Eto'o/Ibrahimovic
July 21st 2009 22:29
I was hoping to wait until the Eto'o/Ibrahimovic deal was finalised or David Villa was signed to write my next post but seeing that his is going to be a drawn out process.
Anyway, I have read many differing viewpoints, most saying Barca is getting the better end of the deal, , especially on goal.com, some saying Inter. To me Inter certainly is when you include over 40 million euros. Inter is receiving a player that scored 34 goals last year in all competitions. This is a huge amount, one that would garner consideration for the Ballon d' Or in most years, however, Eto'o happened to be surrounded by Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, (three players who will receive consideration). Because of the players Eto’o was surrounded by it makes it easy to claim his brilliance was due to theirs. Perhaps this talent around him was the key to his success; I guess we will find out next year. Either way, Eto'o has been a key component of TWO Champions League championship teams while Ibra has been considered a disappointment in Europe's greatest club competition. The main area of concern I have is defensively. Eto'o was constantly pressuring the ball last year which condensed the field in the opponents half. I'm not saying Ibra can't do the same thing, however, I have never seen him do this. Their skills are quite different and Ibra probably has better ball skills and is a more clinical finisher. Eto'o's speed, hustle, and ability to step up on the biggest of stages are superior. Therefore, let’s just say I wish the Villa deal would have and will go through instead.
On a positive note, I do believe Ibrahimovic is a world class striker who brings certain qualities that could be of benefit. Perhaps his ability to hold the ball will allow Messi and Henry to make penetrating runs in behind him. I just hope he can realize that he is not the center piece of an entire attack anymore, but a key cog in clockwork offense.
As for the other transfers, I believe Maxwell is an ideal candidate to be a reserve defensemen, as we saw in the Champions league final you can never have too many. Maxwell brings good ball skills for a defender and is a veteran who can fill in for injuries. These are the types of pick-ups I was hoping to see Barca come up with this transfer window.
Alexander Hleb going to Inter on loan is not necessarily a bad thing. He rarely saw the pitch last year and you wouldn't expect him to to see much of it this year. One would think his passing and dribbling skills would fit Barca's offense perfectly, however, he is more of an out and out outside midfielder, a position Barca doesn't use.
As for Martin Caceras, I hate to see him go. However, I understand he is young and clearly could not crack the lineup last year. With no one apparently leaving and another challenger for playing time (Henrique) returning from loan, it would be a waste for him to sit on the bench for another year.
Only 3 more days until the first match of the preseason, it will be interesting to see how all this plays out. Look for my next post on the 24th following the match vs Tottenham Hotspurs.
Anyway, I have read many differing viewpoints, most saying Barca is getting the better end of the deal, , especially on goal.com, some saying Inter. To me Inter certainly is when you include over 40 million euros. Inter is receiving a player that scored 34 goals last year in all competitions. This is a huge amount, one that would garner consideration for the Ballon d' Or in most years, however, Eto'o happened to be surrounded by Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, (three players who will receive consideration). Because of the players Eto’o was surrounded by it makes it easy to claim his brilliance was due to theirs. Perhaps this talent around him was the key to his success; I guess we will find out next year. Either way, Eto'o has been a key component of TWO Champions League championship teams while Ibra has been considered a disappointment in Europe's greatest club competition. The main area of concern I have is defensively. Eto'o was constantly pressuring the ball last year which condensed the field in the opponents half. I'm not saying Ibra can't do the same thing, however, I have never seen him do this. Their skills are quite different and Ibra probably has better ball skills and is a more clinical finisher. Eto'o's speed, hustle, and ability to step up on the biggest of stages are superior. Therefore, let’s just say I wish the Villa deal would have and will go through instead.
On a positive note, I do believe Ibrahimovic is a world class striker who brings certain qualities that could be of benefit. Perhaps his ability to hold the ball will allow Messi and Henry to make penetrating runs in behind him. I just hope he can realize that he is not the center piece of an entire attack anymore, but a key cog in clockwork offense.
As for the other transfers, I believe Maxwell is an ideal candidate to be a reserve defensemen, as we saw in the Champions league final you can never have too many. Maxwell brings good ball skills for a defender and is a veteran who can fill in for injuries. These are the types of pick-ups I was hoping to see Barca come up with this transfer window.
Alexander Hleb going to Inter on loan is not necessarily a bad thing. He rarely saw the pitch last year and you wouldn't expect him to to see much of it this year. One would think his passing and dribbling skills would fit Barca's offense perfectly, however, he is more of an out and out outside midfielder, a position Barca doesn't use.
As for Martin Caceras, I hate to see him go. However, I understand he is young and clearly could not crack the lineup last year. With no one apparently leaving and another challenger for playing time (Henrique) returning from loan, it would be a waste for him to sit on the bench for another year.
Only 3 more days until the first match of the preseason, it will be interesting to see how all this plays out. Look for my next post on the 24th following the match vs Tottenham Hotspurs.
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