As I've mentioned a few weeks ago, given the low forum traffic, I think it's unnecessary to have match threads for every game. So this thread will be dedicated to all La Liga matches commentary for the season. I will open one up for Champions League. CdR could also go in another thread. I will still try to write some sort of match specific post for every upcoming match to separate one match from another. La Liga season actually started today with a couple of games. Barca's opener is on Saturday away at Valencia.
La Liga | J1 Sat, Aug 17, 2024 - Pedri available on the bench. Perhaps a 2nd half appearance. - Olmo not physically ready (translation, club has not been able to register him) - Lamine is Ok to play - MAtS will be Barca's captain
The preseason has left me perplexed as to what to expect from this team and Flick this season. We went from spanking big teams like City and RM with our academy players to losing against Milan on pennos and getting trounced by Monaco. Sigh. My confidence in Lewandowski is at an all-time low and we still haven't signed a proper LW. We won't let our attack rest on the shoulders of a 17-year old, surely, will we? The options are thin and time is running out. Nico, Coman, Diaz, No one. Can Laporta get anything done? Sigh. Anyway, I wonder what the line-up will be for the opener. I hope to see more of the first half of the preseason performances and less of the latter half. It's a shame that Olmo isn't available for this one. Hope to see Lamine. What's the word on Gavi?
It was a weird pre-season because many of the games were filled with academy players. So the beginning of the season is indeed a big question mark. Ironically my Brazilian team is also relying on a 17 year old right winger to carry the load on offense.
I really WANT TO believe in this team, for the following: 1. Its REALLY, REALLY hard to repeat atop La Liga. This isn't a 1 team league, like Ligue Un, the Bundesliga, or the EPL. 2. I dont think that LPB have addressed their real needs in their roster; they have a lot of age and injury across their backline, Kroos is gone, and Modric has to get old at some point. 3. I think it will be a far more competitive league than in the last few seasons, as the Basques continue doing what they do, and Atletico had what looks like a nice transfer window. 4. Barça's coaching staff has "gone pro," in that Xavi was really inexperienced and dogmatic, while Hansi is experienced and pragmatic. 5. Barça are due for some injury luck, after the horrors of last season. OTOH... 1. Olmo looks like a moronic purchase; they can't register him, without convincing a few high salaries to depart, and the open wound of losing Busi continues to fester into a purulent sore; the LW and FB spots also continue to be unaddressed, for some stoopid reason. 2. LPB just added maybe the best player alive. 3. The league looks tougher top-to-bottom than in the last few seasons 4. Hansi just managed the insane feat of being worse than Klinsmann at managing Germany, and 5. Gavi, Pedri, Fati, and Araujo are all injured, and Olmo is due to have another injury, based on his recent history. We are living in interesting times. Here's hoping it works out, somehow.
Meh, you picked the smallest nit of that post. If we were to be intellectually honest, if Barça were able to sign Mbappe on a free, ALL of us would be overjoyed. How about YOU? What are your views on the season ahead? Thats infinitely more interesting than nitpicking a single word on a post.
Mbappe had a terrible EC by his standards. I feel that people have used that to underrate him a bit. I think he’ll be back to his normal self very quickly for RM and he’ll definitely be a star there. For me he is indeed the best active player at the moment. That’s not to say that it cannot change during the season, let’s hope for our sake that it does, and that the player to eclipse him plays for us. Anyway, as far as today’s line-up goes. I don’t really mind Gundo being out. With Frenkie also out I’d like to see our youngins in action in MF. I wish Olmo was ready go as well. I don’t know who I rate better out of Bernal and Casado. It’ll be interesting to see who gets the start. I hope to see Pau Victor as well at some point for Lewy. That left side is just meh. I still hope we sign someone proper.
-------------------Lewandowski--------------------------- --------Ferran-----Raphinha-----Lamine--------- -----------------Bernal---Casado-------------------- ---Balde-----Iñigo-----Cubarsi-----Kounde------- ---------------------TerStegen------------------------
I guess the positive of having Raphinha in the hole today is that he actually has an OK mid distance shot. So if he gets an opening he will shoot.
What is it with all of these retarded give-aways? We're not sharp at all. Christ. What has Flick been doing all this time? I'm seeing the same lazy attitude from our players. Smh. We're like headless chickens out there. C'mon.
Pppfff. We're so lucky he fluffed that, missed a sitter really. We should be behind at this point. Just terrible.