar year), and how our current trio will likely eclipse the all time record (5 Jornadas left for Barca who play Jornada 16 in February due to Club World Championship, and need 6 SNM goals to tie, 7 to break Ronaldo/Benz/Hig record from 2011):

 

lol @ 2012 when Xavi was #2.

Top 6 all from the last 5 years.

 

http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...s-16-strong-list-injuries-this-season-4647753

 

the lol should be be @ Alexis for only scoring 7 that year.

 

Or the guy that didn't even make the top 3.

 

our main striker other than Messi at the time was David Villa, but i think that was the year he was out with a broken leg...

i guess that leaves Pedro. not sure what he got in the calendar year, but he scored 5 goals in laliga in 11-12, and 5 again in 12-13.

that year was all about Messi though.

 

Or maybe it should be for "forum favourite" Pedro. Just look how he has helped Chelsea. Alexis was very good his last season here, with Udinese, and now with Arsenal. Pedro was really good for hist first two seasons.

Not to mention Alexis was played out of position most of the time here.

LOL nevermind, you beat me to posting.

 

isn't he still playing on the wing at Arsenal?