ponsaelius

Rafa's number #10 isn't one in the purest sense though. He got the best form of Gerrard's career out of playing him there. Maybe he wants to do similar with Shelvey.

Gonna be minging when he signs for Athletic

He probably wouldn't leave CL Hoffenheim for us.

But, the reason they don't have a team 'full of superstar signings' is because of bad management. They are still spending more on their wagebill than any other club on the planet. It's like you're saying they deserve credit for wasting money and having an imbalanced side. The point was, as of right now, there isn't particularly any difference between Barcelona and the other big clubs in Europe in the way they operate, other than being worse at it. And based on the last 2 seasons or so their football certainly isn't any better either. Barcelona are as much a huge, corporate super club as Real Madrid, Bayern or PSG. I'm sure deep down you realise this fact, but are still arguing otherwise because you like Barca and Messi.

Well that's just bad management decisions. They spent 40 million on Andre Gomes and 30 million on Paco Alcacer. They are trying to 'hoover up talent' in the same way any other of the big clubs do, they've just done it badly. They have the highest wagebill in the world. Quite a bit more than either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. I'd love to know again why you think they are any different or more special than these other clubs.

I'm saying this as somebody who always admired, and favoured Barcelona. Have been to the Nou Camp twice. But the way they've been ran in the last decade has made them absolutely as much of a 'super club' as anybody else.

That's not really true like. Aside from Messi, Suarez, and Neymar they have no superstars at all. I think people tend not to mind when the football is on another planet because football trumps all. So apart from 3 of the 4 best forwards in the world they have no superstars? The football hasn't exactly been on another planet the last 2 seasons. They have long since lost their footballing identity. Well yes, considering you literally just said that it was a team full of superstars, when it quite obviously isn't. Add to that that Messi was homegrown and when it comes to the superstar signings, it's a grand total of two. It's hardly PSG, Man City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Chelsea level is it? Are you taking the piss? They absolutely spend as much money as those teams, only they often waste it on shite. How many of their starting XI next season will be homegrown? You're probably looking at 2-3 tops by this point, and it'll be less in a few years. Bayern and Madrid are playing just as many, probably more homegrown players. I'd love to know what you think makes Barcelona ANY different to those clubs in 2017? It's not 2009 anymore.

There was definitely a period of time when having the equivalent of Messi, Neymar AND Suarez in the same team wouldn't have happened. Talent used to be more spread out in European football than it is now, in terms of top players. I mean Ronaldinho went to PSG when he first came to Europe, Ronaldo went to PSV. Now the prices are so high that South American players are going directly to the giants even as teenagers. If the only way to readdress that balance is by having more teams bought out by oligarchs who can afford to compete with this then maybe that's about as good a compromise as possible.

That's a start, at least.

That's not really true like. Aside from Messi, Suarez, and Neymar they have no superstars at all. I think people tend not to mind when the football is on another planet because football trumps all. So apart from 3 of the 4 best forwards in the world they have no superstars? The football hasn't exactly been on another planet the last 2 seasons. They have long since lost their footballing identity.

Because people have a fetishizing of Barca. A hangover from when they genuinely had a team of homegrown players and played amazing football. Now they're no different to any other super club, with Qatari backing, a team full of superstar signings, and no real identity on the pitch. Neymar might as well go from Barca to PSG, they're basically the same clubs these days.

I don't think he's gonna go anyway, tbh.

If he wins the CL with PSG it'd be more impressive than doing it with Barcelona in Messi's shadow. Barcelona having Messi, Neymar and Suarez is fucking stupid anyway. Everbody whinges about the monopolization of talent by super clubs but nobody seems to have an issue with Barca signing arguably the 3 best forwards in the world. If Neymar goes to PSG it would be distributive movement of talent.

Plus he's already won every trophy possible to win in Spain. Might as well go somewhere else.

Lots of money, live in Paris, be main player in a team.

played most of last season didn't he? Was out from Feb with another Knee injury.

Have we been linked to Lewis Baker at all? Surprised he hasn't moved out on loan or permanently like Chalobah and Loftus-Cheek have, can't see him getting a game at Chelsea.

Infuriating isn't it.

Pickford had played 120 games out on loan, culminating in a season in the Championship. Woodman is two years, and two seasons playing a decent standard, behind him.

TBH Krul should already be gone. We extended his contract by a year in the same way we did Sammy's a year earlier, hoping a loan deal would produce a buyer - both times we've ended up lumped with the player for an extra year.

Clearly bollocks, and no EU-passport so its a non starter.

Madrid just signed a 16 year old for £39.5 million.

And it doesn't even look bad from inside. Spectacular stadium.

The Velodrome was absolutely falling apart and being uncovered is dreadful for supporters and acoustics. Not sure what else they could have done; at least they didn't knock it down and build from scratch.