His best skill before injury was his consistent goal scoring. He was clutch. But now, he is consistently missing good chances. If he doesn't get that back he doesn't have much to offer apart from decent close space pass and go.
I have wrote lots of times even before injuries, that I was never sure whether:
1. he is an absolute genius with his goals, and that some of us don't understand some of his shots and attempts because he is a few levels above our IQ and football knowledge
2. or he is not a genius and half of his goals are fluke/insanely lucky goals which will never go in in the next 20 attempts
What I am trying to say?
For example, when we had Messi and when he tried his signature shots after cutting from a RW towards the box, he was usually aiming into a far corner of a goal.
Which is, imo, logical = and the place where it is the most likely to score considering his left foot, position on the RW and where the GK stands.
The same was with Henry, who's shots were always somewhat predictable and logical.
Or young Michael Owen, when he won Ballon D Or, he was always aiming at the far post.
Or Larsson, Bergkamp etc.
I have one friend who is a professional footballer and played in a top division in my country and we often played amateur football with him.
And when some of us would miss an easy chance, he would always say:
"Please, when you are 1 on 1 vs a goalkeeper, do whatever you want, just don't shoot straight at him. That is the dumbest thing which you can do.
Try to aim into one of the corners. And it is better to aim a far corner and miss the target than to shoot straight into him."
In that sense, I "love" when Fcs aim far corners when they have enough time or space. I know, sometimes you just take a fluke shot and what happens = happens.
But if your every shot is a fluke shot, then something is wrong.
For example, check the Henry's video.
Ok, some shots are longrange screamers and some are just stupid acrobatic goals.
But when he has enough space and time, he usually always chooses a far corner (like Messi and other logical shooters).
Now, when it comes to Fati, majority of his goals were always in the wtf level (imo).
You can never tell if that was the biggest fluke ever or a touch of genius.
All of his goals for Barca:
1: shooting almost straight into a keeper. As explained above, that is the stupidest thing which you can do as a striker in 1 vs 1 situations. Luckily, the shot went in, but it wasn't good execution.
2: shooting through the defenders legs, the shot got deflected. Hardly a perfect and logical goal. It is more like = I'll close my eyes and shoot and what happens = happens.
3: this time he at least aimed towards a far corner, but again it went through defenders legs. Again, it is hard to tell that he wants to shoot through defenders legs every time, right?
4: good goal. But again, something in the range: I'll close my eyes, shoot and pray. And what happens = happens.
5. ok, a good classic goal from inside of a box where you shoot with power and that's it. Nothing wrong with this one.
6. shooting straight into a goalkeeper. Luckily, a goalkeeper was shit so it ended as a goal. But again, hardly a logical shoot. More like Dembele's lottery attempts where you never know whether it will go towards first post, far post or towards 25th row on the stands.
7. a goal with the outside of a foot. This one is world class, a touch of genius and actually a logical shot from the position and with that foot.
8. aiming at the first post. Maybe that's his thing? :/
9. Suarezesque goal. No complaints about this one.
10. this goal looks nice when watching live, but when you look at it closely, it again doesn't make too much sense. The ball is aimed almost straight into a goalkeeper and it went in only because the Gk didn't see it because of defenders.
I mean, fine. If you don't shoot, you won't score.
And if you don't shoot, you'll never provoke luck.
But imo, too many of his goals are based on luck, shooting through defender's legs, shots being deflected, a GK conceding a goal through his arms or legs, a Gk don't seeing the ball at all because Fati striked the ball surrounded with 5 defenders etc.
11. ok goal
12. ok header
13. a logical tap in. Ok goal
14. amazing goal on video. But when you analyze it, it is hard to tell whether he aimed at first post and almost straight into a goalkeeper, or was it again: close your eyes, shoot and pray type of an attempt.
All in all, I am still not sure that he is or that he ever was such a genius.
There are too many wtf and fluke goals.
And paired with inability to dribble players and average overall game, I am leaning more towards that he is not a genius but just a very good player who was blessed with lots of lucky goals till now (just like Dembele a few years ago when he scored 10+ goals in a few games and then more or less nothing in the next 2 years).
The same as Dembele, I don't see his shooting style and shooting decisions as logical.
And I don't think that he or Dembele can produce consistent numbers when majority of their goals are relied on luck, deflections, shooting through legs or out of this world screamers.
Regarding this season, as some others have said: when you remove his goals (or fluke goals, as I would describe them), you don't get too much from Fati.
** Also, always take into a consideration that football is business, that our clubs, sponsors, Uefa are insanely big hype jobs and that a lot of regarding Fati being no10, playing so young etc was a hype job since we lost Neymar and later Messi.
The same can be said for Gavi winning Golden Boy award, which is probably only because of our huge brand and to keep us alive and relevant, and to make our fans happy and give them something to look for. (The same was with Fati).
Uefa also doesn't want to kill Barca. Uefa's goal is to have 10 big clubs/brands and keep them big and alive. That is good for a CL, sponsors, fans, fans in Usa and Asia etc.
Or when I open social networks lately, it is filled with a new Messi/Cr rivalry called Haaland vs Mbappe.
Sponsors and papers live from that nonsense, from hype, buzz, the next big thing.
Imo, a huge part of Fati's buzz was about the need for a new golden boy in our ranks than from his actual world class skills.
