Samuel Eto’o and the Value of Statistics
[Updated version] The debate over Samu rages back and forth in both Barcelona and on this blog. I can’t say with any amount of certainty who is on what side in the Junta Directiva, but it seems fairly clear that there are several Samu detractors high up in the club and they are determined to [...]
[Updated version] The debate over Samu rages back and forth in both Barcelona and on this blog. I can’t say with any amount of certainty who is on what side in the Junta Directiva, but it seems fairly clear that there are several Samu detractors high up in the club and they are determined to get rid of the Cameroonian striker. I won’t bore you with conspiracy theories about who wants him out or why (he walked in on Laporta and Txiki slobbering over Youtube videos of Cronaldo!), but I will gladly bore you with a statistical analysis of Eto’o’s time so far in La Ciudad Condal.
Because it seems to be the major comparison being made by all of us (especially by Kevin and me in our various posts and comments), I’m going to go ahead and do a head-to-head with Samu and Thierry Henry, to see whether or not there can’t be some final resolution concerning the value of these two assets (and at this point one must consider them as assets rather than anything else since I’m attempting to look at this from a purely mathematical/statistical perspective; later I’ll bring in the human element, don’t worry).
First, Samu:
According to Soccernet, Eto’o has played in 142 games for Barcelona since joining at the beginning of the 2004/05 season. During that time he has scored 91 goals. That is, overall, a scoring rate of 0.641 goals per game.
Let’s break it down further, though, into individual competitions.
La Liga: 109 games, 77 goals (0.706 goals per game)
Champions League: 28 games, 12 goals (0.429 goals per game)
Copa del Rey: 4 games, 2 goals (0.500 goals per game)
UEFA Super Cup: 1 game, 0 goals (you can guess the goals per game rate, right?)
Now, let’s break it down by year and by compeition, to see whether or not the injuries have slowed his strike rate or not.
League:
04/05 - 37 games, 24 goals (0.649 goals per game)
05/06 - 35 games, 26 goals (0.743 goals per game)
06/07 - 19 games, 11 goals (0.579 goals per game)
07/08 - 18 games, 16 goals (0.889 goals per game)
With a slight dip in 06/07, Samu’s goal scoring rate has risen steadily, despite his injuries. It would be folly, however, to assume that he’ll score a goal per game now, especially since he hasn’t had a full season in which to either prove his extraordinary worth or make his flaws truly visible. That is, however, just the league. What of the Champions League, where he is accused of failing to find the back of the net (especially against English opposition)?
CL:
04/05 - 7 games, 4 goals (0.571 goals per game)
05/06 - 11 games, 6 goals (0.545 goals per game)
06/07 - 3 games, 1 goal (0.333 goals per game)
07/08 - 7 games, 1 goal (0.143 goals per game)
Obviously there is a marked decline in Samu’s goalscoring in European competition once he began to have injury problems. It’s hard to say whether the lack of goals is purely related to the injuries and when he made his returns to the game (usually in tough situations against much stronger competition than appears in the league, such as Liverpool in the quarters or ManU in the semis) or if it’s purely based on his inability to get the better of well-formed English defenses. My guess is that it’s a combination of the two, but I’ll explain more of that later, after the next round of stats.
It’s on to Thierry Henry, then. What has he contributed over the last several seasons? I’m going to start with the same amount of time (03/04 to 06/07) in order to avoid any of the debates about whether or not switching teams and positions could have hindered or helped Henry’s stats. Over the course of those 4 years, “TH14″ played in a total of 165 games for Arsenal, scoring 114 goals (0.691 goals per game).
Just like with Eto’o, let’s break it down competition-by-competition:
EPL: 118 games, 92 goals (0.780 goals per game)
Champions League: 36 games, 16 goals (0.444 goals per game)
FA Cup: 7 games, 4 goals (0.571 goals per game)
FA Community Shield: 3 games, 1 goal (0.333 goals per game)
Carling Cup: 1 game, 1 goal (1.00 goals per game, duh)
Now a year-by-year comparison with the league and CL:
EPL:
03/04 - 37 games, 30 goals (0.811 goals per game)
04/05 - 32 games, 25 goals (0.781 goals per game)
05/06 - 32 games, 27 goals (0.844 goals per game)
06/07 - 17 games, 10 goals (0.588 goals per game)
Obviously Henry was a major force in the EPL for several years, his powers waning a bit with his injuries during his final year there, but it’s hard to argue with the sustained 0.780+ goals per game rate, isn’t it? Only one of Samu’s years exceeded that rate (07/08 at 0.889 goals per game, which actually exceeds anything rate Henry ever scored at in the Prem) while only one of Henry’s failed to do so (06/07 at 0.588 goals per game).
