⛔️ {Thread is NOW CLOSED. New Football Thread, Link on Last Page.}⛔️

Should we start a new football thread?

  • Yes... - Lets Start Fresh

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nah... - Lets Just Keep This Going

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
I only ever say bro and bruh on the internet... NEVER said either of them in real life. Weird 
laugh.gif
 
They definitely do maybe I've been watching too much urban UK television but they say say "bruv this bruv that" in the movies.:lol:

Honestly if you visit some areas in London then Bruv is in every sentence :lol:
 
How would the jerseys even be made? We made custom jerseys (Adidas) at a soccer shop in town for my club team and they ran us a pretty penny.
 
Last edited:
Not a bad effort herbshuttles15 herbshuttles15 , but I'm thinking the crest should be something more old world looking however the NT & the 1999 as you illustrated it should still be incorporated. That's my 2 cents.

As preseason progresses for Barca, some more information is coming out about what types of formations Enrique may use.

If the players can play this well, this would nullify any teams looking to counter quickly on Barca. My only worry is if Chief Oompa Loompa can hold up his end. He continued his run of poor form in the friendly against Nice.


[COLOR=#red]Messi, Suarez, Neymar & Cuadrado in one team - Barcelona's plans for a 3-2-3-2 formation[/COLOR]

SPECIAL REPORT: Luis Enrique is set to utilise an innovative new system at the Catalan club in 2014-15 as he aims to restore the team to the greatness of seasons gone by

By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer


All change at Barcelona. The Catalan club have appointed a new coach this summer, signed new players and, after years of sticking stubbornly to their 4-3-3 system, they could now be in for a fresh formation as well in 2014-15.

Barca have dabbled with diffferent ideas in recent seasons. Pep Guardiola occasionally opted for a Dream Team-inspired 3-4-3 during his four-year tenure, while the Catalan coach also surprised Santos with a system which was described by some as 3-7-0 in the final of the Club World Cup back in 2012 and also used 3-3-4 at times.

Since Guardiola's departure, however, Barca have been much more predictable and last season Gerardo Martino was often for criticised for his tactics as the club missed out on all of the major trophies.

New boss Luis Enrique is well aware that Barca have been found out tactically in recent seasons and is keen to mix it up at Camp Nou in the coming campaign. That means several systems are likely to be used in 2014-15, but intriguingly the side's principal formation could be an unprecedented 3-2-3-2.

Luis Enrique has yet to decide which of the two goalkeepers signed this summer will start the season for Barca, with the Asturian keen on both Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo, and is likely to make a decision based on their form in pre-season. Given his experience in La Liga and also his age, Bravo looks to be in pole position at the moment, although both men possess the tools to operate as a so-called 'sweeper-keeper' - their ability to play outside their area and passing qualities allowing them to make important interventions and - more importantly perhaps - permitting the defence to play a high line.

At the back, recent signing Jeremy Mathieu (who started out as a rampaging full-back and will have license to get forward in this system) would line up alongside Gerard Pique and one of either Jordi Alba or Marc Bartra, with the Catalan club still on the lookout for another centre-back comfortable in either a three or four-man defence. Dani Alves, meanwhile, is not part of the coach's plans and is still set to leave the club this summer.

Javier Mascherano is another able to operate in that position, but Luis Enrique was impressed by the Argentine's dynamic displays as a defensive midfielder in the World Cup and is keen to utilise the 26-year-old in front of the back line where possible, dropping deep when necessary to fill in while Sergio Busquets assumes a more creative role in the double pivot. Another alternative is to field summer signing Ivan Rakitic back there in the role of deep-lying playmaker, with Mascherano starting in defence.

Further forward, the three-man line behnd the two forwards could incorporate two wide players, with Neymar likely to start on the left and Pedro competing on the right with Fiorentina's Juan Cuadrado, who remains a transfer target for the Catalan club this summer. Xavi, Andres Iniesta or Rakitic could all start in the central position, with Lionel Messi another alternative in that role should Luis Enrique elect to pair Luis Suarez and Neymar further forward.

View media item 1114264
As things stand, Suarez is banned by Fifa until late October for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, but behind the scenes at Barca, Luis Enrique is already assessing the best way to accommodate all of the team's top talents in one line-up while keeping the balance and staying strong defensively.

"Luis Enrique is Barca through and through and he likes 4-3-3," a source close to the Catalan club told Goal. "But he also appreciates a number of other systems and he won't be afraid to mix it up. The 3-2-3-2 idea is similar to 3-5-2 and it's one of the alternatives he has in mind - but it's more about how the players work than the system itself."

Thus, the key to the formation is flexibility.

"A three-man defence will allow the wide players to attack if the team has possession, with Mascherano and Busquets able to drop deep and cover," the source added. "Likewise, a five-man midfield with the double pivot is designed to dominate possession but also to stay more solid than perhaps we have seen in recent times. It's a win-win situation."

