The Fans Football Blog3

author: Ewan MacDonald
source: Goal.com
date: 22 March 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Barcelona's summer was one of muted, yet extremely important transition. It was very much a case of quality over quantity - a set number of transfers, to repair a few positions, rather than a trolley-dash to land everyone on the market. Club president Joan Laporta, having just managed to weather a vote of confidence against his leadership, knew more than anyone that it was key to get it right. The amount spent in the summer - €88m for just a few first-teamers - bears testament to that.

Perhaps the best "signing" of all does not appear here, and thus he is not graded. Samuel Eto'o's decision to remain at the club has been rewarded as he storms towards the Pichichi award and Barcelona lead the Primera pack. Frank Rijkaard sauntered out of the Camp Nou dressing room for the last time; in his place strode the businesslike Pep Guardiola, who has certainly done the business so far.

IN: Martin Caceres (Villarreal); Dani Alves (Sevilla); Henrique (Palmeiras); Aliaksandr Hleb (Arsenal); Seydou Keita (Sevilla); Jose Manuel Pinto (Celta Vigo); Gerard Pique (Manchester United)

OUT: Marc Crosas (Celtic – loan); Deco (Chelsea); Edmilson (Villarreal); Santiago Ezquerro (Osasuna); Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur), Henrique (Bayer Leverkusen - loan); Oleguer Presas (Ajax); Ronaldinho (AC Milan); Lilian Thuram (retired); Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).

Martin Caceres: D+
The idea was right. Carles Puyol, while rock-solid at the moment, won't be around forever; Rafael Marquez, meanwhile, is beginning to show his age. So, what better than a young-centre-back? Well, a young centre-back who doesn't cost €16.5m up front, and who will play something resembling a key role, that's what.

Caceres, a smouldering Uruguayan, has been unfortunate with injury, but even during periods of fitness he has hardly impressed. In other words we have an injury-prone, potentially unhappy, and very expensive youngster on the bench.

Dani Alves: A
Daniel Alves, accepted a move to Barcelona in 2008 in order to test his skills at the next level. Alves has delivered. Flying down the right wing in his trademark style, he is, the finest attacking wing-back in the world. That he plays for a side as forward-looking as Barcelona is simply grist for the mill, rather than a source of worry, for a man whose defensive prowess has been called into question.

In fact Dani is a perfectly reasonable right-back, being strong in the tackle and fast on the chase. It's just that in the attacking sense he goes above and beyond. Only his mammoth price tag - an inevitable one, admittedly - prevents him from picking up the A+ grade.

Aliaksandr Hleb: E
He was no Ronaldinho, sure, but had a proven track record on the left side of attack for a Premier League giant. Hleb has done precisely nothing to justify his massive price tag, scarcely making a league appearance and failing to justify his shirt when he does so. What's more, he's openly entertained the prospect of leaving: hardly the kind of attitude wanted from a man who must earn his place in the team, rather than simply be awarded it.

Well, we know he can be a valuable squad member, as he showed at Arsenal. The 27-year-old Belarussian is under contract for three more years but with Bayern Munich waiting in the wings at least Barcelona can recoup some of the wasted money this summer.

Seydou Keita: B-
The man looked at as the second 'Mr. Dependable', Seydou Keita arrived from Sevilla looking both to compete for Yaya Toure's defensive midfield slot, and also to augment it. So far his appearances have been limited in the Blaugrana shirt, but Keita has repaid the faith shown in him with confident, if largely, unspectacular showings.

Gerard Pique: C
While certainly providing more value-for-money than Caceres, the jury remains out on a local boy made good. Pique arrived this summer from Manchester United for a relatively low initial fee, having failed to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford. At Camp Nou, he's been something of a regular fixture. His earnestness cannot be denied, but occasionally he gives the impression of a great, loping St. Bernard when a sleek greyhound would do the trick.

Nonetheless he has time on his side and, as his loan spell at Zaragoza proves, he can operate as a defensive midfielder in a pinch.

FINAL GRADE: B-
The Blaugrana's transfer policy over the last few seasons has been one of iterative change, rather than wholesale alterations, and this has served them well. However, signings like Martin Caceres and Aliaksandr Hleb, seem like a lot of cash thrown away on very little.

In other words, in a summer in which Barca spent around twice as much as they brought in, the problem of the centre (and to a lesser extent, left side) of the defence remains unsolved.

read the full and original article here


Read more:
Barcelona involved in five summer top transfers
The complete Dani Alves transfer story
Henrique to return and Caceres to leave on loan