Our writers answer your questions.
TRANSFERS
Who do you think we should sign this transfer window and the summer transfer window? by VarmaFCB
I don't think we need to sign anyone this season. With Enrique's willingness to deviate from our normal 4-3-3 to fit whoever we've got on the pitch and the (incredibly) versatile squad that he's managed to put together, there's not really a need to bring anyone in. Our midfield depth has been fixed, we're still five deep at CB, we now have two (quality) back-up RBs, and we have several players that can play as wide attackers - with any of our trio possessing the capability of playing centrally.
The only position I would consider adding for this transfer window is a back-up leftback, but with Roberto looking good there in his short trial (and his ability to play everywhere else) and Vidal's versatility, I think we can find a make-shift bench piece to play on the left flank without too many worries.
This summer, I don't think we need to make many major moves, either. If we don't add a better bench piece at leftback this winter, we'll need to do so then. I really like Hector Jonas, from FC Koln, for that role. He's not really talked about, but he's a good player at both ends of the pitch and doesn't appear to have too many suitors - which should keep the price lower.
From there, I'd like to see us get younger - especially in the backline. I'd like to see use drop one of our three central defenders over the age of 30 along with Bartra for a younger player like Laporte. There are a few other really young options (Rugani, Romagnoli, Gimenez, and Marquinhos are all guys I really like that are young), but I think Laporte is the most realistic given the circumstances. If there's some hesitation about bringing someone so young into such a big role, I also really like Ben Hoewdes with FC Schalke. He wouldn't be a long-term fixture, but I could see him being a very good medium-term player. - Ty
Any truth in Man City and Pep Guardiola luring Leo Messi? by Ashraf Arefin and Yuro_Doosh
Short answer: no. Long answer, almost certainly not, with a few caveats. The old adage goes that there's no smoke without fire and generally, tabloid journalists like to use that one an awful lot to justify their stories without revealing any sort of credible proof or sources to back up their ludicrous claims. I'm no expert, nor do I have any insider knowledge, but I think the old saying rings true with this one. The prospect of Messi leaving the club has always been thrown around in the media and generally laughed off, but if there ever was a "perfect storm" that could bring about his departure, it would be to City to play under Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola might want to coach Messi again - who wouldn't given Messi's ability and pedigree - and City might be interested but I think this one comes down to a few simple factors: money, culture and risk. Manchester City have a lot of money, but no club in the world can justify paying Messi's buyout clause and wages in the current financial climate. Barcelona are naturally unwilling to do a deal for anything less, although I do believe that they would make some concessions if Messi were to approach them about the possibility of leaving as a gesture of goodwill for all he's done for the club.
And can any of us picture a world in which Messi walks into Bartomeu's office and asks him to let him move to Manchester? Basically, I'd eat my proverbial hat if he did leave this summer. - Arron
What is your view about signing Inaki Williams? by waseem10
A good player and one that seems to always cause Barça problems whenever he comes up against them. He's got good pace and a strong physicality but the problem with having such a publicised and talked about front three is that it may dissuade other players from joining. Williams is 21 and getting regular football, it would be hard to take a step down to the bench even if it was at Barça. - Sam
Do we need another transfer this winter? Who is the most useful player we can add to the team at the moment? by KafkaKant
I think the team is in pretty good standing at the moment. One area that possibly needs strengthening is the attack. If one of the front three is injured, there is a whole lot of depth behind them. We will see how well Vidal and Turan do there in the coming months but I still feel an extra striker would be ideal - Sam
What is your prediction for the most shocking transfer of the winter window in the world? by Cule4life
Does Pato's sudden return to relevance count? I don't think they will be any major surprises; the market generally seems quite quiet, because no-one has the appetite to go out midseason and overspend on a player. Really, most of the major clubs are looking at managerial changes this summer anyway, which means they won't be spending money in winter in case they don't fit into the next guy's plan.