CL:
03/04 - 10 games, 5 goals (0.500 goals per game)
04/05 - 8 games, 5 goals (0.625 goals per game)
05/06 - 11 games, 5 goals (0.455 goals per game)
06/07 - 7 games, 1 goal (0.143 goals per game)
There is, just like with Eto’o, a drop in performance in the CL in the last year of Henry’s time with Arsenal. It is, in fact, the exact performance rate. Let’s compare overall strike rates between Eto’o and Henry:
League: Henry holds the edge here at 0.780 compared to 0.706 (if you were to adjust Eto’o’s appearance numbers upwards to meet those of Henry — that is, 118 appearances in 4 years — you would get 118 games, 83 goals. That makes the difference 9 goals over a 4 year period when adjusted. The actual difference is 77 for Eto’o, 92 for Henry.
CL: Henry again holds an advantage in European competition, but not by any convincing margin (0.444 compared to 0.429). Again, if you adjust the number of games Eto’o appeared in from 28 to 36, you get 15 goals. That’s a difference of 1 goal between himself and Henry. The actual difference was 4 goals (12 in 28 for Eto’o compared to 16 in 36 for Henry).
In domestic tournaments (eg Copa del Rey), both tend towards a goal every two games (0.500 goals per game) and so are a virtual statistical tie. If Eto’o’s appearances are upped to meet Henry’s (that is, 11 games instead of 4) his numbers are 11 games, 5.5 goals rather than Henry’s 11 games, 6 goals. If you discount the Carling Cup — a 2-1 victory over Wigan that still resulted in Arsenal being bounced on away goals — there’s an exact statistical tie at 10 games, 5 goals each.
[Updated paragraph] Just one more bit of statistical fun: Over his whole Arsenal career, Thierry Henry appeared in 369 games, scoring 230 goals. That’s 0.623 goals per game. Eto’o’s Barcelona career has garnered him the aforementioned 0.706 goals per game 0.641 goals per game. The above analysis does not take into account the first few years of Henry’s Arsenal career because they do not accurately reflect the current form Henry is capable of. Eto’o is a distinct disadvantage in these stats because Henry had his 3 of his 4 best years at Arsenal precisely in the 4 years analyzed. Only the 03/04 season was better for goals per game analysis from Henry’s point-of-view (25 games, 24 games is a maddening 0.960 goals per game!).
Overall, Henry’s performances in the EPL suggest he is capable of being a better striker than Eto’o. However, Eto’o has proven his worth time and again as a striker against Spanish teams. It might be a smart play on Pep’s part to split time between his slightly ailing strikers and give Henry the bulk of the starts against English teams in the CL while smaller, slower teams will be cut to shreds by Eto’o. The fluidity of the Spanish game (and I would argue the brilliance of it) plays more into Eto’o’s hands than Henry’s, but there is true talent on both sides of this question. Thus, we must never forget that both are consummate professionals in how they approach fitness and the game itself.
Henry’s gift is his ability to integrate with the rest of the squad, while Eto’o’s mouth often gets him into trouble. If one ignores Eto’o, he becomes a fantastic striker, bent on proving you a fool for forgetting about him, but if you allow him to get under your skin, like so many defenders, he will punish your backlash severely. Henry doesn’t seem to have that personality, which is nice from a club’s perspective, but Eto’o is a crowd favorite for a reason: he has on-the-field charisma that, when properly corralled, excites the whole team. Eto’o is never afraid of playing second fiddle so long as he gets the proper credit when the ball goes into the net off his foot, but Henry may not be capable of watching Messi take the reins and drive the team upwards in both the domestic and continental competitions.
Still, I would like to see both of them stay because if, as many have said, Eto’o will bring us La Liga and Henry will bring us the CL, it’s well worth their wages and the lack of a transfer fee in the future to bring back silverware. If we want Benzema, we should get Benzema and put him through the paces, growing him into a striker that will take over for Eto’o when/if he moves on after his contract is done, but giving up Eto’o for an unproven commodity from an inferior league makes very little sense.
Giving up Henry makes even less sense so soon after spending a large chunk of cash on him and then not letting him play his preferred position. There are enough games and enough injuries to give him a solid 20-30 starts as well as keeping Eto’o happy and Bojan in a solid rotation. Were I to wager on it, I’d say Eto’o gets a grand total of 23 goals, Henry 20, and Bojan 15. With Messi, Iniesta, Keita, Toure, and Hleb all contributing (especially San Leo), that makes for a pretty serious number of goals.
