Alexis Sanchez

[Sumlit]

The team is going to change their way of attacking. We used to work the middle in order to open the wings when Pep started mainly because we had such balanced attack then.

Eventually our wing play eroded and we started to do the opposite, use the wingers to open the middle. So you saw the wingers score less and pass more. Because of this you also saw teams pack the box and shut the team down because the team did not attack from the wings with enough danger.

I think Tata is going to go back to working the middle in order to open the wings. You're gonna see Messi more forward and you're going to see wingers taking on defenders and making crossing runs.

Alexis is going to benefit a lot from Tata Martino.

 

[CesDel]

Because not even attackers get measured only by their numbers as goalkeepers aren't rated based on the number of goals they concede, Zamora trophy isn't of much relevance, obviously !

It's a much more complex scheme but I certainly won't try to expose it in these type of conversations because the theory is too long, too abstract and far too unpopular !

But the thing is, Pedro was never this great all around player that could influence a game with his dribbling and passing. What made Pedro so great in his first 2 seasons was his stats, off the ball runs and work ethnic. But now his stats are abysmal and, compared to Alexis, he almost never makes an off the ball run and Alexis work ethnic is just as good, if not better than Pedro.

So you can't say that Pedro's all around play has been better than Alexis, because it just ain't true..

 

[ss81bja]

I just don't under the comparison with Pedro and Alexis (well, besides competing for the same spot) Pedro is clearly not a winger but plays there because of Messi. Pedro is a squad player for Barca and was "elevated" to start more regularly only because of our lack of striker alternatives at the time i.e. a temporary stop gap. Pedro in my opinion still isn't of that quality that he would be an automatic starter but it is what it is. Messi plays most matches in the middle so Pedro has to play in the place made available to him.
Alexis was BOUGHT as the permanent solution up front. He has the skills of a winger and does play there hence he plays in position most of the time. It would be better to compare Alexis to other players Barca have specifically BOUGHT as a "permanent" solution up front to help win matches by scoring goals e.g. Villa, Ibrahimovic, Henry, Eto, Ronaldinho etc. These players after given some time had significant performances for Barca within their first two seasons. Alexis stats simply does not compare to these players. The question is how much more time we are going to give Alexis. If Messi is injured or is marked heavily can we depend on Alexis to win matches for us? As a forward part of your role is to SCORE GOALS!!!!

 

[Shegzy]

I just don't under the comparison with Pedro and Alexis (well, besides competing for the same spot) Pedro is clearly not a winger but plays there because of Messi. Pedro is a squad player for Barca and was "elevated" to start more regularly only because of our lack of striker alternatives at the time i.e. a temporary stop gap. Pedro in my opinion still isn't of that quality that he would be an automatic starter but it is what it is. Messi plays most matches in the middle so Pedro has to play in the place made available to him.
Alexis was BOUGHT as the permanent solution up front. He has the skills of a winger and does play there hence he plays in position most of the time. It would be better to compare Alexis to other players Barca have specifically BOUGHT as a "permanent" solution up front to help win matches by scoring goals e.g. Villa, Ibrahimovic, Henry, Eto, Ronaldinho etc. These players after given some time had significant performances for Barca within their first two seasons. Alexis stats simply does not compare to these players. The question is how much more time we are going to give Alexis. If Messi is injured or is marked heavily can we depend on Alexis to win matches for us? As a forward part of your role is to SCORE GOALS!!!!

exactly,alexis was bought primarily to score goals and not to provide workrate and assists when pedro could also do this.it is because he can not perform his primary duty that those that are supporting him are now using his workrate and ability to make assist(the purpose he was not mainly bought for).there are many wingers out there they would noy cost more than 20m that have better work rate than him and are more creative.when he was bought the expectation was like the kind of expectation we have for neymar now.

 

[CesDel]

If Barca saw Pedro as a "squad" player, then how come he got more minute than Alexis last season?

And once again, Alexis was NOT bought to primarily score goals!!! If he was, then our scouts are just awful cause he has ALWAYS BEEN A HORRIBLE FINISHER and they all deserve to get fired!

