Xavi

I'd take Xavi in a heartbeat
Who cares if hes a bit older, I bet he still has a couple of good years left
If we also get some young energetic players in CM we would be looking pretty damn good in that part of the pitch next season

Probably won't happen but whatever
 
Xavi in regards to Barca - Atletico:

"We will try every way we can to score - shots outside of the box, get out wide - every type of way you can score in football."

:lol:

It sounds as if shots outside the box or getting out wide are not normal things to do but they are willing to make an exception to this rule against Atletico!
 
louvega said:
Valdés won't be at the last Barcelona game and won't say goodbye to the fans in proper manner because he is an idiot, and has always been. Simple as that. Very poor behaviour by Victor.

Also, he is ruined after some very bad investments and that's why he's leaving to Monaco for the big payday. There's nothing 'terribly wrong with the club', but with Valdés.
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That's not really true. There's a lot of problems at the club at board level - Dani Alves has said it, Iniesta has said it, Messi has said it, Guardiola has said it, Cruyff has said it. Barcelona is a very poorly managed club at the minute, you'd be mad to think otherwise.

I don't think Xavi will leave, terrible board or not, but there's definitely a lot wrong with the club and that's why there's been a few sackings over the past week or so. Rosell (and now Bartomeu) are running the club into the ground.
 
One of the best aspects of his game is actually his work-rate. I doubt he can maintain the same level of influence now that he's older. And the English game is more physical and higher intensity.

Getting him will probably harm our CM in the long term.
 
thepolice123 said:
One of the best aspects of his game is actually his work-rate. I doubt he can maintain the same level of influence now that he's older. And the English game is more physical and higher intensity.

Getting him will probably harm our CM in the long term.
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So just do what Juve do with Pirlo and play:

-CM----CM
----Xavi---

He might not be 2009 Xavi, but aging Xavi could still basically be Guardiola in his prime. Buy one expensive CM and let Van Gaal pick the other one for whatever funds we have left, and he'll find someone from either the Eredivise, Dutch Squad, Bundesliga opponents he rated while at Bayern or teammates of guys he watches for the Dutch Squad, like Delph (Vlaar), Montolivo (De Jong), Belhanda or Veloso (Lens).
 
louvega said:
Valdés won't be at the last Barcelona game and won't say goodbye to the fans in proper manner because he is an idiot, and has always been. Simple as that. Very poor behaviour by Victor.

Also, he is ruined after some very bad investments and that's why he's leaving to Monaco for the big payday. There's nothing 'terribly wrong with the club', but with Valdés.
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Your assessment is terribly wrong, particularly when it comes to Victor or the state of the club. The board has pushed the player out and this was played out in the media last season after firing his goalkeeping coach - Victor doesn't even acknowledge Zubi any longer as a result. Cruyff & Laporta both touched on it on different occasions since.

Still, it is odd that he isn't getting a proper sendoff in the manner of Puyol but people shouldn't forget he is in the middle of rehabbing his injury as he went to Germany to continue this along with one of the club doctors
 
thepolice123 said:
One of the best aspects of his game is actually his work-rate. I doubt he can maintain the same level of influence now that he's older. And the English game is more physical and higher intensity.

Getting him will probably harm our CM in the long term.
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I agree
I can see him retiring from international football then leaving barca in the summer to sign a multi year high paying contract.
I wouldnt br surprised to see him in mls or another leage of lower standard and him getting a 3 year deal .
Wonder if barca will get koke to replace him?
 
sun_tzu said:
I agree
I can see him retiring from international football then leaving barca in the summer to sign a multi year high paying contract.
I wouldnt br surprised to see him in mls or another leage of lower standard and him getting a 3 year deal .
Wonder if barca will get koke to replace him?
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Nooo stinky Barcelona keep your hands off the Koke. And Oliver Torres too. :mad::mad:
 
Xavi's second team is United. I am sure that he would wear the shirt with immense pride. He would only be good for one or two seasons so any transfer would hinge on the economics. On the right deal Xavi is a must have.
 
He's still a top midfielder. We're judging him from what he was in 2009 when we say he has declined. He's in the league of his own and the 2009 version of Xavi was probably one of the best midfielders of all time. Even now a declined Xavi is comfortably among the best midfielders in the world.
 
louvega said:
Valdés won't be at the last Barcelona game and won't say goodbye to the fans in proper manner because he is an idiot, and has always been. Simple as that. Very poor behaviour by Victor.

Also, he is ruined after some very bad investments and that's why he's leaving to Monaco for the big payday. There's nothing 'terribly wrong with the club', but with Valdés.
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Every barca fan out wants early elections. The fans are blaming the board mainly, especially Zubi.
 
thepolice123 said:
One of the best aspects of his game is actually his work-rate. I doubt he can maintain the same level of influence now that he's older. And the English game is more physical and higher intensity.

