Are Barcelona the new Real Madrid

Maybe the Spanish football fans have debated this point to death already, but the prevailing sentiment in Euro-snob magazines and rags alike is that Barcelona are the new Real Madrid.

While Real have been buying fairly pragmatically and have gotten rid of the likes of Beckham and R. Carlos (a farewell to an era), Barcelona have added Henry to their crowded attack.

I personally like Barcelona a lot, and I am not really fond of Real Madrid (never was really), but they have gone out and bought Pepe and Metzelder, even if they want Robben and Drenthe.

True Barca have also bought Milito and Toure, but they did bolster an attack that needed anything but another Henry-like player.

Laporta has also been quoted as wanting to promote the "brand" of Barcelona, vernacular that was the hallmark of Perez's Real.

Can Barcelona flourish with this new policy (I hope they do, so they can thumb their nose at Real)?

I'm not sure if it's fair to say they didn't need another forward. I think they struggled when Eto'o was out last season and they didn't have a similar player to replace him. It will be difficult to fit them all in but I don't think Henry was an unnecessary signing. They've bought well in my opinion and have strengthened their team in a number of areas where reinforcements were required and they've done so without paying over the odds.

Sheffield gunner wrote:I'm not sure if it's fair to say they didn't need another forward. I think they struggled when Eto'o was out last season and they didn't have a similar player to replace him. It will be difficult to fit them all in but I don't think Henry was an unnecessary signing. They've bought well in my opinion and have strengthened their team in a number of areas where reinforcements were required and they've done so without paying over the odds.

I think what they lacked was a finisher like Eto'o. Henry is not really a clinical finisher. He can score a lot of goals, but he is also profligate.

I guess the question is, will Rijkaard's hand be passively-aggressively forced to play 4 forwards? If he is, and it's not his preferred line-up then I'm afraid it's a step backwards.

I agree with Gunner. Whoever they play out of the front 4 will be of relatively equal quality, whereas before when an injury or suspension happened, there was a big drop in quality when the replacement was brought beit, Esquerro, Saviola, Gudjonsen. They struggled last year with Eto'o & Messi out - and it's already certain that they will be without Eto'o for atleast 6 weeks this season.

They now also have two young talents to bolster the attacking strength as well.

I don't think they can realistically play all four together. It would leave a very unbalanced side. I think Henry, if he gets back to near his best, will fit their formation well. He isn't as clinical as someone like RVN, but when in form he will certainly put away enough chances.

It remains to be seen how Rijkaard juggles having so many big egos all competing for first team places. When things are going well then I'm sure it will be fine and they will all get enough games. If they struggle at all then there could be problems. His man-management skills will definitely be tested.

To maintain a balance in the dressing room is an art that Del Bosque had satisfactorily achieved.

Will Rijkaard do the same? And Calidad it is precisely the "who will they play out of the front 4" which is relevant. If they don't play the front 4 everytime, will there be grumblings?

Also, Barcelona had an attack that was probably the top in Europe. Why risk discontent with rotation? Commercial reasons HAVE to figure into it.

EDIT: Sheffield Gunner has posted something similar to what I have.

The demise of Barca will be due to the sore ego's of some of the Barca players during this season.

Let's not forget Barca have always had the creme de la cream of footballers in the past, and they've always managed to lose them.

I wouldn't be suprised to see Dinho or Eto'o leave next summer. Wishful hoping maybe

Barca have managed to lose Ronaldo and Figo, but they are also a financial behemoth now. No longer can Inter and Real bully them around.

They have the financial means to hold onto the players, even if they have a debt.

Big debt*

Sheffield gunner wrote:I'm not sure if it's fair to say they didn't need another forward. I think they struggled when Eto'o was out last season and they didn't have a similar player to replace him. It will be difficult to fit them all in but I don't think Henry was an unnecessary signing. They've bought well in my opinion and have strengthened their team in a number of areas where reinforcements were required and they've done so without paying over the odds.

and its the ACN this season so no eto'o for 6 weeks or so

Healthy debt
The club is also moving in the right direction in terms of its bank debt, which has fallen from 68.5 to 39.8 million, with 28.7 million euros being returned this season. The debt was as high as 92.5 million in the 2003/04 season (55% of this season’s income) and is now down to just 14% of annual income.

Soriano has said that “this is a healthy debt and we are in much better and more relaxed situation now”.

Just as an information for those who understands economics.

Big debt? You know nothing about Barça's finances TM.

Anyway, I agree that on the outside it may appear that we've become a galactico club, but that's not true:

1. Like Sheffield Gunner pointed out, we needed Henry in the team. We didn't just sign someone for purely marketing purposes, like Beckham. Or breaking up a successful partnership to get Ronaldo.

2. We are also making our signings at reasonable costs, and not just blowing money by paying buyout clauses of fantasy signings. If we were the new Real Madrid, we would have paid Roma and Chivu the ridiculous sums of money they were demanding.

3. We have strengthened our defense and bought Yaya for the weak DM position, not tried to get away with it by promoting sub-standard youth.

4. We are still placing faith in our youth players.

My perception is that Barcelona have more or less bought what they needed to improve their team and squad, and have done that really well in terms of the quality theyve brought in and the speed in which theyve done it. In Abidal, Milito and Toure they have bought defensively minded players, none of whom are huge names, but who strengthen the team in the precise areas it needed strengthening - left back and defensive midfield in particular. I know from reading on here that a lot of the Barca fans wanted Abidal and Toure for a while, and see them improving their team. And the Henry deal, whilst it developed over a number of years, when done didnt, at least to me, seem surrounded with the same hype as when Madrid would bring in their galacticos, which were more the focus of their whole transfer policy.

As for the front four Barcelona have, I agree with people who say theyll all get plenty of games. Who knows if any of the four will react if they go a few games without starting, but my impression is that Henry and Messi at least arent likely too.

I dont know if theres any suggestion that Barca would really consider going for a front three with Ronaldinho or Messi, or even Henry, behind, thus playing all four at once, with Iniesta and Toure holding, or what people would think of that?

TITO wrote:Healthy debt
The club is also moving in the right direction in terms of its bank debt, which has fallen from 68.5 to 39.8 million, with 28.7 million euros being returned this season. The debt was as high as 92.5 million in the 2003/04 season (55% of this season’s income) and is now down to just 14% of annual income.

Soriano has said that “this is a healthy debt and we are in much better and more relaxed situation now”.

Just as an information for those who understands economics.

And in case anyone still has a problem with that, I should point out that this level of debt is being deliberately maintained by the club as a financial tactic. It's at an amount that is not dangerous to the club's existence or anything like that. Most clubs prefer to maintain a small amount of debt, from what I've read.

Yup.

And we will never be the new Real Madrid, because they keep becoming a new version of themselves - rumours today are that in the next week they will tie up deals with Robben, Reyes, and Drenthe - 3 left wingers, for a total of 50 million euros!!! Talk about balance in the squad

Drenthe will probably be bought as an (attacking) LB.

Attacking fullbacks provide width in a 4-4-2 system, no matter which version (diamond, double pivot etc.). Would make sense, although I still don't think that Robben is the right player for the wing in a 4-4-2.