₦airaland Forum

sebod:
I want to believe this your post does not represent the general views and opinion of all Arsenal fans. And, as such, I would like to read the reactions of your fellow fans.

Pep is not a great coach as claimed by many epl fans because anybody can manage Barca.

If Pep takes up Arsenal and wins the league for you guys in his 1st season, takes the team beyond the current bustop 'ucl second round' and wins some more domestic trophies. What would still be your view about him?

I know many would still claim he's an average coach because he inherited already winning and matured team from Wenger.
It's so funny how you guys are quick to discredit any one that coaches Barca because of the system, and yet, call almost all the players in the system average players. Who then makes up the club called Barcelona?

Cc; coded01 dmcdad barcablood barackohandso chelseafan1

Opinions r like asss holes bruh everyone got 1.

Don't get tired of teaching em haters when they spill their balderdash about every player and manager in Barca being average and just benefiting from d system. It just shows d level of jealousy dey got for barca, and coming from an arsenal fan will u actually blame him? We've always dumped their sorry asses whenever we meet in d ucl and we gonna do same come February, remember we whooped dem in their only ucl final appearance? And their best players always beg 2 come 2 barca to achieve greatness

Spy360:
For Enrique, take away Messi, Neymar and Suarez and Barca will not be better than Espanyol.

Trash! Dis is akin 2 saying messi suarez and neymar play every position. As a manager u can only manage what's given 2 u and try 2 make d best of it whether its MSN or AIT attack line

Luis Enrique is a genius; d best manager in d world today, u can take that 2 d bank

iPopAlomo:
The day Arsenal hires Guardiola to manage the team... that day I cease to be a fan of arsenal... end of...

Just like Mourinho... he's a three season wonder... as soon as he's found out... he bolts... not one man-management skill... he suffers from inferiority complex...

Ibrahimovic, Eto'o, Y.Toure...

If you think Guardiola a good manager... can he fully integrate tiki-taka into Swansea or Eibar...

I trust the board... they would rather hire Gary Monk, Patrick Viera coaches who can use what they have to get what they want...

Anyone can manage Barca... the only reason why Tata failed was cos... his Man-management of the whole team was shitty...

Infact... his formation was 'pass to Messi...'

U lots keep sounding more ridiculous with these hate ridden statements of urs. Dis kinda punditry should be heard of only in local beer shops or burikutu meeting place. Pathetic!!!

U can choose 2 support any club u so wish to if pep joins arsenal (not that its gonna happen anyway cos pep doesn't do mediocre jobs) but am 101% sure the arsenal fc board will do anything 2 have him manage their club and give their loyal fans something better than 3 league titles, 6 fa cups, and no European trophy in wenger's almost 2-decade stay to celebrate.


U can keep listing his flaws all u want but fact is; results and achievements is all that matters and pep shïts on wenger in totality when it comes 2 that

AdeLaNa1:
Nah. Am not Jobless. Do u see me disturb the Bayern thread??

Even Barca thread sef, na just one post. And am gone

shhhhhhhhhhhhh. Zip it dude

dmcdad:
Ouch... Thursday? The day for prisoners?

Lmao d day 4 travels 2 azerbaijan, Afghanistan and uzbekistan

sebod:
Habah bros, so you dey here? And you will come to Barca thread, lamenting how Barca fans on their thread are discussing Madrid. Chai! Chai!! Chai!!!

Cc: dmcdad coded01 barackohandso homesteady bykebyke chelseafan1 logica barcablood......

Hahahahaha no mind that adelana dude. Hypocrisy is his middle name. He's obsessed with arsenal and Chelsea and keeps trolling dem yet comes to our thread to yarn dust

Don't worry Thursday night football will keep him busy soon

Low self esteem, jealousy, insecurity

Who remembers this goal ?

The 25th anniversary of Pep Guardiola's debut with FC Barcelona


Wednesday marks 25 years since Josep Guardiola
made his debut with FC Barcelona.


