FCBnews

Eto'o Or Villa?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:39:07 +0100

It is looking as if we will soon know who will be our main striker will be next season. It is well known that Barça have made a bid of over €40 million for Valencia's David Villa and that Villa is keen to come. At the same time Manchester City have made an offer for Samuel Eto'o that could see Eto'o become the highest paid player in the world.

Of course, a transfer is not complete until the contract is officially signed by all parties. Valencia may turn down the offer from Barça while Samuel Eto'o may decide he is not suited to the rain in Manchester with no Champions League to play. Maybe we end up with both players or neither of them: could the two of them play in the same team?

I've often argued that there is no substitute for Samuel Eto'o but I have to admit I am excited by the prospect of signing Villa. A few months ago I ran a poll asking who was the best goalscorer in the world. Not surprisingly for a Barça blog Eto'o won easily but Villa came in fourth behind Eto'o, Van Nistlerooy and Fernando Torres. Their goalscoring records in recent years are similar but Eto'o just has the edge: in 5 seasons at Barça Eto'o has netted 121 goals in 177 games while Villa has scored 101 in 171 games in four seasons for Valencia.

The argument goes that Villa would score more with Barça as he would have more chances. Villa is also slightly younger than Eto'o (by 9 months) and suffers fewer injuries than the African. He also has the advantage that he will not miss games through the African Cup. Eto'o, on the other hand, has made history at Barça by becoming our first player to score in two Champions League finals.

I have to admit that I'm quite divided by this one. I would be sorry to see Eto'o leave, especially to play for a team like Man City, but as I said I am also excited at the chance to sign a player as good as Villa. I think they could both play in the same team but perhaps it would bring other problems as it would be difficult to see either player on the subs bench for too long. At the end of the day I just hope we have one of these two fine players when the season begins in August.

Toure Signs Until 2012

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:25:31 +0100

Excellent news this morning. As expected Toure Yaya reached an agreement with the club to extend his contract until 2012. Toure, who is 26, will see a rise in his pay although the details of this were not given. His release clause has gone up from €60 million to €100 million euros. Toure definitely deserves the improvement in his contract, having been one of the team's most consistant performers since joining the club in 2007.

Still No Movement In The Transfer Market

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:21:17 +0100

Another week goes by and still no movement in the transfer market. The local press continues to add names to the growing list of possible signings, but it really is very difficult to read between the lines to see which of the names are the most likely to come. It seems we are looking to add five players to the squad: a left back, a centre back, a defensive midfielder, a wide attacker and a centre forward.

One of the players who may sign in the next week or so is Deportivo's Brazilian left back, Filipe Luis. It also seems likely that the other left back option, Zhirkov will finally move to Chelsea. The centre back could be Shakhtar Donetsk's Dmytro Chygrynskiy, while Barça may decide to keep Henrique out on loan for another season.

I'm not quite sure why we need to sign a defensive midfielder as we have Toure Yaya, Busquets and Keita to cover here. However, there has been quite a lot of talk about Javier Mascherano, perhaps it is just a precaution in case Toure doesn't sign his new contract. On the subject of signing new contracts it seems that Victor Valdés has still not signed despite the reports last Friday that the agreement had been made.

Franck Ribery is still in the running to join the club but his options seem to be dropping as Barça consider other possibilities such as Robinho and Ashley Young. I think Young is an excellent young player with potential, but whether we want to risk €30 milllion on him I'm not so sure. Robinho has plenty of talent but I'm not quite sure if he would fit in at Barça with Guardiola's strict regime.

Of the strikers it is looking more and more likely that it could finally be David Villa who comes, but Villa and the other candidates Ibrahimovic and Forlan are all expensive. Who knows, it may turn out like last summer and Eto'o stays and we sign nobody. Whatever the case I'd rather we were talking about David Villa than Emmanuel Adebayor who was linked with a move to Barça last summer.

I hope there is some movement soon, most of all to be able to write about them on this blog. I'm afraid I haven't got into the Confederates Cup yet, I think I just want to maintain the Champions League final in my memory, and any other football I see from now on will always be inferior to what we saw in Rome and over the last season. However, I may decide to watch Spain and United States later today and hopefully we can see a Brazil-Spain final at the weekend.

