K'NAAN - Wavin' Flag (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix)

Fan-Opinion

The new 'Fan-Opinion' section, shall include articles posted by F.C.B Fans, who desire to express their views. Fans who wish to have their articles published should send them to any of the Administrators or to the Blog I.D. The posts are subjected to editing and reviewing by the administrators.

--------------

The Left Winger Dilemma

With so many news coming up, regarding topics like 'Barcelona to buy new left winger', 1 question arises.

DO WE NEED THEM?

We can instead use our youth players as solution, can't we?. There are many emerging youths in our youth academy.

One of them is Pedrito Rodriguez. This 22 year old winger has proven his metal by scoring a number of goals this season at right wing.Undoubtedly, he could be a shoulder to rely upon. But the question is CAN HE PLAY AT LEFT WING ALSO?

We'll have to see to know.

Another player is our 19 year old Center Forward Bojan Krkic. Most of football pundits tip him as the NEXT BIG THING IN FOOTBALL. He has also shown how good he is and proved to be a Barca saviour in few matches. This lad scores goal for fun. But, yet again, the question is CAN HE PLAY AT LEFT WING ALSO?

One more player is Jefferen Bermudez, the 21 year old lad. He is proving to be a true DEMON for Barcelona Athletic and we have seen glimpses of magic in CDR and other league matches. He is quick and intelligent. But the question is IS HE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY REGULARLY FOR FIRST TEAM?

Last but certainly not the least, we have the 18 year old Israeli left winger Yigaal Gai Assulin. He is Super fast, intelligent and all rounder player and is touted to be a WORLD CLASS LEFT WINGER in future.

But the question is IS HE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY REGULARLY FOR FIRST TEAM IN HIS FIRST YEAR AT FCB?

--> Aditya Jain,

Ardent F.C.B fan.

Is Robinho really the answer?

So Robinho seems to be the next big thing that Pep wants. Really? Is that what we really need to help this team? According to both, the Spanish and English press, it seems that Robinho will be the big signing for this team during the winter transfer period. Somehow, I think the money could be spent elsewhere.

Let’s look at the pros and the cons of this transfer possibility shall we. We will examine the pros first. He is only 25 years old, plays on the left and is not cup tied for the Champions League. He also has a giant chip on his shoulder after the way he was treated by Real Madrid. Robinho was supposed to be getting a new deal by Real Madrid but they kept delayed it and then dangled him to Manchester United to get Cristiano Ronaldo. The deal fell through and Robinho had had enough and demanded to be transferred. The last time the club signed a former Madridista; Eto’o helped the team win three league titles and two Champions League titles. Another motivating factor would be the fact that the World Cup is coming up soon and he wants to be match fit and in a happier environment.

However, let’s examine the cons too. Robinho’s arrival will not be cheap. According to Sport, he could come on a loan for the second half of the season at a cost of €3 million or can be bought for over €30 million. Another issue is his attitude. Robinho has never been one to be without issues or controversy and does the club need to have someone here after getting rid of one player that the manager did not get along with. He already had an incident with Manchester City last season with his flight to Brazil without permission allegedly. His comments that Manchester City needed to change their small-time mentality sure is not exactly music to fans ears. After what the club went through with Eto’o, why would Pep have a different feeling about Robinho? Also, will he be well behaved off the field or will we see him out at night? Seems like too many questions marks come with the transfer. Robinho is a very talented player who I admired watching with Diego during their Santos playing days but in the end, why take such a risky and expensive gamble on him?

Ajax’s Luis Suárez is only 22 years old, can play on the left and has done well adapting to European football over at Ajax without a great supporting cast. He can play as a midfielder and as a winger. He is also not cup tied for the Champions League since he is only involved in the Europa League.

I also doubt Ajax would ask for over €30 million and we can perhaps get him and loan them Kerrison in return. Luis is a great talented player and would benefit this club immensely with his goal scoring instincts and is three years younger than Robinho.

Another name would be Landon Donovan. He is not cup tied for the Champions League and although he has been around forever it seems, he is only 27 years old. He can come on a loan for the second half of the season and would be a great player to have rotated with Iniesta and Xavi seeing as Cesc is realistically not coming to the club this winter break.

