Arthur

[soul24rage]

Definitely not a bad player. I never said that. But people are treating him like the second coming of Iniesta. One of the "untouchables".

Not for me, he ain't. I prefer creative players.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that he is the second coming of Iniesta/Xavi, but he offers something we really lacked for a few years, which is to relieve the opposition's first wave of pressure and help move the ball from defense to attack.
In EV's team, guys like Messi, Suarez, Coutinho and Dembele are the ones who are primarily responsible for providing creative/assist although Arthur getting an assist who be very helpful.
Of course, there are aspects of his game that needs improving but for me, he is one of the first names in the starting XI.

 

[Joan]

Arthur was a far more creative player (with vision) with Gremio than he is with Barca. I want to see THAT player.

This is Barca. There's more than enough room for him to truly show his talents.

Arthur struggled with through balls/defense-splitting passes with Gremio too. One of the major concerns about him. In the second season in Brazil he worked hard to improve it, which he still does.

I could also argue it's harder to contribute in Barca than Gremio (Brazil), but he's finding ways.

 

[BBZ8800]

People will whine that defending is not his duty.
But as I have said, my eye test is saying that Arthur is quite meh in defending (except in applying a pressure immediately when we lose the ball).

Some interesting stats:
Last 5 matches for each of these players: Raki, Busi, Vidal, Arthur:
Tackles:
12 Vidal
11 Busquets
5 Rakitic
3 Arthur

Interceptions:
17 Rakitic
11 Busquets
9 Vidal
0 Arthur

Clearances:
4 Rakitic
3 Vidal
3 Busquets
0 Arthur

Arthur defensively last 5 matches, total:
3 tackles
0 interceptions
0 clearances
0 blocks

On the other hand, the worst player at Barca (according to our forum) and a guy for whom people are asking: seriously, what is he contributing to a team nowadays?
Last 5 matches:
5 tackles
17 interceptions
4 clearances
1 block

So, for guys who would like to see Coutinho-Arthur midfield and who say that EV is clueless for not trying that magical duo, look at another scary stat:
Messi, 16 matches, 1 interception
Suarez, 17 matches, 3 interceptions
Dembele, 17 matches, 4 interceptions
Arthur 12 matches, 3 interceptions
Coutinho 16 matches, 7 interceptions
= these 5 players (whom people would like to field together) have played:
78 matches this season
And they have 18 interceptions COMBINED in total over 78 matches.

"The worst player at Barca", who contributes nothing, Rakitic:
17 matches
33 interceptions

So:
Rakitic alone=33 interceptions
Messi&Suarez&Dembele&Coutinho&Arthur combined=18 interceptions

 

[xXKonan]

Aleñá and Puig will overtake Arthur as a starter in the near future

Yeah slow down there turbo, let's see if they actually get more minutes with the first team in the next season or two before making predictions.

 

[Arnaez]

Arthur is hardly a starter, and he isn't exactly having an outstanding season. Just okay.

 

[xXKonan]

Arthur is hardly a starter, and he isn't exactly having an outstanding season. Just okay.

I disagree with that.

For a guy who just came out of Brazil and who is only 22, he's having a good season and helped us out a lot. And he has shown quite some improvements as well.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Don't understand the expectations of people, who think him overrated. He's exactly what we needed, control in mid so that we're not overrun like schoolboys against physical and pressing teams like against QSG, Juve and Roma in recent years. I don't know about his potential capacity in offensive part, but do you even see how we play. Everyone is standing behind their markers and not making any movement in midfield all the time + completeley static Rakitic and Biskvits alongside in midfield. Vida's movement is erratic. There's a reason why Messi needs to make some mindfucking passes to get us any chances in most matches, like the crazy through ball to Suarez in recent match. Team simply doesn't move of the ball like AT ALL under Valverde so it's hard to assess the individual passing quality of our players currently. No one, not even Busq is making line breaking passes now days.
Btw, should've had assist against Getafe if Pique wasn't a donkey.

 

[Arnaez]

Nah, what was needed was a genuine world class central midfielder, like Thiago, De Bruyne, Kroos, something around that level.

The midfield is still weak no matters how many Vidal Rabiot Arthur players they stockpile and has problems vs teams that actually try to play, Betis was a good example of that and the UCL games will be telling.

