Oleguer Presas i Renom

[Kowalczyk]

Yep - it's a deal!

K.

[DanK]

Good-o. One more defender and then we are set I think.

[Kowalczyk]

I know that it will be his job to play football and to make sure that the opposition's strikers don't score, but I seriously like this guy's profile...

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

He's a character with an opinion, to say the very least. Great to have him. He's Ajax's Che Guevara!

K.

[gordonvandekamp]

Yeah, I'm very pleased to have him too. I think this has been the most needed signing and I hope he can make a difference. I hope, and it sounds like, he should fit in well in Amsterdam. I'm glad we're purchasing our defenders from clubs like Barcelona this year, and not the Football League Championship.

[ZoefdeHaas]

So a Vertonghen-Vermaelen-Oleguer-Silva defense probably.. decent for Eredivisie standards, but can be better.

especially since half are gone for awhile

[Blind3]

I'm hoping that Gregory van der Wiel will stake a claim in the absence of Thomas Vermaelen. It will definitely lessen the blow that the absence of Vermaelen and Vertonghen create.

As for Oleguer , He should adjust well to life in a city with such a liberal tradition as Amsterdam. As for the supporters, I can see the posters and t-shirts of Che Guevara and hear the shouts of Che` echoing about the Arena. I bet the Amsterdam media will look to him for quotes. Being libertarian , in thought and political party affiliation, I have no problem with a liberal, open-minded thinker who speaks his/her mind. Heck, being American , I'm glad Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, etc...thought like they did.

Can't wait to see him on the pitch. I like his toughness and the fact that he has played with skill, head, and heart in the matches, live and on tv , that I've viewed.

I hate to jinx the guy, but I'm definitely going to get an Oleguer jersey.

One defender down , one to go.

[aveslacker]

As I've been saying quite a bit on these boards:

[Blind3]

Ko, thank you for posting Oleguer Presas i Renom's Wikipedia bio. Really interesting stuff. To quote aveslacker " ".

[SPL]

A good defender at last but we need another.

[SE6Ajacied]

I'm definitely going to get an Oleguer jersey.

Yep, that's solved that one for me as well. The Wikipedia article was a really interesting read - someone after my own heart who actually has an intelligent opinion about things. It wasn't that long ago that Graham Le Saux was absolutely pilloried in England for amongst other thing reading The Guardian, a serious broadsheet newspaper. Seems from the profile that Oleguer didn't fare much better in Spain, being slated for an article that most people criticising him apparently hadn't even read........

The article says that Oleguer had a buy-out clause of 60 million Euro's which is interesting as well as I'm sure we didn't pay anything near that.....

Anyway, to quote Aveslacker "Welcome"

[jamcocteau]

Old article taken from the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007 ... .barcelona

[SE6Ajacied]

Old article taken from the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007 ... .barcelona

Cheers, that's an interesting article. I actually remember reading it at the time but had forgotton about it. I think it's great that we've signed this guy - just what we need on and off the field.....

[Kowalczyk]

He had 125 league appearances for Barcelona's first team, but scored only one goal. This is it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YV6cpMB3bk

K.

[kraz11]

I sincerely dont understand how can you be happy about this transfer -

has anybody seen him play?
he's been the weak link in the great team of barca in 2005-2006 but the rest of team were so great that they managed to win trophies
and didnt even play more than half an hour in the last couple of seasons

some of the reactions of barca fans about this one-
1- finaaaaaly we got rid of him
2- i can't believe a team paid more than a bun and a yogurt for him

Real madrid fan : damnn who's gonna ruin their games now?

seriously a very bad signing you'll see especially if he'll be central defender

[Jinne]

He was their talisman though. When he wasn't included in the starting line-up anymore, they didn't win anything either.

[DanK]

Can't say I have seen him play all that often, however I wouldn't take the ramblings on fan forums as Gospel (yes even this one ).

Personally what I do like is he has experience, he's outspoken and intelligent which gives him leadership abilities and for the price we paid I think we could have done much worse.

Lets at least give him some time before we judge.

