8 - Pedri

[Kul_z]

Not that I rate Busquets, but:

Frenkie showed more or less nothing in 3 years. Playing in a GOAT level ghost mode against any bigger opponent.
Gavi is 17, has a nice fighting spirit, has a decent action here and there, but for now, he is mostly running around, vacating position and kicking everyone in sight.
Pedri seems to be the least bad midfielder in our midfield, but nobody is yet sure which position is his ideal role and whether he can be a leader of a midfield of he is just a sideshow guy who needs leaders around him. Now, if you make him a leader and surround him with 17 year old Gavi and Frenkie who is lost, then we might be even worse than with Busi.

Again, it is not that I rate Busi, but the most likely scenario with Busi is that it will be the same as with any starter in recent years like:
1. no one can be worse than Raki, we will fly when he leaves. And today we are really flying. Like Titanic.
2. no one can be worse than Suarez, he is singlehandedly ruining every single action. His goals are not worth it. He is scoring but he is ruining everything, when he leaves we will be way better.
** He leaves, we can't score a goal against anyone. We didn't have a 4:0 or 5:0 win for years.
3. no one can be worse than Griezmann. Can't dribble, can't run, can't score.

About Busi, the first problem, who will be a pivot? If the answer is Frenkie, that's the end of a discussion, lol. Frenkie can't play on any position, especially not as a pivot.
Nico, no way.
Gavi, lol, no way.
Pedri, no way.

So, we just have a bunch of players who are ok-ish on CM positions (Pedri, Puig, Gavi, Nico, Frenkie).
The closest option to a pivot if Frenkie, but he is quite bad at defending, positioning, concentration, he is prone to horrible mistakes in the defensive third in terms of passing and dribbles, his aerial ability is non existent (not that Busi was any better, but we deserve someone who can win a header here and there).
Also, Frenkie is quite bad in build up once when the ball is in the opponent's half.
He is good at press resistance (like Arthur) and getting the ball from our box to the opponent's half, but once when the ball is in the opponent's half, a large part of Frenkie's brain enters into an auto-shutdown mode and then we play with 2 midfielders and the 3rd guy is sleeping in the standby mode.

Last part is only thing that he should do, relieve the pressure and give the ball to someone more creative in opponents half.

 

[MTL_Barca]

Not that I rate Busquets, but:

Frenkie showed more or less nothing in 3 years. Playing in a GOAT level ghost mode against any bigger opponent.
Gavi is 17, has a nice fighting spirit, has a decent action here and there, but for now, he is mostly running around, vacating position and kicking everyone in sight.
Pedri seems to be the least bad midfielder in our midfield, but nobody is yet sure which position is his ideal role and whether he can be a leader of a midfield of he is just a sideshow guy who needs leaders around him. Now, if you make him a leader and surround him with 17 year old Gavi and Frenkie who is lost, then we might be even worse than with Busi.

Again, it is not that I rate Busi, but the most likely scenario with Busi is that it will be the same as with any starter in recent years like:
1. no one can be worse than Raki, we will fly when he leaves. And today we are really flying. Like Titanic.
2. no one can be worse than Suarez, he is singlehandedly ruining every single action. His goals are not worth it. He is scoring but he is ruining everything, when he leaves we will be way better.
** He leaves, we can't score a goal against anyone. We didn't have a 4:0 or 5:0 win for years.
3. no one can be worse than Griezmann. Can't dribble, can't run, can't score.

About Busi, the first problem, who will be a pivot? If the answer is Frenkie, that's the end of a discussion, lol. Frenkie can't play on any position, especially not as a pivot.
Nico, no way.
Gavi, lol, no way.
Pedri, no way.

So, we just have a bunch of players who are ok-ish on CM positions (Pedri, Puig, Gavi, Nico, Frenkie).
The closest option to a pivot if Frenkie, but he is quite bad at defending, positioning, concentration, he is prone to horrible mistakes in the defensive third in terms of passing and dribbles, his aerial ability is non existent (not that Busi was any better, but we deserve someone who can win a header here and there).
Also, Frenkie is quite bad in build up once when the ball is in the opponent's half.
He is good at press resistance (like Arthur) and getting the ball from our box to the opponent's half, but once when the ball is in the opponent's half, a large part of Frenkie's brain enters into an auto-shutdown mode and then we play with 2 midfielders and the 3rd guy is sleeping in the standby mode.

So what is your preferred course, play Busquets forever and hope to just stumble upon the perfect replacement the moment he chooses to retire?

