IA is right, i would love to see him at Stoke on a tuesday night in January getting kicked by their cloggers!!
Bottle job as you could see in the game with Inter. Yeah put him against Le Arse or a similar type of passing/flare team and he'll shine, but it aint all about this flair type footy always, sometimes its the rough stuff done well that wins you stuff!!
[cite]Posted By: MCS[/cite]IA is right, i would love to see him at Stoke on a tuesday night in January getting kicked by their cloggers!!
Bottle job as you could see in the game with Inter. Yeah put him against Le Arse or a similar type of passing/flare team and he'll shine, but it aint all about this flair type footy always, sometimes its the rough stuff done well that wins you stuff!!
But the bloke's won everything there is to win.......more than once an all.
I think you know you're talking bollox.
Messi is obviously a freak of nature when it comes to football. His balance and technique are a joke. For me tho, there is no denying that the Spanish game does suit him and i cant see him ever coming to play in the Prem.
Xavi on the other hand. That guy i like. Best player in the world for me.
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]Cue discussions about him being a flat-track bully, the Spanish league being a joke, him being crap for Argentina, Barcelona being overrated and all sorts of other assorted dreck from people who seem to delight in any decent attacking team getting 'found out' by a bunch of spoiling numpties...
Leroy, i love watching Barca play and you won't hear any arguments from me about Messi's ability but you surely have to agree that the Spanish league is a bit of a joke.
Barca are currently 34 points ahead of 4th placed Mallorca and have dropped 2 points at home all season. Real Madrid could get 98 points and finish 2nd, they've won every home game except the defeat to Barca.
It doesn't really say much for the strength of the rest of the league does it?
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]Cue discussions about him being a flat-track bully, the Spanish league being a joke, him being crap for Argentina, Barcelona being overrated and all sorts of other assorted dreck from people who seem to delight in any decent attacking team getting 'found out' by a bunch of spoiling numpties...
Leroy, i love watching Barca play and you won't hear any arguments from me about Messi's ability but you surely have to agree that the Spanish league is a bit of a joke.
Barca are currently 34 points ahead of 4th placed Mallorca and have dropped 2 points at home all season. Real Madrid could get 98 points and finish 2nd, they've won every home game except the defeat to Barca.
It doesn't really say much for the strength of the rest of the league does it?
For Barca and Real Madris, read Chelsea and Man Utd. Fourteen point gap between the top two in England and fourth place. Chelsea have dropped five points at home all season. Not quite as disparate as in Spain, but still a healthy lack of real competition for the league. Don't get me wrong - La Liga is ridiculously two-sided. It's largely a result of the fact Barca and Real can sell their own media rights seperately.
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]Cue discussions about him being a flat-track bully, the Spanish league being a joke, him being crap for Argentina, Barcelona being overrated and all sorts of other assorted dreck from people who seem to delight in any decent attacking team getting 'found out' by a bunch of spoiling numpties...
Leroy, i love watching Barca play and you won't hear any arguments from me about Messi's ability but you surely have to agree that the Spanish league is a bit of a joke.
Barca are currently 34 points ahead of 4th placed Mallorca and have dropped 2 points at home all season. Real Madrid could get 98 points and finish 2nd, they've won every home game except the defeat to Barca.
It doesn't really say much for the strength of the rest of the league does it?
For Barca and Real Madris, read Chelsea and Man Utd. Fourteen point gap between the top two in England and fourth place. Chelsea have dropped five points at home all season. Not quite as disparate as in Spain, but still a healthy lack of real competition for the league. Don't get me wrong - La Liga is ridiculously two-sided. It's largely a result of the fact Barca and Real can sell their own media rights seperately.
14 points is a lot different to 34 though! This season Chelsea lost at Wigan and Utd lost at Burnley. Results like that doesn't happen in Spain. Chelsea lost home and away to Man City, would Barca lose home and away to Mallorca?
To be honest though this is a bit of a freak season in La Liga, unquestionably so.
Over recent years, Sevilla, Valencia, Villarreal, Deportivo and even Real Sociedad have mounted serious title challenges and even won the division.
