Spanish Football thread

[thedon5]

Surely they can't complete a takeover in four days. If not, then Cazorla must be sold or they will lose their UEFA and La Liga license due to unpaid taxes, in which case ALL their players including Cazorla will want to leave. The Sheikh must care enough for that...

Spain is the wrong place for a sugar daddy to go. Real and Barca already have the best sugar daddies in the business, TV rights, so really any other team will need at least 100 m investment each season to even get within ten points of either team. Even Valencia probably.

La Liga is a joke, while it looks like the PL just keeps getting better and more exciting.

I wouldn't be so happy about Cazorla coming to us btw KBC. The best way to evaluate him would be that he is at least on par with David Silva. He is certainly miles better than guys like Mata, Hazard, Oscar and Kagawa. And he can even play DM lol, so a nice defensive contribution.

 

[Bevab]

Hmmm..... miles better than Kagawa, Mata?

 

[thedon5]

Hmmm..... miles better than Kagawa, Mata?

Not even questionable.

He is considered the best player outside of Real or Barca in Spain, and could play for either side no questions asked. Kagawa definitely can't, Mata wouldn't start.

I don't follow much international football, but supposedly he was unlucky to be behind David Silva for Spain. If he comes to the same league as David Silva and proves himself though he could easily be the one starting for Spain in the World Cup. Unfortunately, Iniesta was also there, so he couldn't play at left wing.

He's ambidextrous and versatile (can play anywhere in midfield and on the wing), and is one of the best free kick takers in the world. He scored 8 goals from outside the box in La Liga as well, the most by anyone in the league - more than Messi and Ronaldo. He was also Malaga's second top scorer, even while playing a third of his matches in defensive midfield and central midfield. His defensive contribution is brilliant for an attacking midfielder or winger.

It's no coincidence that as soon as Villareal lost him (and Rossi to injury), they went from the CL to relegation. Malaga also got their highest ever placing with Cazorla as their star player.

Been looking a lot into him recently. All this hype is well deserved from what I've seen. Could potentially come here and become the best attacking midfielder in the league in his first season. And I rate Kagawa, David Silva and Mata extremely highly. Signing of the season by far if he comes. Quite simply the difference between struggling for fourth and challenging for the title.

 

[Bevab]

Definitely he's great, but I wouldn't put him in the league of Silva so early. Can reach his skill and even cross it, but ATM, he's slightly below him.

 

[thedon5]

We'll see how he does in the PL.

Silva is the more proven PL performer, but really, even in his first season, I can see Cazorla outdoing Silva. Silva was spectacular at the start of the season, but went missing for large parts of the end of the season. Overall, Cazorla can have a much better season. He certainly didn't go missing for Malaga and played every game for them.

Cazorla is older than Silva, so I don't see him growing much as a footballer. However, it'll be the first time Cazorla can show his stuff at a bigger club and instead of playing average players like an aged van Nistelrooy and Rondon into the game, he'll be playing guys like Podolski and Giroud into the game, maybe even RVP.

Not worried about the age of guys like Silva and Cazorla. They don't rely on pace so I can see both delivering 5-6 seasons of great service at least to their respective clubs.

Undoubtedly streets ahead of both Mata and Kagawa though, but they're young so we'll see how they develop.

 

[KBC]

That's the point. M'vila deal looks off, and Cazorla fits in the cards. Also takes load off Song to be a Ramsey and pushing the struggling plays like last season.

 

[thedon5]

M'Vila is off, don't really care. Sahin is better anyway if we can get him and Coquelin can easily be bigger than M'Vila.

You guys should go in for M'Vila, he's better than your current options and certainly can both pass the ball well and win the ball back.

Finally Song won't have to maraud forward. Insane that a guy who is meant to be a brute finished with the 16th most assists in Europe and 4th in the league.

 

[War]

Barcelona confirm deal for Arsenal's Alex Song - ESPNFC

Now that this is official, it seems like Barca are trying to get even their defenders to be creative and contribute in attack in the way that Ronald Koeman and Frank Rijkaard did.

 

[Auwais]

Don't think he'll play as a defender. He'll probably replace Keita in that 3rd choice central midfielder, 50 games a season role.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Mascherano permanent centre back now then?

 

[Auwais]

He has been since the second half of 2010/11.

 

[thedon5]

Barcelona confirm deal for Arsenal's Alex Song - ESPNFC

Now that this is official, it seems like Barca are trying to get even their defenders to be creative and contribute in attack in the way that Ronald Koeman and Frank Rijkaard did.

Maybe they just really need someone to replace Keita and he is their best option after Martinez?

Only chance he was ever going to get to go to Barca, so really he had no choice but to act like a dick if he wanted to go. Just can't see him making it there though, holds the ball too long, is fairly sluggish and his passing can be poor. He gives the ball away quite a bit as well. On the other hand he has experience playing a passing game, is fairly tough, is creative and is versatile for Barca's system. Poor move for his development and his career, but if he wanted more money and trophies then it is a brilliant move for him.

 

[War]

Don't think he'll play as a defender. He'll probably replace Keita in that 3rd choice central midfielder, 50 games a season role.

Ye i expect hm to be the Keita replacement and fill in at center half just like how Mascherano does.

Puyol is getting old and Pique for large portions large season (although strangely) was not starting.

So thats why i suggested i sense given the way Mascherano has been used as a central defender in recent season, that they are thinking of having their defenders be like Koeman and Rijkaard at their playing peaks.

Which is would be another modern reinvention from the "total football" mantra of the famous 1970 dutch side, to add to the "false 9" role Messi has.

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Maybe they just really need someone to replace Keita and he is their best option after Martinez?

Only chance he was ever going to get to go to Barca, so really he had no choice but to act like a dick if he wanted to go. Just can't see him making it there though, holds the ball too long, is fairly sluggish and his passing can be poor. He gives the ball away quite a bit as well. On the other hand he has experience playing a passing game, is fairly tough, is creative and is versatile for Barca's system. Poor move for his development and his career, but if he wanted more money and trophies then it is a brilliant move for him.

Would have to disagree with the bolded my friend. If Keita and Y Toure could make it at Barca is certainly don't see why Song can't.

His passing him for me is pretty good and i'd say last season at Arsenal i saw him venturing forward a lot more and he provided a fair few assists for some of Van Persie's goals i.e the famous running volley vs Everton that has been replayed to death on the skysports 2011/12 goals of the seasons ha

So yea i'd say it a good developmental and money move for him.

 

[thedon5]

He certainly has a good passing range, but his short passing isn't good enough for Barca. Maybe it's passable as a CB in their system. Toure and Keita are much better passers than Song and neither lit up Barca either.

Can't see any reason why he won't fail at Barca. Reckon if he needs to improve his short passing to make it at Barca. He also needs to hold the ball far less, he isn't much of a one touch passer.

He wanted to go eventually but in the end it wasn't really his choice. He was kicked out. I reckon if he stayed another season and worked on his game at Arsenal he would've been better equipped to make it as an important player at Barca.

 

[Epic]

Another dive fest of a Classico underway, why do they have to play this way man, ruin all the fun.