8 - Pedri

[Porque]

Watched a bit after this post, and saw a sloppy pass for Alba, and then Pedri standing still and failing to recieve another pass...

Well I didn't watch this game, just put an eye once or twice, and I have nothing against Pedri, but it puzzles me a bit how Enrique too plays him so much. He found Alba nicely a couple of times now, but pretty obvious passes to make...

He is positioning well and making good interceptions at both sides of the pitch, passing correct and attempting dribbles while hardly losing possession.

I think the problem is that we have been conditioned as Barca fans to expect a midfielder to find the angles to receive the pass like Xavi did and to a lesser extent Iniesta. Puig mimmicks this most closely so we resonate to him, but when we see Pedri (and Ilaix) we kind of subconsiously expect them to find those positions and plays.

When they don't it feels quite unnatural to watch. Well, it is something I feel and hard to put into words but if we watch Pedri game without the expectation to see what Xavi or Iniesta would do, then we can appreciate what he is doing and especially at such a young age.

 

[Bobo32]

No, but he's never really had real chances to shoot. Mostly plays from the left half space.

I like his positioning a bit more than in Barcelona, but I still think he is too often marked and also too often getting too deep and safe to recieve. He should seek the free space in between lines more I think.
He tried to shoot now.

 

[Bobo32]

He is positioning well and making good interceptions at both sides of the pitch, passing correct and attempting dribbles while hardly losing possession.

I think the problem is that we have been conditioned as Barca fans to expect a midfielder to find the angles to receive the pass like Xavi did and to a lesser extent Iniesta. Puig mimmicks this most closely so we resonate to him, but when we see Pedri (and Ilaix) we kind of subconsiously expect them to find those positions and plays.

When they don't it feels quite unnatural to watch. Well, it is something I feel and hard to put into words but if we watch Pedri game without the expectation to see what Xavi or Iniesta would do, then we can appreciate what he is doing and especially at such a young age.

Sure, I agree with this and I am glad to read someone else seeing it like this.
I do think Xavi is sort of the "solution" and someone to model midfield movements on, but I can enjoy watching other types of players too for sure. Pedri has not really won me over yet.

He is getting a bit more desperate or forceful these last minutes and I think it suits him, didn't play like this the last months (due to being overplayed I thought)

 

[Porque]

Sure, I agree with this and I am glad to read someone else seeing it like this.
I do think Xavi is sort of the "solution" and someone to model midfield movements on, but I can enjoy watching other types of players too for sure. Pedri has not really won me over yet.

He is getting a bit more desperate or forceful these last minutes and I think it suits him, didn't play like this the last months (due to being overplayed I thought)

Yeah, that is precisely it.

Can't ignore that Pedri is still finding his role and style also. He was AML then AMC and sometimes a DMC in a 4231 for Las Palmas last season. At the U17 World Cup in 2019 he was a right attacking midfielder. Now we're expecting him to be a Barcelona style midfielder. So it is not natural for him to be like a La Masia midfielder who has had 8/10+ years being groomed in that style.

 

[Bobo32]

Yeah, that is precisely it.

Can't ignore that Pedri is still finding his role and style also. He was AML then AMC and sometimes a DMC in a 4231 for Las Palmas last season. At the U17 World Cup in 2019 he was a right attacking midfielder. Now we're expecting him to be a Barcelona style midfielder. So it is not natural for him to be like a La Masia midfielder who has had 8/10+ years being groomed in that style.

I think the hype and Koemans blind trust in him makes me see his faults a bit more, but he is a good and promising player for sure.
I still think he would be best suited as some sort of winger, and might grow into the DMC position in some years. I can't really see him as a MC, especially not in Barcelona.

 

[Joan]

The whole concept of Barca midfielders has been reduced to their similarity to prime Xavi. Quite irritating, no?

 

[DonAK]

Need some rest or else he's going to burn out.

 

[Bobo32]

The whole concept of Barca midfielders has been reduced to their similarity to prime Xavi. Quite irritating, no?

Not at all. Arthur and Jonathan Dos Santos had some similarities to Xavis playing style, only one of them was a Barcelona midfielder. Other than that I don't remember anyone being so similar. But every La Masia midfielder coming through and getting playing time after Xavi started playing have had something that Pedri does not have - a different sense of space and time, a different style.