However, the two powerhouses are just getting stronger, at a time when their challengers have noticeably weakened. Barcelona are at their pinnacle in terms of academy production and on-pitch performance (well they probably reached the latter last summer). Real Madrid are chucking tens of millions of pounds at trying to compete. In the process, they are taking talent from their competitors on a regular basis... Dani Alves, Raul Albiol... Villa and Silva are very likely to follow this season. Meanwhile, Sevilla have had managerial turmoil, Valencia have had to survive the Koeman debacle, almost imploded and folded and Deportivo and Sociedad have dropped way way off the pace. For example, Valencia have not spent more than a nominal fee on a player for a couple of seasons. How can they compete with Real or Barca? The current position of the club shows a damn good attempt I think. Consistently losing high quality players has finally caught up with Villarreal (Reina, Riquelme, Nihat, Mati Fernandez, Cazorla even who's been laid low for most of the season). With Atletico in big financial trouble as well, and even Mallorca (who owe Bilbao over a million euros for the striker who scored the winner between these two sides last weekend) struggling to keep the club out of the courts.
In terms of quality, La Liga is still ahead of the Premier League. Unfortunately the unrelenting power of Barca and Real and the financial crisis have given competitiveness a huge bashing.
[cite]Posted By: Chris_from_Sidcup[/cite]14 points is a lot different to 34 though! This season Chelsea lost at Wigan and Utd lost at Burnley. Results like that doesn't happen in Spain. Chelsea lost home and away to Man City, would Barca lose home and away to Mallorca?
Off the top of my head, Guardiola lost his first game in charge 1-0 to lowly Numancia who are now a mid table Segunda side. Real have been losing at home this season to such tripe as Sporting and Osasuna. They've also lost at Sevilla and in Bilbao this season.
Barcelona lost at Atletico Madrid, who are by no exaggeration, worse than either Man City or Mallorca. Iffy results do happen.
[cite]Posted By: ISawLeaburnScore[/cite] In terms of quality, La Liga is still ahead of the Premier League.
Barcelona are better than anyone in the premier league but as a whole, the league is definitely not.
I'd say that if you matched up each Spanish side to it's English side in the table (ie 2nd v 2nd, 3rd v 3rd etc) then the premier league would come out on top.
[cite]Posted By: ISawLeaburnScore[/cite]
[cite]Posted By: Chris_from_Sidcup[/cite]14 points is a lot different to 34 though! This season Chelsea lost at Wigan and Utd lost at Burnley. Results like that doesn't happen in Spain. Chelsea lost home and away to Man City, would Barca lose home and away to Mallorca?
Off the top of my head, Guardiola lost his first game in charge 1-0 to lowly Numancia who are now a mid table Segunda side. Real have been losing at home this season to such tripe as Sporting and Osasuna. They've also lost at Sevilla and in Bilbao this season.
Barcelona lost at Atletico Madrid, who are by no exaggeration, worse than either Man City or Mallorca. Iffy results do happen.
Real's home record is played 18, won 17 lost 1, which was to Barcelona.
And yes Barca did lose at Atletico but you'd hardly call them a minnow and it's their only defeat all season.
would rather watch league one football, sorry leroy I don't agree I am not a wind up or deluded, just don't like poncy pretty football, I was bought up on proper footy short shorts and players going in knee high and not writhing about like a girl on rohypnol. it's just my opinion and just because I think barca are a nanby pamby cheating outfit it does not make me deluded!! just have different ideas on how it should be played, certainly not a wind up either.
Barcelona are struggling a bit aren't they?!! Just won the league with 99 points, about to sign Fabregas and now they've gone and signed this bloke. Anyone know if he's any good?
Can any of the regular Barca go-ers (Leroy??) recommend the best site to get some home tickets at a reasonable price. A few of us are heading out for the Villarreal game in November.
Was also wondering that as it's November and not much to play for then would it sell out or would we be better off buying when we get out there?
Get my tickets through family, who get them from various sources (season tickets, local agencies etc). I think http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.com is supposed to be pretty good - reliable, real tickets (a lot of fakes out there for the bigger games) and - though not exactly cheap - not outrageously expensive for anything other than category 1 seats. You could risk getting tickets out there - and it might be a lot cheaper - but you run the risk of getting moody ones (and if you do, you won't get in - trust me)
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]Get my tickets through family, who get them from various sources (season tickets, local agencies etc). I thinkhttp://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comis supposed to be pretty good - reliable, real tickets (a lot of fakes out there for the bigger games) and - though not exactly cheap - not outrageously expensive for anything other than category 1 seats. You could risk getting tickets out there - and it might be a lot cheaper - but you run the risk of getting moody ones (and if you do, you won't get in - trust me)
Cheers Leroy. I don't know about the 'not outrageously expensive' part though, according to that site even a category 4 ticket up in the gods is €175!
