[retired_darom]

As far as Barcelona potentially moving for a new keeper goes, what has happened to their interest in Ustari?

Has it fallen away or are they probably going to wait until the end of the Copa to make a move?

This is a completely unreliable source but I was watching Goalissimo the other day and Ustari scored a penalty and the guy who was doing the voiceover said that it was his last game for the club so I didn't know if I had missed something being secured or being in the works given Barca's interest at the beginning of the year.

[retired_pyothers1]

Originally posted by Young Jimlad:
As far as Barcelona potentially moving for a new keeper goes, what has happened to their interest in Ustari?

Has it fallen away or are they probably going to wait until the end of the Copa to make a move?

This is a completely unreliable source but I was watching Goalissimo the other day and Ustari scored a penalty and the guy who was doing the voiceover said that it was his last game for the club so I didn't know if I had missed something being secured or being in the works given Barca's interest at the beginning of the year.

Maybe the Ustari who scored a penalty is a different one?? Why would Ustari the GK take a penalty?

Oscar Ustari is not transfered yet btw, there are several clubs after him but no agreements yet.

[retired_darom]

It wasn't another Ustari. I thought it was a dubious comment for him to make but the implication seemed to be that with the closing stage of the Argentinian Championship coming to an end (1 game remaining iirc) and with them winning comfortably at the time and with him about to join up with the Argentinian Copa America squad that it was his last game, so thats why he took the shot.

Anyway, figured I'd have heard about an agreement but wasn't sure so asked you guys because Barca are the most likely destination for him based on reported strength of interest (when compared to tenuous links with United and Villarreal, and with the latter having signed Lopez from Madrid that makes them even less likely).

[retired_mystikalpharie]

Originally posted by RubenJ:
I think he can easily be turned into a pure defensive mid, who doesn't go out to attack a lot. I think he can be used as a DC as well, should there be a few injuries.

I suppose that’s the idea of the stuff. They obviously saw the potential because now he isn’t a DMC.

[retired_mystikalpharie]

Originally posted by UELLfan:
I don't fancy this Touré is the solution to Barça's DM woes malarkey.

IMHO Touré is more in the Deco mould than anything else. I hope he has been signed to give decent cover to Deco and to be able to play them both in midfield in tough matches.

Otherwise we'll have to endure his adaptation to a role he has hardly ever played and that isn't a thing to do in a such an unforgiving environment as Barça is with new signings.

Give me Povlsen, Zapater, De Rossi or Zokora for the DMC spot.

BTW, Povlsen has a minimun release clause of €10m according to some people. That just seems plain crazy to me as he's been pivotal to Sevilla.

Same goes for Zapater. €8m release clause? Albeit being a R.Madrid fan as a kid I hope he can be lured to the Camp Nou.

I wanted two defensive midfielders and they sign 0.5 . We could have signed Raúl Albiol (Valencia selling us a player?) because he is versatile, quick, strong, tall... (yes, I’m in love) and Poulsen.

Touré (I have seen him twice this season, surely not enough to rate him) is a player in the mould of van Bommel IMO.

Zapater isn’t Barça material IMO. He (or Oubiña) would be an improvement but he is not top class.

We can’t say it at all but... madridistas... NO

Poulsen has that buy out clause but I heard that he wants to stay in Sevilla because his family is happy. Probably he doesn’t want to move his children again. We should have signed him last summer on a free.

[retired_mystikalpharie]

Originally posted by Herman Bloom:
Shame Gio is leaving, always liked him both at Arsenal and Barca. But I guess he can get regular football at Feyenoord. Can't blame him.

Really a shame and a stupid move for Barça. Capdevilla has signed on a free for Villarreal and we don’t have a decent left back. :thdn:

[Uknowmehfo]

Do you read the futbolitis blog yovan?

I was also incensed like you until I read the lastest barça entries.

I do have a theory about who marquinhos is but I don't want to reveal it until all the hints are confirmed.

[retired_mystikalpharie]

Originally posted by Omnislash:
<BLOCKQUOTE>4-4-2 with two (weak) wingers and two strong midfielders is usually used. Wenger at Arsenal, and players like Wiltord, Pires or Overmars are poor defenders, aren’t they? Petit and Vieira (Touré is the new new Vieira Wink) were the DMCs.

I insisted with Capello because you are Italian, aren't you?

Well, as I said Real Madrid won a league and a CL playing with four creative footballers.

