The Association Football Thread

#5,378
#5,378
volball625 said:
Our midfielders are getting old. Thiago is the future of Barcelona and if the board truly let him walk, then it will be a failure and an embarrassment.
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The kids got amazing ability. Xavi is what, 33 now? I can't see how Barca isn't promising this kid more playing time and finding a way to make him happy. 18 million is a steal for this kid.
 
#5,379
#5,379
Godfatha said:
Mario Gomez out, Thiago Alcantara in for Bayern. Great player but I already like our midfield with Schweinsteiger and Martinez.
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After watching him play a little he seems more useful in a CAM or wing role. Is that what you Barca fans here feel?
 
#5,380
#5,380
volball625 said:
Our midfielders are getting old. Thiago is the future of Barcelona and if the board truly let him walk, then it will be a failure and an embarrassment.
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Heard they messed up by not playing him enough minutes and his contract has a much lower buyout if that happens.
 
#5,381
#5,381
Godfatha said:
The kids got amazing ability. Xavi is what, 33 now? I can't see how Barca isn't promising this kid more playing time and finding a way to make him happy. 18 million is a steal for this kid.
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If I remember right the 18 million fee was triggered based on minutes played, which he didn't have enough of... Went up to 60 something if he did. Barca wrapped the league up early, I'm surprised they couldn't find more minutes for him to keep this from happening.
 
#5,384
#5,384
milohimself said:
If I remember right the 18 million fee was triggered based on minutes played, which he didn't have enough of... Went up to 60 something if he did. Barca wrapped the league up early, I'm surprised they couldn't find more minutes for him to keep this from happening.
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You think they would have. Not very forward thinking I'm afraid. I hate poaching players from a team I respect like Barca, but he was going to go to United otherwise.
 
#5,385
#5,385
Godfatha said:
You think they would have. Not very forward thinking I'm afraid. I hate poaching players from a team I respect like Barca, but he was going to go to United otherwise.
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Not really poaching when the player wants to leave. It might be considered poaching from United. Screw United :)
 
#5,386
#5,386
Godfatha said:
After watching him play a little he seems more useful in a CAM or wing role. Is that what you Barca fans here feel?
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He can play just about anywhere centrally. Not a holding mid but he can play as high as a CF if you want him to. I wouldn't say he's a winger. Really not a winger at all
 
#5,387
#5,387
Godfatha said:
You think they would have. Not very forward thinking I'm afraid. I hate poaching players from a team I respect like Barca, but he was going to go to United otherwise.
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Happened with Göetze as well. Ruthless business, but Bayern will keep rolling with deals like that.

I'm still surprised he agreed to leave, he seemed much closer to cracking the XI at Barça than he will for Bayern.
 
#5,389
#5,389
And Madrid are shelling out twice the money for Thiago's teammate on the U21 Spanish team that is half the player. Fantastic.
 
#5,390
#5,390
volball625 said:
Thiago won't crack the starting XI until Xavi retires.
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Bayern is the one club in the world where he'll be even further from the XI.

Xavi is an injury or bad stretch of form from Thiago starting matches in La Liga. Now he's buried on a roster with 2-3 guys who do what he does but better.
 
#5,391
#5,391
I think you are underestimating what Pep plans to do with him. If he moves, it's because he wants more playing time ahead of Brazil. He's moving because he's been promised playing time.
 
#5,392
#5,392
Then he's not going to get it. There's not a spot on the pitch where Pep won't have at least one or two clearly better options. If Pep does feature him as a starter in his natural role, then Dortmund will probably win Bundesliga.

If Thiago wanted playing time and better preparation ahead of the World Cup, he would have signed with Man U. He would stand a better chance of starting and he would have better competition week in and week out.

The only two conclusions that can be drawn from this whole saga are that: 1) Barça was not forward-looking enough to give him the minutes to stay, and 2) Thiago belongs to Pep at this point.
 
#5,393
#5,393
Completely disagree. There's no one in that midfield that is head and shoulders better than him besides Schweinsteiger.
 
#5,395
#5,395
Thiago to Bayern Munich is official.

I'm officially depressed. Absolute embarrassment by the club. And we still have glaring issues at CB that have not been addressed. The season is shaping up to a colossal **** show.
 
#5,396
#5,396
volball625 said:
Thiago to Bayern Munich is official.

I'm officially depressed. Absolute embarrassment by the club. And we still have glaring issues at CB that have not been addressed. The season is shaping up to a colossal **** show.
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You guys will be ok. Not giving Thiago enough minutes to keep the 90m buyout clause was incredibly stupid by Barca management, though. You guys need to be more active in the market to address CB and be looking forward to eventually replacing Xavi
 
#5,397
#5,397
I like Barça's odds of landing Thiago Silva, which would be massive.

Finding a mid to fill Xavi's boots will be trickier, but the need isn't as immediate as it is for CB.
 
#5,398
#5,398
Manchester United just bid £35m for Cesc Fabregas. I doubt that Barca sells him considering they just let Thiago go.
 
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