This post will be updated throughout the day.
Guardiola had a meeting with Eto'o yesterday, Eto' will stay and play against Wisla (Sport)
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Guardiola and Eto'o had a positive meeting yesterday (Catalunya Ràdio)
Guardiola has decided that Eto will stay but the decision will be taken after a meeting between the manager and the player will have taken place, Eto'o will ask Guardiola and Txiki to be clear in their public statements about why they changed their view (Marca)
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Everything seems to indicate that Eto'o will stay although the entourage of the player is still not sure because Barcelona hasn't clearly confirmed it (As)
If Tottenham continues to keep Manchester United waiting on the Berbatov deal, manager Ferguson will turn his attention to Thiery Henry (Manchester Evening News)
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Henry has had no indication, either from his club Barcelona or from United, that Ferguson has an interest in him, Barcelona don't want to let him leave and sources close to the player indicate that he has no intention of joining United (The Independent)
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Barcelona will block Henry's move to Manchester by giving him playing time in the Champions League qualifier tomorrow (Daily Star)
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Barcelona will wait for the outcome of the meeting between Silva's agents and Valencia before moving for the player, Barcelona doesn't yet have an agreement with the player although Silva would accept an offer (As)
Valencia won't offer Silva what his agents have been asking although they will rise their initial offer (Marca)
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Valencia thinks Silva is willing to stay if he gets a decent pay rise and in any case the club won't negotiate an exit for less than 30 million euro (Las Provincias)
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Barcelona will make a first bid of 20 million euro (Super Deporte)
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Silva says he only wants to leave Valencia for Barcelona despite interest from the Premier League (Daily Star)
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Valencia president Soriano reaffirmed today that Silva will stay at the club and that Barcelona didn't yet make a formal offer
Silva's agent Julio Llorente says that the player will start the season with Valencia and would only consider to move to a Spanish club (Sky Sports)
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Barcelona contacted Jorge Mendes, the agent of Cristiano Ronaldo, to say they were interested in the player and Manchester United manager Ferguson told the player during a meeting a few weeks ago that he could leave for half the fee the club was asking from Real Madrid, but Ronaldo only wants to join Madrid (Marca)
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Crosas sees Barcelona as part of his past and is only thinking about Celtic despite the buy back clause (press conference)
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Guardiola has decided that Barcelona Atlètic players Jeffren, Pedro, Sergi Busquets, Víctor Vázquez and Víctor Sánchez will stay with the first team for now (official website)
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Getafe is also interested in Jeffren (Sport)
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Celta Vigo B forward and former Barcelona youth player Goran Maric (24) will join Barcelona Atlètic today, Celta had asked for Valiente or Pedrito in return but that doesn't go through (Sport)
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Tuesday 12 August 2008
News of the day - Tuesday
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26 comments:
yessssssssssssssssssss Eto'o will stay. the best news everrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....I hope barca getting success in signing Silva....BARCA 4LIFE
I wouldn't mind selling Henry, but you just can'tsee it happen. H
His salary means only an EPL top-team can afford him but his Arsenal past means he cannot return to an EPL top-team. We're stuck with the guy for three more years before he joins Paris Saint-Germain for free.
I would prefer Silva in midfield actually, somewhat like this:
-------Yaya
---Xavi----Silva
Messi--------Hleb/Iniesta
--------Eto'o
But can't we use that money for a decent left winger then?
anony...well i like new ideas and this is obviously not a bad one.
yet i will have concerns regarding the physical presence in midfield if u put silva there, it may work in some games and i believe pep has that in mind, beside switching positions in the game, but i dont really reccomend that midfield structure when u play big games, i believe in tuff games (specialy away) pep will end up using kieta toure and xavi in midfield, with iniesta/hleb on the wing bounsing back to midfield when the team loose the ball.
thats y i said weeks ago that between arshavine and silva i choose silva, but if it will b up to me i may think not to sign anymore players, i am worried how pep will satisfy all the players he have already.
note: i ment iniesta/hleb (one of them) on left wing:) i am not putting messi on the bench and using both on wings, just to clarify:)
Barca is surely not interested in C. Ronaldo. He's not that kind of player Barca is looking for. Stupid rumours. Nothing else.
I would sell Henry. That's the last chance. Sell him and buy a left winger like Silva or Arshavin. Both are trained for that position. And Henry never felt comfortable on the left wing. Eto'o is goind to stay. That's the same problem for Henry as in last season.
