Topic: FC Barcelona

[Fromola]

Barcelona is an object example of why democratically run football clubs are a bad thing.

Given how much they've already sold out to Qatar with shirt and stadium sponsorship, it's a wonder the model of the club itself isn't called into question. The More Than a Club moniker has long gone anyway.

The German 2nd division is full of massive democratically run clubs who've been ran into the ground.

Democracy itself is a farce these days when you end up with Trump, Boris and Brexit in the last 5 years alone.

It's just become which con artist can best manipulate the masses with the best slogan and lies. Barcelona merely another case in point.

[BarryCrocker]

Koeman throwing Trumpisms out to their fans.

"You have to be realistic in life. Our young players showed we have a future and we have a lot of players to come back from injuries. It is what it is," Koeman told a news conference.

"We know we're missing a lot of players in attack and we have to wait a few weeks to have more options and more speed going forward. I don't want to look for excuses but everyone knows the problems we had with the players who were unavailable."

[Jookie]

The German 2nd division is full of massive democratically run clubs who've been ran into the ground.

Democracy itself is a farce these days when you end up with Trump, Boris and Brexit in the last 5 years alone.

A 2nd division German club doesn’t have the same expectation of success as Barcelona. They also probably have a fanbase that a) are pretty local, b) will generally understand the position and situation of the club, c) have very little outside noise, d) probably accept limitations of clubs ambition and accept that going to games is a big part of enjoyment rather than just winning.

For big European clubs the expectation is different. In terms of media and within different parts of the fanbase. There’s part of every big club fanbase where the key determinant of success and enjoyment are ambition in the transfer market and results. From personal experience and opinion there’s more to football than that. Results are important but shared experiences (good and bad) are equally important. That shared experience could be watching in the ground, at a supporters club with like minded folks, watching with your son, Dad, Mum etc..

That’s an important part of football for me. Even in games we got beat. I remember certain games we lost more fondly than some were we won. Probably due to the shared experience of that game before, during and after.

Too many fans of big clubs are only interested in the result. Anything other than a comprehensive win is deemed not good enough. That the manager is to blame. That player X is to blame. That it’s a consequence of not spending enough money in the transfer market. This all adds external pressure. Some that some fans will ignore. Some that some fans won’t. It’s something the media can pick up on also.

What’s this all got to do with Barcelona? Their model relies on the president being voted in. The pressure to win, to keep star players, to spend in the transfer market must be huge for an incumbent president of the club. Pressure that can’t necessarily be pushed away and ignored other ownership models. I think it potentially result in presidents making poor long term decisions to appease the fanbase now. That just wouldn’t be the case at a 2nd division German club so I don’t think comparing them is relevant.

[PoetryInMotion]

1-0 down to Granada in 2 minutes.

[Funky_Gibbons]

Are there restrictions at the stadium?

Edit - yes there are.

[rushyman]

It’s amusing to say We broke them

But in all seriousness that game now appears to be the killer blow

[deFacto please, you bastards]

The killer blow wasn't us, the killer blow was their stupidity with transfers and financial aspect of running club, ergo why they got a ridiculous group of players playing for them right now.

[gazzalfc]

I'd say taking £142m for Coutinho did more damage than Trent's quick corner

[afc tukrish]

I'd say taking £142m for Coutinho did more damage than Trent's quick corner

"Bank transfer to L4 taken quickly, Coutinho!"

[elsewhere]

Damn, Granada keeper is very very good.

[OOS]

The killer blow wasn't us, the killer blow was their stupidity with transfers and financial aspect of running club, ergo why they got a ridiculous group of players playing for them right now.

They are proper crap. Years of complacency has caught up with them.  Dreadful squad building. Whoever though Messi, Suarez, Griezmann and Coutinho would be an effective attack together. All that money spent to end up with this team. Jarg football, fold under pressure in the big games.

[Funky_Gibbons]

Just the 23 crosses from Barcelona in that half.

[Max_powers]

I'd say taking £142m for Coutinho did more damage than Trent's quick corner

If it wasn't for him, they would have wasted it on someone else. Just look the money they wasted on the likes of Dembele, Griezmann, Malcolm, Pjanic, Neto etc

[BoRed]

Just the 23 crosses from Barcelona in that half.

Amateurs.

[Fromola]

Don't know if it feels weird/empty watching Barca without Messi, or it's just the complete lack of quality, and star quality, in the team.

Even when Barca have been average in the past they've at least always had a Rivaldo, Ronaldinho or Ronaldo

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Don't know if it feels weird/empty watching Barca without Messi, or it's just the complete lack of quality, and star quality, in the team.

Even when Barca have been average in the past they've at least always had a Rivaldo, Ronaldinho or Ronaldo

This is the first time in 30 some years that they don't have one star player.

[rushyman]

The killer blow wasn't us, the killer blow was their stupidity with transfers and financial aspect of running club, ergo why they got a ridiculous group of players playing for them right now.

Maybe not the killer blow in terms of that causing them to be shit of course. Wrong wording

More that game seemed to be the end of an era. If they’d have held on to that lead they’d have swatted Spurs in final and won another big ears

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Maybe not the killer blow in terms of that causing them to be shit of course. Wrong wording

More that game seemed to be the end of an era. If they’d have held on to that lead they’d have swatted Spurs in final and won another big ears

Probably but that wouldnt' have stopped them from being swatted away by Bayern the following year, and being in this exact same situation.