Outro: Henry has another year of stats that we shouldn’t forget to include. His performances of the 06/07 season shouldn’t be used to judge his career as a whole even if Barcelona’s stats are a bit skewed by his new position and new team. Adapting to a new role in a new home is never easy, especially not with the pressure Henry has been under, but let’s consider, for a moment, the stats available from 07/08:
League: 30 games, 12 goals (0.400 goals per game)
Champions League: 10 games, 3 goals (0.300 goals per game)
Copa del Rey: 2 games, 1 goal (0.500 goals per game)
I will not attempt to put a value on Henry’s performances as a winger compared to Eto’o’s as a forward, but it is good to note that Henry has the ability to score goals both in domestic and European competition despite Rijkaard’s tendency to put him on the wing. It is precisely for this reason (his positioning) that I have not included his stats from his year at Barça in the above comparison. It would not be fair at all to Henry nor would it further validate Eto’o’s continued stay at the club to compare the two. However, it must be noted that Eto’o floundered more than Henry when he was placed on the wings, which happened several times during the season (especially in the CL). Regardless of what that tidbit means, the comparison above between two strikers is the important part that must truly be considered.
The Great Messi Question
Just as the final decision by the board will be made on whether or not to let Leo Messi join Argentina’s push for another Olympic victory, I thought I would weigh in this complicated business of club vs sorta country. Let’s start with the overarching themes involved in this discussion: 1. The Olympics are a U-23 competition [...]
Just as the final decision by the board will be made on whether or not to let Leo Messi join Argentina’s push for another Olympic victory, I thought I would weigh in this complicated business of club vs sorta country.
Let’s start with the overarching themes involved in this discussion:
1. The Olympics are a U-23 competition with 3 age exemptions. That means that you can select a squad of 20 players who are 23 and under and 3 players who are over 23 (or any combination not exceeding the 3 over-23 players).
2. The Olympic competition is not a FIFA-sanctioned tournament and is thus time is not allotted for it under the FIFA calendar. This is, for example, in direct contrast with the World Cup, meaning that World Cup qualifiers force club competitions to stop or deal with the absence of their players during that the days allotted for WCQs.
Those are the essential points involved. Technically, according to FIFA regulations, clubs do not have to release their players to compete in the Olympics, but most do because those players are not vital to their opening few matches, which are generally friendlies due to when the Olympics take place. That this year’s Olympics takes place in August is no different than any other time (except Sydney 2000 which took place starting on Sept 1 due to the location), but the general trend towards pushing the club season further into August has put tremendous pressure on teams who are forced to qualify for various European tournaments. Barcelona is one such club, obviously.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League would be regarded as a major blow to the club’s season even before it really started. Thus the ever-increasing importance of young players, who clubs rely on more and more as the years go by, and the ever-increasing attempts by clubs to keep their young players out of non-sanctioned competitions.
The cases of Rafinha and Diego in Germany could very well determine Barcelona’s approach to “el caso Messi”. In those cases, the German Football Association (DFB) sided with the clubs attempting to keep their players, as did UEFA. The Spanish FA has given tacit approval of Barcelona’s attempt to keep Messi out of the Olympics. Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, insists the players must be allowed to leave.
Soccernet quotes him in an article as saying, ‘”The release of players below the age of 23 has always been mandatory for all clubs. The same principle shall apply for Beijing 2008.” The fact that this tournament is not included in the co-ordinated international match calendar “does not mean that there is no release obligation for the relevant clubs,” he added.’
I imagine that lawyers could argue both sides until blue in the face, but the fact remains that it is not part of the match calendar. That’s a big deal and it’s one that Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen are going to argue intensely. The “spirit of the rules” may be invoked by FIFA and they may win in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it will, in the end, be a pretty monumental case — at least until FIFA changes the rules and puts the Olympics on the official calendar.*
Then there’s the point of basic human decency on the part of the clubs. Do you let a player go who says he wants to play in the Olympics almost as much as he wants to play in the World Cup? You only get a few years in which to participate (sometimes just one chance, depending on when you become a pro), so shouldn’t clubs, especially rich ones, let players go? It’s good for morale and it might even be good for the development of your team because your second string players will get more serious competition under their belts before the return of the stars. Certainly it’s good to get some more experience for the younger players if they’re not starters (think Royston Drenthe or even ManU’s Anderson), but what of teams that are vying for the aforementioned European spots and will be losing important pieces of their squads to a competition that isn’t even on the FIFA calendar?
You can go either way on this one and I’d like your opinions on the matter, but, first, here’s mine: I do not want Lionel Messi to go to the Olympics. It’s not because I think that the clubs should win out over country, but rather because the season is far too long as it is and “club vs country” loses its sting as an argument when you’ve got 10 competitions to choose from throughout the year. Olympics, Euro2008, Copa America, Confederations Cup, World Cup qualifiers, etc. And that’s just the internationals. Champions League, Copa del Rey, Copa Catalunya, La Liga, to name just the ones Barcelona is involved in (you can add a couple more if you’re an English team). That amounts to too many games over too short a period of time. But if you’re going to have that many club competitions, cut down on the number of internationals. Or vice versa. There’s too much overlap and too much wrangling on everyone’s part to either keep their players or be allowed to play.
