08 Jun 2015 08:36:14
Is Thomas Vermaelen the worst transfer in Barcelona's history? They have just had to pay an extra £3m due to winning the Champions League. What on earth were they thinking when they struck the deal to sign him? It was already known he was injury prone, you could see that in his time at Arsenal.

1.) 08 Jun 2015
08 Jun 2015 11:39:31
Haha, possibly but very small beer for them considering the season they have just had.
Talking of which, and this is a convenient place to ask you ed001, but how would you stop the Barca Trident ?
All three can beat a man with ease, sharp, excellent movement, use the full width of the pitch and are inter-changeable. I could go on.
What would you do with that, a Jose Park The Bus job with a deep back four and a tight line of four in front with a greyhound left up front ??
But there's no way they'd slip and leave a motorway through to goal.

I know Juve had a good go at them, and they looked to be rocking in the second half, but goals win matches and I am glad that it is so.
Great to watch, more enjoyable than tika taka. If Pogba were to sign for them as well, oh dear, the rest of us may as well take up darts.

{Ed001's Note - I would press them, they have to be denied the option to play the ball to the front 3 and put under pressure. If Juve had managed to score early in the game, when Barca were under pressure, and before they picked up bookings, Barca would have been in trouble. It was the bookings that saw them drop off a bit as the half wore on and allowed Barca to take control. You have to get at them, they can't defend. Mascherano is a particularly weak link, he was taken apart by Morata repeatedly and Morata is not a special player in any way.}

2.) 08 Jun 2015
08 Jun 2015 12:13:57
Possibly, good luck with trying that for 90 x minutes though. Bound to attract bookings as you say.
They could also go long, by pass the press, and then you're left with a 4 on 3.
Even those odds are not favourable.
Or you could fight fire with fire, try to out-score them and hope they have a bad day ? Then you risk a basketball end-to-end. I don't know !

They could have been 3 or 4 up in the first half in truth.
It would be very interesting to see Chelsea come up against them next season, just to see the formations.
Is Pogba on Barca's radar by the way ?

{Ed001's Note - Juve could have scored though and then it would have been a whole different match, as has happened in the past to Barca when teams have pressed them and scored first. If you have a lead to protect, it is much easier to keep going for 90min.

Yes Pogba is of interest.}

3.) 08 Jun 2015
08 Jun 2015 12:57:03
Cheers ed.
Very impressed with Pogba, and Morata too actually - he can shift.
That Barca team with a Pogba and say a Zouma or Varane - type centre back added would be better than most international teams.
Nice to see Luis get in front of Evra at the end there, bet he shook his hand after that match !

{Ed001's Note - I am not so sure Morata is all that pacey, he was just up against Mascherano, who lacks pace. Suarez and Evra shook hands before the game mate.}