1 - Marc-Andre ter Ansplant

[Flavia]

Bravo surely wants to play CL too. Changing their roles shouldn't be such a big deal. And it's not disrespectful. It's also not fair to use a few games in the start of the season as definitive proof of abilities. Because it isn't.

I totally agree with you. If it were a perfect world, then everything would stay the same. We'd make deep runs into both competitions every year and everybody would be happy. But it's not like that. And sooner or later we will have to make a choice between the two. After all, both players want what is best for their career. And who can blame them for that.

If it came down to picking between TS and Bravo, I would have to pick TS. I just don't think the risk of having an unreliable goalkeeper after Bravo leaves is worth it.

Pretty much. It's not easy to find a young gk that fits Barça so well.

 

[serghei]

If Stegen forces the choice I would pick Bravo out of principle.

 

[Flavia]

If Stegen forces the choice I would pick Bravo out of principle.

He can't "force" anything, that's up to Enrique. Most important thing to me is the club, not mats or bravo. And for the long term, mats staying is more important. And it's not like some comments have never come from the bravo side either. His wife was complaining to the press he was the one who had to be playing cl. Each player will look for themselves.

 

[KingMessi]

I also remember Bravo being cocky when he said he wasn't worried about TS cutting vacation to come back and train early.

 

[aaron101]

If Stegen forces the choice I would pick Bravo out of principle.

But what will happen to us after 4-5 seasons? We'll have to look for another young GK that will suit our team.

 

[serghei]

But what will happen to us after 4-5 seasons? We'll have to look for another young GK that will suit our team.

And we could very well find that keeper.

 

[Flavia]

But what will happen to us after 4-5 seasons? We'll have to look for another young GK that will suit our team.

Or 2-3 seasons. No way to know how long Bravo will be able to be at high level.

And we could very well find that keeper.

Or have trouble, like it happened in the past. When there's already one here who fits the bill. Really not the best option.

 

[KingMessi]

And we could very well find that keeper.

Key word: "could"

Why bank on chance when we already have one of the world's best young keepers?

[MENTION=20103]Flavia[/MENTION]

Hell, Bravo could drop off the minute Ter Stegen leaves. We shouldn't deny that the two push each other to reach the limit of their abilities.

 

[serghei]

He can't "force" anything, that's up to Enrique. Most important thing to me is the club, not mats or bravo. And for the long term, mats staying is more important. And it's not like some comments have never come from the bravo side either. His wife was complaining to the press he was the one who had to be playing cl. Each player will look for themselves.

Of course it is up to Enrique. But if Stegen ever says something in the line of "if I won't be no1 next season, I'll leave", then I'd let him go. You can't put problems like that at a club like Barcelona. Not worried about Lucho taking the right call here.

About what's better for Barca, we won a league with Bravo as the best keeper in it, and we'll win another one probably. I'd say Bravo in La Liga is a proven winning tactic, and it's been like that for some time now. When Stegen got injured Bravo played and never left. Both had a chance to play in La Liga while the other was injured, both times at the start of the season. One made the most of it, one didn't (here's the part where experience comes in handy).

And the part about what's better for Barca's future is a projection. What we know so far is that Bravo in La Liga works. And Stegen in CL works as well.

Shouldn't change anything for next season.

 

[Flavia]

Of course it is up to Enrique. But if Stegen ever says something in the line of "if I won't be no1 next season, I'll leave", then I'd let him go. You can't put problems like that at a club like Barcelona. Not worried about Lucho taking the right call here.

About what's better for Barca, we won a league with Bravo as the best keeper in it, and we'll win another one probably. I'd say Bravo in La Liga is a proven winner tactic, and that is not about 1-2 months, it's about two seasons almost.

Bravo in La Liga is proven to work great. Stegen isn't. When he played in La Liga he was shaky. Small sample, true, but when Stegen got injured Bravo played and never left. Both had a chance to be a keeper in La Liga while the other was injured, both times at the start of the season. One made the most of it, one didn't (here's the part where experience comes in handy).