I personally don’t care for the Olympics because the whole idea of a unity competition was lost years ago in the Cold War when it became an “I’m better than you at sports, thus my country is better than yours” pissing contest. China has reinvigorated that ethos this year in an attempt to establish itself as a true world superpower, which is just dumb. The Olympics have lost their shine and I, for one, will be watching very little of them, as much as I love a myriad of sports going on at once. Thus, I do not support Lionel Messi leaving his club to compete in a silly tournament for kids. He’s above that in skill, so why bother? A gold medal? Not as cool as a Champions League trophy in my eyes.
But what do you think?
*They may not be able to do so because it’s a U-23 competition, but I’m not sure how that works.
David Silva and Andrei Arshavin: Just Another Big Question
There has been debate recently about who (if anyone) Barcelona should buy for the vacant left wing spot, a position that should only be considered vacant if one does not believe Andres Iniesta is capable of filling in for a year or more. I personally subscribe to the idea that we have a very loaded [...]
There has been debate recently about who (if anyone) Barcelona should buy for the vacant left wing spot, a position that should only be considered vacant if one does not believe Andres Iniesta is capable of filling in for a year or more. I personally subscribe to the idea that we have a very loaded squad, but our depth is shallowest at the left wing position, meaning there is room to bring in a good name (not necessarily a big one) to fill in when Iniesta can’t step up or has another role to fill.
The names being bandied about most are Valencia’s David Silva and Zenit St. Petersburg’s Andrei Arshavin. Most readers are familiar with both, especially after this latest European Championship, which put both high on several transfer lists. However, is it possible to quantify their value in the same manner that we were able to discuss Samu and Titi? Because they’re midfielders and, indeed, are different styles of midfielders, the approach must necessarily be at least slightly different from the approach to comparing two very similar strikers.
I will first do a statistical comparison using as much information as possible, noting where the information comes from the ever-reliable Wikipedia or from the quite incomplete Soccernet stats, especially for Arshavin.
David Silva joined Valencia’s first team in 2004, but immediately went on loan to Segunda Division side SD Eibar, where, according to Wikipedia, he appeared in 35 games, scoring 5 (0.143 goals per game). After that he spent a year at Celta de Vigo, appearing in 34 games, scoring 4 goals (0.118 goals per game). After that, he became a regular starter for Valencia, appearing in 70 league games over the last 2 years, scoring 9 times (0.129 goals per game).
Silva has appeared in a total of 93 games for Valencia in all competitions, scoring a total of 14 goals (0.151 goals per game). He seems to do his best work in the Champions League, having appeared in 19 games, scoring 4 goals (0.211 goals per game).
On to Arshavin, whose stats are hard to find, so I’ll stick entirely with Wikipedia for the league stats. Since 2000, Arshavin has appeared in 217 domestic games for Zenit, scoring 47 goals (0.217 goals per game). According to his very incomplete Soccernet stats page, however, he appeared in 27 league games in 06/07 without scoring a single goal. It’s hard to believe that, but there it is.
The UEFA stats are a bit different than the league stats: 18 games, 6 goals (0.333 goals per game), meaning that overall, Arshavin has appeared in 235 games for Zenit, scoring 53 goals (0.226 goals per game). Still, his UEFA stats are much better, suggesting, like it does with Silva, that there is more quality there than is displayed in the league games.
But what of playmaking? It seems to be generally accepted that Arshavin is much more of a classic playmaker than Silva, but I don’t necessarily buy that. Assists are always hard to keep track of and no one seems to have proper stats for Arshavin’s Russian Premier League times (Soccernet claims he got not a single goal or assist in those 27 games in 06/07, but that’s just too much to believe), so it’s impossible to compare the two in that way. I would imagine that Arshavin would have more assists and goals than Silva, but he is also the finished product rather than a 22-year old up-and-comer. Silva is not at the height of his powers, that’s for sure.
It is worth noting here that Silva factored quite heavily in Spain’s championship run this summer. Kevin linked to this graphic in a comment to a previous post, but here it is again. It shows that Silva was an important distributor in the Spanish scheme, receiving the bulk of the passes from Xavi and actually factoring into more plays than any other midfielder besides Xavi. Part of that is time on the field, of course, but it’s also his level of movement through the center that gave him a lot of touches. As has been pointed out, he tends to suck into the middle rather than stay on the outside.
All that said, I was, like most others, very impressed with Arshavin during the Euros. I wonder at his ability to adapt to the Spanish style, but it seems he has the class to do so. He too plays centrally, but many readers of this blog seem to think he can stay wider ala Messi and I would tend to agree with that sentiment. However, he doesn’t have the potential that Silva has. I read him as at the height of his powers and it’s a serious risk that he’ll nose dive in form over the next few years.
Most of you know that I’m not much on splashing the cash around, but either one of these players is well worth €20million (though not more) because of the versatility they would provide to both the midfield in the act of playing and to Guardiola in the tactical sense. I would support bringing in Arshavin more than Silva because of his wider versatility (perceived or otherwise), but they are very similar to me and I would not reject a Silva signing whatsoever.
