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To be honest I was, or rather, I am still not in a mood to write. After weeks of neglecting my private life I thought to myself "Why not enjoy the last couple of sunny days in Germany?" Said and done. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help myself and sporadically checked my livescores app to find out the latest score line. At around 6pm CET it read 2:0 for FC Barcelona. "Well, this is going to be another trashing." I can focus on the more important issues that occupy my mind on a Saturday – girls and shopping. By the time I was done shopping, which coincided with the store closing times, I once again checked the score sheet, 2-2.
Real Sociedad Vs Barcelona 2-2 All Goals And Full Match Highlights
What? My first instinct – it must’ve been Andreu Fontas. Every single time the boy is on the pitch Barca concedes at least one goal. Whenever I read Fontas name in the starting line-up I refuse to watch the game. He is just bad. And to make things even worse, Alexis Sanchez, who was, from what I could gather, the best performer on the pitch, got injured. Really? Out of all the players on the pitch, did it really have to be Sanchez? If anything the game highlighted that FC Barcelona are in need of more than two natural center backs. Sorry, but I don’t rate Andreu Fontas at all. He is not Barca material. Every European top team has at least four center backs.
Since Pep likes to experiment with midfielders as makeshift center backs, why in the world did he sanction the sale of Oriol Romeu to Chelsea FC? Romeu is tall, an assured passer and infinitely more reliable (read: brave) than Andreu "I’m slower than a turtle" Fontas. Some of Pep decisions still elude me. The woeful performance of Barca’s defense also makes any potential transfer talk surrounding Brazil’s latest it-boy, Neymar, obsolete.
Chelsea FC, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona transfer target Neymar: Should the Blaugrana purchase the Santos Prodigy?
Undoubtedly the star of the Brazilian league, he finds it all too easy at the moment, perhaps the reason for his childish shenanigans. The Camp Nou could be the last piece of the puzzle for Neymar, and admit it, you wouldn’t say no to this... - Arron Duckling
Things looked differently at the start of the week, but I say no, Arron. FC Barcelona needs a central defender, a Mats Hummels, or his partner-in-crime, Neven Subotic, not another forward, especially not an immature one like Neymar. In 2008 FC Barcelona paid in excess of €30 million (without add-ons) for the services of Dani Alves, and look how that investment has turned out.
Brazil's Daniel Alves: The right, right-back for FC Barcelona
It's rare to find a fullback that can actually do everything. Most fullbacks are either more attack oriented or defensive oriented and one only needs to look at most European top teams to see which type is on hand. Dani Alves, like his teammates, is the total footballer, he can do all that is required by a player that is a top defender. - Jose A.
Whatever price-tag Borussia Dortmund slap on either, Hummels or Subotic, Barca should definitely pay it. Even an exorbitant €30 million would be justified at this point. We’re talking about central defenders in their early 20’s that are already considered world-class. One can get at least 10 years of service out of them. Spare me another forward. No more midfielders or forwards. FC Barcelona’s academy, La Masia, produces midfielders en masse. The latest, Thiago Alcantara.
Thiago Alcantara: A Safe Bet to Emerge as La Masia's Latest Pearl
I will stop short of forecasting international superstardom for Thiago, but given his incredible displays of skill in some of the most important matches of his young life, would you be willing to wager against it?- Emile Avanessian
Even if my pleas fall on deaf ears, or better yet, are not read by Pep & Co. I will always be a Culé – I’m a fairly loyal and devoted guy – but sometimes it’s just hard to defend stupidity and I tend to be pessimistic too. One more slip-up and I will declare Real Madrid the 2011/2011 La Liga Champions. After all, they do field real center backs, although slightly violent ones. Pepe anyone? Maybe FC Barcelona have fallen victim to the "Cesc-effect". He performs but in the end the club plays for fails to deal the killer-blow.
Anyways, I’m gone. Perhaps I will resurface to serve you a preview for the Champions League tie against AC Milan tomorrow. That is, if I can manage to overcome my disappointment.
¡Visca el Barça!
Yours truly,
Sebastian
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