Who is he? Where does he play?
He is another off the Barcelona production line, the immensely gifted midfield graduate of the famed La Masia academy in Catalonia and potential heir to the aging Xavi. He is 22, has 3 caps for Spain despite being born in Italy and is hogging all the newspaper gossip column space as he seems on the verge of heading to Manchester United.
Leaving the sunny, success-laden Barcelona for Salford?!?
Yes, he may be mad but he also seems to be hugely ambitious, aiming to move to Manchester United in the search for more first team football after being limited to just 15 starts last season under Tito Vilanova. That has dropped his release clause from 90 million euros to 18 million euros as he appeared for less than 30 minutes in 60% of Barcelona's games last season. All work and no play makes Thiago a dull boy, clamoring for an apparent move to the Premier League champions.
What's Vilanova playing at?
He did have Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Busquets and co. at his disposal after all, Thiago faces a massive competition for places at Barcelona but he did manage 41 appearances under Pep Guardiola the year before, the year after winning the Under-21 European Championship with Spain and signing a new four year deal at the Nou Camp worth £30k a week. There is no doubting his potential or talent, just his misfortune at having to compete with a generation of phenomenally gifted players as he wants to break into Vincent Del Bosque's permanent plans ahead of next year's World Cup, he currently has 3 caps.
So Manchester United are giving him a way out?
Reportedly set to offer him an eye-watering £6.2 million a year, it certainly looks like David Moyes wants to make him his first significant import as Old Trafford boss. He will undoubtedly fill the troublesome central-midfield slot at the club in which Michael Carrick is the only established talent. Alcantara's genius in carrying the ball from deep, beating players or even dictating the tempo with smart, measured passes ahead of the defence will be a massive asset to Moyes's United, as it was to Spain's under-21s as they triumphed in this summer's European Championships in Israel.
What will they get for their money?
For a reported £17 million, they will get fine balance which allows his diminutive 5ft 7 inch frame to spin away from the more imposing players in the centre of the field. He can create chances with nimble footwork just as he can take them, as his hat-trick against Italy under-21s out in Israel showed. If Thiago does decide to move to Manchester, Barcelona will lose a hugely talented member of their squad and that is testament enough to his promise.
Showing posts with label Tito Vilanova. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tito Vilanova. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Friday, 23 November 2012
GERARD DEULOFEU
Who is he? Where does he play?
He is another one of those ultra-brilliant teenagers made from the fairy dust they have in large supply over at Barcelona's much-fawned-over La Masia academy. He is 18 years of age and plays as a centre forward or a winger which earn him inevitable comparisons to....
Let me guess.. Lionel Messi?
Nope, surprisingly not, with people preferring to liken the skillful Deulofeu to the buck toothed Brazilian wizard Ronaldinho instead. The Spanish youngster picked up that moniker around La Masia aged 14 and the hype has continued up to the present day where he is on the fringes of Tito Vilanova's squad at 18 years old. The hype over his talent has also been spotted by Nike, who handed him a salary of 150,000 euros back when he was a wee nipper, just 4 years ago, making him the sportswear giant's biggest sponsorship gamble since....
Let me guess.. Lionel Messi?
Yes, this time you're correct! Have yourself a gold star.
Perhaps not as audaciously talented as the Argentinean, though Deulofeu has some of the same characteristics at youth level. Often able to whiz past 4-5 players and beat a startled goalkeeper with consummate ease, his skill and trickery bamboozled so many as he helped Spain breeze to under-19 European Championship glory in the summer. His awesome form for Barcelona B this season, which has seen him net 7 goals in 11 games, convinced Vilanova he was worthy of fighting for a spot among his juggernaut, and so he got a short run out vs Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.
Convinced Vilanova?
To a degree yes. The new Barca boss was reported to be mulling over the idea of shipping the young striker out on loan with a desperate Liverpool lurking, but after a couple of short appearances under his predecessor Pep Guardiola, curiosity got the better of him and so he was kept on. Curiosity about such hype that saw Nike throw money at him when he was 12. Such hype that so many people call him a future Ballon D'Or winner.
Good then, so why doesn't he play more?
Good question. You'd think that Barcelona of all places wouldn't be averse to giving an opportunity to a youngster, especially one as brilliantly gifted as this young fellow. But there is a claim that Deulofeu is perhaps struggling with an over-sized ego, a character that knows he is good too much and likes to over-indulge in his talents. For more, read this, there is a over-hanging feeling that Gerard may not realise his potential due to his characteristic flaws.
He is another one of those ultra-brilliant teenagers made from the fairy dust they have in large supply over at Barcelona's much-fawned-over La Masia academy. He is 18 years of age and plays as a centre forward or a winger which earn him inevitable comparisons to....
Let me guess.. Lionel Messi?
Nope, surprisingly not, with people preferring to liken the skillful Deulofeu to the buck toothed Brazilian wizard Ronaldinho instead. The Spanish youngster picked up that moniker around La Masia aged 14 and the hype has continued up to the present day where he is on the fringes of Tito Vilanova's squad at 18 years old. The hype over his talent has also been spotted by Nike, who handed him a salary of 150,000 euros back when he was a wee nipper, just 4 years ago, making him the sportswear giant's biggest sponsorship gamble since....
