₦airaland Forum

medjai:
I think Pep is being cautious. He doesnt wanna get carried away by his success at the club. The most important thing though is that he's signed and that's good news for us and trouble for the rest of Europe.


Meanwhile, we've ruled out a move for Fabregas in the summer.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/227999/Arsenal-ace-Cesc-Fabregas-dream-move-to-Barca-is-dead-


Also, a goal for Villa today will make him Spain's all time top scorer. He's currently tied with Raul on 44 goals.

AMEN!!! I have always been against the chase for Cesc and I hope it is not resurrected soon. We have Thiago & Afellay to take over from Iniesta & Messi (although they both play more like Iniesta than Xavi, but really, two Inestas in a team will still win you trophies!) so no point paying the high price tag Arsenal have placed on Cesc's head. Besides, Xavi still has a few good years left in him - it's not like he'll stop playing football next season or something.

I also just read about Pep's contract extension. I've also wondered why he only extends for a year, but from what I read a while ago, it seems like he does this because he believes this is the best way to keep himself motivated. He also says that in case he fails in any season, he and the club can simply not renew the contract the next season, rather than the club having to give him a big pay-out to cancel the contract.

mbulela:
lucky b astard

http://www.eitb.com/news/life/detail/594255/spanish-footballer-gerard-pique-confirms-relationship-shakira/

Lol! Lucky dude

medjai:
I know Pep hardly ever changes formation but I'd rather we play two defensive midfielders - Masch and Busquets with Xavi in front of them in a 4 - 2 - 1 - 3. Our aim is to stay undefeated in the away tie and score the vital away goal(s), if we get a win, great!
We need a lot of solidity in the middle because the Arsenal guys are fast and can easily break away once they get the slightest chance. We need to stifle them in an aesthetic manner like Spain did her opponents at the world cup. Pique has to be instructed to reduce his sojourns up front and stay back at all times except in cases of set pieces.
Up front, Iniesta should play behind Messi and Pedro or he can play Messi on the left, Pedro on the right and Iniesta in the centre, like he did against Racing in the first game of the season just that Messi was on the right and Villa was on the left, Pedro was out injured.  Villa can come up as an impact sub.

GBAM!!!

holydante:
16 on the trot,records been broken and set, like stealthy pointed out,it wasn't a classic 100% that we wld love to see but 3 points assured in an emphatic fashion. Quintessential messi @ his kingdom, the high point of the game for me was his backtracking to get the ball off Aguero's surging run,it brought minutes of applause and sheer admiration from the fans and he started the 3rd goal moves and still continued on the trajectory even after villa mis hit (and like I always advocate,providence favours the resilient) he attacked d ball and jinked it into the net, for the 3rd time(medjai I thot its 3?) this season,Lionel Messi walks of the pitch with the ball as his prize for a hat trick,he is still less than 25,its just mind boggling.

Others did wella too. I am just loving Pep, his calm demanour and respect for all oppositions, just takes every 90 mins as it comes.

Temporary 3 points out of the 10 points above the "eternal rival" we will watch their match moro in a far relaxed ambience,(a draw won't be bad for them). Catch us if you can Jmouth!!!

While we are setting records, Keeping an eye on our "esteemed" CL opponents, they allowed a record to be set against them (the only epl side to blow away a 1st half 4-0 lead) I suprisingly saw them tore Colocini and the Magpies defence to shreds as they went up 2 in three minutes and I decided its a done deal only to switch back and saw the horror;they played an interesting 5 pack in the midfield altho I didn't finish the match to find out how they alternated,I guess Diaby's matching orders changed the course of the game.

Djorou added to their injury woes,well snod-wearing bois, we are surely coming to town.

On Barca I stand

Holydante, nice write-up from you as usual.

I very much agree with the bolded part apart Messi tracking back. I actually stood up to applaud him in my living room as well - you won't see any other attacker (all many miles below Messi in skill) tracking back so hard. The work ethic Pep has infused in our team is fantastic & that is one of the key reasons we're playing so well (and one of the key reasons Ibra had to go - he just doesn't have the same work ethic as others).

I've also been watching Arsenal of late, mainly to size them up as we approach the UCL re-start next week. I was shocked by their eventual draw after going 4-0 up at half time. It shows a distinct lack of character, which is good news for us. However, I'm wary of their attack, which is quite potent. All in all, we're a better side and if we don't make any mistakes, I believe we can beat them even at the Emirates. I will actually prefer Masch to start over Busquests since he knows how to tackle them EPL boys - he also covers more ground than Busquests and we all know Arsenal has a speedy attack. I'll also prefer Abidal to start over Maxwell on the left, cos of the threat of Walcott.

Messi finishes off with a hattrick! Excellent! Now we have our record 16 consecutive wins.

Our passing wasn't at its best today, but no problem with that IMO. We can't play at 100% every match.

