8 - Pedri

[jairzinho]

People need to look at the state of top football. It should be an obvious fact that Spanish teams haven't been pushed enough on the physical side of the game. Top English teams are miles ahead and it's showing. Both on fitness but also on straight up pace and physicality.

I said in another thread, Foden represents the new style of Pep football and also some would say modern football. Technical and direct football mixed with athleticism. Utilizing, players who are good with the ball but also quick, athletic, direct, aggressive etc. Foden represents that style to a large degree. His play style is very vertical, completely opposite to players like Pedri and Puig who are more in the mould of ball playing Barca mids. Good with the ball yes but incredibly weak, one dimensional, cannot shoot etc. Would love to see us move completely away from fielding these type of players, even though i am big fan of Pedri for example. Hopefully he can adjust his playing style with time since he is still young.

 

[Messi983]

He'll play his 50th game this season against Atletico. The only game he didn't play was against Ferencvaros when he was rested after we already qualified.

Absolutely incredible for a 18 year old kid in his first season at the club.

 

[Vilarrubi]

He'll play his 50th game this season against Atletico. The only game he didn't play was against Ferencvaros when he was rested after we already qualified.

Absolutely incredible for a 18 year old kid in his first season at the club.

Crazy that he might not have played half of those if Coutinho had been fit. Feel like Coutinho’s price and name would have made him play over Pedri a lot despite being clearly worse.

 

[FCBarca]

He'll play his 50th game this season against Atletico. The only game he didn't play was against Ferencvaros when he was rested after we already qualified.

Absolutely incredible for a 18 year old kid in his first season at the club.

Let's not forget Pedri was earmarked for a loan in pre-season upon Koeman's arrival along with Puig

 

[Messi983]

Crazy that he might not have played half of those if Coutinho had been fit. Feel like Coutinho’s price and name would have made him play over Pedri a lot despite being clearly worse.

Sure, he would play less minutes (which wouldn't be bad as I think he's a bit overplayed for his age - I think him getting around 2.000 total minutes would already be great and he's at 3.300+ now) but still think he'd play in most games coming off the bench and potentially also earn Koeman's trust to get into starting XI even with Coutinho available.

If anything I think Koeman would insist with 4231 for longer period using Cou/Pedri as LW so Cou getting injured was a good thing for us from more than one perspective.

 

[mc_lovin]

I said in another thread, Foden represents the new style of Pep football and also some would say modern football. Technical and direct football mixed with athleticism. Utilizing, players who are good with the ball but also quick, athletic, direct, aggressive etc. Foden represents that style to a large degree. His play style is very vertical, completely opposite to players like Pedri and Puig who are more in the mould of ball playing Barca mids. Good with the ball yes but incredibly weak, one dimensional, cannot shoot etc. Would love to see us move completely away from fielding these type of players, even though i am big fan of Pedri for example. Hopefully he can adjust his playing style with time since he is still young.

A bit late to the show, but it literally makes no sense comparing Pedri and Foden.

Pedri is somewhere between Xavi and Iniesta stylistically and Foden is more like a cross between Messi and Rooney. One is a midfielder and the other a forward at this point. Only similarity is their talent status. Gundogan is probably closest in his role to Pedri for City (and de Bruyne to Frenkie). Which just shows how hard it is to compare players directly.

But I think its wrong to try to see an overall trend towards guys like Foden at AM when he doesnt even play there. Looking at City and Chelsea the trend this season (at least in CL) was clearly towards robust, playmaking wingers/forwards (Foden, Silva, Mahrez, Pulisic, Havertz, Mount). Which is a bit mad, because usually teams with forward lines like that looked rather toothless in the past.

 

[Bobo32]

I think they are pretty similar in style. Foden is much more of a killer and tries a lot more shots whereas Pedri never shoots, but Pedri is closer to Foden than to Xavi or Iniesta, in my opinion.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

At this point it's tough to compare Pedri. He seems more of a workhorse now than finished product(especially offensively).

He still needs time to find his real playing style at this level. If that makes sense.

