August 2007 - Posts

• Henry starting on the bench

  Henry set for a place on the bench for season kick-off. Rijkaard has only a week left to decide whether to play all his riches in attack. Although the thought of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi and Henry playing together is a mouth-watering prospect would this leave Barca too weak defensively? It looks as though Rijkaard will start the season how he finished the previous with new-comer Henry having to wait for his chance and it does seem hard to imagine how all four can play together without giving them defensive duties which would of course take something away from their game. One thing is for sure though that is that none of them are going to be content to sit around on the bench for too long. Posted Aug 20 2007, 12:50 PM by david with 1 comment(s) Filed under: FC Barcelona

• Is Deco surplus?

  Should Frank keep Deco or is he surplus to requirements? Deco has been a key element of Barca's success over the last few seasons but his days look to be numbered. Having lost his first-team slot during pre-season, speculation has mounted that he is looking for a way out. The chance to link-up again with his mentor at Porto - Mourinho - is one possibility while in Italy, Inter Milan, have made more than tentative enquiries. Iniesta said this week that Deco should shut-up and train harder but does the Portuguese have a reason to feel he has been badly treated? Certainly in the midfield this season it looks as though Toure, a strong tackler, has taken the place of Deco as Rijkaard looks to toughen up the side but has this taken away too much of the Barca flair? Finally if Toure does play who would you prefer to see dropped out of Deco, Xavi or Iniesta? Posted Aug 20 2007, 12:48 PM by david with 1 comment(s) Filed under: FC Barcelona

• Frank Rijkards Nightmare

  International duty this week will mean Rijkaard will have a nightmare preparing his side to face Racing Santander next weekend. In fact what the Spanish call the Fifa virus means that there will be just seven squad members available for Rijkaard with the rest returning on Thursday. They have been given the later kick-off time of 7pm on Sunday though to give them a little more rest. Also around will be Motta and Ezquerro but with them both on the way out of the club its doubtful they will be flying to Santander. Motta's looking to Italy with AC Milan and Juventus interested while for Ezquerro he has been linked to the slightly less prestigous Derby County. Of the new recruits Thierry Henry and Abidal will play for France against Slovakia; Milito will be in action for Argentina against Norway and the Ivory Coast's Toure will face Egypt. Youngster Bojan Krkic is set to make a big impact this season after developing a massive reputation in the youth ranks. He has been with the first team all through pre-season and this week he will be in action in the World Under-17 Championships in Korea. Posted Aug 20 2007, 12:46 PM by david with no comments Filed under: FC Barcelona

• Gamper Tournament

  FC Barcelona v Inter Milan 29th August Camp Nou. This is a traditional season curtain raiser where the blaugrana invite a top side to the Camp Nou and give fans the chance to see the new players on display before the campaign really gets under-way. Italian champions Inter Milan will be the opponents this year and we will be able to see how Thierry Henry et al succeed against a typically tight Serie A defence.   The opposition - Inter The Nerazzurri swept to the title last season partly thanks to the penalties imposed on AC Milan and Juventus for match fixing. Coach Roberto Mancini though has a formidable squad who will be the team to beat in Italy next season and also one of the favourites for the Champions League. They have a well-marshalled defence led by the imposing Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira adds toughness and quality in midfield while upfront Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Adriano and Hernan Crespo will worry the best back-lines. Of course all eyes will be on Luis Figo, if he plays, who of course has never been forgiven for his defection to arch-enemies Real Madrid. The club has organised an evening for the family with games and a concert. Doors open at 6pm, then the new players will be presented at 9.30pm before kick-off.    Prices (euros)                                     members                       public Central Tribune              68                                 90 Tribune                          50                                 67 Lateral                          39                                 52 Goals                            28                                 37 General                         19                                 25 Members have a 25% discount for the match and can also buy two further tickets. Read about how to purchase tickets here.   Enjoy the game... Tim Posted Aug 19 2007, 06:47 AM by admin with no comments Filed under: FC Barcelona