Barça Finish US Tour In San Francisco Against Chivas

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:20:54 +0100

Good news for Culés in California. The last game of Barça's summer tour of the United States will be at San Francisco's Candlestick Park stadium against Chivas of Guadalajara. The game will take place on August 9 at 0500h Spanish time. I'm not 100% on the time difference but I believe California is nine hours behind Spain so in San Francisco I presume the game will kick off at 8pm on Saturday 8th August. Maybe someone can confirm this. Last year we beat Chivas 5-2 in a preseason game in Chicago.

Our preseason schedule now looks like this. (times are Spanish local time)

July 24 - Tottenham (Wembley 9pm)

July 26 - Al-Ahly (Wembley 2.15pm)

Aug 1 - Los Angeles Galaxy (Rose Bowl, Pasedena 5am)

Aug 5 - Seattle Sounders (Qwest Field, Seattle 4.30am)

Aug 9 - Chivas (Candlestick Park, San Francisco 5am)

Aug 16 - Athletic Bilbao - Spanish Supercup 1st leg (San Mames, Bilbao)

Aug 18 - Gamper (rival to be announced) (Camp Nou, Barcelona)

Aug 23 - Athletic Bilbao - Spanish Supercup 2nd leg (Camp Nou, Barcelona)

Aug 28 - Shakhtar Donetsk - European Supercup (Monaco)

Vote For Barça's Player Of The Season

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:16:05 +0100

Apologies for the lack of posting over the last week or so, I really have been very busy. Besides, to write every day about the latest transfer rumour quite frankly becomes a bit boring. For today you have the chance to vote for the player you think was the best for Barça over the last season. I´ve already voted for Leo Messi, but there is certainly a case for other players. So, who is it for you?

Transfer Rumours Ad Infinitum

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:37:11 +0100

We are well into the second week of transfer speculation and while Florentino waves the chequebook to bring in Ronaldo and Kaka, we still haven't signed anybody. So, should we be worried? Personally, I feel there is no need to make any rash moves, however, with United and Milann now with money in the bank there is a risk that this summer we will see elevated prices in the transfer market. Both clubs will want replacements and are likely to bid high for players like Franck Ribery.

It may be dangerous but I like our policy on transfers. It seems we only want to sign players who truly want to play for us. In this sense the most likely signing would appear to be Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Franck Ribery, but it seems the club are ready to wait to try to negotiate a better price. Many other players have also been mentioned in various rumours including Zhirkov, Benayoun, Mascherano, Robinho, Silva and Villa. Many of the stories are based on very little and are often no more than an agent saying his player would be interested in a possible move.

In the same way, we have to put up with all the stories of players who might leave. The story about Toure Yaya quite frankly appears to be his agent trying to get the player a better contract. These things are typical at this time of year and I would be very surprised if Toure decides to leave. The same can be said for Victor Valdés whose agent today stated that they are a long way from reaching an agreement for the goalkeeper's new contract. Finally, the stories persist about Samuel Eto'o. With just a year left on his contract Eto'o would be free to leave next summer for nothing. So, should we cash in now by selling, offer him an improved contract or just leave things be for now and see how he does next season? I would be sorry to see any of these players leave, but at the end of the day the club cannot go over the top with improved contracts. If we pay a player more than he is worth it will ultimately lead to problems in the dressing room as players on less money will question why so-and-so earns so much.

Bonito Baba Wins Fantasy Football

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:23:49 +0100

It may not be as important as winning the treble but Bonito Baba managed by Layibiyi can be proud of winning this season's Fcbnews fantasy football league with a total of 1917 points. Bonito Baba have led all the way and were really no contest for any of us. Layibiyi also takes a lot of credit for finishing 16th in the overall Oleole league. Hopefully you will all take part again next season.

The final positions were as follows:

16	bonito baba	1917
48	Go Ahead Turkeys	1643
131	Valo FC	1456
238	FC Barcelona	1386
250	FC Aspire	1377
288	North Stars	1356
312	Riverdale FC	1343
321	Mi Estrella Francis	1338
348	( o ) ( o )	1329
361	Ashy Larry	1322
530	Prijs	1260
584	Inter lil Rascals	1245
593	FCBML	1241
727	el equipo magnífico	1210
1046	FC Buck Nasty	1143
1418	Mes Que Un Club	1076
1973	Braineaters FC	985
2108	Crianza CF	962
2289	Barca-Egypt	930
2395	Fantasi	910
2439	FC Maribor	900
2523	Charingun FC	885
2700	N.Y. United	851

