Defender for next season?

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

Can someone explain me the need for a top-class CB when we have pique-puyol-mascherano and as a reserve solution youngsters like Fontas, Bartra and players that can play the role when needed (Abidal - if well, Busi)

Thiago Silva? What for? Same style as pique and inferior. Pique-Silva together would be as good Busi - Pique was and there is also the money and the (un)healthy competition if you congest the defence..
Pique was not playing in the last important games, cauz pep selected puyol - masxherano, and he was not happy..
Look what happened to the Md this season.
Are we ever going to learn from our mistakes?
Or are we going to make strange tricks to fit 3 pure CBs, like iniesta on the wing to fit in cesc?


I really dont get the need for a CB..
Also i dont get the need for a CF.
I dont get any need.
The team has a full and complete squad. If everyone stays, only a LB is needed.
Nothing more
Strange decisions from Villanova.. Really strange..

Its a move that we need to make in order to make Puyol's eventual and inevitable retirement unnoticeable. perhaps Botia can step up and fill in for Puyol eventually but he needs to have a lot of playing time in order for him to get to that level. meanwhile, you have to assume he will make a lot of mistakes in the meantime that could be costly. if we buy a CB, say David Luiz (who showed just how defensively sound he can be against Bayern tonight) or Thiago Silva (who I don't wont because he will cost a fortune) they can fill in for Puyol instantaneously and won't be costly to barca due to a lack of experience. Botia is a big gamble but could pay off huge for Barca while buying a world class CB is a safer but much more expensive option.

I agree that we don't need a new Striker either. I have voiced my opinion on that numerous times.

[0n0mat0p0eia]

I really dont get the need for a CB..
Also i dont get the need for a CF.
I dont get any need.
The team has a full and complete squad. If everyone stays, only a LB is needed.
Nothing more
Strange decisions from Villanova.. Really strange..

Fair enough. Im gonna travel to the stadium and have a look at the 2011/2012 La Liga champions trophy, and the 2011/2012 Champions league trophy...Oh, wait a minute, we didnt win those!!!
Wake up and smell the coffee; Real have caught us; have they passed us? they outmuscle us at corners and set pieces, and they dont play many teams who have so little of the ball the park the bus in front of the goal. We were beaten by an inferior Chelski team because we did not convert even a fraction of the chances we created.
We need another key to unlock that kind of football puzzle. A team that does not have a player to be an outball for the defence/to hold the ball up/ to flick on headers for runners/to get on the end of crosses/ to score headers from corners/ to mark tall players defending corners is losing out on a lot of options on a football pitch.

As for the defence? Considering how often WE have the ball, the numbers of goals we concede is high. In the last Classico, EVERY time Real had the ball and ran at us we looked vulnerable. We concede goals away to teams that park the bus and score from a corner or a cross with one or two of the only chances they create. If Messi is having a bad game or we fail to score early, we struggle. We lost La liga this year due to our inability to change the way we play against these sides.

[Darko]

any thoughts on Mateo Musacchio,he is young and can still improve,and he would come in cheap since Villarreal are relegated?

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

darko, in this department, this is where we need to spend our money. we need to splash the cash a bit and get a world class CB who can replace Puyol in 2-3 years time. Musacchio is good, but he is not world class. I want David Luiz!

[psychotsek]

darko, in this department, this is where we need to spend our money. we need to splash the cash a bit and get a world class CB who can replace Puyol in 2-3 years time. Musacchio is good, but he is not world class. I want David Luiz!

How exactly you rate someone world class?
What has David Luiz done to earn it?

[RedMadridista]

Robbert Huth

[woobie]

I have a very narrow definition of 'world class': someone I'd put into a world XI squad. Given who I grew up watching, I'm especially picky about giving that label to defenders. David Luiz is good but is not IMO world class. A fit Puyol is (for example).

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

I have a very narrow definition of 'world class': someone I'd put into a world XI squad. Given who I grew up watching, I'm especially picky about giving that label to defenders. David Luiz is good but is not IMO world class. A fit Puyol is (for example).