 

[FCB1987]

Nah, what was needed was a genuine world class central midfielder, like Thiago, De Bruyne, Kroos, something around that level.

The midfield is still weak no matters how many Vidal Rabiot Arthur players they stockpile and has problems vs teams that actually try to play, Betis was a good example of that and the UCL games will be telling.

Thiago and Kroos are nothing special

 

[Arizona Scott]

Thiago and Kroos are nothing special

Thiago is not as good as Busi and Rakitic, and there was a reason in some big games last year Vidal was starting over him. Kroos is a fine, well rounded, midfielder.

Arthur I think is doing really well considering his age and 1st year in elite football. But I would put him as 5th (I'd still like to see PC in the midfield) midfield option, and personally I don't think he is ready for the intense of the intense (round of 8 and up in the CL).

 

[clemente]

Thiago is not as good as Busi and Rakitic, and there was a reason in some big games last year Vidal was starting over him. Kroos is a fine, well rounded, midfielder.

Arthur I think is doing really well considering his age and 1st year in elite football. But I would put him as 5th (I'd still like to see PC in the midfield) midfield option, and personally I don't think he is ready for the intense of the intense (round of 8 and up in the CL).

Wish I could unread comments

 

[serghei]

How can he be vastly overrated? I mean, it's not like he's considered the best CM in the world. He's up there among the best talents of his age in midfield, that's certainly warranted.

 

[Felipetonelo]

People will whine that defending is not his duty.
But as I have said, my eye test is saying that Arthur is quite meh in defending (except in applying a pressure immediately when we lose the ball).

Some interesting stats:
Last 5 matches for each of these players: Raki, Busi, Vidal, Arthur:
Tackles:
12 Vidal
11 Busquets
5 Rakitic
3 Arthur

Interceptions:
17 Rakitic
11 Busquets
9 Vidal
0 Arthur

Clearances:
4 Rakitic
3 Vidal
3 Busquets
0 Arthur

Arthur defensively last 5 matches, total:
3 tackles
0 interceptions
0 clearances
0 blocks

On the other hand, the worst player at Barca (according to our forum) and a guy for whom people are asking: seriously, what is he contributing to a team nowadays?
Last 5 matches:
5 tackles
17 interceptions
4 clearances
1 block

So, for guys who would like to see Coutinho-Arthur midfield and who say that EV is clueless for not trying that magical duo, look at another scary stat:
Messi, 16 matches, 1 interception
Suarez, 17 matches, 3 interceptions
Dembele, 17 matches, 4 interceptions
Arthur 12 matches, 3 interceptions
Coutinho 16 matches, 7 interceptions
= these 5 players (whom people would like to field together) have played:
78 matches this season
And they have 18 interceptions COMBINED in total over 78 matches.

"The worst player at Barca", who contributes nothing, Rakitic:
17 matches
33 interceptions

So:
Rakitic alone=33 interceptions
Messi&Suarez&Dembele&Coutinho&Arthur combined=18 interceptions

So what?

Some players are good in some things, other are good in other things. Rakitic has good skills at defending, but can't make one, just one turn to get away from pressure. Every time he gets the ball and has a guy close to him, is a turnover or go backwards. Arthur is a not defense machine, but he's able to break the pressure plenty of times during the game and keep Barca going forward, something that Barca clearly lacked in their last KO games in Champions League.

And I don't know how your mind works, but comparing a CM/DM with Messi/Suarez/Dembele/Coutinho is beyond ridiculous. Looks like a brazilian newspaper who wrote about Neymar when he was in Brazil "OMG, NEYMAR IS SCORING IN BRAZILIAN LEAGUE MORE THAN RONALDO AND MESSI TOGETHER".

 

[Arizona Scott]

Wish I could unread comments

Fighting confirmation bias is a tough thing, right.

 

[Arizona Scott]

So what? Some players are good in some things, other are good in other things. Rakitic has good skills at defending, but can't make one, just one turn to get away from pressure. Every time he gets the ball and has a guy close to him, is a turnover or go backwards. Arthur is a not defense machine, but he's able to break the pressure plenty of times during the game and keep Barca going forward, something that Barca clearly lacked in their last KO games in Champions League

Well what Barca hasn't been good the latter part of many of seasons is being fresh and holding up defensively. You should never give up 5, 3, 3 goals in singular matches. Most of those goals were defensive mistakes and Barca had edges in possession.