It's not about just getting him out ASAP, it's about at least making a good attempt to replace him. Issue with Rakitic or Suarez wasn't that they were too good or irreplaceable or anything, the criticism was very much valid. The issue was they didn't get properly replaced, in midfield we got Pjanic+Pedri for Arthur, Rakitic, Vidal and in attack we got a new role for Griezman who was already shit, Trincao and Braithwaite for Suarez. I mean just look at who we signed Got lucky with Pedri but the rest is just not anywhere the required level.

Trying our own solutions first (like Frenkie) would just be one step, but sooner or later we desperately will need a replacement for Busquets.

 

[JamDav1982]

The four players BBZ has supported in last year or so...Mingueza, Busquets, Braithwaite and Coutinho.

Quite the list...

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

So what is your preferred course, play Busquets forever and hope to just stumble upon the perfect replacement the moment he chooses to retire?

It's not about just getting him out ASAP, it's about at least making a good attempt to replace him. Issue with Rakitic or Suarez wasn't that they were too good or irreplaceable or anything, the criticism was very much valid. The issue was they didn't get properly replaced, in midfield we got Pjanic+Pedri for Arthur, Rakitic, Vidal and in attack we got a new role for Griezman who was already shit, Trincao and Braithwaite for Suarez. I mean just look at who we signed Got lucky with Pedri but the rest is just not anywhere the required level.

Trying our own solutions first (like Frenkie) would just be one step, but sooner or later we desperately will need a replacement for Busquets.

Well said. You can't hold on to even great players forever. Everyone has expiration date. These guys had it few years ago.

I am fine taking short-term pain for long-term benefit. Past goods bring maybe few more points short-term but way more pain long-term.

Let kids make mistakes and learn from them.

 

[Zidane82]

Imagine a front line of Haaland Fati and Torres !?!


In the meantime ( if we are selling FDJ)

Torres Depay ( up front )

Pedri Nico Gavi (midfield)


Busqs (holding)


Four man Defence

Keeper

 

[BBZ8800]

The four players BBZ has supported in last year or so...Mingueza, Busquets, Braithwaite and Coutinho.

Quite the list...

I am twisting stats out of trolling, you are dead serious in misinterprenting things.
I supported only Coutinho out of these players.

For Braithwaite, I said that I want to see Braith, Cou, Dembele, Griezz quartet without Messi to see whether a team will be more mobile and unpredictable.
We never got a chance to see that team.

About Mingueza, you asked me whether I hate every single young player.
I said that Mingueza is okish and has some combative spark. And that Pedri and Gavi are not that bad.
Suddenly you are mentioning Mingueza (several times already) as my favorite player or something.

Busquets, lol.
I was never too huge fan of his, even in 2011'.
I am just saying that there is a really, really, really, really high chance that his sub out of a current crop of players will be way worse than him.

So what is your preferred course, play Busquets forever and hope to just stumble upon the perfect replacement the moment he chooses to retire?

It's not about just getting him out ASAP, it's about at least making a good attempt to replace him. Issue with Rakitic or Suarez wasn't that they were too good or irreplaceable or anything, the criticism was very much valid. The issue was they didn't get properly replaced, in midfield we got Pjanic+Pedri for Arthur, Rakitic, Vidal and in attack we got a new role for Griezman who was already shit, Trincao and Braithwaite for Suarez. I mean just look at who we signed Got lucky with Pedri but the rest is just not anywhere the required level.

Trying our own solutions first (like Frenkie) would just be one step, but sooner or later we desperately will need a replacement for Busquets.

Fair point, we need to find someone for the future.
But let's look at it this way:
1. imagine if we keep Busi and we end as 4th, qualify to CL and earn some amount of money and recover a part of our image
2. if we drop Busi, there are two options:
1) we struck gold with someone (we surely won't struck gold with Frenkie, though) and we BOTH qualify to a 4th place and find a new guy for the future
2) we make a mistake, a new guy is way worse than Busi, a team suffers, a team loses even more of control and buildup and we end up as let's say 5th, and lose a lot of money

Now, what would you choose?
1. a safer route with Busi and hoping that we will end in top4?
2. going all in with risks and maybe losing even more money with not qualifying for a CL and losing all chances to sign, let's say Haaland.
Is all that risk wort just to try Frenkie as a pivot, who showed absolutely nothing in the last 3 years to warrant that level of risk from our club?

But in they eyes of fans, a younger player always looks as a shinier option on a paper.
And: no one could be as bad as xx (insert any older player).

 

[ajnotkeith]

The evidence Busi has shown for being a top DM is where this season?

Nations league? Lol

 

[serghei]

I am twisting stats out of trolling, you are dead serious in misinterprenting things.
I supported only Coutinho out of these players.

