3 - Alejandro Balde

[Nello]

In the end we only have so many financial means atm, and keeping Cancelo might have made it almost impossible to register Olmo who has been good overall so far honestly.

Agree that he's our worst starter by a margin atm, but has also been given an unreasonable task carrying the entire left flank on his own. We have no (healthy) LW in the squad, and as good as Raphinha has been, he provides close to no help for Balde.
Even prime Alves had Messi to combine with on the right, Balde is often completely isolated whe he receives the ball and is asked to beat the other FB by himself.

A proper LW and some competition/guidance could do wonders for him.

 

[ZenI]

Is it just me or does he suck? We need to splurge next summer - 2 wingbacks, 1 winger and 1 CF.

 

[Ter Stature]

Is it just me or does he suck? We need to splurge next summer - 2 wingbacks, 1 winger and 1 CF.

He is ass, reddit and X experts think it's because no support? Just moar signings will fix it. They will now repeat that claim forever.
It only shows that they don't watch any football except highlights.

In reality this dude is defensively useless, in fact he is the lack of support there. Constantly gets beaten.
We don't even need to talk about the ability to put a good ball in.

 

[ZenI]

He is ass, reddit and X experts think it's because no support? Just moar signings will fix it. They will now repeat that claim forever.
It only shows that they don't watch any football except highlights.

In reality this dude is defensively useless, in fact he is the lack of support there. Constantly gets beaten.
We don't even need to talk about the ability to put a good ball in.

Support my ass, he's simply not a baller even close to what Barca needs on LB. He should be like backup to a proper backup - sure as fucking hell not a starter, what a joke...

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

Fort should be starting now on, but don't have much faith in Flimmick.

 

[serghei]

Suddenly it feels like Alba and Busquets were big reasons we won that league. With Balde and FDJ turning out to be bums.

I think Balde played a lot in that season no? He started over Alba in the bigger games if I remember well.

I wouldn't say they were big reasons. Obviously Busi was way better than Romeu. He was much more important than Alba.

Biggest reasons were the manager, and the investments in the summer before that season. Lewa ended up lead goalscorer, Kounde and Christensen helped our defense a lot, Raphinha scored many match-winning goals later in the season. The German had one of his rare top seasons in goal.

 

[Zynaro]

Fort should be starting now on, but don't have much faith in Flimmick.

Starting Fort sounds romantic but in reality a very bad idea. Many goals in November and December came from his side when he was on the field. And it cost points in the end.

Starting Fort is a good option when you know a match will go your way no matter what. When the team has to grind to get the points, he will be a liability both offensively and defensively.

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

Starting Fort sounds romantic but in reality a very bad idea. Many goals in November and December came from his side when he was on the field. And it cost points in the end.

Starting Fort is a good option when you know a match will go your way no matter what. When the team has to grind to get the points, he will be a liability both offensively and defensively.

Fort has the intelligence to learn, Balde doesn't.

 

[Barcaman]

Pretty sure Flick and Catalan press think he's great. It's painful to watch him play with one leg and other on a crutch.

Cancelo constantly made things happen on the left flank. Balde managed a cross or two and that's that.

 

[Loki]

Is it just me or does he suck? We need to splurge next summer - 2 wingbacks, 1 winger and 1 CF.

He sadly didn't improve on his end product in passing into the box. He's not a newbie anymore and you could already expect some progress at least, sadly he doesn't show any. Most of his crosses are just randomly shot into the box with a prayer following our player can reach it somehow.
I just realize that I never see him crossing or passing into the backs of the defenders like Alba often did. How difficult is it to run up to the baseline, force the defenders back and then pass into their backs?
To me it feels like he misses intelligence for the last pass and tries often to cover it with physics.

 

[Zynaro]

Fort has the intelligence to learn, Balde doesn't.

He might have or he doesn't have it. We don't know to be honest. A lot of La Masia players showed promised in the beginning (scored some goals etc) only to get stuck at a certain level. Which is usually below of what is required to help Barca challenge for the titles. Right now Fort does not provide anything useful neither offensively nor defensively. When he got some minutes, he was outplayed by opposition players and that lead to lost points. I doubt he can progress as fast as Cubarsi or Yamal. At least right now there is not indication that it will happen.

 

[Kul_z]

Pretty sure Flick and Catalan press think he's great. It's painful to watch him play with one leg and other on a crutch.

Cancelo constantly made things happen on the left flank. Balde managed a cross or two and that's that.

Id rather play cancelo on rb, sell that fraud kounde, and play with cancelo bombing right flank with lamine. On lb play whoever that has more brain then balde, cause he genuinely sucks

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

If he continues to stagnate and they decide they want rid of him, I am throwing the name of Nuno Tavares in the ring, rather than Davies.

Always impressed me when I saw him play from his early Arsenal days and now the highest number of assists in Serie A, from left back. Approaching his prime, at 24, he has improved season after season.

 

[vuji_31]

If he continues to stagnate and they decide they want rid of him, I am throwing the name of Nuno Tavares in the ring, rather than Davies.

Always impressed me when I saw him play from his early Arsenal days and now the highest number of assists in Serie A, from left back. Approaching his prime, at 24, he has improved season after season.

Well he is hot and cold.

Davies is better player but wants massive paycheck.

Psg is interested in Balde if Nuno Mendes leaves.

40mil and take him.

 

[Porque]

Balde is a good player that comes through the academy to bolster the club and even the 11.

The issue isn't really that he is not at the level but more that both fullbacks are not at the level offensively.

A bit deeper and the bigger issue is that he got a bit of hype, was tied to Mendes and now has his leverage to get a contract higher than his actual value. Like Ansu. This is the cancer from without.

Having all your talents under a super agent is an issue we have right now. Mendes is better than Raiola was, but you can't let one Porkchop monopolize the menu.

But yeah, issue is that the salary cap ammassed on Balde and Kounde are way to high for what they offer.