When Rakitic was scoring goals, people said that those were random longshot goals.
What to say about Arthur's goals?
You are talking about my bias, yet for every player, majority of fans will act in this way:
Player who they love:
1. if he has good stats=stats are good (remember how Arthur was a defensive beast in the first few rounds when stats were on his side)
2. if he is bad in some stats=people will make excuses (like: interceptions for Arthur. That is an irrelevant skill, lol. Or he is bad in tackles+interceptions because he is pressuring so hard high up the pitch)
When a player whom people don't like:
1. has bad stats=people will point to those stats (example: Rakitic 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 in everything this season)
2. had good stats=people will downplay those stats (headers or interceptions are irrelevant. Or those goals were random long range shots).
So, why pointing fingers at anyone when everyone is doing this?
The ONLY DIFFERENCE is that we don't like the same players.
If you like Arthur, you will cherrypick stats in his favor and downplay some other areas.
If I dislike Arthur, I will cherrypick stats where he sucks and downplay his good stats (example:saying those were random or rare goals/assists which will dry out in the future).
Anyway, let's add some objective stats now:
Arthur from June to September:
Venezuela 90 mins
Peru 90 mins
Paraguay 90 mins
Argentina 90 mins
Peru 90 mins
Osasuna 37 mins
Colombia 90 mins
Valencia 73 mins
Borussia 90 mins
Villareal 90 mins
Getafe 90 mins
Inter 90 mins
*******************
Sevilla 65
Senegal 68
Nigeria 80
Eibar 71
Slavia 84
Levante 66
Celta 90
Argentina 55
Korea 80
********************
From June to October, he played full 90 minutes in 10 out of 12 matches.
He was subbed only once, against Valencia at home. Against Osasuna, he entered as a sub.
So, he was subbed only once in 11 matches by his NT coach and EV.
Since October 6th and Sevilla match:
Out of 5 matches for Barca, he was subbed 4 times and he was left out of a team another 2 times.
For NT, he played 4 times and he was subbed every single time.
So, out of last 9 matches, he was subbed 8 times and left to rest in 2 matches.
In the last 401 minutes for Barca (after Sevilla's match, last 5 matches):
0 goals
1 assist (and 1 key pass which was that pass, I guess)
1 shot
2 tackles
2 interceptions
Look at a a current form, last 400-ish minutes played:
Tackles:
15 Rabiot
2 Arthur
Interceptions:
8 Rabiot
2 Arthur
Goals:
0, 0
Assists:
1 Arthur
0 Rabiot
Key passes:
10 Rabiot
1 Arthur
(wtf is this, lol?)
** I am not saying that Rabiot is a better player.
But since you are making fun of Rabiot and a fact that I wanted him here for free, my point is=Rabiot is not a bad player at all.
And, ironically, he has way better stats in lots of areas than our overhyped golden boy Arthur.
The thing is with Arthur for now that he was good in for 2-3 Months in the last season.
And then totally disappeared in the 2nd half of the last season.
People here claim that it was due to an injury.
Time will tell (if those patterns will repeat in this season): whether it was an injury, or just "his thing" to have huge "mood and form" changes during a season.
In this season, he played awesome in the first 5 La liga and 2 CL matches in September and early October.
As I have wrote before, my suspicion (even though I am also biased and not a fan of Arthur's skills and style of play) is that he played at 120% in September because:
1. he was angry for being benched at the end of a last season, so he was angry and 120% motivated
2. also, his stamina was at 100% because he had 2 Months of rest after Copa America
But what we see lately when his form (and our midfield) has dropped both on the eye test, team's stats and his individual stats is:
1. he is not playing with 120% motivation anymore because he regained his starting spot back. And what we see today is=a normal Arthur, when he is not at 120%.
2. his stamina is problematic again, and he can't run up and down all over the field like crazy anymore, well because=he seems to naturally have a weaker stamina and he seems to gas out even after 1-2 Months of playing as a starter.
Further:
My eye test since always thought that he is good at press resistance and in keeping possession.