Barça Player By Player Review Of The Season 2008/9

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:24:43 +0100

It's taken me longer than expected but finally I bring you the Fcbnews Player by Player Review of the Season. For each player there is a brief resumé followed by the statistics for La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey and overall figures. There is also a player rating taken as an average for their ratings in every game this season. I would say that anything above 6.5 is an excellent score. It is interesting to see that three of the most argued-about players, Abidal, Eto'o and Valdés all achieved the same score of 6.55 for the season. You can make your own conclusions, here's the review:

Victor Valdes: Another good season from Valdes. Will no doubt still have his retractors but there were few errors this season, the worst being the poor kick to Ivan de la Peña in the defeat at home to Espanyol. He responded well in the big games, his saves against Real Madrid at Camp Nou and in the two legs against Chelsea were vital. Won the goalkeeper’s Zamora trophy for conceding the fewest goals in La Liga. Liga: minutes played 3150, games played 35, goals conceded 31, rating 6.51. Champions League: minutes 1260, games 14, goals 11, rating 6.64. Overall: minutes 4410, games 49, goals 42, rating 6.55.

Jose Pinto: Was chosen as goalkeeper for the Copa del Rey. His penalty save at Mallorca in the semi-final was a crucial moment in the season. Made one bad blunder in the quarter-final against Espanyol but was fortunate that the goal did not matter. Liga: minutes 180, games 2, goals 2 rating 6.50. Copa del Rey: minutes 810, games 9, goals 6, rating 6.44. Overall: minutes 990, games 11, goals 6.45 rating 6.45.

Dani Alves: Excellent first season for the Brazilian. His tireless style gives us more options in attack though his crossing could improve. Had an excellent spell in December and January, and built up a good understanding with Messi on the right. No one doubts he is worth every penny of the €30 million paid to Sevilla last summer. Should be our first choice right back for a long time. Liga: minutes 2924, games 34, goals 5, rating 6.76. Champions League: minutes 1066, games 12, goals 0, rating 6.37. Copa del Rey: minutes 713 games 8 goals 0, rating 6.81. Overall: minutes 4703, games 54, goals 5, rating 6.69.

Gerard Piqué: Started his first season well, was a bit inconsistent during the winter but finished the season in superb form. His leadership qualities were seen in the fight back at Chelsea and we may well prove to be an excellent captain in the future. The icing on the cake for Piqué was the sixth goal in the Bernabeu. At €5 million, he was the best buy of last summer. Liga: minutes 2207, games 25, goals 1, rating 6.66. Champions League: minutes 1184, games 14, goals 1, rating 6.89. Copa del Rey: minutes 540, games 6, goals 1, rating 6.42. Overall: minutes 3931, games 45, goals 3, rating 6.70.

Rafa Marquez: Not quite back to the level he showed in his first two seasons at Barça but generally a good season from the Mexican. His occasional lapses of concentration could have cost us dearly, especially when he let Drogba in at Camp Nou. Injury saw him miss out on the completion of the treble in May but he played an important part in the season. Liga: minutes 1994, games 23, goals 1, rating 6.43. Champions League: minutes 824, games 10, goals 1, rating 6.65. Copa del Rey: minutes 202, games 4, goals 1, rating 6.33. Overall: minutes 3020, games 37, goals 3, rating 6.49.

Carles Puyol: Did an excellent job this season playing in every defensive position. Continues to lead by example but does not quite reach the standards he was showing three or four seasons ago. Makes up for occasional poor position with his never-say-die attitude. Scored his only goal of the season in the 2-6 win at Real Madrid. Liga: minutes 2381, games 28, goals 1, rating 6.71. Champions League: minutes 937, games 11, goals 0, rating 6.41. Copa del Rey: minutes 446, games 6, goals 0, rating 6.17. Overall: minutes 3764, games 45, goals 1, rating 6.57.

Martin Caceres: More was expected from the Uruguayan in his first season. Having arrived for €16 million last summer, he was overshadowed by Piqué. His sending off at Mallorca in the cup almost cost us dearly, but his performances were improving at the end of the season. Should probably be loaned out for a season to see if he can improve. Liga: minutes 779, games 13, goals 0, rating 6.29. Champions League: minutes 218, games 3, goals 0, rating 5.83. Copa del Rey: minutes 530, games 7, goals 0, rating 5.36. Overall: minutes 1527, games 23, goals 0, rating 5.93.

