Barcelona....Best team in Europe?

[deselina]

how are chelsea better, honestly? last time i checked roma wiped the floor with them in the champions league.

chelsea does not have the players that barca have. they have the best player in messi, the best striker in eto'o (his stats are amazing) and arguably the best midfield in the world with best player of the last euro's xavi as leading man.

 

[deselina]

Barca are playing really well. They still play that unique 4-3-3 with Henry, Eto'o & Messi interchanging positions up front, but they're scoring for fun this season and confidence is high.

Guardiola has made some interesting tweaks: Xavi is playing a more advanced role; the passer Busquets has sometimes been preferred to the more physical YaYa Toure as the holding DM; and Pique has been picked at CB with Puyol at LB for the last couple of games.

Puyol is as natural a LB as Chimbonda (ie he's not) but it's working at the moment.

Interestingly, players like Keita, Hleb & Bojan are bit-part players at the moment, although they should get more regular football with Iniesta being injured.

I'd love Barca to win the Champions League. However, I haven't seen their defence properly tested, and I think English clubs in particular may fancy their chances against a back four with Dani Alves, Marquez & Pique at its heart.

If Guardiola is able to partner the injured Gabby Milito with Puyol later in the season, then they'll have a real chance.

they got rid of ronaldinho.

even in rijkaard's last year it was clear that the team performed much better without dinho in the side. but because he was still their captain and he was still on their payroll they had no reason not to field him occasionaly.

the rest of the team loathed his workrate and lack of presence during trainings, or the fact that he was always somehow injured whenever they had an away game.

the morale is much higher now, even henry looks like he finally enjoys it at barcelona.

 

[Goldman]

The current european champions, Man Utd, are the best team, they may not be playing at there peak just yet, but they are amazing throughout the whole team, with maybe exception to VDS.

 

[yanno]

they got rid of ronaldinho.

even in rijkaard's last year it was clear that the team performed much better without dinho in the side. but because he was still their captain and he was still on their payroll they had no reason not to field him occasionaly.

the rest of the team loathed his workrate and lack of presence during trainings, or the fact that he was always somehow injured whenever they had an away game.

the morale is much higher now, even henry looks like he finally enjoys it at barcelona.

Interesting. Ronaldinho was unfit and rubbish for most of last season, but I'm not convinced it was entirely his fault. Eto'o had a bad injury, Deco was very hit-and-miss (more often miss - by miles), and Henry was often a peripheral figure.

Also, Barca arguably had a stronger defence last season: Zambrotta-Puyol-Milito-Abidal is better defensively than the current back four of Dani Alves-Marquez-Pique-Puyol.

However, I'm sure Catalans like Xavi, Puyol, Valdes & Iniesta are enjoying playing for fellow Catalan Guardiola. Xavi & Puyol even played alongside Pep before injury destroyed his career. Barca had a squad of great players last season. This season they're playing a lot nearer their potential.

I agree that much of it comes down to morale and confidence.

 

[AngerManagement]

The current european champions, Man Utd, are the best team, they may not be playing at there peak just yet, but they are amazing throughout the whole team, with maybe exception to VDS.

YOur right, I fear they will try to unsettle Gomes and make a move for him in the summer too

 

[3Dnata]

They are having abit of a mare thusfar tonight.

 

[Legacy]

Why do people, when rating players or clubs, ask if they're the best "in Europe"? Are there teams outside of Europe that are better, thus making a "best team in the world" claim would be completely over the top or incorrect?

It's just something that always bugs me.

 

[Kendall]

how are chelsea better, honestly? last time i checked roma wiped the floor with them in the champions league.

chelsea does not have the players that barca have. they have the best player in messi, the best striker in eto'o (his stats are amazing) and arguably the best midfield in the world with best player of the last euro's xavi as leading man.

We will see what happens in this year's CL.

Watching Barcelona last year, they were nowhere near as strong as United or Chelsea. This season they have looked a little better, but so have Chelsea.

 

[Adam]

We will see what happens in this year's CL.

Watching Barcelona last year, they were nowhere near as strong as United or Chelsea. This season they have looked a little better, but so have Chelsea.

A little better?? Theres at leat as much difference with Barca now and last year as there is between Ramos and Redknapp's spurs-its like watching a completely different team. Eto'o is back to his best, Marquez looks hungry for it again and in Messi and Iniesta, Barca have two of the best 10, maybe even 5 players in the world.

