BBZ8800
Senior Member
Please don't compare Bravo-Ter Stegen with Mascherano-Bartra
That poster is exaggerating, but 3-4 years ago this comparison wouldn't sound nowhere near as "horrible" as today.
Bartra was supposed to be the best or the 2nd best defender in our history, with extremely bright future.
He was supposed to be our hero, our leader, our captain, our Bartresi, our everything...
So, this question would have a lot of sense 3-4 years ago.
He was young, he had so much potential. He had passion, he was everyone's favorite and the next gem for which forum is always craving for.
He only needs a playing time.
Even though Mats is currently a much more (already) "finished" and developed product than Bartra back then, imo, people are still slightly exaggerating with Mats' skills and potential, as if:
1. we are 100% sure that he will turn into a world class Gk for us in the upcoming years
2. and that there are almost no chances for him to suddenly show some huge weaknesses in his ability which weren't too clear for now (due to not too much playing time, or which were considered to be only some minor flaws due to a low amount of plaiyng time). Or, what if it turns out that he has insane confidence/psychological problems (just a random examples: 1. he is very impatient in the last weeks with this public whining, 2. he had a few weeks of horrible spell at the beginning of this season when his form was horrible after he found out that he will be a 2nd choice in Barca again, 3. he often "sleeps" during matches and gets caught on the wrong foot much more often than Bravo, for example)
So, options with Mats are:
1. he will develop EXACTLY as majority of fans are predicting here: he will be an awesome Gk (from the next season if we turn him into a No1 choice) and we will have an awesome Gk for the next 10 years, a win-win situation
2. we will sell Bravo and keep on with Mats, but we will eventually figure out that he either isn't developing as expected, or that some of his minor flaws aren't exactly a minor flaws but a part of his "Dna" and he keeps on repeating those mistakes regardless of playing time
3. he gets badly injured in the next season and misses the whole season, or he gets into a huge depression-mode
= both in cases 2 and 3, we will still need to buy some new, back-up Bravo
= or, even worse, we will need to look for "the next Mats" because this was one was good, but not Goat-Barca's-level-good, as the board and the fans expected
Imo, people are acting as if Mats is Messi among Gks.
I personally see him more as some kind of Thiago Alcantara.
If he stays with the club=awesome.
If he leaves=we will get the money and we will buy some random Rakitic, a different, but also a world class player.
We will be equally as successful with or without Alcantara. Pardon me, I meant Mats...
Further, since Bravo is still better than Mats currently, what Mats has on his side is=age and potential.
So what, Mats is younger, let's kick the better guy and play the younger guy, because he is younger and "our future"?
Someone will reply now: but we won a CL with Mats, so he is proven.
Ok, we won a CL with Rafinha and we had 8800 wins in a row with the likes of Roberto and Rafinha in our midfield.
So, does that mean that Rafinha and Roberto are also proven and a world class, the same as Mats?
In that case, Iniesta is very old. Very, very, very old. If Roberto or Rafinha will give a whining interview now in MD or Sport, does that mean that we will have to get rid of Iniesta so that our future can play? I mean, Iniesta is almost dead (right?), while we could have Rafinha and Roberto for the next 10 years (if you get my point?)...
So, Mats vs Bravo isn't too much different than Iniesta vs Rafinha/Roberto/D. Suarez/Halilovic, in my eyes.
Especially with Rafinha and Roberto, since they are already somewhat "proven" players and we are winning trophies with them already.
If someone will jump now and come with Messi's example, Messi was twice as better than his direct opponent even when he was aged 18.
So, he was both miles better RIGHT AWAY and he had the age on his side.
More or less, both Xavi and Iniesta had to wait for centuries before they became an absolute starters in our starting 11.
Only Busi was given a credit and played while he wasn't better than his competitor (in the way which our forum approves).
And Pedro was getting some credit in early seasons also.
But it was Pep. He was ready to bet everything on La Masia and on youngsters back then.
These examples ended well, but we also had Bojan, who didn't develop well despite a lot of credits.
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I thought comparing Bartra with Mascherano was already ridiculous, but Ter Stegen with Alcuntara? lmao. 