He is a speedy player who has great control and vision, can run with the ball, set up players quite well, another lethal free kick taker and not a bad goal scorer himself too. He is also no stranger to the team after playing against Xavi, Puyol and Piqué, in the Confederation’s Cup semi-finals and the first game of the USA tour this past summer when FC Barcelona faced off against the LA Galaxy.

I know those two players are no saints either. Landon has been accused of being invisible at times and seemed to take the easy way out when he opted to return to the MLS and not fight it out in Germany. Luis is known to be a diver and gets booked too often for it and is known to be a bit theatrical. However, I still think it would be money well spent and just what the team needs over Robinho who we do not know if will do well or sulk and create distractions. Why splash the money on one player when you can get two for the price of one and solve two problems. Luis can play on the left for Henry and allow Iniesta to excel in the midfield while Landon can rotate with Xavi and Iniesta and give them the much needed rest for rotations too. Only time will tell what the club will decide is right for the club and hopefully it will be right decision.

---

F.C.B Community, Orkut.

Gracias Samuel

A tribute to Samuel Eto'o..perhaps the best Finisher besides Romario to grace the Blaugrana shirt.

Samuel Eto'o came to Spain as a 16 year old as part of the Real Madrid youth set-up. The night he arrived no one was at the airport to pick him up. So there he was a kid who hardly spoke a word of Spanish, in the cold and alone. Only he knows what thoughts might have gone through his head at that point. Regret perhaps, fear maybe. Afetr an uneventful period of time with the Castilla he was farmed out to Mallorca..a small island in the North of Spain.. a picturesque place and to Samuel Eto'o-Home.

There he flourished reveling in the adoration of the Islanders and gleefully taking part in the demolition of the then RM team at the Bernebeau in a 1-5 hammering.

And so Samuel Eto'o burst onto the world scene and suddenly everyone was aware of this young hungry striker. A lion he was and is and will be. A fighter, a Winner, a Champion.

Protracted transfer dealings with Mallorca and Real led us to buy this wonderful footballer in 2003 and in 5 seasons hence Samu scored 130 goals in 200 games, a scoring ratio of 6.5 goals every 10 games.

How many of those 130 were critical..well pretty much all of them. He perhaps scored our most important goals in the UCL final of 2005 and 2008. Thank you for all of them Samu..all the tap-ins, all the missiles, all the sneaky back-post OMFG how goals...Thank you for being a champion, a leader a Lion. Thank you for your Indomitable spirit and your wonderful smile. Thank you for your Love for us. Thank you for being Blaugrana Samu.

An in the end..this is a tribute for You Samuel Eto'o...of Undying Courage and Dignity


Saluda Al Campeon, Saluda El Gran Eto'o

Summer Transfers Part 1: Defense

After a wonderful season in which the team exceeded all expectations enroute to a Unprecedented Treble we have to take a step back and survey the Squad for adjustments taht will take into account the fact that Next season is going to be a killer with not only the League, Copa nd the UCL we will also be playing for the European and Spanish Super Cups and the Club World Cup..Plus some of our players will be playing in the Confederations Cup and the African Cup of Nations later so the squad has to be suitably strengthened to sustain all this extra burden from last year...
How do we strengthen..? Simple..Buy and Sell..

In this section we shall concentrate on Defense purely..Midfield and Attack will be covered later

GOAL KEEPER
Victor Valdes, Jose Manuel Pinto and Albert Jorquera currently comprise our Goalkeeper squad. Out of the three I for one can be unequivocally state that Jorquera has to leave for both the team's and his benefit. It seems that he has lost his ambition a bit by continuing to agree to stay as backup to the backup..but he is a good keeper and needs to find a club where he can play more..so Adeu Albert and thank you
For the remaining two words are not enough..Admirable performances by both of them in separate Cup Finals...
Victor Oh Victor so often the Villain but he came through for us when it mattered and he has to be first choice till he hangs up his boots...but that's just the La Masia lover in me speaking
Pinto has won me over with his performances which last season were strictly average..One more year from the Pony-Tailed one and more Penalty saves please :D

As for the buys am I the only one who feels that we don't need to buy anyone..Oier showed himself to be more than capable against Mallorca and his performances with the youth team have been consistent and competent
But I know that a good young established keeper will no doubt strengthen the squad but with Pinto's performances this year it'd be a disrespect to make him third choice

Krish's Opinion: Release Jorquera, Promote Oier Buy no one


DEFENSE

One of the secrets of our success this season has been a consistently water-tight defense..the best in the La Liga by far...
Lets list the players who were part of our Defensive back line this season
1. Carles Puyol
2. Rafael Marquez
3. Gerard Pique
4. Martin Cacares
5. Daniel Alves (?!!)
6. Eric Abidal
7. Yaya Toure
8. Victor Sanchez
9. Sylvinho

Sanchez only played a few games and acceptable..