Abidal has been one of our stand-out players this season - he's been solid in centre-back & currently benching Milito. At least we have good options in defence, unlike last season.

Pedro had a quiet game & didn't set his record.

I can't believe Villareal lost at home to Levante - I was hoping they'd win to put even more pressure on RM.

Half time Barca 2-0 A.Madrid

Will Athletico take a manita like their big cousins? Our 1st half was good and those were lovely goals by Messi. He is now level with CR7 in the pichichi race. I hope pedro scores so he can set a record of scoring in 7 consecutive matches.
Alves has been very good and I hope he signs an extension soon. Adriano doesn't even come close as a replacement.

Aguero has exposed our defenders a bit and I wonder why A.Madrid didn't start with Forlan.

I'll like to see some early subs in this one.

eyoniggar:
Apart from the fact that ATMD are in bad shape this season, Barca Approaches every single game
assive their lives depend on it regardless of whoever we are facing. Thats the only thing that motivates
and gives me courage as a FAN.
I may be full of too much confidence or making too much mouth, nor be ma fault, na Barca instill those shytt in me.
3POINT 2nyt.

I quite agree. I like the way pep has been able to motivate the team to play at their best in practically evey match this season. I hope we sustain this till the season ends & we get the treble again.

We face Athletico Madrid tomorrow night. They're one of our tricky customers, but I expect us to win comfortably this time. We've already beaten them away and the mattress makers have played badly so far this season. We shouldn't let our guard down though.

Del Bosque has called up all our Spanish internationals (except puyol) for a friendly against Colombia on Wednesday. I really don't like these friendlies coming at a busy time in the season. Also, the guy can use this as an opportunity to try out some new players, rather than using his established squad. Oh well, this is the downside of having so many internationals from 1 country in your club. I hope we can rest some key players against Gijon next weekend, in preparation for the match against Arsenal on 16th Feb (Barca should win that as a Valentine gift to us Cules )

Why do you guys bother with the Barca haters who can't help visiting the barca thread?

illusion2:
http://www.magicalkenya.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=195

Realy sad,Nigeria's on the list with Afghanistan,Iraq and 'stateless persons'. . . na wa !

Yeah, but that's only for Nigerians living outside Nigeria (I don't understand the logic though)

sley4life:
I disagree. I have a Kenya visa last 2months obtained at  their consulate in FCT. Why didnt the Embassy officials disclose to me that Nigerians don't need Visa to Kenya. Or Maybe Nigerians need a visa 2 go to Kenya.

I dont know why that was the case with you. I actually went to the Kenyan consulate in Lagos and I was told I could get the visa in Nairobi, so long as I had a return air ticket. And that's exactly what happened.

Yeah, we meet again. Another opportunity to show who's boss!

I'm watching RM vs Sevilla. Negredo scored a sweet goal for Sevilla only to be ruled offside - didn't look offside to me. That woulda made Mou & his boys piss in their pants

Afellay & Adriano both score their first goals for Barca!

Afellay was my man of the match - the guy is a natural Barca player. I hope no one comes up with the "Buy Cesc" project again in the summer. We have Aferllay to fill in for Xavi/Iniesta.

After a good start, Nolito faded away in the 2nd half. He needs to up his game if he wants to get that promotion to the 1st team (I feel he deserves it more than Bojan & Jeffren). BTW I heard he didn't sign with Benfica eventually - can anyone confirm the status of his move?

Bojan has to go on loan! He just isn't cutting it right now and should go on loan to a small club in Spain.

I forgot to mention also that persistent fouling by Almeria isnt allowing our boys to settle down well.

Lovely goal by Thiago

I like the line-up pep has put out for this one. This was the line-up I expected, except for Dani Alves in defence. I guess Pep wants him to get back to full match fitness.

That was a good goal by Adriano - he showed a lot of grit & determination to keep going.

Our passing has not been the usual slick stuff, but that is to be expected since these guys aren't used to playing together as a team.

Thiago hasn't imposed himself on the midfield. I guess he needs a Xavi type (and not a Keita type) player beside him to be at his best. Afellay struggled for the 1st 10 minutes as central striker (strange one that). Being the smart player he is, he has moved more to the midfield and looks more effective there. I expect Pep to shuffle things a bit for the 2nd half.

Bojan has put in a good effort, but his 1st touch hasn't been impressive & he tries to take on defenders when he can easily just pass the ball.

Masch has been his mobile self. He really needs to play more. Nolito has also been good although I don't like his combination with Adriano. I would have preferred to have the calmer Maxwell on the left.

I like the fact that Milito is captain. That's a good gesture from pep.

As for Almeria, that Feghouli guy from Valencia isn't bad - his shot that hit the post before we scored was a really good one.