Ramires to China is probably the most shocking, although I can't get any points for predicting that one! - Arron
CLUB ISSUES
Anyone have a good report on the financial status of the club? by paddymac1111
The club actually releases an annual report each season, and even release a copy of this in English. Admittedly it covers all aspects of the club, and the finances are only included in one of the sections at the end but this does give an interesting, albeit official look into the club's financial situation. Of course, you don't get the level of independent analysis that a Swiss Ramble style blog post would give you, but it's a starting point at least!
Typically, the issue is that the coverage of the club's financial situation tends to be provided by individual's with an agenda - the club obviously report the good, while critics of Bartomeu and the incumbent board tend to focus on the negatives.
It doesn't provide as much of an in-depth look as you might want, but the annual Deloitte Football Money League provides context on the club's revenues in relation to the rest of Europe's elite; and extrapolating that, it's clear to see that some of the reported current problems (high expenditures, debt levels) will be naturally alleviated over the coming seasons as we renegotiate our key sponsorship deals (i.e. shirt sponsorship) - Arron
What state is Barça B in right now and is there any signs of it changing? by cryuffish
I feel this generation is just showing how special and unique the last one was. We can't expect Iniestas, Messis, Piqués and Xavis to consistently come through and have to temper expectations of the new kids arriving. That being said, Xavi himself was full of praise for Lee Seung-woo and expected to see him in the first team within the next two years. - Sam
Top priorities (not in terms of trophies, but rather work that needs to be done) if you were the Barca manager right now? by Rajesh1101s
If I were Barcelona manager...now there's a scary thought for everyone! My priorities would be succession planning across a variety of positions. The most pressing for me is at centre-back; we should spend next season transitioning away from Javier Mascherano to a more viable long-term partner for Gerard Pique. Whether that's Marc Bartra, or someone we bring in from another club remains to be seen, but that'd be number one on my list.
Aside from that, I think we're already doing a lot of the things we need to do. Aleix Vidal is easing Dani Alves' load at right-back, Sergi Roberto (and Rafinha) were rotating into the midfield and help us get the best out of Iniesta and Rakitic. Halilovic might be useful as a back-up winger next year, so the only missing gap I think would be left-back, and finding the next Adriano to serve as a utility man. - Arron
I think the first priority has to be fixing the financial situation - and there are a few pretty easy fixes. First of all, we're due for "raises" in sponsorships. We'll never get the money that a lot of fans are hoping for (i.e. more than United), but we should expect about €45m more in revenues from both Nike and our kit sponsor moving forward, which is a big step.
From there, we should cut some deadweight. I know they're the butt of a lot of jokes, but we're paying something like €200k in weekly wages for Douglas, Alex Song, and Adriano. Getting those three off our books will also be immense.
Those two steps should correct most of the issues we've been facing, but there's another step - and it's probably pretty unpopular. We need to stop having expensive veterans on our bench regularly. We can afford to pay one or two guys throughout the squad for that role, but right now we're paying roughly €130k for Mathieu and Vermaelen to hang out on the bench. We were able to afford that when the squad was pretty balanced, but at this point our wage structure is top heavy - with Messi, Suarez, and Neymar at the top. If we want to keep this wage structure, we need to find ways to cut costs in other areas - and the first place that should start is the bench. - Ty
Why is Iniesta so underrated? by terry.k.chen
Therein lies the million dollar question. Within the club, and its fanbase, Iniesta surely isn't underrated - but externally, I'd agree that he doesn't get the praise and recognition he deserves. My theory is a simple one: football fans, especially those in the English-speaking world, are generally quite ignorant to the intricacies of football, and the casual fans who don't watch everything are generally the loudest. The Premier League is a fine example of that - you'll be hard-pressed to find many instances in which someone with a bit of "real" ability has been praised from day one. Heck, it took them a couple of years to admit that Mesut Ozil is actually really good. Typically, praise revolves around how fast or strong a player is - really obvious things that don't really require any brainpower to identify.
