19 - Lamine Yamal

[jamrock]

Him being a bit of a rebel is not good, nor bad. We need to see him in preseason with the main team to gain a bit of what he is like, or maybe some saw him in action to give us their opinion.

If he is a slow winger though, odds are are stacked against him big time these days.

Whenever I've seen him play, he looks a good 2-3 years ahead of his peers and in that sense he has something special, but his lack of pace even at that level, gives me cause to pause about how he'll translate to the highest level.

He gives me Mahrez vibes, best comparison I can come go with to a player at the highest level, great dribbling, cleaning finishing, not the quickest.

 

[Porque]

Should steal Zaire. Waste of career staying at PSG.

 

[serghei]

Whenever I've seen him play, he looks a good 2-3 years ahead of his peers and in that sense he has something special, but his lack of pace even at that level, gives me cause to pause about how he'll translate to the highest level.

He gives me Mahrez vibes, best comparison I can come go with to a player at the highest level, great dribbling, cleaning finishing, not the quickest.

Damn, pace is a big one. Hard to make it without it, as you need a disproportionate amount of talent. Does he have that? Couldn't he be more useful as an AM? If he doesn't have at least good pace, pure winger is out of the question.

 

[serghei]

The way I figure, backline is 1 signing of being top. We need just one top midfielder to settle the midfield and from then on it's all investment on attack. In terms of key players we're close, we just need to deepen our squad by finding good free or low money deals.

We are not in a position to spend good money on squad players that's for sure. Any squad player we spend 40m+ must be seen as a starter in the near future, and the only positions for that is DM and 9. Maybe LW too.

RB I'd consider an important, but not key position to strenghten on. Kounde is good enough as a defensive RB, as Balde has good offensive growth projection on the other side.

 

[jamrock]

Damn, pace is a big one. Hard to make it without it, as you need a disproportionate amount of talent. Does he have that? Couldn't he be more useful as an AM? If he doesn't have at least good pace, pure winger is out of the question.

Firstly I don't think the AM position exist in the modern game anymore & will become even less relevant going forward, those guys like Felix, doesn't work as much in today's game.

But the talent is definitely there, his dribbling is top notch, can almost beat his man almost at will and he makes good decisions when on the ball, doesn't just hold his head down and run.

Felix
Mahrez
Havertz

Is the kinda player I think he'll be if he makes it to the top.

 

[serghei]

Firstly I don't think the AM position exist in the modern game anymore & will become even less relevant going forward, those guys like Felix, doesn't work as much in today's game.

But the talent is definitely there, his dribbling is top notch, can almost beat his man almost at will and he makes good decisions when on the ball, doesn't just hold his head down and run.

Felix
Mahrez
Havertz

Is the kinda player I think he'll be if he makes it to the top.

True, but it is possible to land an AM with good workrate. That player would do wonders for us as a physical box to box. The player we wish De Jong was but isn't quite. I still think we're much closer to making De Jong a DM.

I'm not seeing viable DM options past Busi and De Jong. Someone we could sign that makes me confident.

What I'm against is a no10 type of AM like Ozil and Bruno. Maybe Pedri is the part CM part AM we need but I'm not sold on him. If Wirtz is that type of lazier AM waiting for others to pass the ball to him, we should stay away. If he is a more hard working AM, with physicality to boot for, we should be all over him.

Also stay away from Bernardo on top money.

Might be on to something about Felix comparison. Never saw him live, but youtue clips make him seem close to Felix. If that's so, not sure we have a place for him.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Selected the 2nd best young players in the world behind emery by NXGN Awards, what does that mean? Absolutely nothing.

But I hope the club gets him signed to a long contract ASAP, so we can see if he'll make it at the very top.

I read the article and I can't see any ranking, they just named the players in a weird alphabetical order. (Weird in the sense they didn't consistently use 1st or surname)

 

[serghei]

I read the article and I can't see any ranking, they just named the players in a weird alphabetical order. (Weird in the sense they didn't consistently use 1st or surname)

You seem to be following Barca youth more than most here. What's your projection about this guy? Is he juxtaposed with Pedri much. Could he be like a better Pedri in terms of offense, allowing Pedri to settle in a deeper role?

 

[jamrock]

True, but it is possible to land an AM with good workrate. That player would do wonders for us as a physical box to box. The player we wish De Jong was but isn't quite. I still think we're much closer to making De Jong a DM.

I'm not seeing viable DM options past Busi and De Jong. Someone we could sign that makes me confident.