What is clear is that Barcelona’s Junta Directiva needs to get on this and sign someone before it’s too late. The team has spent a lot of money this summer, yes, but that is a sunk cost and should not preclude us from buying players we actually need. Hleb was the most unnecessary expenditure and it may be that signing that keeps us from getting Arshavin or Silva, which would be unfortunate. That is not, though, to say that Hleb is not talented nor is it to say that a backup for Messi wasn’t needed, but the gaping hole was the left side (and we all knew it before Ronnie left); failure to seal that hole would be the Junta’s major failing this year and could very well spell disaster for both the domestic and European campaigns. Not to put too much emphasis on it or anything.
Fiorentina - Barcelona; 2:45pm EST TODAY, Barça TV
Barça take on Fiorentina in Firenze, Italy today at 2:45pm EST. This will be a much tougher test for the team than Hibs and Dundee were, but we get Xavi, Iniesta, and Puyol back from their vacations. The team might be without Messi and Eto’o, the former who is going to play in the Olympics [...]
Barça take on Fiorentina in Firenze, Italy today at 2:45pm EST. This will be a much tougher test for the team than Hibs and Dundee were, but we get Xavi, Iniesta, and Puyol back from their vacations. The team might be without Messi and Eto’o, the former who is going to play in the Olympics (thus giving me a reason to watch them) and the latter might be held out for medical reasons after colliding heads with Victor Sanchez in practice.
Either way, it should be an entertaining game and I’ll be following all the action on Radio Barça, which is available on the official site. If anyone has direct links to sites that are streaming the game, please let us all know in the comments.
And if you missed it because it’s squirreled away beneath this massive post, check out the Silva-Arshavin post.
Riiiing! Time for a new beginning, sort of. Pre-season opus.
Pre-season begins tomorrow, with as many unanswered questions as there are stars in the sky. No, I don’t have any answers, but I do have a boatload of speculation, which can be just as much, if not more fun. Here’s who is scheduled to appear with the squad, and when: Monday: Valdes, Henry, Yaya, Marquez, Jorquera, Oleguer, [...]
Pre-season begins tomorrow, with as many unanswered questions as there are stars in the sky. No, I don’t have any answers, but I do have a boatload of speculation, which can be just as much, if not more fun.
Here’s who is scheduled to appear with the squad, and when:
Monday: Valdes, Henry, Yaya, Marquez, Jorquera, Oleguer, Sylvinho, Krkic, Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen, Pinto, Crosas, Abidal, Pique, Caceres
Tuesday: Messi
Saturday: Keita, Alves, Eto’o
July 23: Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol
Two-a-day sessions are scheduled at the Miniestadi, which will become the first team’s practice home, because Guardiola likes it so much, and is used to it. And these days, what Pep wants, Pep gets.
Now, what we don’t know is who will actually show up. The big rumor is that Ronaldinho is going to Article 17 our asses, and buy out his contract. He won’t show up for training, and someone from Milan is actually in Barcelona to facilitate the process and put the ultimate smack down. We still get paid, Milan saves the money, then they can use it to finalize that cut-rate Adebayor deal and conclude what would be a great summer for them, at our expense.
The excuse Ronaldinho will use will be the club’s refusal to allow him to play for his country in the Olympics. Stay tuned.
The players listed above are who we’ll be beginning the pre-season with. On the block, however, are Crosas, Gudjohnsen, Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Oleguer. We would LOVE to find homes for all of them either while on the tour, or before the summer transfer window closes.
Note that one name is absent from the above list: Aleksandr Hleb. We’ve signed him, we think. Arsenal says no, we haven’t because we’ve offered 15 million, and they want 18 million. Whatever. Look for that deal to be finalized and announced next week at the absolute latest. Hleb will then join the team wherever they are.
More unanswered questions include: Eto’o? Whither thou goest, cranky Cameroonian? We’re playing a dangerous game with him. If we are going to sell him, we have to sell him thisfreakingyearrightnow! Augggggh! Does anyone want to contemplate losing Eto’o for peanuts next season, or free transfer the following season? Repeat after me: “No, uncle Kxevin.”
What about Ronaldinho if the Milan rumors aren’t true? Does he start the season with us, get in shape, play his way back into the side then we deal him in January? That’s more likely, frankly, than the Article 17 business. Then again, if the relationship is that damaged, he wants out and we want him out. So open that checkbook, R10.
Can we find a home for our we-want-outs, Crosas, Gudjohnsen and Oleguer? Rumors have swirled, nobody concrete has bitten. Guardiola says that Crosas is a first-teamer until he is sold. And we’ll probably put him out there in pre-season so that he can show off and we can get some money for him.