Back on 16 December 1990 Guardiola took the field
for the Catalans in a league game versus Cádiz at
Camp Nou. He put in a solid performance in
midfield, giving the Barça faithful a taste of what was
to come.


Guardiola had already participated in a friendly, in
Banyoles the spring before, on 1 May 1989, but his
first official test would not come until the game
against Cádiz.


With Barça midfielder Guillermo Amor out with an
injury that day, head coach Johan Cruyff turned to
the 19-year-old Guardiola who, until that point, had
been having a fabulous season for Barça B.


Nerves of steel

Guardiola, accustomed to playing in front of small
crowds with Barça B, took the field at Camp Nou that
day in front of 75,000 screaming fans. But the young
Guardiola, wearing the number 10 on his back,
refused to be intimidated.


He took the field with nary a hint of nervousness and
exuded the confidence of a seasoned veteran when
he joined Andoni Zubizarreta, Nando Muñoz, José
Ramón Alexanko, Eusebio Sacristán, Ricardo
Serna, José Mari Bakero, Ion Andoni Goikoetxea,
Michael Laudrup, Julio Salinas and Txiki
Begiristain for the pre-game picture of that day's
starting XI.


When the referee’s whistle signaled the start of the
game, Pep Guardiola did what he did best: play
football.


Solid first performance


While Guardiola’s feet meticulously and masterfully
controlled the ball, his head was focused on making
sure his debut would not be used as an excuse should
Barça not end up winning.


When the final whistle sounded, though, Guardiola
had been very good and Barça had a 2–0 win on goals
from Begiristain and Bakero, and were now six points
clear of second-placed Atlético Madrid.


That 1990/91 season would see Barça win the first of
four straight La Liga titles won by the so-called
Dream Team.


The beginning of an era

Guardiola’s polished technique and superb vision of
the game was something Barça fans had been longing
for. He finished the 1990/91 season with Barça B and
only played four more games with the first team. The
next season, however, his place was solidified and he
made 40 appearances for FC Barcelona.


It wasn’t long before he was a bona fide star on team
that spent a decade racking up triumphs. Guardiola’s
personal achievements added up to 389 games
played and 19 titles.


Years later he would go on to become the most
successful coach in Club history with 14 titles in four
seasons, from 2008 to 12, including the first treble in
Barça history and an unprecedented sextuple, both
coming in 2009.

Luis Enrique anxious to avoid surprises against Guangzhou


The Barça coach appeared before the press in Japan
on the eve of his team's Club World Cup semi-final
against the Chinese club coached by Felipe Scolari


The Asturian revealed he would not be 'taking risks'
with Neymar's fitness



Luis Enrique appeared
before the press on
Wednesday ahead of FC Barcelona’s semi-final date
on Thursday at 7.30pm local time against Chinese
club Guangzhou Evergrande in the FIFA Club World
Cup. The Barça coach was keen to avoid complacency
against the side coached by Felipe Scolari, a man
who led the Brazilian national side to victory in the
2002 World Cup Final in the very stadium in
Yokohama where Barça will face Guangzhou in the
last four in Japan. “If you look at the standard of
players they have, Paulinho who was at Tottenham,
we can’t take them lightly. Football is full of
surprises, just ask Club América [beaten by
Guangzhou in the quarter-finals],” said the Asturian.


“We will have to be very careful with their captain
[Zheng], who is an important piece in the team,
capable of starting attacks along with the centre
backs, directing the midfield and getting into the box.


“If we look at the semi-finals in the Club World Cup,
they have always been tough and we will have to be
completely focused to get through. The team are in
good shape and with real ambition to do well in
Japan.”


Much interest revolved around the fitness of
Neymar. Luis Enrique was quick to say that the
Brazilian will not be rushed back into action. “That
you don’t see him training, doesn’t mean Neymar is
not training. The only thing I am worried about is
getting him back to 100% so he can pay his part for
us in the Club World Cup. I am not one to take risks.
If the moment comes, we won’t force the matter,
first of all we have to win the semi-final,” advised the
blaugrana coach.