Henry is not the very centre forward Barca need ,so sell him to Man United.
Yes, Henry haters. We're "stuck with" 17 goals and 20 assists off the left wing, a position he has consistently failed at his entire career, yet Rijkaard stuck him there.
However will the club survive?
Let's sell Henry and replace him with someone who will improve upon those numbers.
Let's look at some possibilities. Hmmm....let's see....Messi didn't do those kinds of numbers last season (13/16). Let's put HIM over there and see how he does. He's not a left winger, but that didn't stop Rijkaard.
Iniesta? No, but there's hope. Maybe Eto'o can go over there, and do more than the three assists he notched last season. Oh, wait. No, he's the greatest striker in the world, as long as we're playing Mallorca or Red Bulls. He's not a left winger, either.
Or maybe everyone should stop calling a player a bust because he didn't churn out the same number of goals that he did at Arsenal because he didn't play in the same position in the same system, and start admitting that he is still an excellent player who is a tremendous benefit to the side.
But that probably won't ever happen. Sell Henry and put Silva on the left wing, right? Think he's going to deliver that many goals and assists? Think again.
I'll take being stuck with a guy who generates that kind of production all day and all night.
Meanwhile, Eto'o angry because of how he was treated, so look for that sulk to begin at some point. Then what? Heaven forfend that anyone at the Nou Camp should boo him at that first home match. Lord knows what might happen. Maybe a tantrum after he scores a goal? Been there, done that.
I know that fans like players, sometimes to the exclusion of all else, but let's see some fairness.
A healthy, committed Henry is a big a benefit as a healthy, committed Eto'o, Messi, Puyol, Xavi, etc. A team is a collection of players, and we have some excellent ones. They all deserve our love and support. Our roster is done. Silva is staying in Valencia. So let's evaluate what we have and get behind it, the coach and the technical staff.
I agree with Kxevin. Everybody needs to stop hating on Henry so much! Considering his position and fitness last season his stats spek for themselves. He is NEVER going to be the Henry that was at Arsenal because we are not Arsenal. Arsenal played everything around Henry so unless we are willing to play everything around him instead of Messi i dont see how anybody can expect him to play at the same level. He is a huge asset to have on our team and anybody who says otherwise clearly knows little about football. Silva, Iniesta, Arshavin, none of them would have done as well as Henry playing from the left last season. Watch how many goals and assists he will get for us this season as well...
Hear, hear! At last someone who seems to look upon this situation with objective eyes! Henry is a great player and he does'nt deserve to get all this negative criticism. With him, Eto'o and Bojan the teem is fully prepared to redeem it self. No left winger is needed in my opinion. Hleb or Iniesta would kick ass on that position as well!
I Agree,keep henry, no doubt about that...
but just to make the facts right, he didnt generate those mentioned numbers assists/goals just thru being a winger.
he played lot of games as a striker and lot of these numbers created then, plus he performed well mostly against uncompetetive teams, so with all my support to the people who wana stick to henry, I do it because i believe in what he is capable to do (AS A STRIKER) and not because of some numbers that misslead unless been taken in a more clinical manner.
I think if siva will stay with Valancia, the combination of iniesta/hleb can solve the winger delamina, no need to be panic, all the clubs in the world envey barca for the kind of squads they have, now the most important thing is to use this squad better than it happened in Rijkaard era (including champions league season!), and of what i seen i can be optemistic about the way pep is building up the team, their were mistakes but the over all performance of the technical department was so satisfying, at least for me.
hi.. I see everyone is occupied with the transfers and not with the formation and the Pep's style of play. I think will be good to see some changes like 4-3-1-2, three in the MF position. I like to see Iniesta, Xavi and Toure( and Keita to play only on away matches on Iniesta's place) and we must use Messi as AMC to have more freedom and to find the weekest point in the oposition defence and surely Eto'o and Henry wll have more freedom and more chances to score, ofcource it wll depends on oposition team! visca el barca
boX
Well i agree in most of what kevin said. Though Henry played a lot on the top making those goals. Specially in the cup. But no doubt he is a quality attacker, and i see him staying next season. And another thing is that there are many people who don't hate Henry at all. Perhaps surprised he didn't played as he did in Arsenal, but he didn't play that position so much with us. I can't understand fans in general that boo at their team. People should help their team in any situation. Players like R10, Henry and Eto'o etc. deserve better than being lynched and boo'd at because they could't save the club single handed.
Silva would not be bad at all. We would probably make it without signing a new left wing for 08/09 but it would weaken the team if we got one.