Fair, very fair. I feel David Luiz definitely has the potential to be world class though, especially with our level of coaching and him being under the wing and mentored by Puyol. A CB who is world class however is Thiago Silva and apparently they are entertaining bids for him as Mancini was offering a Tevez + cash deal deal for him. They are valuing him around 50 million and apparently, we made a bid for him at 40 million that was rejected. If Milan are seriously considering selling Thiago Silva (which is crazy imo), he just became our #1 priority this summer. For 50 million + possibly Keita, I think that would be a deal that would be great for both sides but we need to do it soon since it sounds like Mancini is pretty interested. Thoughts?

[psychotsek]

Fair, very fair. I feel David Luiz definitely has the potential to be world class though, especially with our level of coaching and him being under the wing and mentored by Puyol. A CB who is world class however is Thiago Silva and apparently they are entertaining bids for him as Mancini was offering a Tevez + cash deal deal for him. They are valuing him around 50 million and apparently, we made a bid for him at 40 million that was rejected. If Milan are seriously considering selling Thiago Silva (which is crazy imo), he just became our #1 priority this summer. For 50 million + possibly Keita, I think that would be a deal that would be great for both sides but we need to do it soon since it sounds like Mancini is pretty interested. Thoughts?

Sorry but there isn't a single player in Serie A who's worth that much money..

[woobie]

I adore Sideshow Bob and do think that he's got more potential than most folks give him credit for -- tbh, I'd love to see him in Spain or in Italy (and I don't discount the quality of the league even if some here do) as I think it would suit him better. He can be better than he has shown at Chelsea.

The Silva thing...well, a lot of the stories are very speculative and the 50 million number thrown out was in a story relating to a City bid -- and because it's to City the prices are inflated and are, perhaps, an indication that Milan aren't exactly enthusiastic about selling him. I'm not sure he will be sold at all; if he is, it'll have to be an awfully high bid because he is one of the few defenders I would rate as world class. For a Barcelona bid, Milan would probably want one of the more creative mids (hopefully not Cesc but that's because I personally don't like him; he's got the right characteristics though) + $$$ for Silva - IF (and I think it's a big if) Milan were to sell at all. Personally I think it's more likely that Ibrahimovic will go.

[Boris]

Fair, very fair. I feel David Luiz definitely has the potential to be world class though, especially with our level of coaching and him being under the wing and mentored by Puyol. A CB who is world class however is Thiago Silva and apparently they are entertaining bids for him as Mancini was offering a Tevez + cash deal deal for him. They are valuing him around 50 million and apparently, we made a bid for him at 40 million that was rejected. If Milan are seriously considering selling Thiago Silva (which is crazy imo), he just became our #1 priority this summer. For 50 million + possibly Keita, I think that would be a deal that would be great for both sides but we need to do it soon since it sounds like Mancini is pretty interested. Thoughts?

50 million + Keita!? too much. way too much.

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

The 50 million + Keita would show that we mean business and are willing to put out a fairly lucrative deal to Milan that is fair. @Psychotek and Boris, Thiago Silva is, imo, the best CB in the world. We are going to need to make a bid that is more attractive to Milan than the deal that City is offering. They need depth back in their midfield since they lost Gattuso and Van Bommel and Keita would be a good addition to their squad plus the 50 million to spend on any player they choose. In return, we solve our defensive problems for the next 7-8 years with Silva and Pique becoming probably the best all around CB pairing in the world with their fantastic ability in the air and with distributing the ball from the back, reading the game and making great tackles and key interceptions.

However, he is very expensive. The alternative is David Luiz, and woobie hit it on the spot when he said that he has more potential than people give him credit for. The guy has boatloads of potential: he is a naturally gifted player on the ball, great tackler and fantastic in the air, he is just a bit raw. For about a fraction of the cost we could get him and develop him into the perfect replacement for Puyol and I feel like he would be a great defender for La Liga. I honestly would prefer him to Thiago Silva because I feel like he and Pique would complement each other really well but either one would be fantastic. Plus, who can resist the hair?

[woobie]

Nobody can. Awesome, awesome hair.

[JackSparrow]

I dont understand why dont we go for Chielini. In my opinion he is better than Silva and would be also cheaper. Even Ibrahimovic said it that he is the best defender he has ever played against.

[woobie]

As an Azzurri (if not a Juve) fan, I adore Chiello -- and Ibra probably said that after the battles in 2008-9 but since that time, Chiellini has gone a bit off the boil IMO. He's very good but I think Thiago Silva is better. And I don't think he'd be a lot cheaper. Juve have no need or desire to sell him.