Sylvinho: Used sparingly at first, he came more and more into the team as the season progressed. His excellent performance against Manchester United put a fitting end to his time at Barça. With his contract at an end he will be released this summer. Liga: minutes 892, games 15, goals 0, rating 6.36. Champions League: minutes 454, games 7, goals 1, rating 6.58. Copa del Rey: minutes 632, games 8, goals 0, rating 6.07. Overall: minutes 1978, games 30, goals 1, rating 6.32.

Eric Abidal: A great improvement after his disappointing first season. His speed at the back has been very important to us, especially when defending counter attacks. Was missed for seven weeks after getting injuredagainst Espanyol and then was desperately unfortunate to miss both the finals in May due to red cards at the wrong time. Liga: minutes 2123, games 25, goals 0, rating 6.70. Champions League: minutes 426, games 5, goals 0, rating 6.00. Copa del Rey: minutes 99, games 2, goals 0, rating 6.00. Overall: minutes 2648, games 32, goals 0, rating 6.55.

Victor Sanchez: Did reasonably well for a youngster in his first season. Probably not got the talent to make it big time at Barça. Perhaps he could be loaned out for a season if not sold to give a chance to other up-and-coming youngsters. Liga: minutes 254, games 7, goals 0, rating 6.00. Champions League: minutes 173, games 3, goals 0, rating 5.83. Copa del Rey: minutes 170, games 2, goals 0, rating 5.50. Overall: minutes 597, games 12, goals 0, rating 5.85.

Toure Yaya: An immense season from Toure. After rumours of a possible transfer at the start of the season he made the defensive midfield role his own. Heroically filled in at centre back at the end of the season after Rafa Marquez’s injury. He was playing as a defender in the Copa del Rey final when he scored the all important equalizer. Liga: minutes 1910, games 25, goals 2, rating 6.79. Champions League: minutes 892, games 11, goals 0, rating 6.73. Copa del Rey: minutes 539, games 42, goals 1, rating 6.75. Overall: minutes 3341, games 42, goals 3, rating 6.77.

Seydou Keita: Took time to make an impact on the team but slowly improved as the season went on. Chipped in with some important goals such as the equalizers against Getafe and Bayern Munich. Deserves a second season but will need to keep progressing. Liga: minutes 1525, games 29, goals 4, rating 6.23. Champions League: minutes 709, games 12, goals 2, rating 6.33. Copa del Rey: minutes 450, games 5, goals 0, rating 6.00. Overall: minutes 2684, games 46, goals 6, rating 6.23.

Sergio Busquets: The surprise of the season. Did not appear to be first in line for an opportunity in the first team but he took his chance well and established himself well in the squad. Somehow manages to be the player who both commits and receives most fouls. Was rewarded for his excellent work with a place in both finals. Liga: minutes 1492, games 23, goals 1, rating 6.65. Champions League: minutes 623, games 8, goals 2, rating 6.44. Copa del Rey: minutes 749, games 9, goals 0, rating 6.67. Overall: minutes 2867, games 40, goals 3, rating 6.61.

Andres Iniesta: Extraordinary season from our pale-skinned midfielder. Continues to get better and better and could easily make it into any top-five world player award. His close control and shielding skills are reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane while he also has the ability to spot a space and attack it as he did so well when setting up Eto’o for the first goal in Rome. His only weakness is that he does not score more often, though his last-gasp goal at Chelsea was probably our most important goal for many years. Liga: minutes 1923, games 26, goals 4, rating 7.56. Champions League: minutes 928, games 11, goals 1, rating 7.59. Copa del Rey: minutes 434, games 6, goals 0, rating 6.83. Overall: minutes 3285, games 43, goals 5, rating 7.47.

Xavi Hernandez: Maturing into a truly marvelous player. If not as versatile as Iniesta he is more effective with his goals and assists. His most important contributions have been a goal in the Copa del Rey final, an assist for Messi to score the second in Rome and an incredible 4 assists against Madrid in the Bernabeu. Barça would not be the same without Xavi as he really is the player who runs the show. Liga: minutes 2983, games 35, goals 6, rating 7.09. Champions League: minutes 1116, games 14, goals 3, rating 7.36. Copa del Rey: minutes 247, games 5, goals 1, rating 6.50. Overall: minutes 4346, games 54, goals 10, rating 7.10.