Gerard Pique takes on Real Madrid:
Will it ever end?




Even when he's halfway around the world,
Gerard Pique just cannot let it lie.


The Barcelona defender's running verbal battle with
most of the Real Madrid squad continued in Japan
on Wednesday as he refused to back down after
igniting yet another row, this time with Alvaro
Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos.


We all know there's little love lost between Barca
and Madrid, but no figure on the pitch seems to
embody the rivalry more closely than Pique.
Right now he's almost 6,500 miles away in
Yokohama - where Barca enter the Club World Cup
at the semi-final stage on Thursday - but Real are
seemingly very much on his mind.


He has been booed by Spain supporters angry at his
anti-Madrid stance, he's been told to grow up, and to
show more respect. But will Pique change his ways?

Here's the story so far.



Round one: "Thanks Kevin Roldan - it all
started with you!"


Picture the scene. You're celebrating winning the
league title, an occasion to savour. But for Pique,
this is an opportunity to score points against your
bitter rivals.


"We are the best team in the world! Thanks to all
and thanks to Kevin Roldan, everything started with
you," he told the club's buoyant fans.


Don't get the reference? Back in February,
Colombian pop star Roldan performed at Cristiano
Ronaldo's 30th birthday party - and posted some
pictures on social media.


So far, so normal perhaps. But the big problems
started when the press pointed out Real had been
beaten 4-0 by city rivals Atletico just hours before...


Over the months that followed there was meltdown
in the Spanish capital, and Barcelona went on to win
the league, Copa del Rey and Champions League.



Round two: 'Yesterday I went mushroom
picking. I am a happy man.'


The Roldan comments didn't exactly endear Pique to
the Madrid fans around Spain. And there are quite a
lot of them.


So many in fact that when Pique next turned out for
the national team in a friendly against Costa Rica in
June, sections of the home crowd jeered and
whistled him.


After Spain supporters repeated the trick in
September, Pique was sticking to his guns. "I don't
regret anything that I have said and I would repeat it
a thousand times and more," he said.


"I am like that. I feel very good, on both a personal
and sporting level. Yesterday I went mushroom
picking. I am a happy man."



Round three: More than a good sense of
humour?


Football eh? Sometimes you just have no idea what
to expect. Who could have said Real Madrid would
be thrown out of this season's Spanish cup for
fielding an ineligible player?


Rafael Benitez's side picked the suspended Denis
Cheryshev for the first leg of their last-32 tie with
Cadiz and - despite appeals - they are out of a
competition they have won 19 times.


You can probably guess who saw the funny side.


Pique's tweet in reaction - shown above - didn't have
a single word. Instead he let the emojis do the
talking.


Round four: Did he just say cone?


For Alvaro Arbeloa, this was the final straw. The
Madrid full-back hit back at Pique, claiming he was
"obsessed" with the club from the capital.


Pique's reaction? Raising the stakes to word play.


"Arbeloa insulting me? He said he is my friend, but
he's not - he's just someone I know," Pique replied.


Now, this one's definitely at risk of being lost in
translation. The first half of the Spanish for
acquaintance - ' conocido' - is 'cono'. Which means
cone.


So when replying on Spanish TV, and stressing the
first part of acquaintance - ' CONO-cido' - Pique was
basically calling Arbeloa a traffic cone. A reference,
no doubt, to his static defending...



Round five: 'Forget about your
complexes, respect your elders'


And so to the latest episode in this bubbling saga.
Speaking in a news conference on Wednesday, Pique
had more questions to answer.


Two more Real Madrid figures had added their
voices to those calling on the 28-year-old to show
more respect.


"Forget about your complexes and respect your
elders," former Real and QPR midfielder Esteban
Granero, now at Real Sociedad, told Pique.


And Real captain Sergio Ramos also jumped to
Arbeloa's defence with this pearl of wisdom: "Lack
of respect for one's peers is an enemy which works
against good atmosphere. Pique should have a bit of
respect for Real Madrid."


