Friendlies Summer 2009

[shep]

I hear Crewe are excellent; they once had Danny Murphy, Rob Jones, David Platt, Neil Lennon, Bruce Grobbelaar and Robbie Savage play for them, and they've a great reputation for developing youth players.

You forgot "Super" Dean Ashton

[Black and White]

The silliness/non-sensibleness of my posts has been pointed out?!

I've seen them play, FFS. They were poor, and laboured to beat a semi-pro side (Benidorm). What are your credentials for refuting that? A few players who don't play for them any more? I hear Crewe are excellent; they once had Danny Murphy, Rob Jones, David Platt, Neil Lennon, Bruce Grobbelaar and Robbie Savage play for them, and they've a great reputation for developing youth players.

You left out Dean Ashton and didnt Carragher have a stint there?

[pineapple stu]

I left out lots of players. That's just how good Crewe are.

(Though no joy with Carragher on wiki; one-club man apparently)

[SunderlandBohs]

Here lads hope this will clear up a few things about Barce B.

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/engli...tbol_base.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona_B

They are a Spanish version of a League 1 side. Someone like Leyton Orient.

[pineapple stu]

Except there's a much quicker fall off in the Spanish league, so they're probably more like a good non-league team.

Second division crowds in Spain fall to 2000-odd for some clubs; third division (which is regionalised) would be lower still. Leyton Orient at least manage 4500. Below 2000, you're really getting into the realms of semi-pro clubs.

[Dodge]

Surely, as a UCD fan who keeps the attendance thread here up to date, you're not suggesting that we should judge the merits of the two leagues based on crowds?

[Ezeikial]

Decent First Division standard; no more.

Except there's a much quicker fall off in the Spanish league, so they're probably more like a good non-league team.

Spanish league has a really quick "fall off" - first division to non-league in 24 hours!

[pineapple stu]

Surely, as a UCD fan who keeps the attendance thread here up to date, you're not suggesting that we should judge the merits of the two leagues based on crowds?

Nope, just pointing out that the division in general probably don't get enough to be fully pro, and then noting from that that the division Barca Atletic came fifth in is only a semi-pro league. (Obviously Barca Atletic are probably pro themselves). But there is a rough correlation between quality and attendances; that doesn't mean that a club like, for example, UCD can't come above their station.

Having been scorned for merely going to watch a team play, I'm now resorting to other ways of backing up my point. I of course await the Dundalk fans' attempt at using evidence to back their points up.

Spanish league has a really quick "fall off" - first division to non-league in 24 hours!

LoI First Division, English non-league.

[Dodge]

For the record, regardless of quality, its a far more interesting game for me than the majority of friendlies that will be played this year.

[pineapple stu]

Absolutely. I enjoyed watching the game. Just making the point not to expect much.

[SunderlandBohs]

Does it matter if its Barcelona's under 12's girls B team? It's just a friendly like!

[pineapple stu]

Not really, no. Although the Dundalk fans seem very upset for some reason at the notion that they mightn't be getting a team who could compete in the Premiership.

[endabob1]

Looking at their squad on the ever reliable wiki they have a few Spanish under age players in there, might be worth checking out their U21's against England to see if there are any Barca boys playing.

[pineapple stu]

Nope.

[Dodge]

The other thing to note about that Barca B team is that they're usually lads aged 17-20 and playing against fully grown men in their league. So while the overall standard mightn't be great you'll be able to clearly see some quality players. When Pats played a chelsea XI in our pre-seaosn we just about out muscled them but some of their play was terrific.

I think the team that played La Liga games for Barca between clinching the league and the winning the CL saw 7/8 of the reserves make their debut. Obviously players like Busquets were regulars in the reserves last year. With platinum fronting the money, I can't really see a downside to Bohs and Dundalk playing them (presuming Bohs euro games aren't affected)

[Longfordian]

Are platinum definitely fronting the money though?. It was in the Indo a few weeks ago that the Barca reserves were being offered to teams for 30k.

[pineapple stu]

The other thing to note about that Barca B team is that they're usually lads aged 17-20 and playing against fully grown men in their league. So while the overall standard mightn't be great you'll be able to clearly see some quality players.

Fair point alright. They're a young team, but they still looked very ordinary on the day. Can chalk it down to a bad day obviously, but I'd like to think I've seen enough young teams of up and coming players battling physical disadvantages to spot a promising player. It was actually their technical play I was most disappointed with and which was most League of Ireland-like.

[Dodge]

Are platinum definitely fronting the money though?. It was in the Indo a few weeks ago that the Barca reserves were being offered to teams for 30k.

Nope, I assumed they would. Fair cop…

30k is a massive outlay.

[Ezeikial]

Six of the squad appear to have already played in La Liga (five of them for FC Barcelona), in addition to two of them making recent Champions League appearences

There also seems to be a host of underage Spainish internationals (from u-17 to u-21), a full Israel international, and Jeffren Suarez who has yet to decide on Venezeula or Spain.


Assulin ST (18) Full and U-21 Israel international €20 million buy out clause
Olazábal GK (19) Spain U-19. Debut for FC Barcelona 2008
Botia DF (20) Spain U-20 and U-21.Debut for FC Barcelona 2009
Mino GK (20) Spain U-21 international
Corcoles DF (24) Spain u-17 international. Champions league debut 2006
Longas MF (24) La Liga debut for Real Zaragoza 2006
Alcantara MF (18) Spain U-17, U-18, U19 international. Debut for FC Barcelona 2008. Winner of the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship with Spain
Vazquez MF (22) Debut for FC Barcelona 2008. Champions League 2009
Suarez ST (21) Spainish U-19, U20, U-21 international. Declined Venezuelan international call up in 2007. Scored twice for FC Barcelona in last pre-season. Full La Liga debut 2009

[Longfordian]

Nope, I assumed they would. Fair cop…

30k is a massive outlay.

Not too far off what you'd be paying for some Legends games though by all accounts.