Henry and Eto'o should stay as a attackers and Bojan and Messi you play the wings, both of them. Then have some of the newcomers from Barca b as backup. That is if we don't buy a new wing before transfer deadline.
man that Marca story is crap.
hopefully the David Silva Saga will be over soon, and we can look for another left winger.
I've said it before, I think if Henry can remain healthy he's in for a big year. That being said if Barcelona could get equal or greater value for what they originally paid for him they would be well advised to consider his transfer to another club.
If Manchester United offers Barcelona 20-25mil for him then if I'm Barcelona I agree to the deal. Then it will be up to Henry to decide if he wants to make the move. It's his loyaly and his word on the line, not Barcelona's! Barcelona are simply conducting business.
The fact remains he will soon turn 31 and has two years left at the club. No matter how well he performs he is not a long term investment for the club. So if you decide to keep him and turn down 20-25mil now, you will have to spend as much or more two years from now for his replacement. By that time Eto'o's contract will also have expired and he will be free to walk out the door which could leave Barcelona with only Bojan as the lone striker on the team.
Just as Barcelona need to win now to appease the fan and media pressure, they also need to keep an eye on the future and the long term as well. There is the very real possibility that BOTH Eto'o and Henry will be gone in two years time. While you may feel we shouldn't worry about it now, not having some sort of contingency plan in place would be foolish on Barcelona's part.
To put all our eggs in one basket and pin our hopes on Benzema next year is equally as foolish. I'm not saying I have all the answers. What I'm saying is that this is more than just about Henry or Eto'o,- it's about ensuring continued long term stability and success at the club once they are long gone.
Guardiola starts the press conference previous to the match vs WK and the first thing he says is that Eto'o is staying with us...
Pep's press conference is over (via BarçaTV) and, although most of the questions revolved around Eto'o, there's been no reasons for keeping him other than "he's worked very well" and "all the others agree with him staying". So, Kxevin and others, nothing resembling "Hey, we love him now", etc. Will that be enough for Samu's EGO? I'am afraid it will not... but now that he's going to stay, I hope he makes me wrong...
Word, Genis. Perhaps the public foot-kissing will be scheduled for mid-pitch at the Nou Camp.
I'm hoping the grenade that is Eto'o won't explode in our hands.
I wouldnt worry too much about Eto'o.....say what you will about his outspoken nature off the pitch but on the pitch he is as professional as anybody. Also i dont understand all this mess about him causing instability in the dressing room. The only thing he is guilty of is calling out Ronaldinho because he never trained enough....can you really blame Eto'o for getting frustrated when he gives 100% on the pitch and then his teammate doesnt even turn up to training half the time! The players all want him to stay, he clearly wants to stay, I think even Pep has realised he would be better off staying.... Plus Eto'o and Messi on the same pitch is pretty much the deadliest striker combination there is!!
Some would argue that they weren't all that deadly in Champions League last year. 1-0 on aggregate over two matches ain't exactly setting the house on fire.
My hope is that last year was a wheels-off aberration. In comparing Scotland tours last year to this year, we only scored about 413,000 more goals. So maybe this year WILL be different.
But it wasn't the locker room stuff as much as the more public stuff, the "Win or I'm outta here," Camp Nou tantrums, headbutting journalists (history of that, actually, dating back to Mallorca). I just hope he's over all that, or can at least subsume it to a degree sufficient to make him an effective player and not a media distraction.
I think it's quite evident that Laporta would have to prod Guardiola with a pitchfork in the back to make Pep utter the words "Eto'o we love you!" in a vailed half hearted "sincere" way.
No matter what you or I or the next guy's opinion may be on the subject, the one thing that is clear is that Eto'o and Pep will not be exchanging Christmas cards anytime soon.
We all find ourselves struggling to understand and comprehend what is going on in Guardiola's mind. The truth is that we may never really know. My suspicions tell me that Guardiola's "disdain" or better put "indifference" towards Eto'o stems more from just a "idealist" point of view as far as it dictates on the pitch. I sense it goes far beyond that, towards the locker room, the media, and the public in general.
Guardiola's #1 directive as coach was to rebuild team harmony and cohesion amoung the players, focusing in the locker room in particular. For better or worse, Eto'o being the sort to wear his emotions on his sleeve, has never exhibited the best timing or judgement in some of his remarks. While I applaud his honesty and sincerity, some of his ill timed comments have served to be more disruptive than good. Comments relaying that you have one foot out the door, in the middle of a Champions League Leg last season only seemed to destabilize the club even further - even if he meant what he said at the time. The bottom line is he should have used better judgement.
