Alexis Sanchez

[Barcaman]

I would like to see space made for Deulofeu and I am not convinced that Sanchez can remain consistent. If we are lucky enough to get a good season out of him, then cut our losses and try and make back some of what we bought him for. We have plenty of players for his position anyway with Pedro, Tello, Neymar, Messi and Deulofeu in the squad for the 2014/2015 season (and not forgetting Cuenca, Bojan, Afellay and some of the B team players that could be promoted). We could use the money to invest in the two positions that we need to fill, namely GK and CB, both of which are not going to come cheaply.

Well said mate. I would add that much will depend on Pedro's form this season, Cuenca's recovery and how well Deulofeu does in England.

 

[Stric]

I'm sorry, but I had to stop reading here. I actually did a real life wtf!, and had to go back and re-read, as I thought I had misunderstood something. Iniesta not a good dribbler? Seriously? In my eyes he's one of the very best in the world. True, he's not insanely fast, neither does he possess impressive strenght, but he makes up for this through his out-of-this-world skill and ball control. The way he breezes past his opponents is second only to Messi, as I see it, and I honestly can't fathom how anyone could not classify him as an absolutely one of a kind dribbling wizard.
Without checking, I'd imagine he's be at least in the top 5 dribblers last season in La Liga - possibly even in the top 3.

I'm completely flabbergasted. Really.

Edit: check out this video, if you bother:

The part against Spartak Moscow (at 4:22'ish), even though it really doesn't amount to anything, always make me cackle like a lunatic.

I agree.

Iniesta not a dribbler.

 

[Sumlit]

I can agree with some of the things you say here, except for what is related to Alexis. Barca's midfield is creative, but it's creativeness is starting to become limited when facing tough, defensive teams. Xavi cannot take the ball and dribble one, two opponents to open up the play. Neither Iniesta, nor Cesc Fabregas. Neither of these 3 are dribblers. They are flare players that can do wonders with the ball, that's true, but they seldom engage in 1 vs 1's duels. They don't have strenght and insane speed.

Alexis, Neymar and Messi, those three can dribble. All three have explosion, fast legs and can destabilize pretty much every defence. They can bring what the sistem is failing do deliver from time to time, which is creativity, unpredictability, penetrating force. Now, what we need is players who can take on and beat their man on a constant basis. And out of the four players we have, Pedro is the one who lacks penetrating power the most. Scoring goals in easy matches is OK, but it's not what makes a season great. Winning those tough matches counts the most, and someone who can dribble in the difficult areas of the pitch is essential for the team.

The new and improved Alexis is a player who can trigger a run and can easily take out 2-3 opponents, creating superiority not by passing, but by dribbling in full speed mode. Messi, Neymar and Alexis are the kind of players who can decide games on their own, no wonder all three are pillars for their national teams.

Sorry but you are incorrect. Barca's midfield is equally creative vs tough opponents as it is vs the weak, the difference is in the scoring. Vs weak opponents, Barca's midfield can penetrate deeper with combination play, and that affords the non scoring midfield a much better chance at scoring. Against the more disciplined and skilled opposition, the midfield cannot take the intricate and combination plays close to the box on a consistent basis, therefore the scoring chances you can generate from the midfield position are greatly reduced. This is why Barca can beat teams 5-0 and then struggle vs tougher opponents.

This is why scoring forwards are important for Barca. They convert the close combination and control play from the midfield into quick scoring. This is why Messi is such a great compliment to the rest of the Barca team. A player capable of getting involved in the build-up combination, but still able to give the direct punch.
Barca's best moments of the last years came with direct forwards up top. Eto'o, Messi, Henry. Villa, Messi, Pedro. All direct scorers.


Again, I repeat, I like Alexis as a player. I think he is special. However he is not the best fit for this team. A direct scorer would suit the team better.
I don't think the team should even contemplate selling him though. It would be foolish to sell him now after all your invested time and frustration is finally starting to pay dividends with his play. However the team needs direct scoring up top, and it only becomes painfully apparent after a devastating loss or disappointment.

 

[DonAK]

I'd rather have a performing Alexis than Pedro who might be a 'scorer', but only performs once in a blue moon.

 

[JamDav1982]

Sorry but you are incorrect. Barca's midfield is equally creative vs tough opponents as it is vs the weak, the difference is in the scoring. Vs weak opponents, Barca's midfield can penetrate deeper with combination play, and that affords the non scoring midfield a much better chance at scoring. Against the more disciplined and skilled opposition, the midfield cannot take the intricate and combination plays close to the box on a consistent basis, therefore the scoring chances you can generate from the midfield position are greatly reduced. This is why Barca can beat teams 5-0 and then struggle vs tougher opponents.

