Barcelona....Best team in Europe?

[BringBack_leGin]

This Barca side has had one good season, they need to win a hell of a lot more to be considered the best side in the history of football. Real Madrid won 8 of 9 titles in the 1960's. You can kind of see my point surely.

Not that I can profess to know, having not been alive in the 60's, but I wonder if Real had as much competition in the 60's as Barca have now for La Liga? A study of the last decade of Spanish football shows 4 different league winners.

Either way, yes you are right, Barcelona do need to dominate for an extended period of time (though 3 leagues, two champions leagues in the past 5 seasons ain't shabby), but one thing I can say without any doubt is that the Barca team of 08/09 play by far the best football I have ever seen (consistently too, not just every few matches) from any side in any league in the world. I hope it continues for a long time.

 

[spursandbarca]

the madrid side of the 1960's corrupted by Franco...

Di Stefano you cannot sign for Barca you must sign for Real.


He tried the same nonsense with Johan Cruyff luckily it didnt work

 

[haxman]

who wouldnt want to play for the best side in the history of club football

The Milan side of the late 80's, early 90's with Gullit, Rijkaard, Van Basten and Baresi was the best club side ever imo. I seem to remember them humping Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League final in 1994. And that was a Barca side with Romario and Hristo Stoitchkov, Bakero and Ronald Koeman, a top quality side.

 

[spursandbarca]

eto'os agent josep maria miralles says he is going nowhere.


Messi is on 200k(euros) a week the is more than Ibra makes

 

[Warik]

The Milan side of the late 80's, early 90's with Gullit, Rijkaard, Van Basten and Baresi was the best club side ever imo. I seem to remember them humping Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League final in 1994. And that was a Barca side with Romario and Hristo Stoitchkov, Bakero and Ronald Koeman, a top quality side.

Yeah, the Barça team suffered over confidence then. They'd gone in believing their own hype created by the media, that they were the best, indestructable etc. Same way (and comparisms been drawn in Spanish press) with this years final. Milan had a couple absentees in 94, Barça did in 2009...2009 the Brit press going on as if Utd had already won it, was just a case of Utd showing up to pick up the trophy. Barça in 94 had the Spanish press going on the same thing...

Though it wasn't the Gullit, Rijkaard, Van Basten generation that beat Barça. It was the Tassotti, Boban, Desailly etc group.

 

[nferno]

I reckon Josep can get close in an emulation of real madrid in the 60's IF he buys the right players to replace the ones who are getting past it.. his tactics are genious and his coaching seems to be good but not sure about how well he identifies good replacements.

 

[SpurSince57]

the madrid side of the 1960's corrupted by Franco...

Di Stefano you cannot sign for Barca you must sign for Real.


He tried the same nonsense with Johan Cruyff luckily it didnt work

Actually, it was the Real side of the 50s. By the 60s they'd shot their bolt, at least in terms of European competition. We'd certainly have seen them off in the '62 EC if it hadn't been for a nobbled ref in the semi.

 

[spursandbarca]

it isnt him who signs the players it is txiki begiristain. In the past begiristain has got it horribly wrong since Sandro rossell left.

zambrotta, Maxi Lopez, Hleb, caceres all 4 were big money signings and havent done well.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I thought Laporta was the man who brought the plaers. Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Davids were certainly down to him, as was (I believe) Dani Alves.

 

[nferno]

it isnt him who signs the players it is txiki begiristain. In the past begiristain has got it horribly wrong since Sandro rossell left.

zambrotta, Maxi Lopez, Hleb, caceres all 4 were big money signings and havent done well.

haha, whatever happened to him? i remember people used to rave on about maxi saying he was gonna be awesome.

I dont think caceras has been "bad" he's still young and i think he needs time to settle.. and it would be really hard to displace pique at his currrent form.

hleb went from being a first team regular to a bench warmer.. like gudjohnson.

 

[spursandbarca]

Lopez is playing russia I dont recall for what team. My point is that since sandro rosell left Txiki has made some worthless signings. Abidal as well have been a total waste. Txiki says he will leave when laporta leaves. If rosell wins then Jose Maria Bakero is going to be his sporting director

Laporta doesnt sign players. If you dont believe me go on youtube and watch the documentary from 2003-2004

 

[donny1013]

Javier Mascherano's agent has made it clear that the Liverpool midfielder would jump at the chance to join Barcelona.

Mascherano has been linked with a move to the European champions, and agent Walter Tamer claims his client would be very keen.

"If a club like Barcelona want to bring you into their ranks after having completed such a brilliant season and having won everything, obviously as a player, you are going to say, 'Yes, I want to play there,'" he told RAC-1 programme 'Tu Diras'.

"It is an honour for Javier that a club like Barca pay such close attention to him, especially after the incredible season they had. I believe that a transfer would be feasible. If Barca really want him, he will sign for them.

"He would have a very easy job at Barca. Sometimes we talk and joke that the only thing he has to do is run, rob the ball, and pass it on to all the superstars in front of him."

But Tamer does admit that the move could be made more difficult if Liverpool agree to sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

"What if Xabi Alonso also leaves? Surely, Rafael Benitez would not want to have both his central midfielders go. It will be difficult, although Xabi's future does not depend on Mascherano and vice-versa.

"The transaction would certainly happen, but the first to leave will have more options."

Please let this be true. One of, if not the best DM in football at the moment

 

[Fordy]

Mascherano would compliment that midfield beautifully

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Mascherano is a great player but he is all wrong for Barcelona. He hasn't got anything like the class or composure of Toure, not to mention Toure's height is quite important to that midfield. I know some might say "but Barca should have a plan B", well maybe they do, but v Chelsea they showed that they refuse to have one and won't abandon their philosophy

 

[deselina]

toure is not in the class of mascherano. mascherano is being hailed by maradona as his most important player.

 

[Bonjour]

Mascherano could be as instrumental for Barcelona's success as Makelele was for Real Madrid's.

 

[donny1013]

Everyone knows what Mascherano gives in terms of energy and ball winning abilities. But he is not just that, he can pass a ball 40 yards if needs be but at Barca he wouldn't even need to do that. Asyou say he would be similar to Makelele. Chase down the ball, play it short to Xavi or Iniesta to do their thing.