The ugly spectre looming over all of this is the unsettled board. Even if we believe the Cruyff in as sporting director rumors (then he can stop trying to run the team from his newspaper column, and put his ass on the line), it’s still gutted. Can it do what it needs to do in the transfer market? And what about that big, strong “9″ that Guardiola is so craving to make his happy world complete?
Well, how about this:
Sport (yes, the ever-reliable Sport) is reporting that we are going to offer Arsenal Eto’o plus 10 million for Adebayor, for our final offer. This gives us our man, and gives Arsenal a replacement. Problem solved, right?
Now before the screaming begins, this is probably what the board is thinking:
1. Man, we want Eto’o gone.
2. If we’re going to sell, it has to be this year. Next year, he’s cut-rate because it’s that or free transfer.
3. Adebayor is younger, bigger and stronger. His up side is unrealized. We know what Eto’o can do, which is….
4. NOT score against Premiership sides. If Adebayor gets us past those hurdles, the risky move is worth it.
5. Can Eto’o recover from his injuries, or is he really the player who can’t outrun Rio Ferdinand now?
He’s been on the market for months, with no takers. We valued him at 40 million, knowing that we’d deal at 30 million. Not a peep. Rumors, but nothing serious. I don’t know what other teams know that we don’t, but there’s something going on that is simpler and deeper that “They’ve said they don’t want him, so wait for them to come to us.” I’d love to know what it is.
We have six friendlies scheduled: July 24 v Hibernian, July 26 v Dundee United, July 30 v Fiorentina, Aug. 3 v Chivas (in Chicago, I’ll be there along with a few other folks), Aug. 6 against the New York Red Bulls and Aug. 16 for the Gamper match v Boca Juniors.
Also, there are two Champions League qualifiers scheduled: 12 or 13 and 26 or 27 August. A reminder: Those qualifying rounds are knockout. For us to not qualify would be catastrophic. Laporta would be run out of town on a rail, and Guardiola would become a wanted man.
Questions still to come: What will be the ultimate squad composition? What B-teamers will be moved up? What will the starting XI be?
Stay tuned for this and more, on “As the Barca Turns.”
Welcome, Alex Hleb, a.k.a A Little Taste of Belarus
Welcome, Aleksandr Hleb, another piece of the puzzle that is being put together by Pep Guardiola and the technical staff. His path went through Stuttgart, then Arsenal, where he learned a love for the beautiful game, which should make him fit in very well now that he is wearing the colors. Hleb is 27 years [...]
Welcome, Aleksandr Hleb, another piece of the puzzle that is being put together by Pep Guardiola and the technical staff.
His path went through Stuttgart, then Arsenal, where he learned a love for the beautiful game, which should make him fit in very well now that he is wearing the colors. Hleb is 27 years old, almost 6 feet tall and can play all across the midfield as an attacking mid. His left or right versatility makes him great for adding to our overall team depth.
His strengths are pace, ball possession and dribbling ability. He’s also an excellent passer, and will work very well with Thierry Henry. The two, often along with Emmanuel Adebayor, were formidable at Arsenal, with no real threats coming from anywhere else.
With us, there will be Henry, Messi, Iniesta, that mythical “9,” Xavi, Alves and Keita pushing up, in addition to, at times, Hleb. He will make an excellent addition to our attacking force because the skills that he brings to the table are skills that we were lacking last season. He rarely gives up possession, and can dribble his way out of many a jam. He’s also a one-touch passer, which can be the difference between a striker being offsides and on.
There are, of course, knocks against Hleb by the Arsenal fans, namely that he doesn’t shoot enough. They’re right, in their context. In ours, we are going to have plenty of shooters. Recall that what made Deco so dangerous wasn’t his scoring ability, but his knack for opening up the defense with the right pass, from either in the box or just outside the box. Hleb has that rare ability. Everybody on a side doesn’t need to score goals, let’s not forget.
I am very excited about this signing, and not only for his technical skills.
“I want to win titles, titles are my priority,” said Hleb during his Nou Camp presentation, adding that he was even willing to play in goal if that would help the side.
Hard to argue with a guy like that, who apparently has been on our radar since his Stuttgart days, according to Txiki and the boys. This makes sense, when you look at the style of football that we play.
Guardiola said that Hleb “can play on either of the two wings, or in the middle, and can even play as a false center forward.” Like Iniesta, the adaptability of Hleb is appreciated.
Will he make the starting XI? Good question. I just don’t see it at present, not with the way that Iniesta is playing. But Hleb will give him a very good run for his money. I think that Iniesta has a better eye for goal, but Hleb is the better possession midfielder, and can keep the ball even if fouled. Players such as that are great to have in a side.
So everyone put your hands together, and say hello to our latest acquisition.
Farewell, R10, it’s been a good run (well, not fully)
It is official. The end of an era of sorts for FC Barcelona. Reads the beginning of the statement by the club: AC Milan and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over the transfer of Ronaldinho to the Italian club. The Brazilian will take a medical examination on Wednesday in Milan. And let the record [...]
