Arda Turan

[Deco 20]

So what? He got a yellow and a free kick for Arsenal in a dangerous spot. He gets a yellow almost in every game he plays in a stark contrast to the rest of the team. I think we have differing ideas about what a "fighting spirit" should look like.

I'm saying that he didn't do anything wrong and if anything the Arsenal player should have gotten the yellow card

 

[AnnieSureshot]

I'm saying that he didn't do anything wrong and if anything the Arsenal player should have gotten the yellow card

Yes, the Arsenal player dived, but Arda keeps getting yellows for a reason. No one else at Barca got a card in that match. It's a bit naive to think you can just paw at someone and think they will not try to use it against you. He made himself look like he was fouling and the guy just dived at a perfect spot for a FK. So, what he did was not a foul but a silly move that didn't achieve anything and just played in Arsenal's hands. He appears to have a problem with that if you look at his game to card ratio.

 

[serghei]

There is so much scrutiny on this player.

 

[Vlom]

There is so much scrutiny on this player.

There was too much expectations I think looked here like he was gonna save us when he could play after the ban..

 

[Darko]

It's gonna be his time to shine now with all these tough fixtures coming. Hope he doesn't disappoint.

 

[ZenI]

There was too much expectations I think looked here like he was gonna save us when he could play after the ban..

Lol, save us - do we look like we need to be saved? I know, I know what mean - but IF Raki or Iniesta got injured it just feels really reassuring to have Arda. He is of course far from Iniesta (but so is any midfielder in the world) and not as integrated as Raki, but still a great player that would rise to the occasion imo.

 

[Jombi]

Lol, save us - do we look like we need to be saved? I know, I know what mean - but IF Raki or Iniesta got injured it just feels really reassuring to have Arda. He is of course far from Iniesta (but so is any midfielder in the world) and not as integrated as Raki, but still a great player that would rise to the occasion imo.

Roberto is better IMO. Let's see if Rafinha can challenge him too.

 

[navidjaan]

Roberto is better IMO. Let's see if Rafinha can challenge him too.

As much as I appreciate Roberto's rise this season, Arda is definitely the better midfielder for now for me. The good thing about Arda though is that he doesn't block the young guns like Pogba/Verratti would do. Both Roberto and Rafinha will benefit from competing with Arda, Rakitic, and Iniesta.

 

[ZenI]

Roberto is better IMO. Let's see if Rafinha can challenge him too.

Roberto has surprised us all, great player and amazingly versatile - but sometimes he just disappears and doesn't make an impact, but he is still inexperienced and will probably learn with time (and hopefully surpass Arda). But Arda is an experienced player, still have to get to grips with playing for us but nevertheless.

 

[anguy]

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.

Another problem is that he should be playing on other side of pitch on Iniesta position. He is far better offensively when he can cut inside and dribble a little as Iniesta does. He can't do it too much on right side.

 

[serghei]

Another problem is that he should be playing on other side of pitch on Iniesta position. He is far better offensively when he can cut inside and dribble a little as Iniesta does. He can't do it too much on right side.

Both on the right and on the left, in front of him are probably the two best dribblers in the world: Neymar and Messi. It would be hard to start dribbling himself, when he can just pass the ball to two players who are deadly at exactly that thing. He is here to put in workrate, to get as many balls back for the team and to be quick in distributing balls to the front three (most often to his winger, Messi if he plays on the left, Neymar if he plays on the right). Occasionaly he can appear in the box and have a try at goal, like Rakitic does.

You say he can go inside from the left? That's Neymar's trademark move I think. He is there to give the ball to Neymar and take it back if one of Neymar's dribbling attempt goes bad. He isn't there to take the risk himself.

 

[Vlom]

He'll get a nice chance to shine tomorrow, hope he takes it.

 

[anguy]

You say he can go inside from the left? That's Neymar's trademark move I think. He is there to give the ball to Neymar and take it back if one of Neymar's dribbling attempt goes bad. He isn't there to take the risk himself.

Iniesta does it and he is CM. He'd also be much weaker player, if he was playing on right side like Turan does. If Iniesta style is much better fit for left side of the pitch, why should it be different in Arda's case?

 

[serghei]

Iniesta does it and he is CM. He'd also be much weaker player, if he was playing on right side like Turan does. If Iniesta style is much better fit for left side of the pitch, why should it be different in Arda's case?

Iniesta does it way way way more rarely than he used to. It's no coincidence that Iniesta's best game this season was the one on Bernabeu, where Messi was missing. Iniesta's defensive work has been developed under Lucho, but as far as his creativity is involved, he has less chances of showing that in dangerous spaces when MSN are playing.

This new look of our midfield is the reason some fans who don't really follow Barca think we have a worse midfield than Bayern, Real Madrid or even PSG. When, in fact, our midfield is still the best, only different in it's role and functionality than the one we had in 09-12.

 

[Devils]

He'll get a nice chance to shine tomorrow, hope he takes it.

Nope.

Should be well behind Roberto in the pecking order. Arda has been terrible.