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]Get my tickets through family, who get them from various sources (season tickets, local agencies etc). I thinkhttp://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comis supposed to be pretty good - reliable, real tickets (a lot of fakes out there for the bigger games) and - though not exactly cheap - not outrageously expensive for anything other than category 1 seats. You could risk getting tickets out there - and it might be a lot cheaper - but you run the risk of getting moody ones (and if you do, you won't get in - trust me)
Cheers Leroy. I don't know about the 'not outrageously expensive' part though, according to that site even a category 4 ticket up in the gods is €175!
You're right - that is expensive! I don't know what my cousins pay - I think it's about e35 - and they have cat3 seats
Comments
Bottle job as you could see in the game with Inter. Yeah put him against Le Arse or a similar type of passing/flare team and he'll shine, but it aint all about this flair type footy always, sometimes its the rough stuff done well that wins you stuff!!
But the bloke's won everything there is to win.......more than once an all.
I think you know you're talking bollox.
Xavi on the other hand. That guy i like. Best player in the world for me.
Xavis is undoubtedly awesome - but iniesta is better. Genius of a footballer - a cross between Messi and Xavi.
Leroy, i love watching Barca play and you won't hear any arguments from me about Messi's ability but you surely have to agree that the Spanish league is a bit of a joke.
Barca are currently 34 points ahead of 4th placed Mallorca and have dropped 2 points at home all season. Real Madrid could get 98 points and finish 2nd, they've won every home game except the defeat to Barca.
It doesn't really say much for the strength of the rest of the league does it?
14 points is a lot different to 34 though! This season Chelsea lost at Wigan and Utd lost at Burnley. Results like that doesn't happen in Spain. Chelsea lost home and away to Man City, would Barca lose home and away to Mallorca?
Over recent years, Sevilla, Valencia, Villarreal, Deportivo and even Real Sociedad have mounted serious title challenges and even won the division.
However, the two powerhouses are just getting stronger, at a time when their challengers have noticeably weakened. Barcelona are at their pinnacle in terms of academy production and on-pitch performance (well they probably reached the latter last summer). Real Madrid are chucking tens of millions of pounds at trying to compete. In the process, they are taking talent from their competitors on a regular basis... Dani Alves, Raul Albiol... Villa and Silva are very likely to follow this season. Meanwhile, Sevilla have had managerial turmoil, Valencia have had to survive the Koeman debacle, almost imploded and folded and Deportivo and Sociedad have dropped way way off the pace. For example, Valencia have not spent more than a nominal fee on a player for a couple of seasons. How can they compete with Real or Barca? The current position of the club shows a damn good attempt I think. Consistently losing high quality players has finally caught up with Villarreal (Reina, Riquelme, Nihat, Mati Fernandez, Cazorla even who's been laid low for most of the season). With Atletico in big financial trouble as well, and even Mallorca (who owe Bilbao over a million euros for the striker who scored the winner between these two sides last weekend) struggling to keep the club out of the courts.
In terms of quality, La Liga is still ahead of the Premier League. Unfortunately the unrelenting power of Barca and Real and the financial crisis have given competitiveness a huge bashing.
Off the top of my head, Guardiola lost his first game in charge 1-0 to lowly Numancia who are now a mid table Segunda side. Real have been losing at home this season to such tripe as Sporting and Osasuna. They've also lost at Sevilla and in Bilbao this season.
Barcelona lost at Atletico Madrid, who are by no exaggeration, worse than either Man City or Mallorca. Iffy results do happen.
Barcelona are better than anyone in the premier league but as a whole, the league is definitely not.
I'd say that if you matched up each Spanish side to it's English side in the table (ie 2nd v 2nd, 3rd v 3rd etc) then the premier league would come out on top.
Real's home record is played 18, won 17 lost 1, which was to Barcelona.
And yes Barca did lose at Atletico but you'd hardly call them a minnow and it's their only defeat all season.
New signing
Thought that especially if he has a good world cup it is a relative bargain.
He's 28, 4 year contract covers his "peak"... i make you right rothko!
Sporting Gijon B - 65 games, 25 goals
Sporting Gijon - 80 games, 40 goals
Real Zaragoza - 92 games, 41 goals
Valencia - 212 games, 129 goals
Spain - 55 games, 36 goals
Not bad going!
Was also wondering that as it's November and not much to play for then would it sell out or would we be better off buying when we get out there?
Cheers Leroy. I don't know about the 'not outrageously expensive' part though, according to that site even a category 4 ticket up in the gods is €175!