Trickykid
Active member
This so much.
Arda Turan
- Thread starter Aryagorn
- Start date
This so much.
SocalBarcaFan
Member
Forget exactly which game it was but one the last times Arda started I was very impressed by the runs he was making from midfield. He was playing on Neymars side and countless times he was wide open for a pass but he either wasn't spotted by his teammates for the pass or they just decided to pass the ball off to one of MSN. Can't really hold it against the guys wanting to get the ball to any of those guys but sometimes I cant help but think they force the ball to those 3 players. But if Arda had been given the ball in those advanced spaces I think thats where he could set himself apart from the rest of his midfield teammates. Cause he has a better shot than anyone in the midfield besides Rakitic but his ball control and dribbling is better than Ivan's. Thats why I'm in the camp of wait till next season when he has more trust from his teammates to judge him.
God Serena
New member
Rakitic early on also had to deal with Lucho's tactics when he was just finding his feet at the club. We didn't have a consistent XI (How many months did we go without using the same XI twice?). Rakitic had to spend most of the game covering for a Dani Alves who was almost completely ignoring his defensive duties in favor of linking up with a Messi who at the time was still playing centrally. He clearly fit into the team and was able to keep up with the other players but what he was instructed to do limited his abilities. It's not just a case of him adapting to the team as time went on, his rise to form coincided with the entire team suddenly meshing together after *that* game at the Anoeta, imo. I think a lot of the negativity surrounding Rakitic was also largely steeped in the overall negativity surrounding Lucho after we lost to Real Madrid so humiliatingly (That's also the original "Mathieu sucks at LB" example, looking back).
I don't see any real connection between that and a 40m, 29 year old who isn't performing any better than the midfielders we already have. It's already clear he won't be a starter, that much has been certain even to those of us who were initially infatuated with him, and to those who still are for some reason. With the likes of Roberto, Rafinha, Denis, Halilovic, etc. coming up, with Samper, #TeamAlena, Kaptoum, etc biting at the heels of the first team in the years that would be Arda's 32+ y/o veteran years, it's hard to see him sticking around for more than a couple of seasons, especially performing on the level of a squad rotation player.
te amo barca
Blaugrana al vent
Rakitic's ball control is underrated imo. His dribbling is not world class but he constantly manages to dribble out when pressed, him being dispossesed is a rare thing to witness.
Co0ter
Senior Member
Rakitic's control wasn't like that when he first got here, that is the part of his game that improves significantly after signing for us. He was rough in tight spaces with a heavy first touch when he got here. Absolutely the most improved player we've recently signed.
Dado
New member
Second best MF ? ... No.
But i agree with everything else. Arda the player he is makes more sense as a backup for the winger position if one of MSN gets injured, than a backup midfeilder.
It will be intresting to see what happens in the summer transfer window. If Barca goes to sign a new MF may it be Pogba or some 16 year old kid from Estonia i think that would be a signal for Arda to leave if he does not want to spend the rest of his career sitting on the bench.
I tought the "Rakitic debate" lasted only for 2, 3 months max. No way it was 6 months long.
F
Flavia
Guest
Market changed, and Rakitic didn't have the projection Arda did then. In that summer, Raki was 18m, and Kroos 25m.
Rakitic oscilated a lot between good and bad games. He was clearly struggling to find balance, but wasn't as bad as the reactions were here back then. Several factors came into place, but it's not easy to be a midfielder at Barça. Arda is finding his feet, just like Rakitic did. He's now playing in a different system, with different roles than he had at atletico. He won't magically have an impact after playing for barely 3 months, and not playing every match.
I don't rate Denis and Halilovic that much. Neither should come in the summer, there's no need. They'd be on the bench most of the time as well, and they need playing time.
He was criticized from the world cup onwards. Until after Anoeta there was a lot of people not confident in him.
BerkeleyBernie
Senior Member
He's become *much* better with his first touch, and it's been a slow gradual improvement over time, mostly this season. One wouldn't recognize the Rakitic vs Arsenal yesterday compared to his first year here.
Sniperr7
New member
Still very much an Atletico player. Got himself a yellow within 2min from entering the pitch.
El Flaco
Active member
Again, Arda didn't got that card himself by grabbing or slap Monreal as you mentioned before.
Kuchi
Active member
My god, he has to be as bold and decisive as Iniesta and defend like Raki, from the get go, or he's not worth 40 MIL at that age.
He's made more of an impact than Raki, at his debut period, imo. Don't get me wrong, i love Raki he's been brilliant and he impresses me more and more every day, but it's a bit of a double standard here...
He's made more of an impact than Raki, at his debut period, imo. Don't get me wrong, i love Raki he's been brilliant and he impresses me more and more every day, but it's a bit of a double standard here...
AnnieSureshot
New member
How did he get the card then? Ref doesn't like him?
serghei
Senior Member
I like him and I think he's doing as expected if you strictly think about his role in the team. Roles limit players' ability in this Barca midfield setup, which is heavily influenced by the attacking trio up front and the fact that they rarely come back to defend. Some of the things the fans are expecting from Turan don't fit with the role Lucho asigned to him imo. This isn't Turan the main man at Atletico. This is Turan the suporting player for a stellar cast, so imo people should adapt their rating of him to fit what's actually demanded from the manager.
Last edited:
Home of Barca Fans