Eidur Gudjohnsen: Started the season reasonably well. Scored an important late winner against Betis. Had fewer opportunities as the season progressed and his form suffered. Will almost certainly leave Camp Nou this summer. Liga: minutes 1053, games 23, goals 3, rating 6.17. Champions League: minutes 151, games 5, goals 0, rating 6.00. Copa del Rey: minutes 364, games 5, goals 1, rating 5.90. Overall: minutes 1568, games 33, goals 4 rating 6.10.

Leo Messi: His goal in Rome will almost certainly see him crowned as World Player of the Year in December. Messi deserves it. He has thrilled us for a while now but this season has seen him mature into a leader of the team. Pep Guardiola wisely allowed Messi to play in the Beijing Olympics back in August and Messi repaid the club in full. Too many important late goals to remember which saved us when the going got tough. Thirty-eight goals in total including two in the Bernabeu, another against Madrid at Camp Nou, and another in both finals in May. An exceptional season from an exceptional player. Liga: minutes 2514, games 31, goals 23, rating 7.26. Champions League: minutes 928, games 12, goals 9, rating 7.42. Copa del Rey: minutes 454, games 8, goals 6, rating 7.37. Overall: minutes 3896, games 51, goals 38, rating 7.31.

Thierry Henry: The turnaround in Henry this season has been remarkable. Now playing without back problems Titi has shown us many of the reasons that saw him become such an idol for Arsenal. Twenty-six goals is a fine return for a player on the left wing. His most important goal was probably the equalizer in Lyon when we were up against it a bit, and then two goals in the Bernabeu. Made a great effort to get fit for the final in Rome. Our most improved player this season. Liga: minutes 2124, games 29, goals 19, rating 6.81. Champions League: minutes 879, games 12, goals 6, rating 6.67. Copa del Rey: minutes 55, games 1, goals 1, rating 7.00. Overall: minutes 3058, games 42, goals 26, rating 6.77.

Samuel Eto'o: Proved once again that he is one of the best strikers in the world. In the first half of the season, and especially in home games, he was lethal. Suffered a drop in form in the second half of the season but scored the all important opening goal in Rome with his first opportunity. Continues to show an excellent work rate especially when playing the first line of defence. Seems destined to have his future in doubt every summer. Liga: minutes 2946, games 36, goals 30, rating 6.56. Champions League: minutes 943, games 12, goals 6, rating 6.67. Copa del Rey: minutes 134, games 4, goals 0, rating 6.00. Overall: minutes 4023, games 52, goals 36, rating 6.55.

Bojan Krkic: After a very good first season, he failed to improve this term as he saw his chances reduced due to the excellent form of Messi, Eto’o and Henry. Did well in the Copa del Rey, scoring five goals including one in the final against Athletic. He is still very young and there is time to see whether he can fulfill his undoubted potential. Liga: minutes 715, games 23, goals 2, rating 6.16. Champions League: minutes 351, games 10, goals 3, rating 6.10. Copa del Rey: minutes 737, games 9, goals 5, rating 6.11. Overall: minutes 1803, games 42, goals 10, rating 6.15.

Pedro: Another good young prospect with plenty of talent. Having to compete with Messi means his chances have been very limited but he has shown promise when used. Needs to step up a notch next season if he is going to have a future at the club. Liga: minutes 367, games 6, goals 0, rating 6.25. Champions League: minutes 217, games 5, goals 0, rating 6.25. Copa del Rey: minutes 17, games 3, goals 0, rating 6.00. Overall: minutes 601, games 14, goals 0, rating 6.21.

Alexandr Hleb: Very disappointing season from the Belarusian. Despite some nifty footwork he seems to have no idea where the goal is and suffers an allergy to shooting. Some people think he should be given another season to see if he can shine. I think he should be sold. Liga: minutes 731, games 19, goals 0, rating 5.87. Champions League: minutes 407, games 8, goals 0, rating 5.93. Copa del Rey: minutes 574, games 8, goals 0, rating 5.69. Overall: minutes 1712, games 35, goals 0, rating 5.84.

The following players also appeared for the first team this season: Albert Jorquera - Champions League 1 game, 90 minutes. Victor Vazquez - Champions League 1 game, 90 minutes. Xavi Torres - Liga 2 games, 180 minutes. Oier Olazabal - Liga 1 game, 90 minutes. Marc Muniesa - Liga 1 game 30 minutes. Jeffren Suarez - Liga 2 games 29 minutes. Albert Botia - Liga 1 game, 27 minutes. Abraham Gonzalez - Liga 1 game 14 minutes; Copa del Rey 1 game 6 minutes. Thiago Alcantara - Liga 1 game.

