The FC Barcelona Fan Blog

Is Barça playing at the same level as last season?

2010-03-09T23:03:00Z

There has been plenty of talk in recent weeks about Barça's form in recent weeks and the question has been asked about who is not pulling their weight in the team. Even one of the club icons Johan Cruyff says that there are players that are not playing at the necessary level and the club certainly has struggled in certain matches like last weekend against Almeria but is this any worse than last season? It is easy to look back to last year with rose tinted glasses but the reality was that at times...(read more)

Toure remains a key player for Barca

2009-12-02T12:22:00Z

Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is not happy that he has only had a bit part role for Barcelona this season and there has been plenty of speculation about his future but it would be a big mistake to allow him to leave. All successful teams need a hard man as well as the skilfull and creative players. If you look at teams in the past like Manchester United, they had Roy Keane, Arsenal had Patrick Vieira and Frank Rijkaard himself was a physically imposing midfielder for Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan...(read more)

Does Barca need Robinho?

2009-11-17T21:42:00Z

With Barcelona apparently keen to bring Robinho to Barcelona either in the January transfer window or at the end of the season, the question has to be asked how much they need the Brazilian. Robinho originally left his home country to join Real Madrid, where although he was not a disappointment he certainly didn't excel and that is clear from the way that they were willing to sell him when they did to Manchester City. Having wanted to join Chelsea he eventually was forced to join City with Madrid...(read more)

Dirty tactics in search for Laporta successor

2009-11-08T14:39:00Z

With elections looming at the end of the season there has been plenty of posturing inside the boardroom over who will takeover from Joan Laporta and the signs are that it is turning into anything but a clean fight. The crisis which the club endured at the end of the 2007/08 season led to a mass of resignations from the boardroom headed by the economic gurus Ferran Soriano and Marc Ingla who were responsible for the dramatic turnaround of the club's finances since the present board came to power...(read more)

Barca look to sign new Brazil gem

2009-10-22T08:33:00Z

Barcelona are among a host of top European sides following the progress of 20-year-old Brazilian Sandro Guimaraes. The Internacional de Porto Alegre player is a regular in the Brazilian U-20 national side and broke into his club's first team last season where he has already made a significant impact. Currently he has a contract until 2013 but it is likely he will move to Europe in the summer. Tottenham Hotspur made an offer of 14m euros in August which was rejected for contractual reasons. Meanwhile...(read more)

Would Barça have won with Puyol?

2009-10-21T10:48:00Z

An important decision before the kick-off against Rubin Kazan was the choice of putting Gerard Pique and Rafa Marquez in the heart of the defence and leave Carles Puyol on the bench. Under Pep Guardiola, Puyol has stopped being the ever-present stalwart of the team that he has been in the past. A lot of this has been a result of the emergence of Pique who can offer the strength of Puyol coupled with the fine ball control and the ability to build play from the back. A key element to the way Guardiola...(read more)

Robinho and Toure in swap deal?

2009-10-12T22:11:00Z

Barcelona are keen to reinforce their attack with Manchester City forward Robinho but if they do so they may have to lose Yaya Toure who the Premiership side are keen to bring in. Toure was one of the unsung heroes of the Barca side last season and his importance should not be forgotten amid the praise given to Barca's famed attacking players. While Messi, Iniesta and Xavi et al all lit up the stadium with their skills, Toure was also very effective either in his accustomed midfield role, protecting...(read more)

Forlan to Barca this summer?

2009-05-31T11:33:00Z

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona this summer to reinforce the forward line. Having finished the season on 32 goals, Forlan has shown once again his quality and would be a welcome addition to the Barca squad and surely would be a better signing than Ibrahimovic who has shown himself to be moody and lazy at Inter Milan. Ibrahimovic has said that he would like a move away from Inter and look for new challenges but while he has undoubted ability,...(read more)

Who should start for Barca against Man Utd?

2009-05-26T14:24:00Z

With so many players suspended and injured it is going to create a selection headache for coach Pep Guardiola. At the moment it looks as though Iniesta and Henry are going to be fit to start but there is also the worry that they are not a 100 per cent. The Catalan papers think that the most likely starting line-up will be a backline of Puyol, Pique, Toure and Sylvinho; then Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets in the midfield and in attack Henry, Eto'o and Messi. I would have thought that it would be better...(read more)

Will Barca beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge?

2009-04-30T20:51:00Z

Barca have made it hard for themself again by only managing a draw with Chelsea at home but at least the Premiership side did not score an away goal. If the game is more open then that will suit Barca's attacking game but it is going to be a tough match with Chelsea having the backing of the home fans. It will be a game in which individuals like Messi and Iniesta an win the match for Barca....(read more)

Barca become Champions League favourites?

2009-04-09T11:40:00Z

Last season Barcelona crashed out of Europe by a single goal against Manchester United in the semi-finals and now a year later surely this Barca team with Pep Guardiola's Dream Team inspired philosophy is ready to emulate the side of 2006 and win the Champions League. Looking at Barca's opponents at the moment the clear threat appears to be Chelsea who are much stronger now under Guus Hiddink and especially since the return of Michael Essien to the midfield after injury and their potential...(read more)

Can Barca win the treble?

2009-01-20T16:18:00Z

Barcelona are 12 points clear in the league as well as going strong in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League but can they continue this form and win all three competitions or will the number of matches affect their performances by the end of the season?...(read more)

With Milito fit would he be first choice?

2008-12-31T16:52:00Z

The news has not been good on the progress from Gabriel Milito's injury and he still appears to be several months away from full fitness but when he does return will he be able to command a first-team place? Milito tore his cruciate knee ligament at the end of last season but his recovery has been slow since the operation last May and it is unlikely that he will be able to return to the team until April. Supposing that he returns to full fitness it will be an interesting contest to see who will...(read more)

All smiles with Barca on-song

2008-12-27T18:33:00Z

Just six months ago and the Barcelona world seemed to be in disarray with the club failing to win the league, player in-fighting, problems in the boardroom and then came the unlikely hero of Pep Guardiola. Every fan had their opinion of what was wrong with Barca who had lost its way after two fantastic seasons under Frank Rijkaard and what is most incredible is that now with the team playing well all the in-fighting has been forgotten or at least swept under the carpet perhaps waiting for a run of...(read more)

Should Messi or Eto'o take the penalties?

2008-12-15T07:56:00Z

After Samuel Eto'o missed a key penalty against Real Madrid should responsibility now be given to Lionel Messi to take them in future? Currently Eto'o and Messi share taking the penalties but after Samu's failure in the clasico he claims he will continue to take them, is that the right decision?...(read more)