Barcelona's New Left-Back?
Wednesday, 27 June 07, 06:32 AM · Comments(4)
Well, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was released on a free today, and will rejoin Feyenoord.
Question is... who will Barca's new left-back be? It's not as if Gio was the reserve full-back, so someone would need to come in an replace him.
Silvinho is a very good player, but Barca regard him as a backup, and at his age he is not going to suddenly take the Nou Camp by storm.
Barca are chasing Christian Chivu and Eric Abidal (allegedly), with the latter threatening to go on strike in order to get his desired move.
Chivu is left-footed, and has played left-back before (he started there), but is really a centre-back and has done his best work for Ajax and Roma in that position. He's a technically gifted player, great at set pieces and with terrific touch and passing.
Abidal is a left-footed left-back, who started out at centre-back. He is a tough, reliable defender, who is very quick and powerful, but someone who offers very little going forward (in my opinion). There's no doubt he would be a good signing for any team, but Barca's system has so often relied on a zippy, technical lfullback overlapping down the left and providing width and creating space for Ronaldinho. Van Bronckhorst had undoubtedly one of the best left-foots (feet?) in Europe, and produced many great crosses and passes. Abidal would not provide any of this.
The other option of course is for Gianluca Zambrotta to play at left-back. He has played there so well for so many years, for both club and country, despite having started out as a right-winger, and he has always done well. For a right-footed player, his left-foot is probably better than that of many left-footed players, and there's no doubt he would do an excellent job there. But then Barca would need to be searching for a right-back... and with Belletti gone and Thuram looking slower and slower, that's a problem they don't need at the moment.
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I think If I had to choose between the two, I would go with Chivu. We need a left-back to overlap to give ronaldinho room and for crosses. Ronaldinho doesn't cross much so we need a crossing
left-back.
About Sylvinho and and Chivu. Sylvinho is going to move to FC Real Madrid, to replace Roberto Carlos, or to be the subtitute to the player that will come to replace Roberto Carlos. Chivu isn't going
to sign in Barca, Braca droped the bid because it toke to long, so chivu will transfer to inter. As the things like that Barca don't have a good subtitute to Abidal, Rikarjd belives to much in
Oleguer, but he dosen't play well as a left-back, soo Barca is in a litille trouble.
4 Comments · Add yours
it seems Abidal will be signed. He´ll skip Lyon´s practice to force his way out. Honestly I think it´s a good choice.
I dont rate Abidal, but then I do not like the idea of Chivu playing there either. As you said, Sylvinho would be the wrong option, his position within the squad is assured because he is a positive influence in the dressing room, particularly with Messi. Switching Zambi to left back would be a huge error. He took his time to adjust to life at Barça and the system playing at right fullback, to swap the flanks now would just un-do all the good work his has done.
As you mentioned though, I think Abidal will be signed, and although he is not as good going forward as Gio, he doesnt need to be. While Gio needed to be good to cover Ronaldinho's ass, we have just signed Henry, so the two will interchange if the right system is found to accommodate them both, thus meaning that Abidal will be left just to defend and leave the attacking to the attackers.