People talk about the failure of Brazil but it’s not the same. Brazil had two old full backs, a poor Emerson, a good Zé Roberto playing out of position (MC), a poor Ronaldinho, a decent Kaká a fat Ronaldo and Adriano who was really poor.

Brazil, with the same formation (but different players*), won the Confederations cups and easily beat Argentina and Germany. Nobody criticized Brazil in this forum, no pundit criticized Brazil. That’s the reason I bet on Italy Cool.

*the difference in 2005 was that they had two youth full backs a better Ronaldinho and a mobile supporting striker, Robinho, instead of Ronaldo.

Yes Wiltord, Pires and Overmars are poor defenders, but they were still required to track back and help out with defense. Ronaldinho is even poorer defensively, Messi is ok however if you ask him to defend, his effectiveness is limited in that his offensive positioning and stamina are both affected.

The Arsenal tactics may have worked well in Premiership back then but they did quite poorly in Europe. Plus they never dominated Premiership with that formation.

Yes, Real Madrid won with 4 players, however, Zidane is a midfielder and Figo a winger. Both of them does some degree of defensive duties. They track back and get into defensive position to help out the team. That's quite different to what Ronaldinho and Messi are doing now. They will occasional help close down an enemy player but generally they wait in space and look for break.

That was more a 4-4-2 formation for Real, plus they had Makelele, a full time defensive specialist in the midfield. In Barca, if they were to field 2 central midfielders, then at least one needs to stay back at all time, which means their control over the whole midfield will again be limited.

Brazil is the closest to a 4 full-duty attackers. Of course there was lots of other reasons for their failure, however even their attack did not stand out. A key reason for that was indeed they could not control the midfield and feed the ball to Ronaldinho and Kaka.

The Brazil of 2002 World Cup winning team were a better example. They also fielded 4 attacking players. Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ze Roberto and Ronaldinho. However they had 2 full-duty defensive midfielders in Gilberto Silva and Edu. Whom stayed back at all time and which you would need. Plus Ze Roberto and Rivaldo helped out in defense. Plus Roberto Carlos and Cafu been able to attack and track back quickly and effectively. You need all that in order to make it work somehow.

The current Barcelona forward just seem too much flair and not enough steadiness. They may overrun the opposition in the first 30min but once their opponent gain control of the midfield (which won't be that difficult with only 2 full time midfielders) they can cut off the Barca defense from linking up with the Barca attack.

That is all, of course, assuming Barcelona will field all 4 players at the same time. They could just get rotated over 3 position. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Arsenal only was an example of a successful team with 4 forwards.

And France in the last WC? Ribéry, Zidane, Henry and Malouda. Only Malouda is a decent defender.

And Brazil in 1958? Garrincha, Pelé, Zagallo and Vavá.

There are many examples.

+Real Madrid

Zidane is as great as Ronaldinho defending. They couldn’t recover a ball in a U12 game.

Messi is better than Figo tracking back.

Raúl and Eto’o are decent defenders, Eto’o slightly better as he is a physically-superior player.

Henry is a much better defender than Ronaldo.

Makelele was the pivotal defensive midfielder (covering Roberto Carlos and Salgado/Geremi, mainly the first one) of Real Madrid but they also had Helguera/Conceiçao.

If you read my posts I’m saying that it’s impossible without two defensive midfielders.

+Brazil

In 2002 Brazil had 5 defenders (3 centre backs and two attacking full backs), 2 defensive midfielders, two attacking midfielders and one striker. Zé Roberto and Edu didn’t play the WC.

+Barça

I would try to play them. Why not try? Just that.

Our sporting director said that they could play together or only 3. It will depend on the game.

[retired_mystikalpharie]

Originally posted by UELLfan:
Do you read the futbolitis blog yovan?

I was also incensed like you until I read the lastest barça entries.

I do have a theory about who marquinhos is but I don't want to reveal it until all the hints are confirmed.

No, I don’t, although I heard about the blog tbh. A mate told me that they have inside information.

[Uknowmehfo]

Originally posted by yovan:
Really a shame and a stupid move for Barça. Capdevilla has signed on a free for Villarreal and we don’t have a decent left back. :thdn:

Zambrotta kind of looks like a 'decent leftback' to me

But I know what you mean. However, I'm still confident on the fact that all what we're seeing now is but an orchestration and that the 3 defensive players are already signed and will be unveiled soon.