8 - Pedri

[vegitot]

He's a good passer but doesn't have the best final ball or killer instinct. His natural instinct is to play safer passes and preserve and recycle possession instead of attempting(and pulling off) inventive, killer low percentage final balls like a KDB or Ozil.


He's much better deeper where he gets a bit more time and space to bring out his actual qualities. He's not a bonafide goal threat like Olmo or KDB either so I don't see him as a proper 10 at all.


Ideally, Pedri is an 8 in a 433. Similar profile to Iniesta - although Iniesta's natural swiftness and acceleration allowed him to be more versatile and even fill in as a false LW in a 433 when needed. Pedri doesn't have that swiftness. In Flick's system Pedri can play in the pivot or slightly ahead based on the players available. But he's not a proper 10 like Olmo is. Proper 10s need that naturally inventive, risk taking instinct and have a certain X Factor about them.


The higher you're up the pitch(closer to the opponent's goal), the less amount of time and touches you are allowed on the ball. Pedri is at his best when he has that little extra time on the ball to do his thing. For instance, Pirlo used to be a 10 but Ancelotti moved him deeper and that unlocked a whole new Pirlo where he had more time on the ball to dictate play. Not saying that Pirlo and Pedri have a similar player profile. They don't. Just an example to illustrate my point.


@Birdy @Fati_Future_BallonDor @Maradona37 do you agree? 🧐

It's not fair to compare Pedri to Olmo or KDB. He will never be that kind of player when he plays as a 10 like them.

My point is that if he wants to play and excel as a 10 permanently, he must learn the Xavi way. Xavi used to play that role with Spain under Del Bosque and he was brilliant. He always dropped deep and moved all around the pitch to dominate the play while being creative in the final third (usually created most chances in his team).

Pedri isn't type of player who can create attack or score with limited time on the ball. He must involve the most.

Prime Iniesta would be the most press resistant player in this team. But I'm not sure about Iniesta's ability to play at Xavi's position. He never actually did regularly.

After Xavi left the natural move would be to play Iniesta there and get a new offensively oriented midfielder because those are arguably more common than the Xavi clones unless you get total ass versions like Seri and Arthur.

Btw, I think Pedri has received more instructions to play killer passes even from Xavi. I can’t remember a single situation this season where he has avoided the killer pass for the safer option. Those moments were far more common a year ago.

Last season i remember Xavi said something like he wanted Pedri to have more than 100 touches/passes per game. He wanted Pedri to involve more while usually played him in an advanced role. Perharps he expected Pedri would play the same way Xavi himself used to play.

 

[Birdy]

He's a good passer but doesn't have the best final ball or killer instinct. His natural instinct is to play safer passes and preserve and recycle possession instead of attempting(and pulling off) inventive, killer low percentage final balls like a KDB or Ozil.


He's much better deeper where he gets a bit more time and space to bring out his actual qualities. He's not a bonafide goal threat like Olmo or KDB either so I don't see him as a proper 10 at all.


Ideally, Pedri is an 8 in a 433. Similar profile to Iniesta - although Iniesta's natural swiftness and acceleration allowed him to be more versatile and even fill in as a false LW in a 433 when needed. Pedri doesn't have that swiftness. In Flick's system Pedri can play in the pivot or slightly ahead based on the players available. But he's not a proper 10 like Olmo is. Proper 10s need that naturally inventive, risk taking instinct and have a certain X Factor about them.


The higher you're up the pitch(closer to the opponent's goal), the less amount of time and touches you are allowed on the ball. Pedri is at his best when he has that little extra time on the ball to do his thing. For instance, Pirlo used to be a 10 but Ancelotti moved him deeper and that unlocked a whole new Pirlo where he had more time on the ball to dictate play. Not saying that Pirlo and Pedri have a similar player profile. They don't. Just an example to illustrate my point.


@Birdy @Fati_Future_BallonDor @Maradona37 do you agree? 🧐

Agree for the most part.

Pedri is never a 10, despite Xavi telling him to shoot more and De La Fuente playing him there.

He is the perfect dictator of games from deep. He does everything.
His position is either a CM in a 4-3-3 or in a 4-2-3-1 next to a more defensive md

 

[xXKonan]

There was a time under Pepe Mel at Las Palmas when he was pretty comfortable playing in more advanced positions as a #10 and even in wider positions. But I think Pepe Mel knew where his talents lie and started playing him deeper as the season went on.

For me? I'm perfectly cool with his current role it seems him and Casado have a good understanding with each other and you have other more attacking options such as Olmo/Fermin etc to help out with the creativity in the Midfield.

 

[FCMessi]

Bitch princess defense

 

[wiseman]

Really bad

 

[TacticsTim]

Just pisses me off never fucking wins duels. There's lithium miners twice his fucking size

 

[Sorin]

A mosquito has more pace and power than him.

 

[Total-Football]

Irritates as fuck his powerless feet. Because he knows this he hesitates to shoot and when he tries to cross most of the time he struggles to put the ball high enough even ! Pedri excels at short passing and fine passing but it's a huge issue this "hollow" feet he has. Even iniesta had a mean strike in him when he wanted to , though he rarely did.

 

[Sorin]

Irritates as fuck his powerless feet. Because he knows this he hesitates to shoot and when he tries to cross most of the time he struggles to put the ball high enough even ! Pedri excels at short passing and fine passing but it's a huge issue this "hollow" feet he has. Even iniesta had a mean strike in him when he wanted to , though he rarely did.

It’s no use comparing him to Iniesta. They are world’s apart.

 

[Total-Football]

It’s no use comparing him to Iniesta. They are world’s apart.

I know. I'm just talking about the power in the foot since both players have similar physique.

 

[Skalman]

Best Barca player on the picth in the second half but he is overplayed, wtf did he have to start against Red star for.

 

[Horatio]

I know. I'm just talking about the power in the foot since both players have similar physique.

they don’t. pedri is skinnier

 

[Barcaman]

Best Barca player on the picth in the second half but he is overplayed, wtf did he have to start against Red star for.

Yeah, can't blame him. He tried hard but there were no other creative players up for it to break the press.

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

Food for thought for those that think he is a world class attacking midfielder. He is a world class deep lying playmaker and should play there and only there from now on.

 

[soul24rage]

Food for thought for those that think he is a world class attacking midfielder. He is a world class deep lying playmaker and should play there and only there from now on.

I agree, he needs to be in the middle between a CDM and a CAM.

Bad game today, but he needs play deeper going forward.