To compare with last season's performances check out last season's review - Player by player review of the season 2007/2008

Player Of The Season 2008/9

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 16:19:15 +0100

I had a lot of headaches when I started thinking about this. After such a marvellous season it seems a shame to single out one player as being better than the others. If truth be told I would like to give the award to the top three players who have all had exceptionally good seasons. But as I didn't want to cop out on a decision I decided to make a choice anyway and then you can all argue amongst yourselves.

After considering long and hard I have decided that Barça's best player of the 2008/9 season should go to Leo Messi. He may not have been as consistant as his two closest challengers but overall I think Messi was the one who showed up when we most needed it. In the first half of the season especially he was responsible for many late goals that turned matches around. His final goal tally of 38 for the season, his goals in both finals plus two in the Bernabeu have just pushed the decision in his favour.

Second place goes to Andres Iniesta who was certainly our best player in the last four months of the season but probably just misses out on first place due to injuries which saw him play fewer minutes than Messi. Iniesta's growth as a player this season could be due to Guardiola's belief in him to make it to the very top. The incredible 60 minutes against Sevilla in April, his majestic performance against Manchester United in Rome and most of all his goal at Chelsea will be remembered forever.

Xavi Hernandez is in third place. Xavi is another player who has improved well this season as he has become one of the leaders of the team. I can't recall the total number of assists he gave but for now I'll just remember the four against Madrid and the one for Leo Messi in the Champions League final. Xavi also added ten goals this season, the most important being the free kick against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.

The fact that Toure Yaya comes in fourth is a good sign that the most important part to this team's success has been the midfield. Toure has been a rock for us all season and deserves credit for filling in superbly in defence since Rafa Marquez's injury. Toure also scored the vital equalizing goal in the Copa del Rey final.

Fifth place goes to Gerard Pique. Another one who just got better and better as the season went on. The bigger the game the bigger the performance, and when we had most problems with players out at the back he rose to the challenge splendidly. The sixth goal at the Bernabeu was just the icing on the cake for a player who looks set to lead our defence for years to come.

Just missing out on a top five player spot are Thierry Henry, Carles Puyol and Dani Alves. All three players had excellent seasons but this year the competition was quite simply too tough.

So, to recap: The Fcbnews top five players for the 2008/9 season are as follows:

Leo Messi
Andres Iniesta
Xavi Hernandez
Toure Yaya
Gerard Piqué

So, what do you all think?

Player Of The Month: May 2009

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 17:49:13 +0100

I've a lot of catching up to do over the next few days. Coming soon you will have a Player by Player Review of the Season, the Player of the Season award, as well as the final fantasy football table. For today you are getting the Player of the Month for May, and I have to say it was another close one. Given that some of our games this month were somewhat more important than others I've based the results on performances in the games at Real Madrid and Chelsea and our two finals against Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United.

The May Player of the Month goes to Gerard Piqué after scoring the sixth goal in the Bernabeu, driving the team on against Chelsea when we were down to ten men and a superb performance in the Champions League final in Rome. It has been an excellent end to the season for our young defender. Andres Iniesta is just behind Piqué in second place. He may only have played three games this month but he showed great courage to get back in time for the United game where he played extraordinarily well, he also scored the goal at Chelsea which should go down as Barça's most important goal of the decade. In third place is Leo Messi. For some reason people said that Messi couldn't perform on the big stage but Leo proved his critics wrong by scoring in both cup finals and he also scored two of the goals at Madrid. Xavi Hernandez is fourth. His performance with four assists at the Bernabeu earned him a 10/10 rating on this blog and he also had an excellent game in Rome: what a peach of a cross for Messi's goal! I'm pleased to say that Victor Valdés is fifth this month, a clean sheet against United and we should never forget that without his saves against Chelsea Iniesta's goal would have counted for nothing. It just goes to show how good our month was when Carles Puyol and Toure Yaya couldn't get in the top five. Both these players also performed splendidly this month.

So to recap, the top five is as follows.

Gerard Piqué
Andres Iniesta
Leo Messi
Xavi Hernandez
Victor Valdés

So, let's here what you guys think.