You've tainted your predictor career for life with that one though.

It's like a recovering alcoholic being sober for years with hard work, and in one night of heavy drinking, all that effort went to waste.

 

[KingLeo10]

The biggest BBZ L though is Germany 2018...when he had them as favorites and they crashed out in group stages

 

[serghei]

The biggest BBZ L though is Germany 2018...when he had them as favorites and they crashed out in group stages

Nothing beats Coutinho except another Coutinho.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

The biggest BBZ L though is Germany 2018...when he had them as favorites and they crashed out in group stages

Not BBZ's fault though, the winner of 06/10/14 was always crashed out - the curse is too strong.

 

[MTL_Barca]

Fair point, we need to find someone for the future.
But let's look at it this way:
1. imagine if we keep Busi and we end as 4th, qualify to CL and earn some amount of money and recover a part of our image
2. if we drop Busi, there are two options:
1) we struck gold with someone (we surely won't struck gold with Frenkie, though) and we BOTH qualify to a 4th place and find a new guy for the future
2) we make a mistake, a new guy is way worse than Busi, a team suffers, a team loses even more of control and buildup and we end up as let's say 5th, and lose a lot of money

Now, what would you choose?
1. a safer route with Busi and hoping that we will end in top4?
2. going all in with risks and maybe losing even more money with not qualifying for a CL and losing all chances to sign, let's say Haaland.
Is all that risk wort just to try Frenkie as a pivot, who showed absolutely nothing in the last 3 years to warrant that level of risk from our club?

But in they eyes of fans, a younger player always looks as a shinier option on a paper.
And: no one could be as bad as xx (insert any older player).

I don't necessarily think we have to fully commit to any of those. Trying Frenkie as DM doesn't mean play him 90min every single game no matter how he performs, and "dropping Busquets" doesn't mean banishing him to the stands and force him to leave.

For me it's more about the mindset of trying to replace him in the first place that worries me, we can't rely on playing Busi as our lone DM forever. Dude get's exposed time and time again for years already but we have no solid alternative at all, we don't seem keen in trying our current players there, no transfers, Busi still untouchable...that's what i don't like, not that Busi is still here and playing games. That is fine (as is keeping older players in general, just not playing them every minute as long as they can still walk) even though i'm also concerned our remaining veterans might all be mentally damaged from their downfall and the countless humiliations.

 

[BBZ8800]

The biggest BBZ L though is Germany 2018...when he had them as favorites and they crashed out in group stages

And even then the story started with:
JamDav: I think that Brazil might win a WC.
Bbz: Lol. Brazil doesn't stand a chance.
Jam: Why?
Bbz: Teams like Brazil or Spain probably won't win it ever again, football has changed.
They play too light and too technical football dor the current era.
Jam: Ok. If Brazil and Spain won't win it, who will?
Bbz: I don't know. Some random more physical Europans. I don't know who'll win it, I only DO know that Spain and Brazil won't win a WC and City won't win a CL.
Jam: repeating the same question for 10 times: No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.
No, give me some names.

And then I was scared that his brain will enter into an infinite loop and I didn't want for him to end in a hospital because I have nothing against him, so I replied: I really don't know. I don't know, maybe Germany, they seem to have an allround team.

And then this story turned from something where I was absolutely right (Brazil, Spain, City) into my L with Germany.

 

[JamDav1982]

Nope that is a lie and completely made up conversation but nice try.

You were asked for who is the best team based on your ideals for World Cup and chose Germany.. who went out in groups.

Same as last Euros when slating Spain after group games.. you chose France, Portugal and Belgium and all three went out in next round.

You were giving off on essays on what made Germany so great... nice try as making it some throw away answer you were forced to give but doesnt wash.

Horrendous stuff when it is related to you years of essays and teams that fit your ideals.

I called Italy the best team in the Euros after the first couple games... but dont let truth get in the way of a good essay.

You think choosing one team not to win makes you right haha when those teams did better than your favs and no one claimed they were certs to win it or anything close just they had started those tournaments well.

Not only did the teams with your ideals fail they were poorer than likes of Spain and Brazil. Ouch.

Worst shout of last Euros was probably your bizarre 'Netherlands play dated Cruyff football like Barca' when they played 352 and were pretty much one of the most physical sides in tournament.

Bit like when you try to say Braithwaite is Barcas best attacker and Messi the worst and the claim were correct if Messi doesnt lead Barca to CL. Same level.

 

[Horatio]

Bigger BBZ L for me was Euro Cup where he basically put all favorites as potential candidates to win it. Next level prediction.