 

[evilhita666]

If Messi is injured or is marked heavily can we depend on Alexis to win matches for us? As a forward part of your role is to SCORE GOALS!!!!

Funnily enough, when Messi got injured at the end of last season, it was Alexis the one who scored the most and therefore helped us win matches... Not Tello, not Villa, not Pedro, not Cesc, but Alexis of all people...

This doesn't mean much, but it's something that can't be dismissed either...

exactly,alexis was bought primarily to score goals

According to whom?

I'm not saying he should be forgiven for failing to score his chances nor that workrate was the main reason to sign him, but Sanchez has never been a goal scorer and anyone who has seen him play before Barca knows that... He has always been a creative player, not a finisher... I repeat, this is no excuse for his poor finishing and missed chances, it's just that I highly doubt anyone at the club thought of him as a secondary goal scorer, especially since Villa was on the team...

 

[CesDel]

^
Exatly!

 

[barca7788]

never followed him at udinese or even chile but while playing here at barca he has always given his 100%. even with the shitty finishes he always got to the position. we are seeing less and less of through balls these days which i think has to do with not only xavi declining but our winger's play too.
with him getting his confidence back I m really lookin forward to his play. but if he aint gonna improve his finishes, we will have to look for a new guy.

 

[ss81bja]

If Barca saw Pedro as a "squad" player, then how come he got more minute than Alexis last season?

And once again, Alexis was NOT bought to primarily score goals!!! If he was, then our scouts are just awful cause he has ALWAYS BEEN A HORRIBLE FINISHER and they all deserve to get fired!

1) Because Alexis is poor at the role he was bought for. Management saw it and chose to gave Pedro more opportunities since he was showing promise. Probably management chalked it up as Alexis not being accustomed to the "system" or La Liga in general but Pedro was.

2)What is Alexis role then as a FORWARD especially when he was bought for $26m?. Alexis was bought based on rising form in Italy. I'm not saying he would've won the Golden Boot or Balon d'Or but score more in IMPORTANT matches. Its like telling me you bought Neymar as a FORWARD but can only give us assists and a few goals. The stats sound more like a midfielder, maybe Alexis should be an attacking midfielder. It is the job of a Midfielder to provide "assists", find and create space and get the ball to the forwards
Alexis may be doing a job but not the job he was BOUGHT for. Now that Barca have real problems in terms of goal scoring (other than Messi) Alexis and Neymar's performance will be put under the microscope. After all you can win matches unless you score goals. Alexis may not be the poorest player in Barca right now but he is filling a very IMPORTANT role. Villa was sold because his performance was declining as a Forward, the role he was bought and paid for (unfortunately, due to injury)
I won't say fire the scouts because it was a fair gamble at the time especially when you are constrained by a budget, a player's contract and willingness to leave etc and Alexis was showing promise. But then again Barca is very poor when it comes to transfers.

 

[Barcaman]

In retrospect those high profile Pep's signings were unnecessary and waste of money. Ibra, Cesc, Alexis. Just imagine what could be bought for over 130 million euros wasted on those players alone.

 

[Robert]

In retrospect those high profile Pep's signings were unnecessary and waste of money. Ibra, Cesc, Alexis. Just imagine what could be bought for over 130 million euros wasted on those players alone.

Why do you say the Cesc money was wasted?

 

[Barcaman]

Because we had and have Xavi and Iniesta. Spending 30+ million for a player that's not a starter was not smart. And then he was played at false 9.
Should have waited for his contract to be closer to expiry and then go for him.

 

[Robert]

True, I guess, but that was more Pep's fault than Cesc's...which may have been your point anyway now that I've re-read your post

 

[S2K1985]

In retrospect those high profile Pep's signings were unnecessary and waste of money. Ibra, Cesc, Alexis. Just imagine what could be bought for over 130 million euros wasted on those players alone.

Bale!?

 

[DennyCrane]

Bale!?