A joke that goes around in the footballing world is that Barcelona players are so scared to allow the opponent to come up against their shaky defence that they keep major share of possession & keep passing the ball around. Though this theory may be laughed off as a joke,it isn’t rocket science to tell that the Blaugranas are in desperate need of a quality centre-back.
Though dominant in the league last season with record 100 points, Barcelona’s season was marked by their 7-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern in the Champions league semifinal. As dust settled on the match that many say will mark the End of the Barcelona era, there was an instant call by fans to sign a new CB to strengthen the back line and address the issues of aerial challenges & lack of pace at back.
In the summer transfer window, Barca were linked to hordes of defenders with the likes of David Luiz,Daniel Agger,Thiago Silva & Marquinhos being the prominent ones.The hefty price tags combined with the inability to find the perfect man to fit into the Barca style of play ultimately led to no new defensive signing.Barcelona have experimented in past by playing Defensive Midfielders at the back such as Mascherano,Adriano,Busquets,Song,Yaya Toure but none have looked comfortable enough in this foreign territory .
Ideally Barca need a young defender of about 22-27 age with ample experience of playing at the top level.Good in the air to counter Barca’s weakness of lack of height while defending set-pieces and have the speed to drop back quickly. However,the ability that is most valued at Barca is the ability to bring the ball out of defence and initiate the next attack,so spectacularily done by Gerard Pique in recent seasons before his current slump. Since Barca employ a high pressing tactic,the CB must be able to cover wide areas of the pitch when the ball is played down the channels. Knowing when not-to-commit is as important as knowing when to tackle since reducing the areas to attack can buy important seconds for the teammates to drop back to help in defence.
Since the need of the hour at Camp Nou is to buy a new CB to realize the dream of bringing another Champions League back home and assert their claim to the title ‘The Best Team Ever’, here’s our shortlist of 5 CB Barca should look to sign this coming January:
1. MATS HUMMELS
Age: 24
Height: 6'4"
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Nationality: Germany
The world came to know of Mats Hummels as one of the architects of the Rise and Rise of Borrusia Dortmund in European Football. As Dortmund continued to win hearts with their swift & entertaining playing style, Hummels came to be respected as The Rock at the centre of BVB’s defence by both his teammates & opponents. A perfect fit to Barca’s playing style as he is known to pass short with a knack for dribbling his way out of tough situations. He’s a fearless tackler similar to Carlos Puyol & is an indirect set-piece threat while attacking like Pique. At 24,he’s already the lynchpin of BVB & Germany national team since being played ahead of experienced Per Mertesacker in Euro 2012. The fact that he’s stated that he’ll only leave BVB to join Barca will come to as music to the Cules’ ears. Though he’s yet to hit the ground running this season, there isn’t any dearth of the quality that made him one of the most sought after CB in the market.
2. THOMAS VERMAELEN
Age: 27
Height: 5'11"
Club: Arsenal
Nationality:Belgium
Nicknamed as ‘The Verminator’ by the Arsenal fans and a graduate of the famed Ajax academy, the Gunners’ skipper is one of the most dependable CB in the premier league. Standing at 5’ 11”, Vermalean may not have the physical presence that Barca so desperately desire at the back but he’s commanding in the air and anticipates & deals with danger well. Being quick, determined and strong is what makes Vermalean a formidable opponent. He relishes attacking the ball and has a knack for scoring goals as proven by a goal on his Premier League debut, a 6-1 rout of Everton. The one weak link in his armour might be that he may be caught out of position if nobody covers for him into one of his runs forward. Though he missed nearly the entire 2010-11 season due to injury, Vermalean is known to be robust, uncompromising and a tough tackling CB. At 27, he may be desperate for the major trophies that have eluded him in his career and Barcelona will provide a perfect opportunity to achieve that. Hence an offer may be too tempting to resist.
3. PHILIPP WOLLSCHIED
Age: 24
Height: 6'4"
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Nationality: Germany
Though relatively unknown outside Bundesliga, Phillip has been a revelation since joining Sami Hyppia at BayArena. Woolschied has been a dominating figure at the heart of Bayer Leverkusen’s back four with his major strength being his ability to win aerial duels. Though his tendency of clear the ball out of defence with the use of long balls may not be in sync with the Barca philosophy, standing tall at 6’ 4” he provides the physical presence at the back which might prove to be decisive during set-pieces. He rose to prominence with some world class display for Nuremburg during 2010-11 season. Last season Leverkusen boasted of having the second best defence in the league and much of its credit needs to be given to Phillip who ended the season with this amazing stat of getting dribbled past by opponents only 0.5 times per game. Even though many won’t consider this transfer given the lack of European experience Woolschied has, this young man is truly a guy to watch out for.
