Eric Garcia to Barcelona

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Diaz was always on the fringes of our squad, it was going to be as difficult to break into out 1st squad as it was at Madrid. The difference was a return to his homeland and a very big improved contract.

Ironically, had he stayed, he would have got decent game time this season once Sané got injured. Players can only make decisions based on what they know/feel at the time, but football’s a funny old game.

 

[Keeper!]

Ironically, had he stayed, he would have got decent game time this season once Sané got injured. Players can only make decisions based on what they know/feel at the time, but football’s a funny old game.

You don't know that, his development may have stalled or diminished like at Madrid.

He is a Spaniard and the lure of playing and living in Madrid is huge and understandable.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

You don't know that, his development may have stalled or diminished like at Madrid.

He is a Spaniard and the lure of playing and living in Madrid is huge and understandable.

Anything that would have happened here after he left is hypothetical. Sané’s injury was real though.

 

[doobyedoobye]

His agent is negotiating a new contract and ultimately a very important one for his long term financial security. There needs to be at least 2 bidders to put him in the driving seat and this is what we have.

 

[daztrueblue91]

Unlikely, particularly when you consider you got him for free and was fully developed by Barcelona - hence why the player has rebuffed a contract extension, knowing full well the club will not pay a big fee for him. City have invested 3 years, Barcelona a decade. Naive to think otherwise.

Clear Pep & City have made the player feel important and expressed their trust in his future but similarly City & Pep also know that if the will of the player is to return to his home club there is little they can/will do to stop it. Domenech pointed out his desire to return is predicated on Barca showing an interest in his return - if they do not, he will stay of course. Perhaps Pep, like Luis Martin or Adrian Sanchez, does not have confidence this board prioritize his return - we'll see as I have my doubts as well

You’re assuming that all developmental years are equal when that is far from the case.

In terms of professional football, I’d argue that its the age of 16-19 which are arguably the most important. It’s these years which generally determine whether you are going to make it at the highest level or not.

We’ve seen plenty of promising youngsters at City fall by the wayside in these years through the lack of opportunity in the first team. Some of them have carved out a good career in the lower leagues.

It’s the same with Sancho. He left City as a promising youngster. However, it was Dortmund who turned him into a £70+ million player. Sure City helped nurture his talent, but it is opportunities that cement a valuation.

Back to Garcia, it is City who have nurtured him to a first team footballer, not Barca. In fact, judging the Barca board, if Garcia would have stayed, he’d probably be playing for the Albacete B team right now.

So you’re assumption that Barca have done all of the hard work and City just poached a young first team standard player on a free is quite frankly bullshit.

 

[LongsightM13]

This thread is so Denis Suarez.

I’ll save you the leg work, Celta Vigo.

I think in 3/4 years time when Taylor Harwood-Bellis comes through and is a squad fixture we might all be asking “Eric who?”
A bit like Foden and Brahim/Pozo.
THB just seems a better fit. Bigger, faster, more aggressive, a goal threat and already almost Garcia’s equal on the ball. And a local lad whose head won’t be turned by a former club.

 

[FCBarca]

You’re assuming that all developmental years are equal when that is far from the case.

You're making the assumption that I view the stages equally, I do not. After nearly 2 decades of following cantera players I know full well the differences. I also know at 16, Garcia was a blue chip talent & person/professional/leader as he has been at every youth level - the logic then was that he would continue on his development path. So I do not recognize the last 3 with City as somehow equal or trumping the previous decade at La Masia - if nothing else, preposterous to assume somehow in the reserves of City where even Pep has acknowledged is useless accounts for 'development'.

In terms of professional football, I’d argue that its the age of 16-19 which are arguably the most important. It’s these years which generally determine whether you are going to make it at the highest level or not.

Agree. I followed youth players but never got too excited about them until they hit 15 which is where the cream rose to the top. Defenders, of course, are looked at differently than a midfielder or attacking player. Barca hasn't had a player of Garcia's caliber, especially in central defense, since Puyol - ironic then the representation. Grimaldo is probably the only other defender I would draw a comparison to and he too was a massive loss and again a player this board of Rosell & Bartomeu were guilty of marginalizing due to not accepting the career path laid out by this aimless sporting management of said board. Garcia was not in the same boat or treated as shabbily and also why I do not believe this board will ever entertain paying over the odds or even fair market value for him - he was viewed as a player who jumped ship despite being prioritized and trusted. Either he saw a better opportunity with City & Pep or he felt what was coming from watching all his teammates ahead of him being used as trade fodder - I lean towards the latter

We’ve seen plenty of promising youngsters at City fall by the wayside in these years through the lack of opportunity in the first team. Some of them have carved out a good career in the lower leagues.

