Butaan4barca
New member
i was against luiz, i was against mangala and i was against vermalean, but given his age if he stays fit. it could turn out to be a genius deal from him.
24 - Thomas Vermaelen
- Thread starter FlyLo
- Start date
what? Why? He is almost 30 and with his injury record, its unlikely that he will keep going well into his 30s, unlike players in their early 20s who could play for us for a decade like De Vrij for example. What exactly make this Vermaelen deal a "genius deal" (unless you are sarcastic)?
Butaan4barca
New member
with that amount, if he stays fit. he at least has two-three top years in him. he is left footed and if he get back to his best arsenal days. I don't think there great are too many defenders available for sale around either.
he will be very handy.
Butaan4barca
New member
And then we definitely can use him to attract belgium talent to barca (de bruyne) ??, plus belgium football fans market bugyin varmalean shirts.
Grego
New member
Haha, I'm really a fan of Vermaelen but buy his shirt? If he stays fit for one year then maybe... Now I've chosen every year between Xavi and Iniesta.
How do you know he has at least two three top years in him? You think he will at least be at top level when he is 33?
People think Iniesta has declined because of age and he is only 31 and Iniesta's playing style was less dependent on physical fitness than a guy like Vermaelen.
StarLord
New member
It's not just about age. Iniesta has been playing non-stop since his teenage years with both Barca and Spain NT. Vermaelen has played much less, so his decline due to wear and tear must be less. If he stays injury-free (I know, a massive "if") then I can see him having the necessary reserves of energy and strength to remain relevant beyond turning 30. Everything is up in the air though.
Butaan4barca
New member
Butaan4barca
New member
you are right, we don't know. But look at on average how long does defenders play on their top. there are many examples of great defenders playing at extremely high level in their 30s
Blaugrana Bull
HiiiPoWeR
Until a week ago Vermaelen has been the laughing stock in here and everyone was making jokes about his injuries. After one solid game where he played 60 minutes he suddenly is Pique's partner for next season. Hilarious.
1. It was stupid by some people to call his situation a dream come true and all that. "Oh he can sit at home and gets payed by Barca. What could be better?" Well the guy is a human being and I bet he would be rather be healthy and work his ass off than walking around on crutches. I do not know if you rather go to school/work or sit at home for months because you are ill. Some should have shown some respect.
2. Vermaelen did look good on his debut and had a nice performance but he is at the bottom of the pecking order and needs to be healthy in pre-season to challenge for a spot in our defense. I hope he can help us next year because he seems to be a nice guy and can certainly play on a high level.
1. It was stupid by some people to call his situation a dream come true and all that. "Oh he can sit at home and gets payed by Barca. What could be better?" Well the guy is a human being and I bet he would be rather be healthy and work his ass off than walking around on crutches. I do not know if you rather go to school/work or sit at home for months because you are ill. Some should have shown some respect.
2. Vermaelen did look good on his debut and had a nice performance but he is at the bottom of the pecking order and needs to be healthy in pre-season to challenge for a spot in our defense. I hope he can help us next year because he seems to be a nice guy and can certainly play on a high level.
Iniesta hasnt played non-stop. We used Ronaldinho and Deco mostly in his early career. He was still a sub when we won the CL in 2006. He wasnt a fixed starter for Spain in his teenage years either. Iniesta's career has been pretty normal in fact, far from being overused, and this can not explain his decline. Vermaelen has had so many injuries that it cant be good for the body and taking into consideration that he relies on his physique more than Iniesta did, I dont see how ppl can really say that he will last longer than Iniesta at the top level.
How many CBs are playing at "an extremely high level" at 33 years old? Especially injury-prone CBs.
StarLord
New member
Iniesta became a mainstay of the team long before the CL final of 2006. Made his debut in 2002 in both La Liga and the CL. By season 04/05 he was more or less a full-blown Barca player. He had 37 apps in that season (from 38 possible ones) The fact that he was left on the bench in the CL final of 2006 was a very big surprise as he played all the minutes available against both Benfica and AC Milan in the quarters and semis that year. He was promptly brought on at half-time. As for the Spanish NT, Iniesta did break into it until his 21st year, that much is true (I think) be he lots of apps for the junior teams.
In any case, my point is that Iniesta has played lots and lots of games in his career, much more than Vermaelen in fact (probably more than double the amount) and that counts for a lot. Another thing that you are missing is that Iniesta's style of play is not just smooth footwork and brilliant technique. His game always involved lots of running, something which takes its toll. Iniesta always was the the more dynamic and mobile part of the Xavi-Iniesta combination. So, yes, Iniesta's game was much more physical than people tend to think. In fact, CBs, are the outfield players that usually last the longer since the need for them to run and cover distances is more limited than all other players. Sheer pace in the case of CBs is also never strictly necessary.
Iniesta was a supersub in his early 20s. More often than not, his appearances were substitute appearances as Deco and Ronnie played in his position.
But forget about Iniesta. How many CBs play at an extremely high level at 33 years old?
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