The !! next to Alves's name just marks my disbelief that this guy is a defender..he is much much more..5 goals and countless assists and a monster on the right wing he's a footballing Sonic the Hedgehog (thanks Sid Lowe) and was so worth 30 mill...

Puyol was immense all season..He's the Leader of this team and bleeds Blaugrana..His positioning may be erratic at times..but he makes up for it with his Two Megaton Heart...El Gran Capitan..El Tiburon Puyol...

Rafa Marquez confused me this season..at moments he totally owned the Kaiser nickname but there were times where he looked like Little Dog Lost on the field..I am frankly stumped at his performances..but he has been mentoring Pique in the Long-Balls out of defense routine..No one does cross-field balls better than the Mexican Kaiser..

Gerard Pique is one of the Nominees for Revelation of the Season..from an uncertain start where he literally looked out of place as part of the back line to an absolute Sterling Defender..an awesome season topped by goals against the Pericos and the Whites...a wonderfully talented young defender..You got screwed Fergie :D

Abidal and Caceres hmm..things get cloudy here..One came as a proven International while the other as a raw youngster..but both have given erratic showings...Abidal to be fair has played some amazing matches but has had wandering Eric syndrome a lot lately..what counts against him is age unfortunately..Martin has a distinct advantage in that and he played a great match against Brazil recently..

Oh Yaya what a BEAST...he can play anywhere and rip the opposition to shreds..The Yaya..sign him to a life contract Txiki or i will drink your blood...*Gore and Horror*

Sylvinho has officially left Barca and will always be remembered fondly...the previous post on this blog is confirmation of this fact..Adios and Gracias Sylvio

So whom do we buy..because buy we shall
Here's my 2 cents
A new LB is compulsory now whether he'll be first choice or back up to Abidal is another issue..Puyol has shown to be capable there..Young Marc Muniesa has shown himself to be one for the future and can do well under the Captain's Tutelage
A polyvalent player ie one who can play LB and LM would be an excellent buy ..so someone like Yuri Zhirkov would be perfect but I would rather have a player who defends more than attack to complement Dani on the right side
Who to buy I would let you decide but I for one would have the excellent Maxwell as our LB for next season and rotate with Abidal

Henrique will return next season so it'd mean the loaning out of Martin Caceres most probably..and it'd be the best for young Martin to play more football in a Liga team...Sporting Gijon or Osasuna would be a good bet for him..


Krish's Opinion: Buy a new DEFENDING LB..Loan out Caceres..Promote Marc Muniesa and play Vic Sanchez in midfield more than defense.


From the rest of Liga
Fiorentino Perez also known as Darth de Perez is back in the Hot seat at the Berbanov(Patent: Attitude Lover)and has immediately bought Manuel Pellegrini as the new Scapegoat oops Coach and a certain player whose name is synonymous with Excreta...
All jokes aside (gasp) Kaka will be a great addition to the RM squad and will fit in well into the Attacking Midfield Role which will sadly make a couple of the Dutchies irrelevant....oh well

Luis Aragones is apparently coming back to Atletico..do the Colchoneros ever learn?

Ernesto Valverde takes over at Villareal to fill that Pellegrini shaped void at El Madrigal..Big Shoes to fill Ernesto..best of luck to a Ex-Barca player

Part 2 coming up where we will concentrate on midfield..

Remember the Name - Sylvinho

"Men May come and Men may Go,

But i go on forever."

- Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Seldom do things make me cry. Today is one of those days. The espnstar website reads, "Barcelona cut ties with Sylvinho." Do not know if it was the harshness of the heading or Sylvio's departure that made me cry.

For a defender who played 128 games in Blue and Scarlet and scored 3 goals, Sylvinho 

is among the most down to earth players i have seen. 'Experience comes at the price of cockiness." they say. But Sylvio is the living proof that, that statement is absurd.

He stood with the side for the last half a decade and leaves the entire cule cauldron, weeping. One may well debate that he never got that eternally fixed place in the playing eleven. But Sylvio still remains eternally fixed in our hearts. Something that not everyone have achieved.