And further forward, Messi would still have the freedom to roam and drop deep - just as he has enjoyed doing for Barca over the last few seasons, since switching from his role on the right.

"Messi would play as one of the two but his role would be similar to now, dropping deep to get involved and also assuming dangerous positions in the area. That would allow Neymar and others to link up around the box and get into goalscoring positions as well," the insider explained.

And he added: "Luis Enrique has played as a defender, a midfielder and an attacker for Barca and he's using all the knowledge he gained to make this team formidable.

"It will be total football."

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/ed...ado-in-one-team-barcelonas-plans?ICID=HP_HN_1
 
Last edited:
Dani Alves is being shown the door & reports are Liverpool & Inter are interested.

Barca has reportedly agreed to terms with Arsenal on the transfer of Thomas Vermaelen for €14 million who will sign a 4 year contract. :rolleyes

That's a relatively low price but he wasn't even injured last year & didn't play much. The few games he did play that I can remember like the loss to Blackburn, Bayern in the CL, & the loss to the Spurs, he looked truly awful. He looked like he had no idea where to be on the pitch.

Prior to that all I remember is sub par play for like the previous 2 years...

Am I wrong in my assessment Gooners?
 
Yes. A top defender before falling off. There is a reason he was and is the club captain.
 
Dani Alves is being shown the door & reports are Liverpool & Inter are interested.

Barca has reportedly agreed to terms with Arsenal on the transfer of Thomas Vermaelen for €14 million who will sign a 4 year contract. :rolleyes

That's a relatively low price but he wasn't even injured last year & didn't play much. The few games he did play that I can remember like the loss to Blackburn, Bayern in the CL, & the loss to the Spurs, he looked truly awful. He looked like he had no idea where to be on the pitch.

Prior to that all I remember is sub par play for like the previous 2 years...

Am I wrong in my assessment Gooners?

Vermaelen is a good player, He does have lapses of concentration though and this past season they all seemed to happen in big moments, I think if he can keep himself fit and get a good run behind him he can get back to his best form, Whether that be at Arsenal, United or Barca
 
Mourinho: "We need one player to leave. We have 18 foreigners and you can only have 17". (CFC)


And there's your reason why Lukaku was shown the door.
 
Reading rumors of Arsenal going after Hummels.  Haha probably far from realistic but it would be nice to have him.
 
Reading rumors of Arsenal going after Hummels.  Haha probably far from realistic but it would be nice to have him.

BVB won't let him go, and if they do, United will come and double whatever wages Arsenal offer and throw on an extra 5m on TF.
 
Last edited:
Why do you think United have so much more funds and leverage thsn Arsenal? They dont

Because United do.

200m summer transfer kitty:

36m Herrera
30m Shaw
____

134m left to spend this summer while VERY clearly stating that a CM and a CB are top priorities.


Let's not forget United's ridiculous income from sponsorships, ticket sales etc.

Manchester United has more money to play with than Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger doesn't like to spend, especially when it means creating an imbalance on the team when it comes to wages. United don't have that problem.
 
Last edited:
In fact, since United are willing to throw 30m at a 19 year old LB, do you really think they won't come along and make it rain on Hummels if he's available?

There's talk of United being comfortable paying between 50-65m quid for Vidal, yet you think they'll just let a 25 year old Hummels just waltz right passed them without at least flying the Brinks truck over to Westfalenstadion first?
 
Let's not forget United's ridiculous income from sponsorships, ticket sales etc.

Not even mentioning their other sponsors but they're in the first year of the $559 million 7 year Chevy deal & they can count on the $1.3 billion Adidas deal in the near future fot the next 10 years thereafter. The club is also looking to publicly sell another 5% or so of the club which is expected to generate $150 million or so in the next couple of weeks...

In Barca news, Enrique seems to like the Croatian kid Alen Halilovic whose looked pretty comfortable on the pitch.

Patric (RB), Edgar Ie (CB), Alex Grimaldo (left back), Sergi Samper (defensive mid), Munir El Haddadi (forward), Sandro (forward), & Adama Traore (winger) are being given a chance to shine & try to make the first team).
 
Why do you think United have so much more funds and leverage thsn Arsenal? They dont

You can't be serious, Arsenal are the cheapest of all the big clubs in Europe.

Dani Alves bout time he goes, said so last summer. Also if Barca is going to play a 3-2-3-2 I seriously cannot wait for La Liga to start, when is the first game? Going to be so interesting to see.
 
You can't be serious, Arsenal are the cheapest of all the big clubs in Europe.

Dani Alves bout time he goes, said so last summer. Also if Barca is going to play a 3-2-3-2 I seriously cannot wait for La Liga to start, when is the first game? Going to be so interesting to see.
First La Liga match is August 23rd, Malaga against Bilbao at 1 PM EST. First Barca league match is the next day versus Elche. RM and Atleti debut Monday, the 25th.
 
Back
Top Bottom