4. ELIAQUIM MANGALA
Age: 22
Height: 6'2"
Club: FC Porto
Nationality: France
This 22 year old French International of Congolese descent is currently plying his trade with Porto. Mangala is best known for his physical presence in defence. He possesses the rare quality of being both strong and pacy which make him competent to defend against strikers who are burly or strikers who are swift. He is technically good with his positioning and combined with his pace & strength it makes him look like a complete package. Mangala’s biggest weakness is his consistency. As he’s still a young player who lacks experience, Mangala is prone to making judgmental errors and is known to give away silly free kicks near the defensive area. The 2011-12 season was the breakthrough one for Mangala as he cemented his place in the heart of Porto’s defence with 23 appearances in the league & 8 Champions league appearances. Another trait that works in his favour is his versatility which is a perfect fit to Barca’s total football philosophy as he has played as a Defensive Midfielder and also as a Full Back. As he continues to gain experience Mangala would be a smart buy in the coming transfer window.
5. DANIEL AGGER
Age: 28
Height: 6'3"
Club: Liverpool
Nationality: Denmark
An uncompromising defender whose Liverpool career has been marred by injuries but has shown the potential to be a quality CB with his masterful displays, Agger was one of the players Barca unsuccessfully bid during the recently concluded transfer window. Physically he’s strong, powerful and committed in tackle while technically he’s a great reader of the game and occupies perfect positions to make important interceptions. Though he isn’t very dominating in the air and is known to have a temper when not played regularily, his powerful and quick style of play make up for these imperfections. On the attacking front he has a rocket of left footer too. The 28 year old Dane has been quick to hit the ground running with numerous blocks and tackles this season and mouthing instructions to his fellow defenders like a true leader which has contributed to Liverpool’s so far perfect league start.
Back home Barcelona have put great faith in young starlets Marc Bartra and Frank Bagnack to hold the baton of defensive responsibilities in future and if they develop like their senior La Masia defenders-Puyol & Pique, the Barcelona dominance is bound to continue.
Though dominant in the league last season with record 100 points, Barcelona’s season was marked by their 7-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern in the Champions league semifinal. As dust settled on the match that many say will mark the End of the Barcelona era, there was an instant call by fans to sign a new CB to strengthen the back line and address the issues of aerial challenges & lack of pace at back.
In the summer transfer window, Barca were linked to hordes of defenders with the likes of David Luiz,Daniel Agger,Thiago Silva & Marquinhos being the prominent ones.The hefty price tags combined with the inability to find the perfect man to fit into the Barca style of play ultimately led to no new defensive signing.Barcelona have experimented in past by playing Defensive Midfielders at the back such as Mascherano,Adriano,Busquets,Song,Yaya Toure but none have looked comfortable enough in this foreign territory .
Ideally Barca need a young defender of about 22-27 age with ample experience of playing at the top level.Good in the air to counter Barca’s weakness of lack of height while defending set-pieces and have the speed to drop back quickly. However,the ability that is most valued at Barca is the ability to bring the ball out of defence and initiate the next attack,so spectacularily done by Gerard Pique in recent seasons before his current slump. Since Barca employ a high pressing tactic,the CB must be able to cover wide areas of the pitch when the ball is played down the channels. Knowing when not-to-commit is as important as knowing when to tackle since reducing the areas to attack can buy important seconds for the teammates to drop back to help in defence.
Since the need of the hour at Camp Nou is to buy a new CB to realize the dream of bringing another Champions League back home and assert their claim to the title ‘The Best Team Ever’, here’s our shortlist of 5 CB Barca should look to sign this coming January:
1. MATS HUMMELS
Age: 24
Height: 6'4"
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Nationality: Germany
The world came to know of Mats Hummels as one of the architects of the Rise and Rise of Borrusia Dortmund in European Football. As Dortmund continued to win hearts with their swift & entertaining playing style, Hummels came to be respected as The Rock at the centre of BVB’s defence by both his teammates & opponents. A perfect fit to Barca’s playing style as he is known to pass short with a knack for dribbling his way out of tough situations. He’s a fearless tackler similar to Carlos Puyol & is an indirect set-piece threat while attacking like Pique. At 24,he’s already the lynchpin of BVB & Germany national team since being played ahead of experienced Per Mertesacker in Euro 2012. The fact that he’s stated that he’ll only leave BVB to join Barca will come to as music to the Cules’ ears. Though he’s yet to hit the ground running this season, there isn’t any dearth of the quality that made him one of the most sought after CB in the market.
