₦airaland Forum

Between Coutinho and Dembele, who's the worse signing?

Pjanic, expectant about his future after the arrival of Xavi

The Bosnian midfielder, who has been on loan to Besiktas for a season, has a contract as a Barça player until 2024 and, although he is not scheduled to play again in January, he will return in July 2022 with the hope of gaining the confidence of the new coach.


Miralem Pjanic, who still has a contract with FC Barcelona until 2024 has regained the hope of succeeding as a Barça player after the departure of Ronald Koeman and the arrival of Xavi Hernández.

For now, Pjanic will complete his year on loan to Besiktas, where he suffered two muscle injuries that stopped his good start to the season. However, he has played six of the twelve days of the Turkish League and two of the four Champions League games. Although he has not scored, he has however provided four assists, two in each competition, especially from set-pieces.

Seeing the lack of opportunities with Koeman, Barça and the player ended up accepting the offer from Besiktas, who paid over 2.75 million to pen his loan, signing a one-year assignment without an option to buy at the end of the loan. His return in January is not contemplated, as is the case with Francisco Trincao (on loan to Wolverhampton), but in July 2022, already 32 years old, he will join the orders of Xavi Hernández, who has signed until 2024.

Pjanic has always declared himself an admirer of Xavi as a footballer, even stating that “ he liked watching Barça games, you can always learn something. Players like Xavi, Busquets, or Iniesta are an example to follow."

Xavi interested in bringing back Trincao

The Portuguese winger is on loan at Wolverhampton until the end of the season but the new culé coach would be interested in being able to count on the footballer in January



After a season with little significance at Barça, Francisco Trincao (21 years old) is having a productive assignment at Wolverhampton and his good performances have made him one of the regular starters of the English team at this start of the season, adding a goal in nine games.

The good performance of Trincao is positive news for Barça as they point out that Xavi Hernández would be working to recover the lad in January to have more competition upfront. Several sporting spotlights in Spain are suggesting that Xavi would ask the Barça management to negotiate with Wolverhampton about the return of the Portuguese international, who is on loan until the end of the season. It's no longer news that Xavi considers wingers as key pieces in his schemes and Trincao could be of great help to the squad due to his overflow.


It's worth remembering that Wolverhampton paid 6 million euros for the transfer of Trincao until the end of the season, with the English team having a buy-out option of 30 million euros for the youngster to stay. From all it seems, if Barça is interested in getting him back, then the board must be ready to compensate Wolves financially.

Barcelona wants to renew Ousmane Dembele's contact with the Alemany formula. For every "x" amount of games he plays, he'd seen a definite amount. If he plays more, he earns more.

You reap what you sow

®Classic.

Ansu Fati's injury, less serious than expected


The Barça forward could already be under the command of Xavi Hernández in less than three weeks

Xavi Hernández has received good news concerning Barcelona's wonderboy, Ansu Fati (19 years old). The youngster, who was injured last Saturday in the match against Celta, with a muscle break in the hamstring of his left leg, has been speculated to be at the disposal of the Barça coach in less than three weeks.

In previous news, the FC Barcelona medical team gave no forecast of downtime that the young striker may be sidelined. The worst predictions were that he would be away from the playing fields for four to six weeks.

Visit to Juan physio

According to MD, the extent of the forward's injury is not considered as serious as the day he suffered it and could finally be put under Xavi's command in less than three weeks. After 'breaking' in Vigo, Ansu visited the prestigious physiotherapist Joaquín Juan in Madrid, who has been responsible for treating several important players, including Cristiano Ronaldo. The Barça forward has already done a good part of the rehabilitation after his last knee operation under Juan's orders and this time he has once again asked for his advice.

The discharge of Ansu will be one of the best news that Xavi can receive, given the scoring ability of the striker and the sweet moment he lived before his pain in Balaídos.

jpmoriarti:
At 39 or so, I wonder what he might still offer us as a player. I won't take him as a player. It would represent a step backwards. Focus should be in getting the best out of Sergino Dest and grooming him to become the next Dani Alves for us.

Whilst I agree that Dani should be allowed to coach defensively, I must still point out that despite being at 39, that man has got one heck of strength and stuff that most FB don't have. I watched him keenly at the Olympics and before that, Sau Paulo. His playmaking skills are top-notch.

But as I said before, I would prefer him to groom Oscar, Dest, and Balde to become the next best thing to happen to us.

jpmoriarti:
Journalist @NicoSchira claims that Xavi and Laporta are studying a proposal to bring Dani Alves back to the club as a defensive coach/mentor.

Copied from @totalbarca.

Well reports from COPÉ ÉSPANÀ suggest he'll come as a player.

I'll wait to see eligible sources before agreeing on which he's coming for. Whichever, the team success is what is paramount

jpmoriarti:
As a defensive coach, that is. To help our defenders get their acts together.

As a player, actually. But I think he'll help in the coaching aspect as well.