Getting him will probably harm our CM in the long term.
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Pirlo turns 35 on monday. I can almost guarantee all those younger, better physicaly conditioned english players, wont get near him when Italy play England in June. Xavi is of similar level but younger.
 
I'll always have the highest respect for Xavi, would love to see him wear or shirt, even if it's just for one season.
 
united_99 said:
Xavi in regards to Barca - Atletico:

"We will try every way we can to score - shots outside of the box, get out wide - every type of way you can score in football."

:lol:

It sounds as if shots outside the box or getting out wide are not normal things to do but they are willing to make an exception to this rule against Atletico!
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He sounds like Moyes tbh :p
 
RedStarUnited said:
Giggs won player of the year when he was 35/36?. Theres hope lol.



TO be honest, we havent heard or seen the question that was asked to him. You cant just judge by a response.
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It was strictly tongue in cheek :)
 
Colin129 said:
On a cold wet Wednesday night in Stoke?
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He wouldn't be able to handle the [insert one of power, intensity or physicality] of the English game.

:lol: On topic though, while he'd clearly be an amazing signing for a year or two, should we really be looking at a player who's already in decline? I would understand if he was a stop-gap, & we already had one world class midfielder, but we have none. I think we need to splash the cash & look for something a little more long term. Having said all this, there is no way i'd turn down Xavi if push actually came to shove (it probably won't). Just imagine. :drool:
 
Cantona'sCollar said:
He wouldn't be able to handle the [insert one of power, intensity or physicality] of the English game.

:lol: On topic though, while he'd clearly be an amazing signing for a year or two, should we really be looking at a player who's already in decline? I would understand if he was a stop-gap, & we already had one world class midfielder, but we have none. I think we need to splash the cash & look for something a little more long term. Having said all this, there is no way i'd turn down Xavi if push actually came to shove (it probably won't). Just imagine. :drool:
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If there was any chance of getting him, the benefits to any midfielder or linking forward that got to train with him day in and day out could be career changing.

Januzaj, Mata, Kagawa perhaps even Rooney (if he has the aptitude to play a short-passing game) would all take their games to another level playing with and off Xavi... if somehow Scholes stuck around and both Xavi and he were in training, we'd have the two best ball retaining CM's of the last two decades in camp... training under Van Gaal. It'd be a real sink or swim scenario for the aforementioned players and anyone who came in as a new signing or up from the reserves.

Xavi's worth shouldn't just be measured by what he can do during matches - he has the ability to take a midfield of a new club and raise it to a new standard - training and learning from him would be an experience in itself, if those around him are capable of playing confident and controlled football.
 
Fortitude said:
If there was any chance of getting him, the benefits to any midfielder or linking forward that got to train with him day in and day out could be career changing.

Januzaj, Mata, Kagawa perhaps even Rooney (if he has the aptitude to play a short-passing game) would all take their games to another level playing with and off Xavi... if somehow Scholes stuck around and both Xavi and he were in training, we'd have the two best ball retaining CM's of the last two decades in camp... training under Van Gaal. It'd be a real sink or swim scenario for the aforementioned players and anyone who came in as a new signing or up from the reserves.

Xavi's worth shouldn't just be measured by what he can do during matches - he has the ability to take a midfield of a new club and raise it to a new standard - training and learning from him would be an experience in itself, if those around him are capable of playing confident and controlled football.
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It is a fair point you raise. Just signing him will prove a huge boost, mentally, in the same way RVP's signing did. And as you say, he'll be useful on the training ground, perhaps he could teach our players a thing or two. I really can't see it happening, but just the thought of a player of his quality (i'd say he is in the top 5 greatest CMs of all-time, and perhaps from 08-11 had reached a height no midfielder before him had ever done) wearing our shirt is mouthwatering.
 
Xavi and Scholes could teach English midfielders a thing or two about football. Bring Xavi to United as a coach or something in a few years.
 
Colin129 said:
Yeh, because he wouldn't be interested in coaching at Barca now, would he?
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United is the club in England he has the most admiration for. If I was Xavi, I'd wait to Laporta is elected president again, then coach at Barça. Offer him a job, and you never know.
 
Local radio comments Xavi may be leaving Barcelona for a Qatar team this summer, 10m per season.
 
People do overrate this whole training with a quality player nonsense. Well, these midfielders we have, have been playing with a player whos videos they use at barca to train kids, and they're still garbage. If you aint , you aint got it.
 
Atletico unfortunately give their players realistic(to a degree) buyout clauses, so might not have a choice in the matter.
 
Utd7 said:
Yup, would be silly to let Costa and Koke leave in the same window. Also add in Courtois possibly returning to Chelsea and that would leave Atletico without arguably their three best players.
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Plus Villa already gone and Filipe Luis possibly leaving, too.
 
bucky said:
Plus Villa already gone and Filipe Luis possibly leaving, too.
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They're just after announcing that they've agreed a deal for Guilherme Siqueira so I'd say it's inevitable that Filipe will leave now.
 
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