Game tonight was disappointing, but thats not particularly suprising-really dissapointed with the selection of Keita AND Toure-those two dont work together-its almost like watching Jenas and Zokora labour through games-Busquets or even Gudjohnson from the start would have been a much better option i feel.

On current form, la liga is looking like a real possibility and, if Messi stays fit, the Champions League could also be in sight-with a front three of him, Iniesta and Etoo, i cant see any team stopping them

 

[Kendall]

But then I am of the opinion that la liga is nowhere near the level of the premiership

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

I suggested Gudjohnsen would be a good signing here, I think about a year ago and I was shot down.

He has scored 3 goals in 6 la liga games from midfield.

I am actually a great admirer of him because on multiple times in his career has he been forced out of the team (first with Chelsea, now Barca), and instead of complaining in the press or asking for a move, he has always instead worked hard and won his place back in the team. True pro.

 

[Bonjour]

I think most people just doubted Gudjohnson would want to come to Spurs, and they would have been right.

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

Well, some did, but I remember some members calling him shit.

 

[SpurSince57]

Well, some did, but I remember some members calling him shit.

I certainly can't remember that. The debate was, surely, whether he'd be more effective than Keane? He was never a really heavy scorer at Chelsea, and his goals dropped right off once Mourinho effectively stuck him in midfield—however, his first touch and control were outstanding, hardly inferior to Berbatov's (and he worked a sight harder).

Now? I don't think so.

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

It was never about Keane. It was about a great player who could play both midfield, as a striker in a 4-4-2 and as a lone-striker. Not to bring Keane back into this, but he for an example can't do this, although I was never meaning it for him to be replaced. I was pointing out how good it would've been to have a player like that in the team and I wanted him in midfield.

He has never scored less than 10 goals in a season as a striker and in midfield with Chelsea his goals were maybe fewer but he had like 10 assists that season in midfield.

and that doesn't even matter. It's the fact that some people called him shit.

 

[mil1lion]

Typical that they should play like they did last night after i made this thread. They really lacked width last night. I've been especially dissapointed with Hleb so far. I really want him to fit in, but he hasn't looked right in this team so far. He doesn't fit into the system at all well. As soon as Henry came on, they had much more threat out on the left. Hleb always wants to come infield and it caused a lot of problems last night. But we should see what Barca are really made of in the next few weeks as they play the best teams in La Liga. Sevilla away being the first.

Why do people, when rating players or clubs, ask if they're the best "in Europe"? Are there teams outside of Europe that are better, thus making a "best team in the world" claim would be completely over the top or incorrect?

It's just something that always bugs me.

Yeah its strange really. I've clearly fallen into the same trap myself. Its just something thats always said about players. The football in Asia and America is so different that neither style is necessarily considered superior to the other. I'm sure that most people in Europe would consider European Football to be much better. But i'm sure the South Americans consider their football to be better than Europe. Although the European teams tend to struggle in the World Club Competition after they win the Champions League. I still consider Europe to be the best place for Football. So its fair to say that the best team or players in Europe are the best in the World.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Awesome performance from Barca on Saturday away to Sevilla, a tough place to go but they came away with a 3-0 victory, a good finish from Eto'o and 2 equally good finishes from Messi.

Sevilla missed some chances and should have scored at least 1 goal but over the 90 mins Barca deserved the win.

 

[mil1lion]

Yeah i was really impressed with Barca again on saturday. They played like the home team. Its a real test for them to play the all the top teams back to back, but this is a great start. Messi really came to life in the 2nd half. He really is the best in the world at the moment on current form. Took his 2 goals well. But Xavi was really instrumental again aswell. And it was great to see Alves take a proper free-kick in the 2nd half. Just a little bit of craft for a change and it nearly paid off.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Yea 1st half he was quiet but 2nd half he played better and took his goals really well. I actually think Hleb should start over Henry on the left. Just don't think he's adding much to the team from that position.

I was happy that R Madrid lost, two very good back-to-back results for Getafe. And Valencia v Betis was a good game too, I wish we signed Manuel Fernandes when he was available.

 

[donny1013]

Yea 1st half he was quiet but 2nd half he played better and took his goals really well. I actually think Hleb should start over Henry on the left. Just don't think he's adding much to the team from that position.

I was happy that R Madrid lost, two very good back-to-back results for Getafe. And Valencia v Betis was a good game too, I wish we signed Manuel Fernandes when he was available.

Yeah Henry has been a bad buy for Barca, was more of a big name signing than a signing they actually needed. As for Fernandes, i thought he looked a lot bulkier than he did previously but he still has the same class ability on the ball but now with much more upper body strength.