The reply? Pique seemed to hold his tongue and go
on a bit of a charm offensive.


"The role of Sergio Ramos is normal for a captain.
He is the Real Madrid captain and a great captain. He
came out to defend his team-mate and I honestly
admire him for that," he said.


Maybe, then, there are signs of this row being put to
bed. Until the next time that is.


Real and Barca meet again on 3 April at the Nou
Camp. So there's lots of time for there to be plenty
more fireworks before then.

Oh pique oh pique why evils

Dadehmola:
Pique = Baresi/ Maldini clone

Busquets >> Makelele+Pirlo

Endtime analysts ------------->>>> Mostly Deluded Barca fans

Jealousy

pelvicky:
those epl fans can yawn any thrash


,,...its nt jealousy,..it is stupidity my bro

Smh!

pelvicky:
u get time o to argue

cech is a legend
iker cas is a legend....even de gea is a legend


but Valdes is average

It beats me honestly…


D level of hypocrisy/jealousy is alarming.


Dudes dat spew this level of trash might be sadists in real life. Dang!!!

homesteady:
You have been making noise about this Valdez issue for a while, you want to use it to make yourself appear wise!

1) I've never seen any barcelona fan claiming Valdes is the best keeper in the world, we all knew Valdes was not an excellent keeper! If I'm lying, dig out any post here to prove me wrong.

2) Contrary to what you claim, Valdes was having his best season before he got injured during his last season under Tata Martino. Every Barca fan can testify to it except those your 'imaginary dull barca friends'. Almost every match, I can clearly remember posts on this thread talking about how he has really improved.

Just stop lying.

Look bruh while valdes might not have been d best goalie during his time at barca, he was clearly one of d best, he was just another unsung hero who didn't seek limelight. U don't play over 500 games and win 21 trophies for a club like barca if ure not 1 of d best in ur position. Its only unreasonable and sïlly pundits who wil tag someone like valdes a tag along in a great team. Its clear and simple; any player who plays majority of the club's games enroute successful campaigns is a major stakeholder; he did his part


6 ligas, 3 ucl, 6 zamora trophies et al. He's a barca legend whether haters like it or not

People should @ least test d week they smoke on a goat or chicken before typing nonsense

logica:
Sacrilege. Comparing Matthieu to Abidal. Let's leave it at that.

Am not comparing them. Just making my point that he's not a top defender since accordind to u he's not comfortable playing LB that's why we should take d trash he's serving us and blame d manager instead

It's a rarity because I have watched far better Holding Midfielders play that role for Barca. Busquets does not compare favorably with Guardiola for instance. If you ever watched Guardiola play, you would know what I'm talking about.

Pep bossed his time and so is Busquests doing his. For this barca team there's no better DM. He fits in so perfectly. Well its said that one doesn't value what it has until he loses it. We don't want that 2 be d case, true cules value him, he's an unsung hero who doesn't even seek d limelight

Bimffo:
Can we just wait till May Next Year.. Please, Just try and screen shot my Post.. . Then you can talk then..

I will say it again! No Premier league team is in Chelsea caliber ATM.. The closest to Chelsea is surely Arsenal, and not even ManU..

Oh my ribs

Bimffo:
1stly, I don't know Why our Rivals so concerned about our defending of the league. They are just so worked up to see what Mourinho has in stock!

2ndly, Chelsea are still the strongest in the league and don't need to buy so much to Win the league again.. We just need 2 players to be stronger.. A DM/CM, and a RMF.. Then we are good to go in all competition..

Lastly, We own the league this season again.. None of our Rivals will even come close.. In the next 5 Years, We are guaranted the league for 3 seasons.

Oh my lawd Bwahahahahaha this has got 2 be d post of d year

Can't stop laughing

logica:
LOL. So if you were Matthieu, would you rather sit on the bench; or have your coach put you on the spot by subbing you in to a position you are not comfortable with? Would you rather be a scapegoat for conceding a goal less than 2 minutes after you got on the pitch? There is no doubt on what you would have chosen. Alba was not injured last I checked. It was just 20 minutes to go; so what was the sub about?