[Blind3]

Put 5 supporters in a room and they'll have ten opinions. I'm willing to give a player with 125 first team appearances for Barcelona a chance.

[gordonvandekamp]

I sincerely dont understand how can you be happy about this transfer -

has anybody seen him play?
he's been the weak link in the great team of barca in 2005-2006 but the rest of team were so great that they managed to win trophies
and didnt even play more than half an hour in the last couple of seasons

some of the reactions of barca fans about this one-
1- finaaaaaly we got rid of him
2- i can't believe a team paid more than a bun and a yogurt for him

Real madrid fan : damnn who's gonna ruin their games now?

seriously a very bad signing you'll see especially if he'll be central defender

Have you seen the defense over the last few years? And who's left now?

He's still a step above most other options. That's why the signing is at least promising.

[SPL]

We have to realise that we are only in UEFA cup and we will not attract the best available. I am happy with who we have bought this summer.

125 games for Barca is a little bit more impressive than Norwich City !!

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

I sincerely dont understand how can you be happy about this transfer -

has anybody seen him play?
he's been the weak link in the great team of barca in 2005-2006 but the rest of team were so great that they managed to win trophies
and didnt even play more than half an hour in the last couple of seasons

some of the reactions of barca fans about this one-
1- finaaaaaly we got rid of him
2- i can't believe a team paid more than a bun and a yogurt for him

Real madrid fan : damnn who's gonna ruin their games now?

seriously a very bad signing you'll see especially if he'll be central defender

You could have said the same thing with Gabri when he came on board....Gabri had hardly played for Barca and still look what he has done with AJAX. The thing with Oleguer is that he is not a leader, he might be outspoken but not a natural leader in the back four...he will not spearhead our defense but he is none the less a step forward and a solid defender that can add a lot to this team.

JUST DONT EXPECT HIM TO BE SUPERMAN....

[Blind3]

I'll settle for Clark Kent if Clark Kent plays at a level that helps our d concede even two or three less goals in the coming season. A goal here and there was the difference between one point and three or one point and none several times last year

[ozzerdibazio]

Have we actually signed this guy? I heard only a fee has been agreed between the two clubs, and nothing agreed between the club and the player, although Oleguer seems keen.

And he hasn't been presented yet. It could fall through. Or am I wrong? I hope I am; i like the look of him. Don't agree whole heartedly with his anti government feelings. From a distance I have admired Zapatero, but maybe its easy to admire anything from a distance. Anyway, I am digressing.........Oleguer is still a catalan seperatist, pseudo anarchist Barca benchwarmer. Hopefully, on Wednesday we can can substiture the barca for Ajax.

After that lets sign Gbril Sankoh and out defence will be sorted.

[Amol]

I sincerely dont understand how can you be happy about this transfer -

has anybody seen him play?
he's been the weak link in the great team of barca in 2005-2006 but the rest of team were so great that they managed to win trophies
and didnt even play more than half an hour in the last couple of seasons

some of the reactions of barca fans about this one-
1- finaaaaaly we got rid of him
2- i can't believe a team paid more than a bun and a yogurt for him

Real madrid fan : damnn who's gonna ruin their games now?

seriously a very bad signing you'll see especially if he'll be central defender

You could have said the same thing with Gabri when he came on board....Gabri had hardly played for Barca and still look what he has done with AJAX. The thing with Oleguer is that he is not a leader, he might be outspoken but not a natural leader in the back four...he will not spearhead our defense but he is none the less a step forward and a solid defender that can add a lot to this team.

JUST DONT EXPECT HIM TO BE SUPERMAN....

Exactly

[Kowalczyk]

After that lets sign Gbril Sankoh and out defence will be sorted.

Now that's an Eredivisie defender that I really like... Would be a good idea.

Robbie Wielaert seems to be a solid defender, but I could think of better ones in the Eredivisie including Rob Penders of NAC Breda and, indeed, Sankoh of FC Groningen (they would probably form an army and attack Amsterdam if we'd snap up another of their players... they hate us enough already ).

K.

[ZoefdeHaas]

I think we all clearly agree that we need a good defender now, but I would also like to see our youth given more chances.