What I'm saying is that Eto'o, much like Ronnie and Deco brought a lot of this upon himself as well and he is far from blameless. Better put, would anyone disagree that Barcelona would have soured on Eto'o had he not made some of his remarks last season, and given the perception at least that he intentionally bailed out on the match at Madrid?...I think not.
why does kxevin always refer to the manu game (1-0) and see only eto'o as a failure, his beloved henry came on in the second game and nodoby saw him. If you dont believe me watch it again, and also listening to Tommy Smith and Derek Rae. Henry played crap. No excuses he doesnt even right now look good. I'm glad people like Kxevin is not my Barca coah, Henry would feel he could do nothing and survive. God status to some, to me he's a regular guy right now. He plays on a team he needs to learn to adapt, not the other way around. Henry played most of his games at the center forward position, if my stat count is correct.
Well said, Cojonudo. It's an unfortunate situation that I just don't see getting any better. I see a cease-fire of sorts, but not a lot of joyousness. The days of smiling Eto'o are gone, which is too bad.
And Anonymous, I wouldn't say that I "always" point to the Man U semifinal. But Champions League is more valuable to a side than winning the league. It's why everyone wants to be in it, it's why clubs build sides (as we have) to be competitive in that rarefied environment. It would be difficult to find a player who wouldn't prefer to win Europe over their domestic league.
But, also note that my usage of said example was not to say "See, Eto'o sucks," but rather a rebuttal to the comment about he and Messi "about the deadliest striker combination there is." This isn't true. Messi isn't even a striker, though he sometimes functions as one.
Henry created the only credible scoring threats that occurred in that Old Trafford leg. I wouldn't trust Tommy Smyth to call a taxicab for me, much less a match.
Is Henry a "regular guy?" Yes, but one that can generate 17 goals and 20 assists. Don't know if that's regular or not, but I know that he hardly ever gets a fair shake. And he should. He didn't threaten to quit if the side didn't win silver, didn't have a Nou Camp tantrum, didn't head-butt a journalist or (many believe) deliberately get himself red-carded to miss the derision that would have rained down upon him at the Bernabeu.
If not doing any of that makes Henry a "regular guy," as a coach I'm okay with that.
If I were Barca's coach, players would have an opportunity to succeed or fail in position. So no, I wouldn't be pissing Henry away on the left wing. He'd get a shot at central striker, and if he failed, I'd sell him.
And I'd check those stats regarding him playing most of his matches at central striker. Having watched every last match last season at least once, I just don't believe that to be the case.
Kxevin is the most confused journalist I have even seen. Eto hater number one. You were writing shit all over that Eto should go and finally Barca has realized the importance of this figure in the team.
Your racist altitude will soon be terminated. Henry is also black.
You are a dreamer.
Eto'o and Messi are still a deadly combo... one of the best in the world... say what you will about the Man U game, but losing 1-0 over two games in a semi-final to the EPL champion and Champions League winner is not exactly terrible.
On a side note, what is this joker above me talking about? "Racist attitudes" and "Henry is black..." ??? totally pulled that out of your ass dude. Give it a rest... no one gives a shit... lets talk about Barcelona.
Hey Anony...cool down bro...
Kxevin has been commenting on this blog since i found it, He never mentioned, comented, or hinted in anyway that make u show YOUR Racist attitudes. If u ask BA (a guy who comment here) he will tell u that Kxevin say more shits about messi than eto hehe...so calm down we r living in a new world now...time to figure this out!
Secondly I agree regarding the fact that eto relation with barca had a big punch, lot of guys here critisized me when I pointed that pep lack of experience didnt help in the way he behaved with (deco roni eto)case. Eto is a great player but tactically pep wanted something deffferent, but thats an old story now...
Kxevin, one thing for sure is that u lock urself a lot in the "henry numbers" cage...numbers are just a sign, its not THE only factor u build ur evaluation on, because according to NUMBERS eto is certainly the one and only striker for barca, but we both know it was the time for him to leave (for other reasons), wheather henry made his numbers as a winger or a striker(most likely), football science tell that he can never work as a winger in spain, its just his atributes dont fit, and nothing he can do about it...
so I strongly believe that pep will only consider him as an option for the flank after iniesta, hleb, and may b even bojan in the picking order.
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