Alexis Sanchez

[eye-switcher]

What a joy it is to see him play without the Schackles that Barcelona imposed on him, how good and entertaining is, shining with a joy for fotball that is unmatched.
Man is he good and how good isnt he when he doesnt need to hug the byline for 90 minutes and how easy he scores, the guy that was labeled a poor finisher at Barca is now the best goalscorer in England with 10 in 12. Yes a very poor finsher indeed....

 

[Ghost]

Sad ending.

 

[Schumi]

It's not like that. He was one of the best 5 wingers in the world last season when he played for us. It's not Premier League's fault that we sold them a world class 25 years old winger who works his ass of and gives 100% every game. Our loss, their gain.

Some people here lol-ed at Arsenal's fans, when they said Alexis was a steal at around 40m euros. Arsenal's fans were right. The fact that we sold him for around half of what Madrid got for Di Maria is the ultimate proof of that. Their age is about the same, their value is around the same, their workrate is also about the same. If Di Maria can go for 75m, then Alexis can go for 70m as well.

It's like a can of Coca Cola is sold for twice the sum Pepsi is. If you're Pepsi, you should be mad. Not because of the product quality, which is very close to Coca Cola, but because of the stupid and incompetent people that undervalue their products.

Barcelona undervalues their players. Fabregas, Sanchez, Song, even Afellay and others. Their are far better players that what we sold them for. 2 of them are world class, the rest are also very good (particularly Song). And all because of this "not fit (good) for us" label, as if we play another sport or something.

At Barca, we don't rate players good or bad. How dare you? You rate them fit for us or not fit for us. In other words, a bad player that fits the style should be kept, but a world class player that just has a different style should be sold (as cheaply as possible). As long as this mentality, inspired by the superb style of Pep's Barca will fade completely, we will founder. We need to lose the arrogance. The goal is winning, not resembling Pep's Barca.

Call me a pessimist, but I'm waiting for 2016. The board, the managers, most of the players and most of the fans also, are prisoners in past times.

Come on. Alexis has been mostly atrocious for us. He had a good goal tally last season, but in his three years with us he managed only 3 CL goals. Let me repeat that: 3 goals in 3 years!!! I can also recollect dozens upon dozens of chances served on a plate to him by Messi, Cesc or Iniesta which he just squandered.

Now, as for us selling players cheaply, then I will have to agree. We definitely got robbed with Cesc and Song. But Real Madrid getting all that money for Di Maria has to do with them winning the CL. A player leaving a CL winning team (in which he did play an important part) will be more expensive to one who played for a team that lost in the QFs. It's just how the football market works. In fact the only reason we got that money for Alexis was that he had a good world cup. Cesc had an average season with us (starting well but finishing badly) and also Spain had a disastrous world cup. That is why he went cheaply. If we had sold any of our star players when we were winning the CL, we would have gotten top money as well.

 

[FC B]

Come on. Alexis has been mostly atrocious for us. He had a good goal tally last season, but in his three years with us he managed only 3 CL goals. Let me repeat that: 3 goals in 3 years!!! I can also recollect dozens upon dozens of chances served on a plate to him by Messi, Cesc or Iniesta which he just squandered.

Now, as for us selling players cheaply, then I will have to agree. We definitely got robbed with Cesc and Song. But Real Madrid getting all that money for Di Maria has to do with them winning the CL. A player leaving a CL winning team (in which he did play an important part) will be more expensive to one who played for a team that lost in the QFs. It's just how the football market works. In fact the only reason we got that money for Alexis was that he had a good world cup. Cesc had an average season with us (starting well but finishing badly) and also Spain had a disastrous world cup. That is why he went cheaply. If we had sold any of our star players when we were winning the CL, we would have gotten top money as well.

+1

Moreover, Di Maria is a better player than Alexis without any doubt.
Barca is a club more oriented on their philosophy of play on how their play is and looks like while Madrid fouces much more on their finances and marketing also the richest there is and who pays more than our club for transfer so I find it normal that they sell better than Barca.

 

[S7_MUFC]

Come on. Alexis has been mostly atrocious for us. He had a good goal tally last season, but in his three years with us he managed only 3 CL goals. Let me repeat that: 3 goals in 3 years!!! I can also recollect dozens upon dozens of chances served on a plate to him by Messi, Cesc or Iniesta which he just squandered.

Now, as for us selling players cheaply, then I will have to agree. We definitely got robbed with Cesc and Song. But Real Madrid getting all that money for Di Maria has to do with them winning the CL. A player leaving a CL winning team (in which he did play an important part) will be more expensive to one who played for a team that lost in the QFs. It's just how the football market works. In fact the only reason we got that money for Alexis was that he had a good world cup. Cesc had an average season with us (starting well but finishing badly) and also Spain had a disastrous world cup. That is why he went cheaply. If we had sold any of our star players when we were winning the CL, we would have gotten top money as well.

Wasn't cesc sold on the first day of the world cup...

