Arthur

[EdmondDantes]

Would love to see more goals and assist from him. Xavi had high G+A.

High amount of G+A from a CM is very important.

From me he honestly looks like a DM.

Good point but I disagree with Arthur being a DM. I feel he's a CM who can play as a DM and not the other way round.

As for assists, the past few games Arthur has created at least 4 clear cut chances.

1- that cut-back for Pique

2- That incisive darting pass to Messi that nearly went in.

3 - Suarez' chip in the same game

4 - Malcom's defensive line breaking 1 v 1.


With better luck his assist tally would be higher, but I'm liking what I'm seeing. Arthur is also beginning to complete more diagonal/long passes as well.

 

[Obiaseti]

[tw]1089607524012179457[/tw]

Thanks for this.

 

[Sultan]

Regarding his assists we don’t really have players that run behind the opponents defense due EVs playing style and Messi is also playing as a playmaker. That could be something that’s not only effecting his assists tally but the rest of our CMs.

 

[xXKonan]

I never really considered him a DM in the vein of someone like Busi. I feel that would be a waste to just to use him in the Busquets role because he looks like someone that can further evolve as he has the mobility to do so.

I feel the same way with Frenkie as well.

 

[Arizona Scott]

In today's match we allowed a lot of shots.
In last few liga matches with these 3, the defense was good, not allowing too many shots.

You are now twisting stats, for what I am accused often.

With these 3, the defense will usually be good and a creation will be weaker.

About a boring football, that is a different topic.

I agree MATS played wonderful. But we also had most of the clear cut chances and generly controlled the game. It is an exaggeration to say we didnt play good football.That was a good shift against a solid away squad who was very motivated and played chippy. Arthur played well but he did play vs a 10 man squad. Vidal was the sloppiest of barca's midfielder. I liked the rotations and all but rakitic will be fresh for sevilla. All 4 will play vs sevilla, 90% sure. Would hVe been nice to get rakitic out too but with lenglet on a card and lots of minutes on him i understand the sub there.

 

[Raketa10]

I'm not interested in that midfield neither. IMO Coutinho is done here by the end of the current season. We've got better wingers/number10 (Dembélé & Messi) and we'll have superior and younger CM's next year with Arthur, FDJ and Alena.

Thank God you are not in charge for the club. After bad first half of the year a 140 mil player is done here?!?! Unbelievable...

 

[Respekt_III]

Thank God you are not in charge for the club. After bad first half of the year a 140 mil player is done here?!?! Unbelievable...

He'd probably do a better job then who we have at the moment...
You go around basically calling everyone who calls it like it is a moron, yet you offer 0 counter arguments, stuff of legends.

basic translation
Raketa:YOUR WRONG OK, HES SO EXPENSIVE HE CANT BE DONE *crying*

please tell me where do you propose we play him? lol

 

[YodaMaster]

He'd probably do a better job then who we have at the moment...
You go around basically calling everyone who calls it like it is a moron, yet you offer 0 counter arguments, stuff of legends.

basic translation
Raketa:YOUR WRONG OK, HES SO EXPENSIVE HE CANT BE DONE *crying*

please tell me where do you propose we play him? lol

Exactly.
[MENTION=20770]Raketa10[/MENTION], I mean we can talk about it but you have to tell us what are your arguments. You're talking about half of the year but now we're entering the last 4 months of the season and Coutinho isn't getting any better. And it's bad because he should jump on the occasion while Dembélé is injured. Instead he's wasting all the playing time offered to him, which is unfair to Malcom tbh. Probably because Malcom didn't cost €150m.

Anyway, Dembélé will get the starting spot back very easily when he returns. This Coutinho (who's supposed to be in his prime) ain't no competition for 21 yo Dembouz. The comparison will get only worse for the brazilian with time.

I was rooting for Coutinho in midfield for past 2-3 months, and I was willing to give him another season under a new manager since Valverde won't play him in midfield. But the truth is that the exact moment FDJ deal was announced, Coutinho's future at Barça became nearly hopeless. He'll never outperform Messi/Suarez/Dembele as a winger/attacker. And he'll never learn how to be a CM at 27-28 years old and catch up 20-22 years old kids (Arthur FDJ Alena Puig) who are already better than him as midfielders and who'll keep on developing far further than Coutinho.

Basically, I can't see any position which Coutinho could become a starter at. There's no point in having a €160m player with a €14m wage on the bench. That would be madness.

As Barça's fans, I want the best for the club. And the best for the club isn't supporting and doing charity with an unsuitable and expensive player.

Now as [MENTION=23413]Respekt_III[/MENTION] told you, if you have counter arguments, let me know. I'm up for a debate.

 

[Jombi]

For some reason, we again haven't conceded with Raki-Busi-Vidal.
Voodoo magic.
6 matches, 1 goal conceded.

Arthur stepped in at 10 vs 11, so let's skip those tackles since even Rakitic started to play better at 11 vs 10, right?

About Arthur, in this moment, he should play.
But again, only with 2 workhorses around him.

This debate and me posting stats started when people said that we should try mighty Coutinho-Arthur midfield duo.
For me, Arthur can play.
Arthur and Coutinho can't. At least not in serious matches.

Also, I think that I have seen a post today where someone wrote: De Jong-Arthur-Coutinho midfield...