It’s the same with Sancho. He left City as a promising youngster. However, it was Dortmund who turned him into a £70+ million player. Sure City helped nurture his talent, but it is opportunities that cement a valuation.

I would not use Sancho as an example, he came to City at 15 and stayed 2 seasons - he is what I describe as a mercenary, going to the highest bidder or simply ascending in professional football on his own terms and not as a result of some development at a club

Back to Garcia, it is City who have nurtured him to a first team footballer, not Barca. In fact, judging the Barca board, if Garcia would have stayed, he’d probably be playing for the Albacete B team right now.

So you’re assumption that Barca have done all of the hard work and City just poached a young first team standard player on a free is quite frankly bullshit.

Apologies, mostly a well reasoned post but the conclusion is a massive leap much like Gooners claiming they developed/formed Cesc or United with Pique. These players, like Garcia were molded at La Masia and while cantera kids do not always have a path to the 1st team there is no question about Garcia

There was fury from the club when Garcia left to City 3 years ago and it was seen as a massive loss of a talented Catalan seen as a certain first teamer. He has not been forgotten or how he left which is also why the player knows full well he would have to proactively set in motion certain things to facilitate a return - hence the leak and refusing to extend

 

[daztrueblue91]

You're making the assumption that I view the stages equally, I do not. After nearly 2 decades of following cantera players I know full well the differences. I also know at 16, Garcia was a blue chip talent & person/professional/leader as he has been at every youth level - the logic then was that he would continue on his development path. So I do not recognize the last 3 with City as somehow equal or trumping the previous decade at La Masia - if nothing else, preposterous to assume somehow in the reserves of City where even Pep has acknowledged is useless accounts for 'development'.




Agree. I followed youth players but never got too excited about them until they hit 15 which is where the cream rose to the top. Defenders, of course, are looked at differently than a midfielder or attacking player. Barca hasn't had a player of Garcia's caliber, especially in central defense, since Puyol - ironic then the representation. Grimaldo is probably the only other defender I would draw a comparison to and he too was a massive loss and again a player this board of Rosell & Bartomeu were guilty of marginalizing due to not accepting the career path laid out by this aimless sporting management of said board. Garcia was not in the same boat or treated as shabbily and also why I do not believe this board will ever entertain paying over the odds or even fair market value for him - he was viewed as a player who jumped ship despite being prioritized and trusted. Either he saw a better opportunity with City & Pep or he felt what was coming from watching all his teammates ahead of him being used as trade fodder - I lean towards the latter




I would not use Sancho as an example, he came to City at 15 and stayed 2 seasons - he is what I describe as a mercenary, going to the highest bidder or simply ascending in professional football on his own terms and not as a result of some development at a club




Apologies, mostly a well reasoned post but the conclusion is a massive leap much like Gooners claiming they developed/formed Cesc or United with Pique. These players, like Garcia were molded at La Masia and while cantera kids do not always have a path to the 1st team there is no question about Garcia

There was fury from the club when Garcia left to City 3 years ago and it was seen as a massive loss of a talented Catalan seen as a certain first teamer. He has not been forgotten or how he left which is also why the player knows full well he would have to proactively set in motion certain things to facilitate a return - hence the leak and refusing to extend

Everyone knows that if you come through the Barca, Ajax or even City academy now, you are going to be technically gifted as a player. Yet there are thousands of technically gifted youngsters who do not make it at the top level.

The hardest part of the journey from academy player to the first team is the transition. There is clearly a huge problem at Barca getting the transition right.

The fact that Pique, Cesc and Garcia felt the need to leave highlights the problem. The years they spent at United, Arsenal and City, are the years they turned from boys to men. The jury is still out on Garcia but Pique and Cesc were world class players.

There is zero guarantee that their careers would have panned out the same way if they’d have stayed at Barca. I remember Bojan and Gai Assulin being banded about as the next big things. What happened to them?

To use a football analogy, Barca’s youth academy is creating chance after chance (nurturing Pique and Cesc) but missing the target. United and Arsenal come along and convert the chance. That’s why they were crucial in the development of Pique and Cesc and it is not a massive leap to suggest otherwise IMO.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

Harsh as it may seem, if he is interested in a move we should sell him IMO. We'd probably get 20-25m euros, considering what Brahim went for with 6 months left.

With Laporte and potentially Koulibaly and Ake replacing Stones and Otamendi, we would have 3 great centre backs. Garcia would be 4th choice. If he's anything less than 100% committed (and I'm not having a go at the lad, he's always given 110% and put his body on the line), i'd rather use Tosin and Taylor as our backups. Both club trained City fans who will bleed for the badge and not have their heads turned. That's worth something IMO.

 

[FCBarca]

Everyone knows that if you come through the Barca, Ajax or even City academy now, you are going to be technically gifted as a player. Yet there are thousands of technically gifted youngsters who do not make it at the top level.