Let me guess.. Lionel Messi?
Yes, this time you're correct! Have yourself a gold star.
Perhaps not as audaciously talented as the Argentinean, though Deulofeu has some of the same characteristics at youth level. Often able to whiz past 4-5 players and beat a startled goalkeeper with consummate ease, his skill and trickery bamboozled so many as he helped Spain breeze to under-19 European Championship glory in the summer. His awesome form for Barcelona B this season, which has seen him net 7 goals in 11 games, convinced Vilanova he was worthy of fighting for a spot among his juggernaut, and so he got a short run out vs Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.
Convinced Vilanova?
To a degree yes. The new Barca boss was reported to be mulling over the idea of shipping the young striker out on loan with a desperate Liverpool lurking, but after a couple of short appearances under his predecessor Pep Guardiola, curiosity got the better of him and so he was kept on. Curiosity about such hype that saw Nike throw money at him when he was 12. Such hype that so many people call him a future Ballon D'Or winner.
Good then, so why doesn't he play more?
Good question. You'd think that Barcelona of all places wouldn't be averse to giving an opportunity to a youngster, especially one as brilliantly gifted as this young fellow. But there is a claim that Deulofeu is perhaps struggling with an over-sized ego, a character that knows he is good too much and likes to over-indulge in his talents. For more, read this, there is a over-hanging feeling that Gerard may not realise his potential due to his characteristic flaws.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
MARC BARTRA
Who is he? Where does he play?
He's the latest product of the designer conveyor belt of talent at Barcelona that relentlessly sprogs up possession loving genius' that pass, and pass, and pass, all day until you're bored of it and switch over to watch Antiques Roadshow on a Sunday night, though unlike the usual mould that La Masia churns out, Bartra is not a Xavi, an Iniesta or even a Fabregas, the guy's a rather cute looking defender......
A defender!? At Barca...?
Yeah, a defender at Barca, a centre-half in fact. Don't look at me so nonplussed, they did create Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and that lad who's now at Chelsea who everybody has forgotten about, so they're not truly averse to making lads at the back. Plus it will do them some good instead of shoe-horning the likes of Javier Mascherano and Alex Song back there as they show contempt to such a modern football commodity as having a defence.
The Vilanova influence?
To an extent yes, Barca have been far more within the realms of basic football since the tiki-taka passing utopia of Pep Guardiola passed into sabbatical and all part of that has been an inclination to actually set up with designated defenders.
Whilst to an extent no, Bartra had already dabbled in first team duty under Mr. Guardiola, registering eight performances up until this season where he has been given a more prominent role under Tito, appearing 5 times. He hasn't done too badly.
Hasn't done too badly? Elaborate...
Okay, well he was given 90 minutes in the home Champions League win over Celtic where he impressed with neat passing out from the back, but that work was undone as he struggled in the cauldron of Parkhead (he was withdrawn after 71 minutes) in the return fixture. His passing percentage of 95% from two La Liga games suggests Bartra is a dab hand with Barca's old fetish of caressing the ball out from the back with zero fuss.
Anything else worth knowing?
Not really, although he did once have to fan the flames after clattering golden Barca boy Lionel Messi with a heavy challenge in training, "nothing happened" he said, like the young child standing suspiciously next to the spillage on the floor.
He's the latest product of the designer conveyor belt of talent at Barcelona that relentlessly sprogs up possession loving genius' that pass, and pass, and pass, all day until you're bored of it and switch over to watch Antiques Roadshow on a Sunday night, though unlike the usual mould that La Masia churns out, Bartra is not a Xavi, an Iniesta or even a Fabregas, the guy's a rather cute looking defender......
A defender!? At Barca...?
Yeah, a defender at Barca, a centre-half in fact. Don't look at me so nonplussed, they did create Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and that lad who's now at Chelsea who everybody has forgotten about, so they're not truly averse to making lads at the back. Plus it will do them some good instead of shoe-horning the likes of Javier Mascherano and Alex Song back there as they show contempt to such a modern football commodity as having a defence.
The Vilanova influence?
To an extent yes, Barca have been far more within the realms of basic football since the tiki-taka passing utopia of Pep Guardiola passed into sabbatical and all part of that has been an inclination to actually set up with designated defenders.
Whilst to an extent no, Bartra had already dabbled in first team duty under Mr. Guardiola, registering eight performances up until this season where he has been given a more prominent role under Tito, appearing 5 times. He hasn't done too badly.
Hasn't done too badly? Elaborate...
Okay, well he was given 90 minutes in the home Champions League win over Celtic where he impressed with neat passing out from the back, but that work was undone as he struggled in the cauldron of Parkhead (he was withdrawn after 71 minutes) in the return fixture. His passing percentage of 95% from two La Liga games suggests Bartra is a dab hand with Barca's old fetish of caressing the ball out from the back with zero fuss.
Anything else worth knowing?
Not really, although he did once have to fan the flames after clattering golden Barca boy Lionel Messi with a heavy challenge in training, "nothing happened" he said, like the young child standing suspiciously next to the spillage on the floor.
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