Eric Garcia to Barcelona

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This is only my opinion but I've not changed my views on him just because he's called for a taxi.
I think that he's very good now (at 19yo) and that he'll further develop into an excellent player, maybe even world class, but he wasn't the right fit for us because his heart wasn't in our project at this juncture.
Maybe if he'd played his games in front of a proper crowd he'd have felt the love of our supporters and stayed? And maybe he looked at one of these forums and presumed the barbed comments to be typical of our supporters thoughts towards him (which could put anyone off!)

Anyhow, whatever the case, I'm not in the least angered by his impending departure, he's been a loyal employee, he's never bad mouthed the club or downed tools or anything of that nature. But he's a Spanish Catalan and he wants to play for the team he supported as a kid, the club that developed him throughout his most formative years, the "local / Catalan" team that's also amongst the best in Europe. Plus he gets to live at on his own stamping ground where the sun shines and his family and friends will be all around him.
Who could be so full of bile as to lambast a young lad for that?

We have a huge academy, we take young players from lots of other clubs around the world and it's inevitable that some of them will toddle off in due course because if they weren't minded to ever move clubs then we'd have never got them in the first place would we?
Some will do it in such an arsey fashion that they won't be welcomed back. Some, like Eric Garcia, will leave with fond memories of the time they had with us, may have felt the love of our club and may be grateful for that and inclined to return one day.
Barca's management structure seems to suffer repeated trauma. Maybe Eric will sign on for 5 years and then be heading back to us when he's 23/ 24 and has developed into a world beater with 1 year left on his contract?

Those who struggle to deal with loss should maybe understand that it's their own emotional frailty that makes them get like that, and then think twice about slating the lad. It doesn't change anything, it's not nice and it makes them sound like quivery lipped scousers.
The fact remains that he could well develop into something very special and he could maybe return to us one day - so no point in getting out of shape and burning emotional bridges because it's childish and who know eh?
 
FCBarca said:
You can joke all you like but there's precedent and it is happening again almost verbatim to how I proposed

As I have said before, even Pep has talked extensively on this. Barca is different, particularly for Catalans who start there & dreamt of succeeding there. It's the pinnacle for them
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Now you just need long term replacements for Messi, Luis Suarez and Busquets? Also sold Arthur and Vidal is old so you're light In midfield? Need a lb too?
 
Never remotely good enough, imo. I’d go as far as to say I never saw anything that made me think he could succeed in the Prem.

My biggest gripe is Pep playing him since we resumed after lockdown, to try and win him over. Transparent as fuck, and now leave us having to bring back Dinho to a position he’s not really played in since March. Terrible decision.
 
Perhaps he may have been party to the recruitment plans this off season. Interesting in his quotes that he wants to be in the first 11 and feels with Pique retiring next year he'll get that at Barca - tells me that we are planing on buying players to step in now not for the future. I like him and he is clearly intelligent so I am surprised he wants to go home to a club that once Messi retires will have to rebuild a lot. No good keeping players who don't see their future here, I just hope that we play hard ball and get a fee that his promise justifies.

The more I learn about Ake and seeing his interviews makes me think we've upgraded from a player with potential to one who will go the the next level under our coaching system.

Finally it was refreshing to listen to Rodri say that by being at a club full of top players pushes him and how happy he is at Manchester City. Good lad. He will be tremendous next season.

Thanks Eric, good luck, we'll be fine.
 
Charlesfarsbar said:
Hopefully this means stones gets a reprieve and sorts his head out. No point in letting him go for next to nothing then having to replace him
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How long do you keep waiting for Stones to 'sort his head out'. It really is in everyones best interests if Stones moves on.

Otamendi has the best chance of staying, he knows what Pep wants and is out of contract next year anyway. Unless Txiki can work some magic we will struggle to move Otamendi on so we may as well keep him. Unfortunately maybe loan out Tosin for another season or sell him as well.

Koulibaily and Otamendi as your two options at RCB is fine.
 
I don't @Dobsy but even Pep & Txiki were not oblivious to the reality that the player would eventually want to return anymore than the fact that even now at La Masia or in the 1st team Pep is seen as a footballing god. So to play under him is indeed a privilege, irrespective of City

No disrespect to City because I very much like what is being built in Manchester but there are significant differences with Barca that are not immaterial to his contract situation - differences, as I say, that are perfectly understood by Pep & Txiki too
 
Dobsy said:
Saying "it's not a slight on City" doesn't make it so. I'm sorry but "he is a cantera player that simply got 3 years of tutelage from Pep" is a very arrogant comment. It is completely dismissive of the support and structure around Pep and all the efforts that have been made by other people in Manchester. Manchester City is more than Pep Guardiola.

While I stand by that comment I appreciate your perspective and I wouldn't want you to feel unwelcome here at all, so please don't take this as hostile.
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Nah. He can fuck off as he’s an arrogant gobshite.
 
OrigamiNinja said:
Unsurprising.

I am not as devastated as some on here. Its one thing finishing a season having broken into the side because more senior players have been dump, its another thing entirely, starting the next season in the team after a transfer window.

I said previously on here that if he started next season any higher than 4th or 5th choice CB then we had failed in the transfer window. Better for us that he goes now for a decent fee, while his stock has been artificially inflated due to Stones and Otamendi.

Good luck Eric.
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Don't disagree as such. But he won't be any higher than 4th or 5th choice at Barca either.

I've never debated the draw of going back to Barcelona, amongst their academy players, and if that is his reason, fair enough and good luck to him. It isn't playing time, he got chances here, that i dou t he'd have got there. And i doubt it is money. Sometimes, it is what it is.

The fee still has to be right though.
 
Good player with a great footballing brain and loads of potential. Shame he isn't staying but clear he won't be an immediate starter for us. If the chat from Barca re being Pique's heir are true, it makes sense for him from a career perspective, as well as personal
 
FCBarca said:
Soon

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At least it gives you chance to crow and then laugh with the rags
 
Delphinho said:
Absolutely nobody on this forum is interested in you wanking all over your club. This is a City forum if you hadn’t already noticed. And your club isn’t that fantastic and «different» as you think. You’re in massive debt, but since you’ve always been a big club you’re allowed to do exactly what you want without having to deal with consequences. Once Messi leaves you’ll be absolutely fucked. Go stick some paella up your arse you arrogant ****
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I believe he is Swiss. So, raclette or rösti might be more appropriate than paella. :-)
 
Rammy Blue said:
Never remotely good enough, imo. I’d go as far as to say I never saw anything that made me think he could succeed in the Prem.

My biggest gripe is Pep playing him since we resumed after lockdown, to try and win him over. Transparent as fuck, and now leave us having to bring back Dinho to a position he’s not really played in since March. Terrible decision.
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Don't be silly. He was of course good enough.

Pep was playing him ahead of Stones and Otamendi. The club offered him a good contract. They wouldn't have done that if they thought he wasn't good enough.

Barca clearly think he's good enough.
 
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