There are significant differences between the 3 clubs & acadamies you listed. For the majority of youth players, the pinnacle is the first team if you begin as a child - even more so if you are local to the club (esp. Catalan). In the case of Ajax, currently the 1st team is not considered the pinnacle in European football so the aspiration for a player is often to eventually depart as has often been the case with Ajax players. In the case of City, I can only think of Foden as an example - they are not Barca in this regard despite the best efforts of former Barca players/execs/coaches to change the culture of the club.

Barca, on the other hand, is typically the pinnacle for a youth player and a departure ahead of the 1st team is typically down to a few scenarios.

1) Player simply is not at an appropriate level for the 1st team of Barca
2) Player is appropriate for 1st team but due to squad depth will never play or find it difficult to find minutes. Often leads to loans or transfers with buybacks
3) Player is not a priority due to discipline (Not common) or attitude/professionalism (Latter was levied at Deulofeu, for example)
4) Player or cantera players in general not a priority over market transfers, aka galacticos - this happened with Gaspart and worse for many cules under Bartomeu & Rosell now (Only Sergi Roberto had been promoted & remained w/ the first team in a decade)

Otherwise, cantera players desire to succeed here. Eric's departure underscored Points #2 & #4 with the latter being a larger problem over the last decade - the erosion of La Masia and failure to integrate youth players from the Cruyff model of development (With it's Ajax roots)

Look at Puig, he refused to be loaned out or transferred - he insisted on getting a 1st team shot and was content to even stay with the B team until he got the chance. Alena went through similar and was effectively forced out as was Carles Perez and Munir before him.

The hardest part of the journey from academy player to the first team is the transition. There is clearly a huge problem at Barca getting the transition right.

You are right that there needs to be a correction at Barca but the huge problem at Barca currently has been Rosell & Bartomeu and their dismantling of the cantera as a fundamental bedrock of the club & it's playing philosophy. Even at youth level, the club still does excellent until that 17-19 year age group of Barca B - primarily because they abandoned their playing style & instead recruited from outside the club rather than trust the kids nevermind promote them. Ergo, many sought to leave rather than be treated like cattle

The fact that Pique, Cesc and Garcia felt the need to leave highlights the problem. The years they spent at United, Arsenal and City, are the years they turned from boys to men. The jury is still out on Garcia but Pique and Cesc were world class players.

Broad generalization without understanding the nuances of the cases of Cesc & Pique which occurred during the transition to Laporta after Gaspart - there was a lack of confidence or trust in La Masia and those talented players sought opportunities elsewhere as a result. Pep had just left as a player and even Xavi considered leaving due to that abandoning of Cruyff principles. When the club course corrected under Laporta & eventually Pep, they returned and after that no other cantera player left the club who was prioritized - until Rosell was elected in 2010. Thiago was almost immediately sold a year later. Their model was to use the cantera players as commodities and it underscut that aspiration to thrive at the club

There is zero guarantee that their careers would have panned out the same way if they’d have stayed at Barca. I remember Bojan and Gai Assulin being banded about as the next big things. What happened to them?

Only hype had anything to do with Gai Assulin, he was never in the bracket of breakout stars - he was a one trick pony with pace. Bojan had a great start but when he refused Pep's advice to develop at Barca B he was marginalized - look where his career went. Personally, I liked Bojan but he had a confidence/mental issue - it was easier for him when he was a substitute and not seen as a protagonist. Again, apples & oranges comparisons

I'd say a player like Lee Seung Woo is a better example of what you describe, a phenom until he hit 15/16 and his progress slowed incredibly until he was sold. I was convinced he would be a star like Kubo (Before the FIFA ban). Some are not aware but like the 2002 golden generation of La Masia talents, Ansu, Kubo & Garcia formed a more recent golden generation that was believed to be nearly as great. Only luck allowed Ansu to get his chance since Suarez was recovering from injury in summer along with Dembele. Kubo was rebuffed on his desire to return and ended up at RM while Garcia headed for the exit 3 years ago - again due to lack of faith in sporting direction of the board

Cesc, Pique & Messi were part of the 2002 La Masia generation that were the most dominating youth side the club has known. Even before Cesc was poached by Arsenal, he was the voted the best player (Golden Ball & Golden Shoe) at the FIFA U17 championships. Let's not try to revise history, him & Pique were destined for great futures. They simply lacked confidence in the direction of the board, not unlike today where many super talented players have left (Olmo, Adama, Deulofeu, Munir, Thiago, Abel, Grimaldo, Cucurella, Perez). Hopefully under a new board, the club will course correct as I see the cantera as fundamental to the success of the club


As for Garcia's immediate future, more links to the club prioritizing him - whether that is true or a smokescreen to appease the base difficult to say still