It is official. The end of an era of sorts for FC Barcelona. Reads the beginning of the statement by the club:
AC Milan and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over the transfer of Ronaldinho to the Italian club. The Brazilian will take a medical examination on Wednesday in Milan. And let the record show that somebody is pretty excited about it.
What made the deal actually and for-real possible was Ronaldinho’s renouncing his 15% cut of the deal, which is for 21 million Euros, plus another 4 million should Milan qualify for Champions League, something that is pretty much in the “Duh!” category, even if he does a repeat of this season past, which I don’t expect.
As Txiki said, “The player will always decide where he wants to play. We can have 40 different offers but in the end, what counts is the player’s own desire.”
We were grownups about this one, as befits our gratitude to Ronaldinho. We could have dug our heels in and forced Milan to match or come closer to the 32 million offered by Citeh. We’ve all seen it recently with Hernanes, Arshavin and Adebayor. Glad we chose to man up and do the right thing.
Fiscally, the deal makes perfect sense for AC Milan, and for us. They will get his transfer fee back in shirt sales in about 10 seconds. Right now, number 10 is being worn by Clarence Seedorf. Hmmm. Wonder how those negotiations are going? Seedorf, back when this started, was on the record as saying that R10 wouldn’t be at AC Milan, since he was S10. Stay tuned for that one.
Now, this gives AC Milan an attacking force of Kaka, whose life should become easier if Ronaldinho wants to play. Inzaghi will get new life, and Pato is going to go hog wild. If he actually shows up ready and interested, AC Milan will be the favorites for the title, particularly now that they have dumped Ronaldo and his dead weight.
So what the heck happened?
This saga began, really, with introduction of a sterner, more controlled locker room. No partying, no gallivanting, etc. The players weren’t into it, Rijkaard didn’t seem to be into it, saying in effect, with a wink and a nod, that boys will be boys.
Then came the “black sheep” allegations from Edmilson, saying “Within our group of players and coaches, we have formed a family. And many times in a family there are black sheep.”
It was clear to all that Ronaldinho was the sheep in question, and it seemed that from there, things went swiftly downhill. He was injured. No, he wasn’t, he was just benched. He’ll play. No, he won’t. He wants to play, but Rijkaard won’t let me. And on and on. Rijkaard’s loose locker room seemed to bite him in the butt at the wrong time, and Ronaldinho just wasn’t the same.
So an era has ended.
FIFA Player of the Year most recently in 2004 AND 2005, accolades and joy galore.
There is so much to remember him by. Most recently, the brilliant bicycle kick goal against Atletico Madrid that made the top of ESPN’s “Plays of the Week,” the rarest of the rare occurrences for football. And it took a play by the rarest of rare players to make that cut.
The free kick that went under the Werder Bremen wall.
The shimmy goal against Chelsea.
How he turned the Evil Empire on its ear and recieved a standing ovation at the Bernabeu in a 3-0 thrashing that we delivered to them at their home.
He has been great for us. Two league titles, two Copa titles, one Champions League title, and play after play after play that featured brilliance and the sheer joy of playing the game. The smile was omnipresent, a childlike glee at things that he seemed to be just discovering that he could do.
If that Ronaldinho were still here, I would be lamenting this transfer. But as it is, I am happy to have it happen, for us and for him. He wasn’t happy with us, as we weren’t happy with him. The price that we got for him, while far below the 32 million offered by Manchester City, was in accordance with the player’s wishes. It was an act of class and style, as befits the service that he brought to us.
Simply put, as an icon, he is irreplacable. At his best, he was far and away the best player on the planet, able to beat three defenders or somehow tie the ball to his foot, ready to hit an in-stride teammate with a perfect pass.
But that Ronaldinho is, for us, long gone.
So farewell, you Wascally Bwazilian. I wish you well until AC Milan faces us in Champions League, then know that Yaya is going to put the boot in, and leave it in until Puyol comes to finish you off. And I am going to laugh.
Only one piece left, a.k.a. “Helloooo, Number 9!”
Whither thou goest, Samu? It’s almost as if, which is why I chose this picture, he seems to be saying “I’m going over there, away from here.” This Eto’o situation is huge, and is weighing on the club and dividing the cules. So let’s look at what we know: Eto’o has been told by the team that [...]
Whither thou goest, Samu? It’s almost as if, which is why I chose this picture, he seems to be saying “I’m going over there, away from here.”
This Eto’o situation is huge, and is weighing on the club and dividing the cules. So let’s look at what we know:
Eto’o has been told by the team that he is surplus to requirements, as they say so elegantly in England, and can seek a new home. We’ve slapped a very fair 30 million Euro price tag on the Cameroonian goal machine.
Guardiola is on record as saying he wants a big, strong central striker.
We have received no serious bids for Eto’o. As in zero. We’ve received many overtures, there have been rumors, but as far as real offers….none.