As he doesn't score 20 goals a season, or register 30 assists, it isn't immediately obvious how good Iniesta is and if you don't look closely enough to view how he reads the game, and the composure he has in possession, his brilliance can go under the radar. That, and he plays on a team where someone else always grabs the headlines - the casual fans won't delve deep enough to see Iniesta's part in facilitating those performances from the Messi's and the Neymar's. Their loss I guess! - Arron
How do you see the future of the club with home grown players like Grimaldo and Adama etc... being sold! Are we becoming a club that revolves around a galctico policy? by Cule4life
This feels like a false dichotomy. You're correct in assessing that we're no longer reliant upon La Masia products. In a recent start, the B team had four La Masia products in the starting XI and our first team is starting to reflect that mentality (perhaps it's the other way around to you - but the point is that both teams are distancing themselves from La Masia products). That doesn't mean we're a club that employs any sort of galactico policy.
Think about our last two summers, and the signings they entailed - Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu, Claudio Bravo, Marc Andre ter Stegen, Luis Suarez, Arda Turan, and Aleix Vidal. The only player on that list that could be remotely construed as a galactico signing is Suarez - though he proved to be a very key piece in unlocking the potential of Messi and Neymar. He was a big name, but he wasn't bought for the sake of buying him. He opened the squad to an entirely new dynamic and opportunity, and fit the mould of the type of player the coach was bringing in.
We're just entering a new phase of our continued philosophy. We've been pretty consistent since Laporta left - using veteran players as bench pieces, rather than using the bench as a place to develop younger players. Before we used to just loan players out, but now we're entering a new strategy - and one that is financially savvy. We sell the players off while they still have shine and allow ourselves an ability to buy the player back for a below market value price. We essentially make money off the kid, get rid of all expenses that are incurred with developing him further, but get to bring him back at a much cheaper rate than anyone else could.
For a club that's not in incredible standing financially, it's a very good option (and one I greatly prefer to the loan system). - Ty
Which player is the most ready to permanently slot into our team from our youth prospects? Halilovic, Denis S, Samper, Lee? by Cule4life
For me, it's Samper - and I don't think it's close.
For starters, Denis doesn't have a position in our XI. He can play as a wide attacking player when we rotate, but he's vastly inferior to our options there already (Arda, Vidal). He's definitely not a winger in our system, he doesn't possess the rhythm, vision, or defensive presence to be a midfielder in our system, and we don't play with a false-9 or an attacking midfielder.
Halilovic is still too raw, for me, as well. I've not been shy about my doubt of his ability to stick in our squad, but even evaluating him from a neutral position he's far too raw. He shoots incredibly poorly, and (like Suarez) his other positions don't exist in our XI. On top of that, he's incredibly selfish and is a poor decision maker. Both of those things could (and should) improve with time, but he's not ready. As if he didn't have enough trouble getting in, his best position happens to be the one occupied by the best player in the world.
Lee is just too young and inexperienced. I think he's got mounds of potential, but he's yet to play a single match with our second team. It also doesn't help that he and Neymar play in the same position, but his role in the first team is several years down the line, and he's even further from being a starter here.