D manager is in charge, he can choose 2 use a player he deems probable, he watches them in training every week. Matthieu is a defender and a left footer, where else will he feel comfortable after his preferred LB position? Eric abidal was also a left footer who fit in @ CB and LB well so stop making excuses 4 matthieu. Both of deportivo's goal were scored exactly frm his wing. If he's not comfortable playing LB and yet can't displace pique/masch as u claim, den he should put in a transfer request

BIG DEAL Do you know the significance of a DM losing possession? (In case you don't get it, the position of a DM holding the ball is always precarious because he usually has nobody to cover for him if he loses the ball) And you say BIG DEAL? You listed Messi and Xavi losing ball possession and it led to a goal; do you realize this is an indictment on the DM and defense? Where did Messi lose possession? On the opponents side of the pitch; where was the defense and DM? You merely mentioned 1 instance of Messi and Xavi losing possession; should I mention about 10 instances Busquets did same; starting with Champions League SF against Inter Milan?

U still don't get it. D function of gaining back possession of d ball in d middle isn't d sole responsibility of the DM, as long as ure in d middle, u have 2 do ur part. So messi and xavi can lose possession in d middle and Busquests can't cos he's a DM? Very funny and hypocritical. That I mentioned just 1 example for messi and xavi doesn't mean it happened just once, even last season against granada or so, messi lost possession of the ball in the middle, the opposition got d ball, countered and scored within seconds, am sure ull blame Busquests 4 that too. Point is; for every ball Sergio Busquests has lost, he's won us 10 times more, gave assists and even won us penalties which has given us a load of goals and trophies. U can't be @ a loss if you lose $20 daily and gain $200 in d same day



NB: I just got 2 know ure actually a barca fan and boy am I surprised . A cule who thinks Sergio Busquests is average. Mehn that's a rarity

AdeLaNa1:
Enough ovmf the Benzema talk na....

Anyways Sinizia, there's nothing i'd love more dan to see Arsenal knockout those pompous Spanish Prîcks. But let's be realistic. Its Barca. And then its Arsenal!!

Jealous much?

sinizia:
Even though I'd love to see all EPL sides crash out, but for the sake of mitigating the insults on EPL and making sure EPL don't lose their UCL 4th spot to Italy, I'd support Assanal to win against Barca. Seriously, I dislike that club with the likes of Panthanky and EL-effeminate taunting us, but enough is enough. Barca have won enough EPL sides and I pray they crash this time around. I wish the 3 EPL sides can qualify for the quarter finals and then they can crash out if they like, but PSG, Barca and co should just leave.

Bwahahahahaha

When neymar heard barca is playing arsenal

dmcdad:
Ehya... E no good ooooo. No one knows tomorrow ooooo.

Lmao but tomorrow is Tuesday the 15th of December na

sod09:
Barca never beat us at d Emirates
Cech has never concede against messi
....it's may just be our time
I'm hope full of this tie

Bwahahahahaha

AdeLaNa1:
iSaid it b4 dat they obsessed with Madrid on this thread. They thought iWas just trolling

Who should we be obsessed with, man utd?

Why not go prepare 4 ur europa league?

…

airmark:
Despite the fact that busquets accepted he caused that 2nd goal and appologised? I give up on you, man !!!

Where in my post did I say Busquests didn't cause d goal? So players aren't allowed to make mistakes anymore? Hazard lost possession against southampton and it led to a goal, does it make him less of a good player? U don't like Busquests, fine. But don't come and force ur opinion down our throat. He made a mistake yeah but he's done more good than harm, he's won us shítload of trophies with his style. We love him cos he's d best. Deal with it

logica:
Jezuz, did you read my post at all? Matthieu had stated times without number that he isn't comfortable as Left Fullback. Lucho for some reason thinks Matthieu doesn't know what the fvck he's talking about and decided to once again risk playing him at that wing despite the fact that Depor came back from 2 goals just last season (that feeling of Déjà vu should've been enough for any sensible person) and this season they have been very good away. By the way, was Matthieu responsible for our midfield collapsing in the UEFA Supercup? I wasn't aware! FYI, our midfield collapsed immediately Lucho subbed out Iniesta. Please analyze matches without prejudice.