What I'm against is a no10 type of AM like Ozil and Bruno. Maybe Pedri is the part CM part AM we need but I'm not sold on him. If Wirtz is that type of lazier AM waiting for others to pass the ball to him, we should stay away. If he is a more hard working AM, with physicality to boot for, we should be all over him.

Also stay away from Bernardo on top money.

I wouldn't be against FJD as a DM, busquets replacement I've said so many times, but I think he preforms best in the position he plays now, the 2nd midfielder in a pivot.

Let's say we continue playing our current system when yamal breaks through, he could do well in that gavi role ,de jong replaces sergi and gavi takes up the de jong position.

-------De Jong----Gavj

------Yamal---------pedri

Would be pretty tasty, if yamal breaks through,add V.roque to that up to with another Dembele type wide man,we fucking up Europe again.

 

[JamDav1982]

You seem to be following Barca youth more than most here. What's your projection about this guy? Is he juxtaposed with Pedri much. Could he be like a better Pedri in terms of offense, allowing Pedri to settle in a deeper role?

Lamine?

Wont be playing the Pedri role.

If anything maybe the role similar to Gavi in an AM/wide player that comes central if they think he lacks pace but def not a CM.

Even CF is more likely than Pedri role if he was to fill out. Has played 9 before.

His pace is difficult to tell right now as still looks lik a boy in some ways and never wants to take players on at a pure foot race but tries to unbalance them then seems to have a decent gliding type pace to get away.

 

[jamrock]

I read the article and I can't see any ranking, they just named the players in a weird alphabetical order. (Weird in the sense they didn't consistently use 1st or surname)

Yea but don't think it's a coincidence the likes of roque, yamal and emery were at the bottom of the page in the last 4.

They probably didn't want to get into a direct list.

 

[serghei]

I wouldn't be against FJD as a DM, busquets replacement I've said so many times, but I think he preforms best in the position he plays now, the 2nd midfielder in a pivot.

Let's say we continue playing our current system when yamal breaks through, he could do well in that gavi roll ,de jong replaces sergi and gavi takes up the de jong's position.

-------De Jong----Gavj

------Yamal---------pedri

Would be pretty tasty, if yamal breaks through,add V.roque to that up to with another Dembele type wide man,we fucking up Europe again.

Thing is we undoubtedly have a bunch of talented players in midfield like Gavi, Pedri, FDJ, but not one of them is what fans usually refer to as the archetypal midfielder in a position, like AM, CM, DM. That's a problem if you admit that an extremely fluid, tiki-taka (for lack of a better word) style is impossible to implement these days.

I'd be worried about implementing more players of that type, and by the looks of it, Yamal and Wirtz are exactly that type.

I think at the end of the day we'd be better off hunting for a clear DM/box to box and a clear winger to advance the team. We have enough projects like Pedri and Gavi to worry about finding a good spot for.

All power is on Xavi and Laporta and the team they want to assemble. A new tiki-taka attempt like the 2011 midfield is super-risky imo at this pont. Could backfire badly and make JamDav jizz his pants.

High risk, but also high reward plan if you ask me.

 

[JamDav1982]

Gavi wont be playing deeper than Pedri unless drastically changes the player he is in next few years.

Gavi has been a 10 type most of his time at Barca and all about aggression to move off ball.

Doesnt have the discipline, understanding or passing range to play deeper at moment at all.

If Gavi can get more goals/assists to his game that left hand side four or Balde, Gavi, FDJ and Christensen is set for years with FDJ being the one to organise and fill in gaps to allow them all to have freedom when need it.

 

[jamrock]

Thing is we undoubtedly have a bunch of talented players in midfield like Gavi, Pedri, FDJ, but not one of them is what fans usually refer to as the archetypal midfielder in a position, like AM, CM, DM. That's a problem if you admit that an extremely fluid, tiki-taka (for lack of a better word) style is impossible to implement these days.

I'd be worried about implementing more players of that type, and by the looks of it, Yamal and Wirtz are exactly that type.

I think at the end of the day we'd be better off hunting for a clear DM/box to box and a clear winger to advance the team. We have enough projects like Pedri and Gavi to worry about finding a good spot for.

You're right re none of pedri, FDJ, gavi having a specific position in that sense.

Which is why the system xavi came up with works, better than the classic 4-3-3 for us

 

[serghei]

Gavi and Pedri both have a better place deeeper than as AMs imo. Landing a top LW and hunting for a Lewa top replacement would be best bet for me. More Rijkaaard/Lucho Barca than Pep similarity so to skeak.

Especially since Xavi showed he can set up a low block impressively well imo.

Unfortunately, both Rijkaard and Lucho sides were built with elite attackers, which today would cost hundreds of millions.