Adriano Correia Claro

[Gooch]

Alves never shoots anymore, his crossing is useless 90% of the time, and he's only good in boosting our numbers up front. Adriano is a different type of attacker. When I talk about Adriano as the right winger, I mean really as a right winger. Not the fullback/winger thing Alves does. Adriano can play wide, he can defend, he can cut inside, and he can shoot from long distances. As I write this, I am reminded of the Atletico game this season where he scored a beautiful goal with his left foot cutting in from the right. That's exactly what we need there.

Agreed, Alves is just 'boosting our numbers up front' or in other words just helping in ball retention, but as you say, he does not present enough of a direct threat to score or assist. He doesn't have the speed he used to when he would consistently get past the outside of the left back no matter how he was defended. Now some left backs are actually challenging him quite early up the field, unafraid that he'll just run past them. This didn't used to be the case.

Also he's now always being showed to the inside, where he doesn't present any threat at all and where the Barca attack comes to a dead end.

Now if Alves could learn to do what Adriano does and be a shooting threat with his left foot, that means defenders would have to play him more neutrally, and it would also open up the outside to him. He a double threat, he would easily make up for his lost speed and add years to his game. But he hasn't.

That's why I would agree with you and would have liked to see Adriano at right back more often. I'm positive that most opposition teams, especially their left backs, would not have liked that.

 

[Stric]

Agreed, Alves is just 'boosting our numbers up front' or in other words just helping in ball retention, but as you say, he does not present enough of a direct threat to score or assist. He doesn't have the speed he used to when he would consistently get past the outside of the left back no matter how he was defended. Now some left backs are actually challenging him quite early up the field, unafraid that he'll just run past them. This didn't used to be the case.

Also he's now always being showed to the inside, where he doesn't present any threat at all and where the Barca attack comes to a dead end.

Now if Alves could learn to do what Adriano does and be a shooting threat with his left foot, that means defenders would have to play him more neutrally, and it would also open up the outside to him. He a double threat, he would easily make up for his lost speed and add years to his game. But he hasn't.

That's why I would agree with you and would have liked to see Adriano at right back more often. I'm positive that most opposition teams, especially their left backs, would not have liked that.

I wouldn't mind him as a right back or even as a designated right winger, from time to time. As in, the position that Sanchez/Pedro occupy. We've seen Tito use both him and Alba on the left flank on a few occasions this season, and it works well.

 

[Andrew M]

Watching the game and the environment, that was such a mistake. Mascherano and Messi were the only players who played the first match, and the Bolivian match, and boom, both injured first time in ages. Good thing is that you learn from mistakes.

Yeah, that is no coincidence. Playing at altitude put their bodies under tremendous strain. Very naive management.



On the Alves situation:

I feel you guys, Stric and Gooch, are being a tad harsh on Alves. I have been very critical of his crap defending of crosses, but going forward he has been useful recently. He played the lovely pass to PSG for Messi's goal before the injury that doomed our CL campaign, and in the Bayern first leg he was pretty much our only attacking outlet. I know it didn't lead to too much, but he was finding space that no-one else could.

 

[Indignado]

I feel you guys, Stric and Gooch, are being a tad harsh on Alves. I have been very critical of his crap defending of crosses, but going forward he has been useful recently. He played the lovely pass to PSG for Messi's goal before the injury that doomed our CL campaign, and in the Bayern first leg he was pretty much our only attacking outlet. I know it didn't lead to too much, but he was finding space that no-one else could.

He found space because they let him have space. If the attack leads to nothing despite him having so much space then he failed. The pass to Messi against PSG was indeed brilliant but that was one of his only good actions in the last 10 games or so.

 

[dostoevskij]

just keep him!!! we have only alves, alba and montoya if he leaves. that would mean buy another fullback, who can play at both sides, as a winger and as emergency CB AND give him time to integrate in the barca style. a NO GO

 

[MagIX]

1. Versatile player
2. Has kept improving every year - a continuous learner is always good to have
3. Good on the ball AND fast - a good Barca type player
4. Two footed
5. Can shoot. Unlike most of our players!

Definitely someone to keep.

I totally agree.

Ratio price/utility very high, for sure one of the best profitable acquisition in the last 5 years.

Adriano

 

[darthvader7888]

He's a great squad player. Extremely versatile (can play in a shitload of positions, etc) and just a damn useful player to have. Not to mention we need the depth. Not to mention those long shots
Only problem I have with him is his injury proneness (though something does need to be done about that).

Keep him.

 

[Doobs]

Would keep him for this reason alone.

 

[Galning]

look at the fourth ref's reaction.

"Fuck..."

 

[Doobs]

 

[beautifulgame]

Adriano is awesome.

Easy keep!

 

[Gooch]

I feel you guys, Stric and Gooch, are being a tad harsh on Alves. I have been very critical of his crap defending of crosses, but going forward he has been useful recently. He played the lovely pass to PSG for Messi's goal before the injury that doomed our CL campaign, and in the Bayern first leg he was pretty much our only attacking outlet. I know it didn't lead to too much, but he was finding space that no-one else could.

No, not too harsh. He gives stamina and ball retention. This is good. But he's lost speed, and it shows, especially because Barca as a whole has aged and slowed down. Maybe if everyone else was at their peak, Alves' weaknesses would be covered up. But that's not the case today. All Barca players' weaknesses are magnified.

Anyway, I say we keep him but play Adriano a lot more. But somehow we have to get Alves to work on various parts of his game, including shooting and left foot shooting, to make up for his lost speed. That's what good experience players are expected to do.

 

[Andrew M]

No, not too harsh. He gives stamina and ball retention. This is good. But he's lost speed, and it shows, especially because Barca as a whole has aged and slowed down. Maybe if everyone else was at their peak, Alves' weaknesses would be covered up. But that's not the case today. All Barca players' weaknesses are magnified.

Anyway, I say we keep him but play Adriano a lot more. But somehow we have to get Alves to work on various parts of his game, including shooting and left foot shooting, to make up for his lost speed. That's what good experience players are expected to do.

I'm not sure it is actually the aging that has led to loss of speed but lack of desire after much success. Isn't Alves only 1 year older?

 

[ZenI]

No, not too harsh. He gives stamina and ball retention. This is good. But he's lost speed, and it shows, especially because Barca as a whole has aged and slowed down. Maybe if everyone else was at their peak, Alves' weaknesses would be covered up. But that's not the case today. All Barca players' weaknesses are magnified.

Anyway, I say we keep him but play Adriano a lot more. But somehow we have to get Alves to work on various parts of his game, including shooting and left foot shooting, to make up for his lost speed. That's what good experience players are expected to do.

Alves is a quality player, even though he has dipped a little the last couple of matches. His technique/dribbling/passing is better than 90% of the players in PL - true story. BUT, he needs to choose wiser when to attack - which means we need a winger who will cut in and take on defenders. Because right now, we're probably the only team in history of football who have a more technical/better dribbler/passer as wingback than forward.

Edit: Or just buy another wingback, loan/sell Pedro and play Alves as right winger - he sure as hell does a much better job linking up/dribbling/shooting/passing than Pedro.

 

[Dan1983]

Would keep him for this reason alone.

Pure quality that strike was. Got to love goals that smack in off the frame of the goal too.