Brother Alves wants to return. There are talks underway and Laporta is considering the possibility if Xavi is okay with it.

jonsnow92:
The 3 of them no go reach 60m Max and na Dembele go cost pass.

You still think we'll sell Dembele?

I doubt am, honestly.

ddippset:
WHO COULD TELL IT BETTER THAN A LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COMMENTATOR?

PEOPLE WHO SEE THE GAME MORE THAN EVERYBODY ELSE DOES?




Legendary commentator Peter Drury has given his own unique brilliant insight into the debate surrounding who is the greatest player out of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.


Drury's fascinating interview with Nana Aba Anamoah has been circulating on Twitter in recent days, and the man on the mic revealed that Messi has the edge in his eyes.



Peter Drury sums it up beautifully, Messi is different he's GOAT:goat: but Ronaldo is also an excellent athlete


But while Messi may be number one in the commentator's eyes, the iconic wordsmith was also full of praise for Ronaldo, who he dubbed as a "remarkable specimen of a human being."



"We've been fortunate to have careers running parallel of possibly the two greatest players there have ever been," he said in the interview, with the quotes published by GiveMeSport.

"And the interesting thing about them is that they are, while both brilliant, actually quite different."

"You know, Ronaldo's capacity for leaping and scoring with his head is phenomenal. I mean, he is an Olympic high-jumper and an Olympic sprinter.

"He delivers a cross, he scores with both sides and his head. He is brilliant, but if you asked me who I would want to watch if I had to watch one or the other every day for the rest of my life, I'd pick Messi."



Drury then clarified the reasoning behind his decision and added: "Because he appears to do what is impossible."

"He plays off his left foot, he almost doesn't need a right foot - mind you, he can score perfectly well with his right foot - but he weaves through spaces that don't exist. He's like a slippery eel."

"They can't get hold of him. He sort of defies physics."