 

[el chilenito]

I hate how people say he was garbage for his three season at barcelona that statement is absolutely ridicolous, in fact he was only terrible during the first half of the second season. First season he was here he was actually quite decent, 12 la liga goals in 25 apps including scoring in the clasico at the benarbeu and two goals away to levekusen on his first cl debut, 15 goals and 5 assists in his first season and thats including a total of around 5 months of injury. Second season went bad up until the new year when messi got injured and then he beasted up until the end of that season 11 goals and 8 assists in the last 16 matches of the second season. Total 11 goals and 13 assists. Last season with us he was an absolute beast, pretty much carrying barcelona at some stages and scored absolutely amazing goals especially that chip in the clasico, not to mention imposible goals against malaga and atletico madrid in the last matchday which nearly gave us the la liga title. Total 21 goals and 15 assists. He is a world class player and deserve freedom to show his stuff which unfortunately he couldnt do here with messi and barcelona. Hopefully suarez doesnt get restricted in the same way. I am glad he is showing his talent at arsenal, looks like he is enjoying playing again. You cannot deny that he was the only one who gave 100% heart and effort into every game he played for us. Truly el jugadorazo he claimed to be.

 

[putogusiluz8]

I miss him. His energy, perseverance, his wonder gooals... His smile. Alas, I must learn to live with Pedro and his ridiculous gypsy mustache.

 

[Alarcón]

It's not like that. He was one of the best 5 wingers in the world last season when he played for us. It's not Premier League's fault that we sold them a world class 25 years old winger who works his ass of and gives 100% every game. Our loss, their gain.

Some people here lol-ed at Arsenal's fans, when they said Alexis was a steal at around 40m euros. Arsenal's fans were right. The fact that we sold him for around half of what Madrid got for Di Maria is the ultimate proof of that. Their age is about the same, their value is around the same, their workrate is also about the same. If Di Maria can go for 75m, then Alexis can go for 70m as well.

It's like a can of Coca Cola is sold for twice the sum Pepsi is. If you're Pepsi, you should be mad. Not because of the product quality, which is very close to Coca Cola, but because of the stupid and incompetent people that undervalue their products.

Barcelona undervalues their players. Fabregas, Sanchez, Song, even Afellay and others. Their are far better players that what we sold them for. 2 of them are world class, the rest are also very good (particularly Song). And all because of this "not fit (good) for us" label, as if we play another sport or something.

At Barca, we don't rate players good or bad. How dare you? You rate them fit for us or not fit for us. In other words, a bad player that fits the style should be kept, but a world class player that just has a different style should be sold (as cheaply as possible). As long as this mentality, inspired by the superb style of Pep's Barca will fade completely, we will founder. We need to lose the arrogance. The goal is winning, not resembling Pep's Barca.

Call me a pessimist, but I'm waiting for 2016. The board, the managers, most of the players and most of the fans also, are prisoners in past times.

Are you kidding me? Coke is a lot better than Pepsi

 

[Darko]

nah mate, Pepsi>Coke

 

[DonAndres]

I agree that Sanchez is a world class talent but I don't think he showed that at Barca. Nice goal tallies and some really awesome highlight moments but if you want to judge his game-performances as a whole, you can't say they are anything near to what they are with Chile or Arsenal (which is a compliment to his unrestricted ability more than an insult to his time at Barca). His performances consisted of high workrate and just maybe a decisive moment here or there to provide the final pass or score the goal. He wasn't anything near to the dynamic/creative outlet that is relied upon now. He has that in his locker but it shows best in the tactical systems that suit him (playing vertical) and when he is the main man.

As for players fitting/not fitting styles, it's 100% true and can't be written off. Players with selective skillsets thrive only in the systems that suit them. It's why Busi has underperformed in non-total football systems and why he probably wouldn't be successful in most other teams, it's also why Cesc looked so limited here in a more complex role yet thrives in a simple one at Chelsea that plays to his strengths. Fit into the system matters and it's a large part of why players more often than not outperform/underperform their standards as they shift around clubs or coaches.

Buying/keeping a random assortment of players just because they are "world class" is a directionless and creates a lot of tactical interference. It's easy to see the struggle when you've got a core of players that depend on possession based football coupled with other talented players who only perform with their own preferred styles. You can make a cost-benefit analysis at that point to see what's the better direction to take. I would never want to change to Chelsea-style football and take Iniesta/Messi out of their preferred styles just to accomodate Cesc in a #10 role. I wouldn't advocate for a Masch-Rakitic/Busi double pivot just to feign some sort of defensive security at the cost of staying in control of a match (which has a far bigger influence on how secure we are than how many DM's we can stack into a lineup to bunker down bus style).

 

[serghei]

@DonAndres, last season he did show he is world class. That's why Arsenal fans were over the moon when they got him last summer.

Sure, it is true that some players are better suited for a certain style. But 2009-12 Barcelona is Pep's project, that's not how we always played. It's better to see those 4 years as our golden age, than to make that style a target. That type of football can only be played with La Masia players. And today's crop of Masia players are nowhere near the level of 2009 Iniesta, Busquets, or even 2010-11 Pedro.

A return to pre-Pep Barca is needed. Tiki-taka has been brought into conversation after 2008. As I said, it was Pep's ideal of playing, not Barca's. I don't think we need to hold on to that style at all costs.

 

[Hamzah]

We always played posession footy since I became a football fan, but pep took it to the next level. Rijkaards team had some physicality and directness too sometimes.

 

[CesDel]

We also had some physically during Guardiola's first season with Toure, Keita, Pique and Puyol. And sure,we were more direct during Rijkaards era but that's also because during those times most teams didn't park the bus against us.

 

[CatalinR10]

jugadorazo

 

[Darko]

get in, what a goal