This is why scoring forwards are important for Barca. They convert the close combination and control play from the midfield into quick scoring. This is why Messi is such a great compliment to the rest of the Barca team. A player capable of getting involved in the build-up combination, but still able to give the direct punch.
Barca's best moments of the last years came with direct forwards up top. Eto'o, Messi, Henry. Villa, Messi, Pedro. All direct scorers.


Again, I repeat, I like Alexis as a player. I think he is special. However he is not the best fit for this team. A direct scorer would suit the team better.
I don't think the team should even contemplate selling him though. It would be foolish to sell him now after all your invested time and frustration is finally starting to pay dividends with his play. However the team needs direct scoring up top, and it only becomes painfully apparent after a devastating loss or disappointment.

You cant claim that the midfield is 'equally creative' against good teams, thats clearly not the case.

In essence all you re saying is that Barcelona dont dominate in the final third so easily against the top teams, well the midfield plays a part in that probably more than any other part of the team.

 

[NeyMesSis]

I'm sorry, but I had to stop reading here. I actually did a real life wtf!, and had to go back and re-read, as I thought I had misunderstood something. Iniesta not a good dribbler? Seriously? In my eyes he's one of the very best in the world. True, he's not insanely fast, neither does he possess impressive strenght, but he makes up for this through his out-of-this-world skill and ball control. The way he breezes past his opponents is second only to Messi, as I see it, and I honestly can't fathom how anyone could not classify him as an absolutely one of a kind dribbling wizard.
Without checking, I'd imagine he's be at least in the top 5 dribblers last season in La Liga - possibly even in the top 3.

I'm completely flabbergasted. Really.

Edit: check out this video, if you bother:

The part against Spartak Moscow (at 4:22'ish), even though it really doesn't amount to anything, always make me cackle like a lunatic.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG What????????? Iniesta is not a good dribbler?????? I can't believe this,sorry! Iniesta is after Messi one of the best dribblers in the last 10 Years!

 

[Sumlit]

You cant claim that the midfield is 'equally creative' against good teams, thats clearly not the case.

In essence all you re saying is that Barcelona dont dominate in the final third so easily against the top teams, well the midfield plays a part in that probably more than any other part of the team.

You are talking two different things. The midfield is certainly equally creative vs any opposition, you cannot erase creativity. That is just skill. Now the midfield is most definitely not equally dominant vs stronger opponents. That is a factor of what I explained in the previous post which is, vs stronger opposition the midfield cannot take the elaboration and combination play deeper into the opponents half, it depends on the forwards more to breach the distance. The forwards, have less space, so directness matters.

 

[JamDav1982]

You are talking two different things. The midfield is certainly equally creative vs any opposition, you cannot erase creativity. That is just skill. Now the midfield is most definitely not equally dominant vs stronger opponents. That is a factor of what I explained in the previous post which is, vs stronger opposition the midfield cannot take the elaboration and combination play deeper into the opponents half, it depends on the forwards more to breach the distance. The forwards, have less space, so directness matters.

Of course the better opposition can affect how creative the players are they can deny them the time and space to operate. The opposition cant change how creative a player is but they can effect their ability to put those skills to use.

All you are basically saying is that it is easier for creative players to operate in the final third against poorer teams.

Thats a basic fact that can be be understood much more than the elaborate way you seem to try and explain it.

Not even sure what point you are trying to make.

 

[Sumlit]

Of course the better opposition can affect how creative the players are they can deny them the time and space to operate. The opposition cant change how creative a player is but they can effect their ability to put those skills to use.

All you are basically saying is that it is easier for creative players to operate in the final third against poorer teams.

Thats a basic fact that can be be understood much more than the elaborate way you seem to try and explain it.

Not even sure what point you are trying to make.

You cannot take away the creativity of player. You can hinder his performance, or affect his effectiveness. But creativity is talent.

My comments are in response to a series of posts starting 1 or 2 pages back, I'm just stating my opinion to the original point back there. You are responding to my comment on this page and perhaps you do not have the context of the previous posts.

 

[footyfan]

Sanchez = Aguero > Reus > Hazard.

Wut?

Wut?


Wut?


Wut?

I personally am a huge Sanchez fan but he is not better than Reus, are you kidding me. He's currently performing better than Hazard and Aguero, for sure.