But my eye test always thought that he was horrible at defending and that he is very, very sterile in attack.
Stats on larger samples are backing that up.
Of course that he will make an assist or score a goal here or there.
But a reality is that he is good in 1 area and is average in 2 out of 3 areas of play for a midfielder:
Possession, midfield play=awesome
Defending=almost very bad
Attacking third and creation=very sterile and lost
He could maybe work with a world class CAM who will compensate for his lack of creative skills.
But then again, that would mean that Arthur has to play as a CM and Frenkie as a pivot.
And since Frenkie is also quite funky and light in defense as a pivot, I am really unsure about our defensive stability against bigger teams or on away matches with those 2 paired in midfield.
Oh wait... That is exactly what is happening this season on every away match.
Busi-Raki-Vidal trio was less shiny in terms of movement and possession, but they at least knew how to control midfield and defense against small La Liga teams on away matches.
Busi played on that position for 10+ years and knew what he has to do.
Rakitic was a babysitter who knew how to hold his defensive position and what area always to cover.
Those two played together for 5 years and knew how to cover eachother's backs and weaknesses.
Frenkie-Arthur duo is quite messy in defense. They lack experience. They lack chemistry with eachother. And for now, individually, they just lack in defensive skills compared to midfield duos or trios from the last few seasons.
Frenkie worked well at Netherlands NT, but there he had a defensive help from De Roon and Wijnaldum.
In the last 400-ish minutes:
Casemiro 20 tackles, 8 interceptions=28
Rabiot 15 tackles, 8 interceptions=23
De Roon 12 tackles, 10 interceptions=22
Wijnaldum 6 tackles, 4 interceptions=10
Frenkie 6 tackles, 4 interceptions=10
Arthur 2 tackles, 2 interceptions=4
Now, the thing is:
1. Frenkie is almost defensively the lightest (or on par) part of a Dutch NT midfield (Frenkie, De Roon, Wijnaldum).
And he plays well BECAUSE De Roon and Wijnaldum are covering for him once when he ventures into the attack or when he makes mistakes.
2. at Barca: Frenkie is supposed to be a new pivot, even though he is too light in this moment.
And then, who will help him in defense? Arthur? Please...
Or even worse, when some users talk about Frenkie-Arthur-Puig midfield. Is that the weakest midfield ever defensively in a modern history of football?
(Someone will reply: but we are Barca, attacking and passing is the most important thing for us. Well, fine. Then don't whine when we will allow 2-3-4 goals and 10 shots on every single away match.
3. further, Arthur plays well for Brasil when he is paired with Casemiro.
Look at their stats from the last 400-ish minutes of play: Casemiro 20 tackles, Arthur 2 tackles.
Who is a main defender and tackler there? Casemiro, of course.
So, he is the bonebreaker and Arthur is the 2nd guy (controller) playing next to him.
So:
1. Frenkie is covered by 2 good defenders in Dutch NT team (De Roon and Wijnaldum)
2. Arthur is covered heavily by Casemiro in a Brasilian NT team
A million dollar question is:
1. who will cover for Frenkie at Barca? Arthur, lol?
2. and the same: who will cover for Arthur at Barca? Frenkie, lol?
I know, Busi-Raki-Vidal sucked in attack.
But we have just traded one sort of shit for the other sort of shit.
We traded ok defense and sterile creation for: bad defense, equally sterile creation and nice eye pleasing play and good possession.
So, you guys from Forum de Amigos have 2 problems with Frenkie-Arthur midfield:
1. you need to find a way to create chances with those two sterile guys
2. you need to bring back a defensive balance with those 2 guys in a lineup
A hint: 100s of random alibies how EV is bad, how 6 attackers don't move and how everyone else are guilty=won't help.
Our defensive mess started from a match against Bilbao on a matchday 1 with Frenkie as a pivot and continued later with Frenkie-Arthur pair.
I expect a lot of fire and replies to this "blasphemy" (attacking our magical midfield duo).
Don't disappoint me