And the part about what's better for Barca's future is a projection. What we know so far is that Bravo in La Liga works. Don't have to be Einstein to stick with a winning tactic imho.

And we won the CL and the cdr with MAtS. With him being one of the best gk in the CL too. Changing their roles wouldn't be that much of a problem. At least, it shouldn't be. It's the best for the club. MAtS won't gain experience from the bench.

 

[serghei]

Key word: "could"

Why bank on chance when we already have one of the world's best young keepers?

[MENTION=20103]Flavia[/MENTION]

Hell, Bravo could drop off the minute Ter Stegen leaves. We shouldn't deny that the two push each other to reach the limit of their abilities.

If that young keeper doesn't accept competition, and the possibility of being no2, then we have to.

[MENTION=20103]Flavia[/MENTION], I don't want Bravo to play in the CL instead of MatS. Although he would deserve to. It's the way it is and both need to accept that as long as the team benefits from this arrangement - Bravo: La Liga, Stegen: Cups, they need to make it work.

 

[KingMessi]

[MENTION=15262]serghei[/MENTION]

When you say that both had a chance while the other was injured, the comparison you make is asymmetric. When Bravo got his chance, both keepers had a clean slate at Barça. Whereas when Ter Stegen had his chance, Bravo was already the Zamora winner from the last season. Do you really think Ter Stegen would have benched Bravo at that point even if he had done better?

And you say Bravo is proven in La Liga. That's unfair too since Ter Stegen never got the chance to play a complete La Liga season to show that he too could be proven in La Liga.

 

[aaron101]

Exactly, why do we have to take chances in the future when we already have what we need? We should stick to our long term plan which is to stick with Mats and make Bravo as 2nd GK. Bravo was brought in to become the 2nd GK, it's just that he turned out to be a perfect GK for us. I'm sure, Bravo is prepared to be a 2nd GK for us in the 1 or 2 more seasons.

Next season should be Mats on La Liga and Bravo on UCL and Copa and after a few seasons, Bravo should only play Copa to give Mats the UCL and La Liga. That's how you plan on long term.

 

[serghei]

[MENTION=15262]serghei[/MENTION]

When you say that both had a chance while the other was injured, the comparison you make is asymmetric. When Bravo got his chance, both keepers had a clean slate at Barça. Whereas when Ter Stegen had his chance, Bravo was already the Zamora winner from the last season. Do you really think Ter Stegen would have benched Bravo at that point even if he had done better?

And you say Bravo is proven in La Liga. That's unfair too since Ter Stegen never got the chance to play a complete La Liga season to show that he too could be proven in La Liga.

Every comparison ever made is a bit asymmetric. Stegen got a chance. We could always find excuses (some valid, some not so much), his age, the pressure being very high, the team playing a bit off in that time of the season etc. etc., but while Bravo is playing great, even racking up MotM (or close) performances vs the likes of Real Madrid and Atletico, he can't have his chance in La Liga except if 1) Bravo gets injured, 2) Bravo starts to make mistakes, or 3) Lucho says so (which normally should be tied to no2).

 

[KingMessi]

If that young keeper doesn't accept competition, and the possibility of being no2, then we have to.

[MENTION=20103]Flavia[/MENTION], I don't want Bravo to play in the CL instead of MatS. Although he would deserve to. It's the way it is and both need to accept that as long as the team benefits from this arrangement - Bravo: La Liga, Stegen: Cups, they need to make it work.

People keep saying that the playing time is relatively well split but they keep forgetting that the only reason TS got to play so many games is because we made deep runs in the cups and winning those cups led to more games as well. Say for example that we got knocked out by Arsenal in the home game, TS would only have 1 more game this season with the current arrangement. Is that fair to him? Hell no, it isn't!

The players will look out for themselves and you can't blame them for that. So no, they don't both need to make it work. That's what players with no ambition like Bartra do.