8 - Pedri

[jamrock]

If our players could finish he'd have at least 10 assist per season

 

[vegitot]

He's played like 5 games to this relax,he didn't success or fail, not enough games to day one way or the other.

He was 100% played in the attacking 3rd at las Palmas.

He plays pretty much high, as an AM this season, not just a few games.

He wasn't a true AM with Las Palmas.

 

[Porque]

Iirc Las Palmas played a rather rigid 4231 back then with Pedri either at Amc or AML, and with limited defensive contribution.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Why do i get notifications when someone posts in Pedri thread

 

[Porque]

Why do i get notifications when someone posts in Pedri thread

Coz you need to go all in and change your name to Pedri_Future_BallonDor.

 

[jamrock]

He plays pretty much high, as an AM this season, not just a few games.

He wasn't a true AM with Las Palmas.

Clearly didn't watch him much at las Palmas or any at all.

But okay, I can't debate when basic facts are being denied/ignored.

 

[serghei]

Pedri is an AM imo. His issues are his own, not on how Xavi used him. No manager that knows a thing or two about football is gonna use Pedri in a deep starting position. AMs drop deeper sometimes too to get on the ball and show for a pass when pressure is applied on build-up, but that's different.

He would perform excellent as an AM if just the game would be played at a lesser pace. That's his main challenge. To operate at a higher level of athleticism and intensity. It's a physical thing with him. Stamina, pace, fitness, intensity in physical duels, he ranks from average to poor in almost every important physical parameter for the modern game.

He has 2 years to improve in these areas or his career is gonna take a big nosedive.

 

[jamrock]

The fickleness of Barca forum is always 🤦 worthy.

He is a classic Spanish AM, much like D.silva,Carzola and many others.

Bellingham is a classic English midfielder see lampard they always score goals more so than their Spanish equivalent,( yes Bellingham as more to his game than lampard)

Wirtz? See ballack and a couple other German attacking midfielders, which is why ballack couldn't work at Chelsea with lampard.

So their is nothing new or modern about Midfielders scoring and assisting from midfield in high numbers, especially from those countries, who have always had a physical advantage over Spanish players.


Pedri is just the next in line of "typical" Spanish AM/CM hybrids, they tend to not score or assist as much, but play a more impacting part in the teams overall play.

Just give him time to recover fully, he's easily the 2nd most talented player in our squad right now and If he can't doesn't work out, then big Guille Fernandez is waiting in the wings.

 

[Porque]

Fair argument.
And here I am not exactly disagreeing, but rather than putting some sort of brainstorm in it.
But do you think "both" can work together? this is the main issue here.
We are always a bit too lethargic with them both, always teased with a potential that never comes.
And beside that, I would argue that Gundogan is showing us (or reminding us) what a world class CM means.

Something always feels off when both are there tbh.
And then, I love the word you used with Pedri "an asset" which is a bit of an issue here, both are indeed assets, that we are trying to preserve, without asking the question of whether both can grow or maintain their asset status together.
Because we might be wasting those "assets" by looking at each one individually rather than looking at them collectively.

That's a good point. And to be honest I don't really know. Prior to EuroCopa 2008 many believed Iniesta and Xavi couldn't co-exist. Then Aragones played a midfield quartet and won the Euros (even if Xavi/Iniesta were not AS good as mythically suggested with both typically subbed out around 60/70), Pep arrived and the rest is history.

So it is possible that a new manager with new ideas can make the tandem function better.

I actually liked the Gavi-Frenkie partnership more in the brief games when they were both functioning, and before Gavi got a bit lost in his "pseudo hard man" schtick. But also, I don't think we have ever really seen Pedri and Frenkie have a run of form together. And when they did we were sidetracked with squad injuries and Pedri injuries.

Take Pedri for example, his best run (and arguably Xavi's best run was Nov22-Feb23 where we basically won every game with a hard pressing midfield quartet. Frenkie-Busi-Pedri worked great together, with Gavi closing from false AML. So we have evidence there that the duo worked together.

And since February 23, so over a year now, Frenkie and Pedri have had no consistency together. I think this season alone Pedri has completed 90 minutes in LaLiga just twice and basically been stop start with medium term injuries.

This season we have lost Busquets, switched to a forward trio, and Xavi seemingly been instructed to play more attacking. Lost Dembele, had Raphinha injured and lack attacking rights until Lamine advanced sooner than anticipated. All the while not having a smooth transition to this and our level dropping.

So in the end can Xavi-Frenkie play together? Perhaps looking over all details there is evidence that they have already when fully fit and when the team is functioning.

 

[serghei]

It is a myth that top class Spanish CM/AM did not have end product in terms of goal threat and elite passing in final 3rd. One look at Xavi in 2008/09 and you immediately recognize that some things are done by choice, not limitations.

 

[serghei]

In other words, what in the case of Pedri is linked to limitations of his game (so far admittedly), in the case of former greater Spanish midfielders it was strictly a tactical choice.

 

[jamrock]

It is a myth that top class Spanish CM/AM did not have end product in terms of goal threat and elite passing in final 3rd. One look at Xavi in 2008/09 and you immediately recognize that some things are done by choice, not limitations.

Xavi is the goat though, so there is that, but generally Spanish midfielders don't score in the same numbers as others from other countries and assist tend to be a bit behind, but key passes are very high.

 

[vegitot]

Fabregas spamed key passes left and right. Xavi too when he was the main man.

Iniesta didn't have much but also he managed to get 22 assists in one season (2012/13).

 

[serghei]

Xavi is the goat though, so there is that, but generally Spanish midfielders don't score in the same numbers as others from other countries and assist tend to be a bit behind, but key passes are very high.

Xavi, and Iniesta are untouchable sure, but even becoming a player as great as David Silva was is a tall order I think. David Silva was elite.

Pedri is young. He can still turn up good, but he has a lot of improving to do to reach the level of even some non-Xavi/Iniesta Spanish midfielders.

 

[vegitot]

Pedri is an AM imo. His issues are his own, not on how Xavi used him. No manager that knows a thing or two about football is gonna use Pedri in a deep starting position. AMs drop deeper sometimes too to get on the ball and show for a pass when pressure is applied on build-up, but that's different.

He would perform excellent as an AM if just the game would be played at a lesser pace. That's his main challenge. To operate at a higher level of athleticism and intensity. It's a physical thing with him. Stamina, pace, fitness, intensity in physical duels, he ranks from average to poor in almost every important physical parameter for the modern game.

He has 2 years to improve in these areas or his career is gonna take a big nosedive.

He isn't an AM. What kind of AM that doesn't even try to conduct attack? Even if you consider Pedri as an AM, he never think like how an AM should think.

He is a CM, with little attacking instinct.