Ok. Think am getting u now. Matthieu doesn't like the LB position but somehow he can't seem 2 displace the CB pairing of pique and Mascherano (who's not even a defender by default). Lucho is d manager, he sees them in training every week and somehow he wants to satisfy a 31 year old CB who's not getting enough play time and u still think he's d bad guy? So if our no. 1 LB gets injured or unavailable and matthieu gets called up 2 play we should always expect his calamitous defending cos he doesn't do well at LB. Strange that ure blaming lucho, a manager that won us d treble last season cos he's trying 2 play fair and square. I never knew coaches lose their credibility that fast

Times without number, Busquets lost possession in a very precarious position which immediately resulted in a goal. How many times will this happen for him to develop sense and prevent this from happening?

So Busquests lost possession in a bad position, big deal. He's gained more possessions that led to barca scoring, gave a lot of direct assists and scored some important goals. Why r you focusing on a few mistakes like he's above one. Messi lost possession to lampard against Chelsea in the 2012 ucl @ stamford bridge that led to the only goal of the game. We lost that match and the tie eventually. Xavi did same against this same Chelsea in the 2005 ucl. We lost the match 4-2 and crashed out. Going by your logic, both xavi and messi (legends of the game ) are average players cos they made mistakes that cost their team

These things happen; mistakes are part of d game

logica:
LOL. Matthieu is a d1ck head but Busquets and Lucho (both who conspired to make the points drop like it's hot) are saints. Tell me, who in his right mind would decide to sub in a player who has stated and shown he's not comfortable in a position on such a critical game; especially when just last season we saw same team come back from 2-0 down to draw?

So being a good player means u can't hav bad games? If you watched the match you'll notice both of deportivo's goals came from Matthieu's wing, and he was a substitute, its clear 2 see he cost us d game. Maybe he wasn't fit or something but when u consider that he's not a regular in d first team and remember d uefa super cup where we almost lost due 2 his silly mistakes then u don't need anyone 2 tell u he's a weak link.

Sergio B. plays majority of our games and is an integral member of a side that has won treble twice, a wc and euro. He's not a tag along in those teams cos he played in majority of those winning tournaments. He's an unsung hero in both club and country and any sensible football fan and pundit will respect his contribution

dmcdad:
I will willingly surrender the league to Atletico than see Madrid take it.

Yeah. Lesser of 2 evils but we still winning it

FC Barcelona's schedule to
overcome jet lag



FC Barcelona’s quest to win the Club World Cup
bears many challenges but one which may not
instantly come to mind is being dealt with by the
medical staff.


Japan is eight hours ahead of Barcelona, something
which could pose a difficulty for the players adjusting
to the new country when they arrive.


Meals are essential to this adjustment and therefore,
during their long trip to Japan, the players’ breakfast
at the start of their journey served as lunch, while
the meal which would have been lunch three hours
later served as dinner.


Following the two meals, six to seven hours of sleep
is then recommended on board given that it will
already be night time in Japan. Two hours before
landing there is the option of breakfast, which can
also be consumed at the hotel. The flight is scheduled
to land at 7.20am on Monday, Japan time while in
Barcelona it will be 11.20pm on Sunday.


Once in Yokohama, it will be advised to have a small
nap before lunch at 1.30pm while sleep should be
avoided after dinner so that the body can adapt to
the new schedule. In fact, the first team will train in
the afternoon on Monday, from 6.30pm Japan time
(10.30am CET) in what will be the first training
session in Japan.


To end the day, the players will have dinner and
sleep according to Japanese time, overcoming the
fact that, in Barcelona, it will still be afternoon.

The boys r off 2 Japan