"Ronaldo looks like an athlete, doesn't he? I mean, he is a remarkable specimen of a human being; Messi looks like the boy next door and performs like a god."

~~~~~~Peter Drury.

Are we still arguing about who's better? That's a lame comparison right now. Even Bathomeus can see that before he got healed around Jericho

ddippset:


Yeah quite right..


But the problem is; we have not been able to use him.

Like JP said, a talented footballer who can't stay fit is a liability.

One who cannot guarantee 35 out of 50 games a season is a waste!

He's definitely not glass. Let's see how well Xavi manages him.

OhBritannia:
Guadiola loves Barcelona too much.
I saw one of this opera mini News update about Guadiola working secretly to take some Manchester city's players to Barcelona to help xavi. And i am talking about top Manchester city players.

I think Guadiola might become the president of Barcelona someday.

It's no secret bro. He literally said it during the post-interview that Barcelona would be a great place for any player of his that Barca are interested in taking.

He was ready to let go of sterlin

Hello everyone

ddippset:
Dembele should goan sidan.

Someone that can hardly play 10 straight matches.
Building a new team with Dembele as a major player would be counter-productive.

Times when we need him, he's unavailable

Xavi should either bench him or sell him.

Lol. What can we say? We best use what we have.... FOR NOW!!

Dembélé, excited after listening to Xavi

The Frenchman is convinced that the new Barça coach can be key to helping him succeed in his career

Xavi Hernández wants to recover the best version of Ousmane Dembélé, and directly make him the best player in the world in his position. The Barça coach expressed this at his press conference to introduce him as the new Barça coach. "His renewal is a priority for me," he said. The French forward heard Xavi's words and was delighted.


According to Cadena Cope, Dembélé is convinced that Xavi can be key in his career to help him succeed. What's more, the French international attacker has not found a benchmark on the bench to help him grow since he coincided with Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund and after listening to Xavi, he only thinks, according to Cope, about meeting him and working with him.

It should be remembered that when asked about the continuity of Ousmane, Xavi was full of praise. "Yes," he replied as to whether it had to be renewed. "For me Dembélé can be the best player in the world in his position. But you have to work with him and demand it. It depends on him, on his mentality, on his injuries and performances. For me he owns his renewal." The Frenchman knows that he will have to work, said the technician at a press conference, but he is eager to face this new challenge.


®Let'sDoIt.

Xavi reinstates Munill, another trusted physiotherapist

Jaume Munill will leave the futsal team to return to the first football team hand in hand at the request of the Egarense coach


Munill had already arrived from the time of Pep Guardiola and remained in the first team of Barcelona until the phase of Ernesto Valverde . Subsequently, he was transferred to the futsal section of the club, where he has been working since 2020.

Xavi has known Munill from his time as a player and he was one of his trusted physiotherapists, as well as having a very good personal relationship. That is why in the remodeling stage of the medical team and given the critical situation that the Barça team is experiencing with injuries, he asked Munill to rejoin the first team. In fact, the new physiotherapist will already work this Tuesday in Xavi's first training session.


©WorkInAction

I missed it, anyway!!

temi1290:
An old news BTW.

So Xavi was approached by the Brazil Football Federation to take over from Tite but turned it down.

Seem there's something they did saw with him that goes beyond not coaching an elite club in Europe.

abduleez1:
I swear, I dey surprise how they kept their jobs. Na them I go first sack sef before Koeman.

Imagine players coming back from injury only to go back the next week.

E really get as e be

abduleez1:
Fvvk yeah.... Finally something to work with.


These w@nkers have fvbked us for far too long.
Way to go Xavi. The first good move of many to come. Here's a man with vision.

At least, not only the coach and players are the problem.

E day evident na. Those people were definitely doing something wrong. Kinda funny how they still had a job until now.

obonujoker:
Ole gooner Xavi...

Stop the disrespect. Ole is just another team player for una turn coach.


Xavi na footballing legend. He even has better stat than Ole did while with Molde.


No day compare death and life again. You hear? Okay, run along, sir.

Virus99:
God this is the useless team baba Xavi is going to coach.

John 3:16
Jesus Wept

Jesus wept ke?

For which Bible biko


Modified: Shit. No vex abeg. I no no say na you I quote.

Ewela iwe

abduleez1:
Yea I heard he loves Dembouz. But still I continue to hear reports of him wanting another out and out Winger. Maybe as back up. Cos it seems Xavi's main style of play is with wingers.

Reason for the Coman rumors.

Coman!!! Hmm, make I no talk yet sha

abduleez1:
That Aspas goal mad oo.

Ter Stegen don worse I swear. This is why I say make players dey chop bench regularly. The way some players feel at home, be like say them no get competition.

Abeg who get Dembouz update. I hope say na like 3 weeks. Meanwhile Xavi still one get another winger for winter. Baba love to play with wings.

Xavi is banking on Dembouz o. Man has been hyping the guy as one of the best if kept fit.

Dembouz go day okay soon. Him latest no too hard

Even Pep show.

abduleez1:
You say wetin.... Me wey I dey use style happy say make Pedri rest.
The guy don overplay due to Koeman. Even Fati wey break records like say tomorrow no dey for Barca and Spanish team, him rise no reach Pedri own.

Abeg it's time for other players to develop. We need the squad depth and quality.

Make Pedri do come back abeg. But make e no play.


As e be, the likes of Pjanic might stay one more season.

abduleez1:
True. ..while I was Reminiscencing some things few days ago why Puig wasn't important to Koeman, I noticed this.

Puig doesn't hold the ball for too much. That's main reason why Gavi quickly rose up the ranks.

Yeah. And the funny thing is, his hold-up play is quite great. I have spent hours since that our last match watching sessions and match where we didn't play fast-paced games, even in the B team, and I was just surprised why he dwindled with that.

Despite that sha, we must commend his capacity to spot others quickly. He is daring too, but can't create spaces with the ball at his feet.

The would really be a good player but he needs to learn that there's more to always "charging"

There's an interview where Xavi said he'd love to have Puig in his team. Criticized how he loves to move the ball very quickly which makes him prone to mistakes but said with the right tutoring, the boy would be great.

And in this last concluded match, I saw the truth in that... Puig is just too quick with the ball. While that might profit us in attacks, it'll so limit a gameplay where we want to dominate from the midfield.


Maybe, just maybe that was what Koeman couldn't fix with the guy. If yes, he had a valid point, even though he went to the extreme.

abduleez1:
This one wey Baba no mention Pedri like dis....


During one of last week's interview, Baba said he will be trusting the youth players a lot — La Masia.
Xavi even said at times joining Barca at 17/18 year old is kinda difficult for some lads to adapt. And some needs 1-2 years to fully grasp the philosophy.

This things dey smell like Pedri role go reduce.

If we go talk true, shay Pedri no too small to day get all those minutes way he day get? That's one of the many reasons why I think despite Fati's exceptional brilliance, he doesn't have to feature in all matches. Imagine that Pedri played over 40 games as a starter last season and still went on to be the favorite for the Golden boy award.


He deserves rest and should learn too.

Even Nico ( oh, how I love that boy) and Gavi gats settle small.

Kilishihunter:
He no also tell us he sabi miss open nets pass Neymar too, Clown, Omo I dey fear for Xavi mehn, We are 6 points off the fourth spot and na atletico dey there , Make this international break sha do quick comot jor

Koeman na baba weyrey. The man finish us... No be small

temi1290:
Has always been competitive, Barcelona and Madrid were just too good making other teams look ordinary, reason why they find it hard to beat atm, Sevilla Villarreal and the likes expect recently that there's been a decline in teams quality.

If Barcelona and Madrid were to play in EPL,they would make other teams look ordinary too,it's no coincidence that we have a 16/16 record in european finals plus many other records by la Liga teams,damn, Sevilla even did a b2b2b, they are chasing shadows mehn.

Na true sha