I remember Xavi saying something about the rondos back in Rijkaards time - that the Brazilians and other foreigners were very good, but that it was somehow different when the la masia players played. I can see it, the fundamentals are obviously well taught there. Victor Sanchez would be running less in the middle than Pedri or Frenkie

 

[clemente]

It's so fucking scary to think if Valverde was here Pedri would be hiding somewhere in B team

 

[fergus90]

Not at all. Arthur and Jonathan Dos Santos had some similarities to Xavis playing style, only one of them was a Barcelona midfielder. Other than that I don't remember anyone being so similar. But every La Masia midfielder coming through and getting playing time after Xavi started playing have had something that Pedri does not have - a different sense of space and time, a different style.

I remember Xavi saying something about the rondos back in Rijkaards time - that the Brazilians and other foreigners were very good, but that it was somehow different when the la masia players played. I can see it, the fundamentals are obviously well taught there. Victor Sanchez would be running less in the middle than Pedri or Frenkie

The midfielder in world football now who resembles Xavi the most now is Joshua Kimmich. Unfortunately it's impossible we will ever get him. Best midfielder in world football for me.

 

[Bobo32]

It's so fucking scary to think if Valverde was here Pedri would be hiding somewhere in B team

Koeman wanted him out initially too IIRC? Then he fell completely in love with him and now he is in the NT as well.
Busquets was 20 and hiding in the B team without any prospects, and thanks to Pep he had won every possible trophy at 22.
Pedri would break through sooner or later but Busquets would probably be unknown were it not for Pep, same with Pedro.

I wonder what could've become of some of the players that are now playing well in CL knockout stages for other clubs, and deciding games for the spanish NT if they got to break through into a system that they were educated to play in

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Pedri Pedri Pedri what a player

 

[Joan]

Not at all. Arthur and Jonathan Dos Santos had some similarities to Xavis playing style, only one of them was a Barcelona midfielder. Other than that I don't remember anyone being so similar. But every La Masia midfielder coming through and getting playing time after Xavi started playing have had something that Pedri does not have - a different sense of space and time, a different style.

I remember Xavi saying something about the rondos back in Rijkaards time - that the Brazilians and other foreigners were very good, but that it was somehow different when the la masia players played. I can see it, the fundamentals are obviously well taught there. Victor Sanchez would be running less in the middle than Pedri or Frenkie

Does Ilaix have that special style? He's a Masia kid, too.

Not denying coaches in La Masia teach kids some different techniques and try to coach them in a certain direction. But it's far from a well-proven, successful recipe and there are only a few such players to come from La Masia and be good enough for Barca.

In the end, comes down to what I said. That's why some never stop looking for new xavis, iniestas, and busquets.

Need some distance from that and start to value what players like Pedri bring.

 

[Bobo32]

Does Ilaix have that special style? He's a Masia kid, too.

Not denying coaches in La Masia teach kids some different techniques and try to coach them in a certain direction. But it's far from a well-proven, successful recipe and there are only a few such players to come from La Masia and be good enough for Barca.

In the end, comes down to what I said. That's why some never stop looking for new xavis, iniestas, and busquets.

Need some distance from that and start to value what players like Pedri bring.

No you are correct, forgot about him. He is maybe the first midfielder to lack what I talk about, and that is why I am a bit sceptical about him.
There were a lot of wingers who lacked that ability as well, but also some fast wingers who were also able to combine better than most wingers...

Pedri can bring a lot to Barcelona. I had high hopes for him when he arrived, and he has been better than I thought. But I don't think he will ever be a great central midfielder for Barcelona, and I do think that he is a bit of a vulnerability at the moment in the current system, not least because of Koemans belief in him. He was one of the worst players in both legs against PSG.

 

[Porque]

I been trying to put my finger on who Pedri reminds me of and I finally got it.

Juan Carlos Valeron. Not defensively as Pedri has more workrate or shooting technique because Valeron was great at that, but the way he moves with the ball and finds his passes with that kind of jerky/lazy "can't be bothered to move my body so I'll just backheel it" kind of way.