 

[Bobo32]

At this point it's tough to compare Pedri. He seems more of a workhorse now than finished product(especially offensively).

He still needs time to find his real playing style at this level. If that makes sense.

I see what you mean, but I still see a lot of tendencies in his play.

But lately he is really just jogging around playing simple passes most of the time. He looks like a tired hockey player refusing to push his skating but just gliding around instead, with a large turn radius.
One of the things he still adds is the "long legs" he has when he anticipates. He is also pretty secure on the ball, even if I feel many of his overturns are overlooked, some of them have looked VERY silly.

If I get a reply to this it will include his age. I think any player playing 50 games a season for Barcelona should be judged as a player regardless of age. Let's see how much better he will become, it won't be automatic.

 

[khaled_a_d]

 

[Andresito]

View attachment 8904

Here for people with bad vision:

 

[behindbrowneyes]

At this point it's tough to compare Pedri. He seems more of a workhorse now than finished product(especially offensively).

He still needs time to find his real playing style at this level. If that makes sense.

Agreed. Right now he is doing a lot of dirty work for players like Busi or Leo who don't run as much and as intensely. Frenkie is also a profiteer of Pedri when playing in midfield.

Another point in my opinion: Midfield is the position where experience matters a lot, arguably even the most. You rarely see very young guys dominating games from the mid. Pedri has a lot to learn and this will only come with experience. Technically and especially in tight spaces he is already great. In other aspects like forward passing and shooting there is a lot to do, but still, he is just 18. He'll need to improve on that if he wants to become one of the best, but I guess exactly this work in between is what differentiates "eternal talents" from those who really make it to the very top.

Wingers are different. They often rely on some physical attributes or skills and what matters most there besides the talent is cockiness. Playing a position closer to the goal is helping too. Every year there are popping up some new names who look promising. Hardly anyone knows them and they are already giving a hard time to proven defenders and are deciding games in favor of their team. Dembele, Mbappe, Ansu, Sancho, of course Leo and Cristiano, Asensio, Neymar to name a few.

Since Foden is playing LW very often lately, it makes not much sense to compare Pedri and Foden. You'd better compare Foden to Ansu and there is not such a big difference anymore, keeping in mind Ansu's performances before he got injured. It's crazy how good Ansu was if you consider the age gap between the two. Let's hope he comes back at least as strong as he was before his injury.

 

[BusiTheKing]

Here for people with bad vision:

When watching other midfield talents make bold plays, break through lines, give penetrating passes and score goals, I'll be sure to remind myself of Pedri's unassailable ability to take a lot of touches before losing or passing the ball.

 

[Porque]

Good chart. The categories really profile the style of players bar a few anomalies (Jude Bellingham).

Pedri is with all of the defensive midfielders which suggests he is miscast being too high up the field. Frenkie in that category with the more B2B options too.

Emphasises that what our midfield trio really needs and misses is those in the Ball winning/Progression category.

The last point is that so many of those players there are from Ligue1. It really is the perfect farmers market.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

Pedri has been run into the ground this season for Barcelona: Gospel or myth?

Do his statistics show signs of decline?
Finally, how have Pedri?s statistics evolved over the course of the season? Of course, changes in role and opposition can play a part in this, but if his pressing numbers or other outputs have decreased dramatically, that would be a telling sign.

When splitting the teenager?s appearances into chronological, relatively equal thirds based on minutes played, this is what you get:

While, once again, these stats do not directly correlate to fitness, the results are quite astonishing. Pedri?s pressing volume in the most recent period, which started with the match at Sevilla at the end of February, has actually increased by a considerable amount. He has been less involved in chance creation, but his involvement in ball progression has remained at a substantial level.

In short, in Pedri?s last 700 or so minutes on the pitch, he has been applying pressure at a much higher rate while not sacrificing his progressive responsibilities. Perhaps this is a bit of an insight into Ronald Koeman having more knowledge of the player?s fitness and physical wellbeing than the supporters.

https://barcauniversal.com/pedri-ha...und-this-season-for-barcelona-gospel-or-myth/

Like already said. He does a lot on the pitch you don't really see if you don't have a closer look at him.