Samper, though, looks to be a great fit. He could easily be a very good role player for both Iniesta and Busquets, and could be ready to squeeze into our XI whenever Ineista can no longer hold onto those duties. He's got incredible vision, he's very creative, he's calm and composed, and he's very mobile. He could very well be a fixture in our XI for a long, long time. - Ty
What can we expect from Woo Seung-Lee in your opinion? Another Messi? Or another Bojan? by Cule4life
I'm going to take the cliche answer and say neither - we can expect Lee to be Lee. It's entirely unfair to pin comparisons on him at this point. He doesn't play in a similar style to either of the others, really, he plays a different position, and he's just overall a different person. I think he'll end up being a good player, but he won't be Messi and he won't be Bojan. Lee will be Lee, and that's about all we can expect from him. - Ty
Do you believe that Zidane was rushed into the Madrid job and if so do you think they will be successful against a powerful Barça team in coming seasons if Zidane stays at the helm? by Cule4life
Despite the early success, I do think he's been thrust into this role too soon. He didn't believe he was ready and I just don't think he's tactically where he needs to right the ship. I think we'll see him improve the overall fitness of the players - which will unquestionably help the club - but I don't think we'll see him compete well against Barca and Atleti to end the season. As a result, I think he'll be out of a job this summer. - Ty
SITE QUESTIONS
Any chance of a forum for people looking to meet up and watch the game together? by agar2515
It is an interesting idea and one that we could explore. A lot of the readers are spread about across the world but if there is enough in a concentrated area than we could get one going. Anyone can feel free to comment/make a fan post if they are looking for local BarcaBlaugranes readers. - Sam
If you were a new pair of soccer cleats, what color would you be and how much would you cost? by BoyWilliams
Always been a fan of the Nike Tiempos myself. However, I have neither the tricks or the ability to pull off a vibrant coloured boot so I'd go for a black with a hint of blue. - Sam
Any possibility on having match threads for non-Barça games? by VarmaFCB
We usually post a match thread for Champions League games on days when Barcelona are not in action and it has been well received. For La Liga games we've always advocated that game discussions are held in the news posts because the league matches that get the most comments feature both Madrid giants and those two often play on the same day. And that would leave the matches of the Espanyols, Levantes and Deportivos largely uncommented on, which is why we always thought talking about other La Liga games is best. But if there is sufficient interest we could try it on a trial basis. - Boštjan
Any chance of moderating the comment sections more (i.e bans)? by LaSenyera
With the number of daily comments rising it's difficult for the current staff to check every one of them and discipline correctly. But we are always looking for new moderators. Any volunteers? - Boštjan
From what countries are the commenters and site viewers from? by viralvariance
While I can't really answer the first part of your questions, the second part is fairly simple. Most of BB's visitors are from the US, about a quarter of them, while India is in second place at 14%. Rounding out the top 5 are Indonesia (11%), United Kingdom (4%) and Bangladesh (4%). - Boštjan
Top Commenters are from what countries? by viralvariance
While I do have the list of BB's top commenters of 2015, unless they divulge that information on their own this question will have to go unanswered.
Though as an FYI, the Top 5 in the most comments category are:
craig00000 8554
semperty 8365
**Ade** 6470
syredeathtrooper 5989
Anders Thomassen 5525 - Boštjan
What are the most popular articles on this site? by viralvariance
As much as I would like to say that the most read articles on BB are fantastically written editorials and detailed match reviews that is simply not the case as people most like to read rumors about transfers, and those tend to bring the highest number of visitors to the site. Another successful series of articles for BB has been the "How to Watch" articles. - Boštjan
How is the popularity of BB versus other SB Nation Football blog sites? by viralvariance
I'm proud to say that BarcaBlaugranes is one of the most popular blogs in the SBNation family. Consistently we are ranking near the very top in terms of numbers, though there is one blog that is more often than not out of reach and that is Chelsea's We Ain't Got No History. - Boštjan
Why did you stop with the three things we learned article after the matches? by Benceex
Don't say goodbye to the three things we learned article just yet as my sources tell me the series is primed for a restart. The exact date of that occurrence is still to be determined, but it will be back online in the future. - Boštjan
How do I become a full time writer? by navjot4664
The process is actually fairly easy as we are always looking to add talented writers, not only when we start a search. Send an email to me, Arron or Renato about your hopes of joining the BB staff. Find a topic, preferably something connected to FC Barcelona, and send it for review. If your writing skills are good enough we will be quick to add you to the staff and allow you to publish on the website. - Boštjan
Possibility of adding the feature of receiving a notification whenever someone replies to our comment/post or mentions our name? by TheGodfather21
This one is out of our reach as such "system updates" have to come from the top. - Boštjan