Sylvio Mendes Campos Jr, born April 14, 1974, an overlapping attacking left back, made his way to F.C Barcelona, joined in the ranks by Thierry Henry and Marc Overmars, switching from Arsenal.

A caring man by nature and a fatherly figure for all, Sylvinho is amog the most respected figures at Nou Camp. 

The perfect ambassador of the game, and the impeccable family man.

You will not have spotted one rash tackle or a foul commited by him. That is because of the gentleman inside him that respects other players and demands respect from them, which he duely gets. Syulvinho is also reported to be a deeply religious man, who lives by his principles and adheres them strictly.

The Brazillian has 6 international caps, and he started playing for his local club, Corinthians and then slowly worked his way up the rankings, demanding attention with his effective lightweighted approach, aggressive football and overlapping. He was soon signed by Arsenal F.C who latched on to his talent in 1999. Later in his career, Sylvinho was signed in to Celta Vigo where he enjoyed 3 outstanding seasons, from 2001.

In 2004, Barca wanted the man and got him for 2 Million euros. He enjoyed a few scintillating seasons, and is idolized today at Nou Camp.

The most impressive thing about this player, is his humility. He did not get enough playing minutes the last season, which a player of his stature deserved, that is a sooth. Yet he did not waste time complaining and showed the world what he is made of, each oppurtunity he got.

He had the best season of his career, which also turned out to be his last, unfortunately. He was a decisive member for the treble, plaing his heart out in the Champions League final against Manchester United, at Rome, where he humbled the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo with unprecedented ease.

This event is an extremely sad and unexplicable burden in the hearts of each of us. Let us just tell each us that nothing is permanent. No sun stays shining past the dusk.

Sylvinho, we love you. Though you are leaving us this instance. I cannot but hope, you shall remain what you are, elsewhere. 

Though one never thanks his family,

Thank You, Sylvinho.

Recuere El Nombre - SYLVINHO.

"The daddy of the team. A real good guy. He is always concerned for the welfare of the side and asks questions all the time when we are travelling, making sure we are OK. " - Gerard Pique.

Miles to Go Before We Sleep.

As Krish suggested, time has come to take a look forward at the next season. If you ask me, the job is not done. We have set high expectations for Pep and the boys for the next season and that may well not be the most intelligent thing. 

Pardon me, if you feel i am being pessimistic, because i am not. It is the bitter truth that this is the time to let go of the rosy clouds of success and descent upon the thorny realities of life.

A new season is similar to a new exam, metaphorically. We topped the class last year, time to start from the scratch and get on with it, the next exam. 

By high expectations for Pep and the Boys, i don't mean they cannot live up to it. Of course, they can! Just that, cockiness does not suit a Cule. We were,are & should remain down to earth and not let success go to our heads.

A new season, a new dawn. New flowers to blossom and old ones to wither. Ok, i am getting a bit too poetic. I am talking about tranfers, you get the idea. Who knows what is in store for us. Time will tell.

But this remains a promise that all latest sensible rumours and transfer news will reach you with accuracy, from our panel of extremely talented expert-cules (believed it?? HAH!)...

Coming to the point, a new season also means new challenges... Madrid would come full throttle when/if Perez takes the helm, and things will take a tougher turn.

Valencia, Sevilla, Villareal, Atletico Madrid; Nobody is going to let us off with the title for free, as long as pigs don't grow wings.

Wake up call!!

Not one team is here to give us the Guard of honour with gleeful hearts and distribution of lollipops. It is going to be shown with utter hatred, coldness and vendetta. My sense does not fail me when i presume that this is going to be tough season in all aspects.

Enough Of my eerie prophecies from the Crystal Ball.

We deserve the Treble and we got it in style. 

Sexy football and passionate work brought us the 3 brass stumps this season and if the same attittude is shown the coming season, I don't see the metals moving an inch away from where it currently is roosting.

On a slightly different note,

Our Orkut community, which had 6000-8000 member towards the end of 07-08 season and the beginning of the 08-09 season, now has brimmed 10,000 members. You may like to tag them as glory-hunters, but that is  very well explained by the kind of Football that we've been playing.

If you want any updates, news, opinions, debates and that sort, do hop on and check out the blog atleast every week, if not every day. I promise, the authors'll work extremely hard just to fulfill your taste pallete.

Cheers.

Visca El Barca.