[67CherryRed]

Granada could have Curly Watts and Elton Welsby in the centre of their defence tonight and still keep Barca out, it's hilarious to see what they've become.

[rushyman]

Don't know if it feels weird/empty watching Barca without Messi, or it's just the complete lack of quality, and star quality, in the team.

Even when Barca have been average in the past they've at least always had a Rivaldo, Ronaldinho or Ronaldo

This is exactly it

As de facto says this is the first time since sky first came to our screens we’ve seen them so full of total no marks

Who’s the man at the moment? Coutinho? Funny

That little Ricky Puig could be something. But moyes mark II doesn’t play him

[rushyman]

Probably but that wouldnt' have stopped them from being swatted away by Bayern the following year, and being in this exact same situation.

Nope

Just that our game signified the end of it I think

For me anyway. For others maybe it was the Bayern humping

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Nope

Just that our game signified the end of it I think

For me anyway. For others maybe it was the Bayern humping

I think it's probably multiple things, the year before they got knocked out by Roma as well. It's going to take a long time for them to get back to anywhere near they were before, ala AC Milan

[Fromola]

This is exactly it

As de facto says this is the first time since sky first came to our screens we’ve seen them so full of total no marks

Who’s the man at the moment? Coutinho? Funny

That little Ricky Puig could be something. But moyes mark II doesn’t play him

Pedri and Fati are the big hopes (out injured) but they need more established players (20s) to help bring them on.

Laporta took over as president last time and signed Ronaldinho in 2003 which turned their fortunes. They're desperate for a Haaland or a Mbappe who can help kick them on again. Instead, they just keep signing washed-up players like Aguero.

[Funky_Gibbons]

Pique brought on to play up front 

The new Caulker.

[rushyman]

I think it's probably multiple things, the year before they got knocked out by Roma as well. It's going to take a long time for them to get back to anywhere near they were before, ala AC Milan

I think such is their DNA (as with Milan) they will be back though at some point

But if something similar happened to City they’d be back to being City

[rushyman]

Fuck me theyve stuck pique up top

[Red Beret]

Barca who?

Seriously, we can look at Roma, then Liverpool, as clear hammer blows to the Barcelona psyche. This probably accelerated their decline and their poor transfer decisions. The Bayern result just confirmed what we already knew - they were done as a force.

It's been pointed out by others on here that they still have a top four team, but I've said before that with the club rudderless and morale through the floor that they may find it a struggle to achieve. They likely won't get the kind of help that United receive to artificially prop them up in the table.  In any case  I certainly won't miss them.

[Fromola]

I think such is their DNA (as with Milan) they will be back though at some point

But if something similar happened to City they’d be back to being City

It doesn't always take much to turn things around. Look at the mess Klopp inherited in 2015.

It's nothing, in theory, that a few good transfer windows and a decent manager won't fix. However, their finances mean they aren't shopping at the top table now.

[Fromola]

Barca who?

Seriously, we can look at Roma, then Liverpool, as clear hammer blows to the Barcelona psyche. This probably accelerated their decline and their poor transfer decisions. The Bayern result just confirmed what we already knew - they were done as a force.

It's been pointed out by others on here that they still have a top four team, but I've said before that with the club rudderless and morale through the floor that they may find it a struggle to achieve. They likely won't get the kind of help that United receive to artificially prop them up in the table.  In any case  I certainly won't miss them.

I think they'd have struggled last season to get top 4 without Messi. He started the season slow and they were in mid table and then they had a great run of form - with the likes of Fati and Pedri playing well - and they stormed up the league.

Real and Atleti will probably be top 2. Then there's the likes of Villareal, Sevilla and an improved Valencia.

[rushyman]

I think that may have been the 1000th cross

[rushyman]

La Liga is Embarrasing to watch

The cheating diving play acting and bad sportsmanship is so far off the charts it’s terrifying

[Red Beret]

I think they'd have struggled last season to get top 4 without Messi. He started the season slow and they were in mid table and then they had a great run of form - with the likes of Fati and Pedri playing well - and they stormed up the league.

Real and Atleti will probably be top 2. Then there's the likes of Villareal, Sevilla and an improved Valencia.

Oh yeah. My opinion is they can do, but they'd have to fight for it.  All the signs are they don't have the stomach for that fight.  They're still pretty much broken by the realisation that they're not special anymore.

They're not going to be spending their way out of trouble anytime soon, not with players deferring wages etc. All they've done is kick the financial can down the road. New signings can't expect the kind of wages previous players have enjoyed.  Maybe a Klopp-type manager can dig out some bargains they can develop into real talent, but those managers are exceedingly rare.

Klopp did inherit a mess with us, but he had a lot of raw material to work with and a wage structure that wasn't a complete shambles. A lot has to go right for Barcelona if they want to be competing within just a few seasons, and they're more likely to make more mistakes first.

[Samie]

Buy Pedri!

He has no affiliation with Barca anyway so wouldn't miss them as other players.

[Flaccido Dongingo]

Red Ron will be getting his P45 (or the Spanish equivalent) shortly.

[Samie]

Moysie is that you? 

Barcelona attempted 54 crosses against Granada tonight.

[Samie]

[Samie]

[Crosby Nick]

Just imagine if they were playing the whole of ITV.

[Max_powers]

to be honest you can't blame Koeman for the mess they are right now, just look at the state of their team.

However, their style of play is awful and I don't think Koeman is the man who can turn some of their talented youngsters into superstars.

[Samie]

Moysie to Barca mate?