Yes, Arthur should start. You were wrong about Vidal and Raki should start ahead of Arthur. Arthur gives so much quality its impossible to ignore it. You've been attacking us signing Arthur for a year now, with dozens upon dozens of posts portraying him as not Barca quality and a flop. You claim you do it because he was expensive and those expensive players should be held to a higher standard. Yet, you were a huge supporter of splashing 160m euros on instant impact Coutinho and tried to mock the people who had objections to the signing. He's been a massive flop so far yet you prefer attacking Arthur who looks like a bargain.

 

[Jombi]

Regarding his assists we don’t really have players that run behind the opponents defense due EVs playing style and Messi is also playing as a playmaker. That could be something that’s not only effecting his assists tally but the rest of our CMs.

We definitely need some speedy runners up front next season. Could Lozano from PSV be a cheapish option as backup? He could play on both sides of the attack, is very fast and mobile, has goals in him and an option particularly on the left (so Dembele can play on the right when Messi isnt playing).

 

[BADGERBHOY]

Thank God you are not in charge for the club. After bad first half of the year a 140 mil player is done here?!?! Unbelievable...

I'm afraid that the cost of the player is neither here nor there.

If he's not performing and others are doing a far better job than he is, then its time to consider selling him before his value recedes any further.

If we can get 100 - 120m back for him then I would sell him and use that money elsewhere.

 

[Sultan]

We definitely need some speedy runners up front next season. Could Lozano from PSV be a cheapish option as backup? He could play on both sides of the attack, is very fast and mobile, has goals in him and an option particularly on the left (so Dembele can play on the right when Messi isnt playing).

I doubt we'll be looking for another Winger. Both Ousmane and Malcom could play that way, but since we play a slow possession game, someone like Lozano would probably struggle here too at the beginning. One of the reasons why Malcom is having hard time here is we don't really play direct, counter attacking football. I remember when Malcom came on for Dembele against Leganes when he got injured, he was playing very wide, there were multiple times i saw him trying to make runs behind their defense but the pass never came.

It is something i would like for us to try, specially towards the end of games, to look for these runs behind the opposition when they come out of their shells trying to get a result against us. If we're couple of goals ahead I would like for us to play Messi as a flase 9, take out(rest) Suarez for Malcom and keep Dembele in the game. The thing about Dembele is he doesn't have to run behind them, he can cause the same damage through them by running with the ball. This is what makes him unique and made it easy for him to adapt to our style.

 

[Arizona Scott]

Coutinho is finishing plays terribly but his link up play with Suarez and Messi has been quite good lately. He is a much better player with Malcom and has been more effective in the minutes he gets. If Coutinho is focus and not pressing (turning the ball easy) he is good for our attack, if he regains the great shooting he used to show (and did some for us last year, was maybe the 2nd or 3rd best player last spring in league) he will be excellent for the team. Now if we can get 120mil I'd probably take it in the summer (cause he is a bit of a square peg in a round hole with a team with Messi)--but he isn't a bad player for Barca.

Arthur is going well in general, and great for a player new to Europe, but let's not go overboard and ignore areas we are weaker when he is in there. I would like to see him start most matches, play every match and get more minutes than the vets until we get to elimination ties.

I agree about another very pacey player, explosive one, why I would probably fine wih selling Couts or Malcom. Lozano is a choice (he isn't as young as he looks though). Why I also think Werner might be a good fit, a bit of a winger and #9 with speed and a high goal return where he has played of any length of matches (club or nation). I was following Leon Bailey last year and saw him tear apart Leipzig, but he seems to have completely crashed and burned this year. There is the new darling at BvB though I am sure the EPL squads will pay over the premium.

 

[Jombi]

I doubt we'll be looking for another Winger. Both Ousmane and Malcom could play that way, but since we play a slow possession game, someone like Lozano would probably struggle here too at the beginning. One of the reasons why Malcom is having hard time here is we don't really play direct, counter attacking football. I remember when Malcom came on for Dembele against Leganes when he got injured, he was playing very wide, there were multiple times i saw him trying to make runs behind their defense but the pass never came.

It is something i would like for us to try, specially towards the end of games, to look for these runs behind the opposition when they come out of their shells trying to get a result against us. If we're couple of goals ahead I would like for us to play Messi as a flase 9, take out(rest) Suarez for Malcom and keep Dembele in the game. The thing about Dembele is he doesn't have to run behind them, he can cause the same damage through them by running with the ball. This is what makes him unique and made it easy for him to adapt to our style.

I cant imagine both Malcom and Coutinho being with us next season. We need a Pedro type of player. We need movement and pace and a high goal return up front. Especially with Arthur and De Jong behind them.

 

[Arizona Scott]

I cant imagine both Malcom and Coutinho being with us next season. We need a Pedro type of player. We need movement and pace and a high goal return up front. Especially with Arthur and De Jong behind them.

I don't think it is a pedro we need. We need a suarez understudy/winger with a high goal return. I do think pace is a must, as dembele is really the only forward whose pace opens up the middle.

I'd love to get salah (perfect player for what i am talking about) or kane (pure 9 but his overall skills and connection to play may be the co-best with suarez).

More realistically, werner, mane (if liverpool get werner), pepe, jovic, richarlison