Pep shouldn't bring in Messi or any of the big guns - let these guys run out the entire 90 mins

I am aware of the fact that Kenya stopped requesting for Nigerians to have a visa before travelling a while back. In 2009, I went to Kenya & I got my visa at the airport in Nairobi.

It's a good development anyway. If we allow more countries to have visa-free (or easier visa) access to Nigeria, then chances are that we'll also get more countries to relax the rules concerning Nigerians visiting.

chic2pimp:
GAAAAWWD DAYYUMMMM!!!!!. . . . .Andy Carrol's transfer fee is higher than David Villa's. I never thought I'll be mentioning the Names "Andy Carrol" and "David Villa" in the same sentence

These EPL teams sometimes spend like drunken sailors. Cheski have been quiet in the last few years, but have not come out with a big bang. I can't believe Livepool spent to much for Andy Carroll of all players! Well, we can't complain too much, with our Ibra deal, which is still one of the worst in football history.

medjai:
Blackburn have signed or more or less poached one of our prodigious youngsters - Ruben Rochina.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/9382967.stm

I read about that and I really hope there was a buy-back clause included - that's one area where we're not good at. RM almost always include that as an option when selling their youth players, but we just let ours go without any strings attached (Fabregas, De la pena, Gai Assulin, Giovanni dos Santos, etc). I understand Ruben isn't one of the top ranked team B players, but still, you never know how a youth player will turn out in a couple of year.

Mr_TA:
Barcelona fans, Quick question to help me settle an Argument.

Do the Barcelona front 3 line up like Pedro on the left, Villa through the middle and Messi on the right? or Pedro on the right, Villa on the left and Messi through the middle?

Thanks

Pep has experimented with both. Early in the season, it was usually Pedro on the left (as was the case last season), Messi on the right & Villa in the middle. Recently, it's been Pedro on the right, Villa left, Messi middle. Doesn't make much difference though, as pep allows our MVP (Messi-Villa-Pedro) to express themselves & move around as necessary.

Happy birthday medjai. Osasuna gave you a wonderful present

Welcome back holydante - we missed your write-ups!

Thanks to the not-so-special one, we're now 7 points ahead & can actually afford to lose 2 games. I knew the fact that RM need to play their 1st 11 in almost every match would cost them sometime - I just didn't expect it so soon. Even Pellegrini did better in his 1st season than Mou. I saw his desperate 3 man sub and just laughed that the match was lost - they were lucky not to concede a 2nd goal.

I hope Pep uses our B team again on Wed, irrespective of the scoreline against Betis. Betis was always a tougher proposition that Almeria anyway. Besides, hardly any team can come back from a 5-0 defeat from a 1st leg.

Excellent analysis AjanleKoko.

I hope our boys can keep their concentration & not get carried away by the rampant wins. I trust pep is constantly motivating them. I hope we can repeat the 2008-09 success this season

My SS7 finally came up 5 mins to the end of the match. At least I was able to see Messi's lovely goals. Good to see Nolito getting some minutes in a league match.

Thanks guys. SS7 is the one with a problem at my end

I'll just have to follow the progress online. So long as we win, no probs - I'll catch the highlights later,

Guys, is this match showing on any DSTV channel? I know for sure it's not on SS3 and I've getting bad signals on some of the other channels.

Pharoh:
They might be[b] rubin kazan [/b]in disguise lol . .

Rubin? Isn't that the club our B team boys gave 2-0 in the UCL.

Johnpaul88:
I'm thrilled that Sergio Busquest has finally agreed to sign a contract that will tie him down at the club till 2015. He also had his buyout fee jacked up to €150 million from €80. Guys is'nt this a great news? I just want Alves to follow this step in due time. Forza Barça!!!

Hopefully Alves also signs, else we'll have to either settle with Adriano/Batra or buy van der Wiel from Ajax (Lahm will be too expensive). No one beats Alves though & the preferred option is that he signs an extension soon.

khanye:
Next: Hercules . . . Pay back time

Yes indeed! They deserve a manita for their troubles!

Wow! Another manita!

Excellent goal by Keita - now, that's more like it from him. We saw more of what Afellay can do when he gets the minutes. We now have some impact subs in Afellay, Adriano, Masch, Thiago - that's very useful for us cos in the past, there were no game changers on the bench and the 1st 11 had to do all the hard work.

medjai:
^^^I just checked him out. His name is Martin Motoya from Barca B. He plays at rightback. I think this will be another 8 - 0. Less than 20 minutes played and it's 3 - 0 already.

Thanks medjai. Good work!

Yes, we should get to 8 & end the tie here

Our movement is good so far and Adriano looks sharper too.

First half was lovely, with nice goals from MVP - this is my 1st time seeing pedro score with his head.

I hope Pep takes Messi out in 2nd half. We've won this match (and probably the tie) and there's no need to risk Messi, especially since he got a knock in the 1st half. Afellay can replace Messi, Thiago/Keita for Xavi and Milito for Abidal.