2. THOMAS VERMAELEN
Age: 27
Height: 5'11"
Club: Arsenal
Nationality:Belgium
Nicknamed as ‘The Verminator’ by the Arsenal fans and a graduate of the famed Ajax academy, the Gunners’ skipper is one of the most dependable CB in the premier league. Standing at 5’ 11”, Vermalean may not have the physical presence that Barca so desperately desire at the back but he’s commanding in the air and anticipates & deals with danger well. Being quick, determined and strong is what makes Vermalean a formidable opponent. He relishes attacking the ball and has a knack for scoring goals as proven by a goal on his Premier League debut, a 6-1 rout of Everton. The one weak link in his armour might be that he may be caught out of position if nobody covers for him into one of his runs forward. Though he missed nearly the entire 2010-11 season due to injury, Vermalean is known to be robust, uncompromising and a tough tackling CB. At 27, he may be desperate for the major trophies that have eluded him in his career and Barcelona will provide a perfect opportunity to achieve that. Hence an offer may be too tempting to resist.
3. PHILIPP WOLLSCHIED
Age: 24
Height: 6'4"
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Nationality: Germany
Though relatively unknown outside Bundesliga, Phillip has been a revelation since joining Sami Hyppia at BayArena. Woolschied has been a dominating figure at the heart of Bayer Leverkusen’s back four with his major strength being his ability to win aerial duels. Though his tendency of clear the ball out of defence with the use of long balls may not be in sync with the Barca philosophy, standing tall at 6’ 4” he provides the physical presence at the back which might prove to be decisive during set-pieces. He rose to prominence with some world class display for Nuremburg during 2010-11 season. Last season Leverkusen boasted of having the second best defence in the league and much of its credit needs to be given to Phillip who ended the season with this amazing stat of getting dribbled past by opponents only 0.5 times per game. Even though many won’t consider this transfer given the lack of European experience Woolschied has, this young man is truly a guy to watch out for.
4. ELIAQUIM MANGALA
Age: 22
Height: 6'2"
Club: FC Porto
Nationality: France
This 22 year old French International of Congolese descent is currently plying his trade with Porto. Mangala is best known for his physical presence in defence. He possesses the rare quality of being both strong and pacy which make him competent to defend against strikers who are burly or strikers who are swift. He is technically good with his positioning and combined with his pace & strength it makes him look like a complete package. Mangala’s biggest weakness is his consistency. As he’s still a young player who lacks experience, Mangala is prone to making judgmental errors and is known to give away silly free kicks near the defensive area. The 2011-12 season was the breakthrough one for Mangala as he cemented his place in the heart of Porto’s defence with 23 appearances in the league & 8 Champions league appearances. Another trait that works in his favour is his versatility which is a perfect fit to Barca’s total football philosophy as he has played as a Defensive Midfielder and also as a Full Back. As he continues to gain experience Mangala would be a smart buy in the coming transfer window.
5. DANIEL AGGER
Age: 28
Height: 6'3"
Club: Liverpool
Nationality: Denmark
An uncompromising defender whose Liverpool career has been marred by injuries but has shown the potential to be a quality CB with his masterful displays, Agger was one of the players Barca unsuccessfully bid during the recently concluded transfer window. Physically he’s strong, powerful and committed in tackle while technically he’s a great reader of the game and occupies perfect positions to make important interceptions. Though he isn’t very dominating in the air and is known to have a temper when not played regularily, his powerful and quick style of play make up for these imperfections. On the attacking front he has a rocket of left footer too. The 28 year old Dane has been quick to hit the ground running with numerous blocks and tackles this season and mouthing instructions to his fellow defenders like a true leader which has contributed to Liverpool’s so far perfect league start.
Back home Barcelona have put great faith in young starlets Marc Bartra and Frank Bagnack to hold the baton of defensive responsibilities in future and if they develop like their senior La Masia defenders-Puyol & Pique, the Barcelona dominance is bound to continue.
-Gaurav Mishra.
Follow me on Twitter - @GM_Barca
or
email us at - tbegame@gmail.com or follow us at @tbegame
nyc players out der
ReplyDeleteYes! would be interesting to see who comes in!
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