And what the hell about that trip to Uzbekistan?
Prima facie, we HAVE to sell him this year, or risk getting hosed next season, a la Dos Santos, right? Eto’o is in the next-to-last year of his contract, which leaves us with not many options. Keep him, and he becomes really cheap next season, as clubs will just wait for him on a free transfer.
But as usual with players, there are complications. Eto’o doesn’t seem all that interested in leaving, and will meet in-person with team officials today (probably Txiki and Guardiola) to determine where he stands. So by Monday we should know if he’s staying or not. If he’s practicing with the side and grinning, reckon on him staying.
The initial news that he could leave was greeted with a yawn, basically, as Eto’o said I’m on holiday, I’ll deal with that stuff when I get back. Well, Samu, you’re back. So deal with it.
That Uzbek thing just will not go away. It would, really, be the best move for us and for him. He needs to be revived. Right now, the world knows that he is unwanted by us. So he goes to Uzbekistan, scores about a million goals then returns to Europe on free transfer, since you know he’s going to sign a contract with no transfer fee. He gets a boatload of money, a rumored 50 million Euros for an easy season of work. We get his asking price, which the Uzbeks are more than willing to meet, and everybody’s happy.
The real question, however, is are we crazy??!! Samuel Eto’o has been a Liga goal machine, with a staggering goals to appearances ratio. Almost 90 goals in 136 games for us? Damn! He rolls up in the parking lot and the ball is flying into the net. So what’s the deal, and what do the bosses know that we don’t?
(Ding! It’s Speculation Time!)
He can’t score goals in Champions League play unless backed by the very serious firepower of R10, Messi and Deco. Two of the three are gone, and Eto’o’s 1 goal in 6 appearances last season speaks for itself. If you build a squad to win Europe, the Liga probably goes without saying. The reverse is rarely true, however. Look at the Evil Empire the last two seasons.
And it would seem that the only two real possibilities for Eto’o, given his demands of a big club and Champions League play, are Inter and Chelsea. Inter has only signed Mancini this summer, but Mourinho has a great, big war chest with which to play. But they have one hell of a striker in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They also have Cruz, and the suddenly revived Adriano. Nobody has been mentioned as being for sale, which means Eto’o is pretty unlikely for Inter, despite rumor-mongering.
Chelsea always has money to splash, and are looking to minimise the leverage that Drogba has by essentially being their only striker worth a damn. They have The Great Sulk, Nicolas Anelka, and the has-been, Shevchenko. So Eto’o would seem a nice move for them, right? Sure. But at present, they’re busy trying to keep on Frank Lampard down on the farm.
Liverpool has been mentioned as a possible suitor, but they already have Kuyt and Torres, and are looking to grab Robbie Keene. Eto’o comes up as a possibility if Keene doesn’t work out.
This means that Eto’o is unsettled, but so are we. We want him gone, both for the money and the closure. Psychologically, this would be Messi’s team through and through, with Guardiola as the steward. Two years. Make it happen or hit the bricks with Laporta.
So what if Eto’o is sold? Let’s look at the possible replacements.
Adebayor, the best option for Guardiola’s requirements, seems to be out of the frame, though I suspect if we sold Eto’o, he would be back in, as we’d have 30 mil or so to play with. Arsenal, for some reason, are being exceptionally difficult with that transfer as regards us, which doesn’t make sense after our gift of a Fabregas egg to them. But Adebayor’s real number, right now, would be about the same as Eto’o, in the 30 million range.
Trezeguet is on the rumor mill again, with the buzz that he recently told Henry that overtures, however preliminary, have been made, despite the “I’m staying put and Juve isn’t selling me” stuff. This doesn’t make me all that giddy. He’s a great in the box striker, but with our offense, you want your striker to, at times, be able to take a pass outside the box and make something happen.
It’s been quiet on the Huntelaar front and Berbatov, last we heard, is still for Man U.
And then there’s that Drogba speculation. He wants out of Chelsea, but they don’t have to sell him as he has three years left on his contract. Their desperation time will be next year.
There were rumors of an Eto’o for Drogba swap, which were laughed at by the London side. Can’t blame them, really. Drogba is almost 6′3″ tall, and nabbed 6 goals in 11 Champions League appearances last season. But he’s 30 years old, has been showing signs of fragility of late, and is quite the hothead.
So that’s where things stand. We will know more after the weekend, but it’s safe to say that at present, this is the most important thing on the agenda. Eto’o has to go, or be signed to an extension. If he stays, I’m not all that geeked about our Champions League chances, absent an on-form Ronaldinho and Deco. But stranger things have happened.
And now, we wait.
The Champions League draw is out and Barcelona will be playing the winner of the Beitar Jerusalem - Wisla Krakow second round matchup. Currently Beitar holds a 2-1 lead after hosting the first leg in Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium. What a cuddly name.