Reus is fast, a skillful dribbler, great at one-touch play, a very quick thinker, great movement but most importantly in this context, a much better finisher than Sanchez. And he works hard too, in case you were gonna pull that argument for Alexis.

 

[Jaguar]

Sanchez = Aguero > Reus > Hazard.

 

[Semi-Neutral]

That gif was banned mate, I used it when I first came here.

 

[Poor_Sunyol]

Come on Sunny, even I came around on Alexis after heading to the ledge last season but you're not letting go of your bias...He's been instrumental, cannot deny it and we can perhaps finaly acknowledge that the corner has indeed been turned...It's early, of course, as it is for Cesc but Sanchez has been as consistent as Neymar or Leo - for both club & country...They're all on a roll and they all represent our attack, I love it...If Pedro can be more consistent than last season, he will represent a deadly alternate for the Chilean and then there's still the bullet in Tello...We're just a tall striker away from having a very formidable attack at Tata's disposal - for me, the best in the world

Please don't misinterpret my meaning. I am not denying that Sanchez has been excellent this season and pre-season. However, in reality (in his third season for the club) he is only just approaching the form that we purchased him for in the first place. And the evidence would suggest that it is unlikely that he is going to be able to continue this form for the rest of his contract. His contract finishes in 2016, so he will have two seasons left at the end of this season. The club will have to make a decision in 2014 whether to renew (more wages, signing on fee etc) or sell as his value will only plummet as he approaches the end of his contract. The sensible think to do would be to sell for the reasons I outlined in my previous post.

 

[serghei]

I'm sorry, but I had to stop reading here. I actually did a real life wtf!, and had to go back and re-read, as I thought I had misunderstood something. Iniesta not a good dribbler? Seriously? In my eyes he's one of the very best in the world. True, he's not insanely fast, neither does he possess impressive strenght, but he makes up for this through his out-of-this-world skill and ball control. The way he breezes past his opponents is second only to Messi, as I see it, and I honestly can't fathom how anyone could not classify him as an absolutely one of a kind dribbling wizard.
Without checking, I'd imagine he's be at least in the top 5 dribblers last season in La Liga - possibly even in the top 3.

I'm completely flabbergasted. Really.

Edit: check out this video, if you bother:

The part against Spartak Moscow (at 4:22'ish), even though it really doesn't amount to anything, always make me cackle like a lunatic.

Maybe you did not understand what I said. I was refering to a particular style of dribbling, which is the hardest to do. Iniesta can dribble, and can make wonders with the ball, but he does not do it every game the same way Messi does it for instance. Messi's dribbling is something you can always rely on to work, because even if it is not magical, like some of Iniesta's feints are, but IT IS CONSTANTLY SHARP and WORKS EVERY TIME. A dribble is someone who challenges his man and takes him out almost every time.

Iniesta rarely tries or looks to engage in a 1 vs 1 because he's not that type of player. That's why he's a midfielder, not a striker or a winger. A dribbler wants and search for 1 vs 1's all the time, because that's what they do best. A dribbler is a player that dribbles for fun, that takes the ball and nullifies one-two-three oponents through quick changes of direction. Iniesta IS NOT that player. Messi is, Neymar is and Alexis is. Watch Messi's goal vs Getafe from Copa del Rey, that's a dribbler in the purest form. Do you picture Iniesta doing that? I don't. But I see both Neymar and Alexis making similar plays in the future, cause they both are amazing on the run.

So, Iniesta is more like a reactive player IMO. He's the most effective when you attack him and try to take his toy. That's when he'll hide the ball from your eyes. I can understand why some would view him as a dribbler, but I don't see it that way.

And about the highlights. Yes, they are amazing, and so is Iniesta. But, let's face it, the vast majority of those play were in the past, not right now. We have to admit that time have changed. Now, you have 10 opponents in front of you, put in 2 lines of defence. Iniesta's style is like a magician, operates with fine margins and it doesn't always work, because it is based on finesse and inspiration of moment. That's his style. Right now, for instance, he's not playing that well. On Allianz he was probably one of our worst on the night also. It's easy to bring forward the good moments and forget the bad ones. Like the fact he was physically dominated by Javi Martinez. Sure, the highlights look amazing, but, like his on a downfall momentarily and it shows.

 

[Gohan]

^ When Iniesta played on the left wing he constantly dribbled his opponents.. The way Neymar does.

Comparing Messi's dribbling to anyone isn't fair. His style is unique and he is the best at it.