Bulgroz
Senior Member
He had a bad game, clearly, but I don't think his work ethic or his commitment can be questioned. He's always looked nonchalant, but he isn't.
That being said, I think his main issue right now is confidence. Deschamps played him as a RB, he was bad, then as a CB, he was good, then back as a RB for the whole world cup, where he was very average. Xavi told him he'd play CB when he got recruited, and he ends up playing almost exclusively RB. Then out of nowhere, he gets played as a CB with a weird fucking defense, in one of the most important games of the season, against one of the best teams barca will face this year. He probably played with some apprehension, knowing he couldn't really afford to fuck up (which led him to fuck up).
He had a very similar pattern when he started playing with Sevilla, and he had a couple rough games there too when he was finally played as a CB.
He's a player with a lot of quality, but he really needs to feel that the coaching staff and the team believe in him to give his best.
That being said, I think his main issue right now is confidence. Deschamps played him as a RB, he was bad, then as a CB, he was good, then back as a RB for the whole world cup, where he was very average. Xavi told him he'd play CB when he got recruited, and he ends up playing almost exclusively RB. Then out of nowhere, he gets played as a CB with a weird fucking defense, in one of the most important games of the season, against one of the best teams barca will face this year. He probably played with some apprehension, knowing he couldn't really afford to fuck up (which led him to fuck up).
He had a very similar pattern when he started playing with Sevilla, and he had a couple rough games there too when he was finally played as a CB.
He's a player with a lot of quality, but he really needs to feel that the coaching staff and the team believe in him to give his best.