Eric Garcia to Barcelona

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Wheras Garcia, who can't defend for shit & isn't as good a defender as THB, is allowed to make exactly the same mistakes & be just as slow as an average 2nd team defender, but is welcome in the first team.

Perhaps if Taylor changes his name to Juan he might get some respect.
They are both young players at the start of their pro careers playing in my opinion the 2nd hardest position to play after a goalkeeper.
Garcia has acquitted himself brilliantly and clearly the club wanted him to stay by offering him a very lucrative contract. He wants to return home to Spain and Barca, a wonderful move for him.
THB looked good in the league cup games, a better out and out defender in my opinion but not yet at the same level as a footballer.
 
I don't like how everyone has just turned on Garcia and all of a sudden are pretending that he's shite. The kid clearly has something, does he make mistakes? Yes, but not many given his age and experience. Is he perfectly built for a CB? No, but neither was Baresi and we're not even asking him to play that type of role. His game is probably more suited to Spain, he's a young Catalonian who i assume would have stayed at Barca if he had seen a path to the first team. But they're on a new path now, the line to the first team for him is much clearer given that Pique isn't going to last much longer and they'll need someone to take up that symbol of Barca role. We can't really blame him for that.

However what i don't like, and something i 100% take issue with is the timing. Between City & Garcia we should have had this boxed off ages ago. If we didn't, we shouldn't have even discussed it again, and had assurances from Garcia's people that there would be no discussions until after whatever happens in the Champs League. I know you can't trust agents and especially Barca, but i think they would have understood that we're not trying to fuck them over. But i think Garcia in the last month or so, was being primed to start the Madrid game and that was proven when he was chosen to start against Liverpool and Arsenal. I can't see him starting tonight, it wouldn't make sense to start someone who doesn't want to be here and it goes against what Pep always says.

Get the Torres money for him, draw a line under it and move on.
 
I don't like how everyone has just turned on Garcia and all of a sudden are pretending that he's shite. The kid clearly has something, does he make mistakes? Yes, but not many given his age and experience. Is he perfectly built for a CB? No, but neither was Baresi and we're not even asking him to play that type of role. His game is probably more suited to Spain, he's a young Catalonian who i assume would have stayed at Barca if he had seen a path to the first team. But they're on a new path now, the line to the first team for him is much clearer given that Pique isn't going to last much longer and they'll need someone to take up that symbol of Barca role. We can't really blame him for that.

However what i don't like, and something i 100% take issue with is the timing. Between City & Garcia we should have had this boxed off ages ago. If we didn't, we shouldn't have even discussed it again, and had assurances from Garcia's people that there would be no discussions until after whatever happens in the Champs League. I know you can't trust agents and especially Barca, but i think they would have understood that we're not trying to fuck them over. But i think Garcia in the last month or so, was being primed to start the Madrid game and that was proven when he was chosen to start against Liverpool and Arsenal. I can't see him starting tonight, it wouldn't make sense to start someone who doesn't want to be here and it goes against what Pep always says.

Get the Torres money for him, draw a line under it and move on.

You know the rules any player wants to leave not on our terms turns to shite get with it. ;)
 
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I fall towards the opinion that García is a very talented footballer and tremendously comfortable on the ball, but that his weaknesses are towards his defensive skill set - lack of height, physicality and pace - all things that he might overcome and be up there with the Cannavaros or Baresi’s of this world.

On the flip side his performance at RB was abysmal, and he’s looked weak defensively on a good few occasions and his lack of pace stands out.

We won’t find out for us now but in 4/5 years we’ll know if it’s a huge regret that he got away.

In the short term I’m more than happy with us seeking to go with Laporte, Ake, an elite signing such as KK or alternative, Ferny, and THB in the background. We might even keep one of Stones or Otters.

I’m also pleased that the club are putting a figure of £30m out there - decent initial fee with add ons to get to that price, it will also mean that Eric and Sane’s sales cover our first two bits of transfer business which is more than decent.
 
Absolutely nothing against Garcia wanting to move - hope he does this transfer window as its a bit more money into the pot to improve our squad.

He is a decent player with the ball at his feet (but not as good as Laporte as he doesnt have his range of passing) but long term premiership ability with his lack of height, pace and strength were always going to limit him in a much more physical league.

I was disappointed to see Sane go as replacing him is going to be hard (Torres looks a good prospect if not slighty different) but replacing Garcia with an equally effective centre half wont be too hard (and we have a better one for the right hand side in John Stones if we can get his head right - and if not he will be sold and together with what ever money we get for Garcia and Stones we can work on getting another player in or promoting THB if he develops over the next 12 months - he certainly has the physical attributes that Garcia doesnt have)

The only bad bit about this is the way Barca as a club have acted -under the table/behind people's backs tapping up the player. Garcia's agent may have also been involved in this and Garcia himself is to blame for that - he controls the agent. Barca with their huge debt but still part of the elite telling the world how football clubs should be run - its a joke

Id bench him tonight vs madrid and play Ferna or Stones there next to Laporte - sends a very strong message to Garcia that he now needs to move on very quickly and that if he decides to work with Barca to do us over on a transfer fee by waiting a year then he will spend a year in the stands unless absolutely needed. At this point in his development that will do him no good whatsoever as his peers will keep progressing and he will stagnate.

10-15m and Id snap Barca's hand off - he should go onto having a decent career in the Spanish top league but Id be pretty sure we will never see a top premiership team go for him (not cause the premiership is better than the Spanish league - its not) but because he simply doesnt have the physical attributes to do be part of a top team in the premiership long term

Would liverpool have him - no
Would Chelsea have him - no
Utd wouldnt have him
 
They are both young players at the start of their pro careers playing in my opinion the 2nd hardest position to play after a goalkeeper.
Garcia has acquitted himself brilliantly and clearly the club wanted him to stay by offering him a very lucrative contract. He wants to return home to Spain and Barca, a wonderful move for him.
THB looked good in the league cup games, a better out and out defender in my opinion but not yet at the same level as a footballer.

So if Tosin or THB play & run like they are wearing diving suits, can't get off the ground, are turned inside out in the space of a telephone box by no mark, journeyman attackers, this will still rate as 'brilliant' as opposed to when we laugh at Phil Jones when he does it, (less often than Garcia )?
 
So if Tosin or THB play & run like they are wearing diving suits, can't get off the ground, are turned inside out in the space of a telephone box by no mark, journeyman attackers, this will still rate as 'brilliant' as opposed to when we laugh at Phil Jones when he does it, (less often than Garcia )?
Clearly people on here think because they are local guys they should be taking up valuable squad places and are good enough to play in one of the best football teams in the world.
I find that incredible, especially in term of Tosin. He has had a decent season in a average team in the championship, yet people on here think he is miraculously good enough for our squad.
 
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