Total-Football
Senior Member
Should be nicknamed "Hodol" (hold the ball)
Arthur
- Thread starter Jair Ventura
- Start date
Horatio
You're welcome
Only because statistically someone can only be wrong so often.
Messigician
Senior Member
W for BBZ
Richard.H
Senior Member
Problem isn't his passing but his lack of vision. Always takes the easy route. Is he scared to hit a bad ball? Or maybe he doesn't see his teammates?
In the first half Ronaldo made a great run only for Arthur to play it to his nearest teammate.
In the second half Cuadrado on the left made a great run only to be ignored. Although Arthur apologized for not passing, so at least he saw Cuadrado.
Second half, already mentioned by Richard.H, McKennie would be through on goal had Arthur passed it.
He's playing like you'd think Busi is playing: giving the ball to more creative players around him. But even Busi hits the risky forward passes when he can. Arthur almost never does it.
In the first half Ronaldo made a great run only for Arthur to play it to his nearest teammate.
In the second half Cuadrado on the left made a great run only to be ignored. Although Arthur apologized for not passing, so at least he saw Cuadrado.
Second half, already mentioned by Richard.H, McKennie would be through on goal had Arthur passed it.
He's playing like you'd think Busi is playing: giving the ball to more creative players around him. But even Busi hits the risky forward passes when he can. Arthur almost never does it.
Bobo32
Senior Member
Busi is one who makes the most difficult passes, both technically but mostly decision-wise.
Check a random Xavi game and watch how many times Pedro, Villa, Alves, Alexis or even Messi ran perfectly and had to return and do it again because Xavi - correctly - decided against a speculative pass.
The big success with that team was due to Xavi having so high status that he could do that, without feeling the need to attempt the hard passes. He was satisfied with playing 100 correct sideways passes and no hard pass in a game, but mostly he got to make maybe 5/100 in a game.
Bobo32
Senior Member
No, I think Xavi is the greatest midfielder to play the game, as I've written multiple times on this site.
Was just wondering after reading your posts about Arthur; what is your honest opinion on Xavi? Please expand a bit on his style and what you think were his greatest strengths.
This video just appeared in my feed, and I remembered someone pointing to this Xavi game on this forum, v. England 2004: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-BGmCWtm28
I counted three through balls, two which were nice but which he was probably at least 90% sure to succeed with, as he had a large space to hit. A couple of crosses, a few speculative passes where he himself didn't have any way out, and the rest is mostly calm passes on the foot of the most obvious option. A great game by Xavi.
Messi983
Senior Member
Yeah, I've thought he was a (bad) troll at first but now don't really know what to think about his opinions.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Lets compare the 'risk averse' Xavi to Arthur league stats.
Couple of Xavi peak seasons to Arthurs time at club...
Xavi
09/10
1.0 Through Balls - Highest in Team
3.2 Key Passes - Highest in Team.
6.0 Long Passes - Third in Team
10/11
0.8 Through Balls - Second to Messi
2.5 Key Passes - Highest in Team
7.4 Long Passes - Highest in Team
Arthur
18/19
0 - Through Balls
0.5 Key Passes - 13th in team
2.1 Long Passes - 10th in team
19/20
0.6 Key Passes - 16th in team
0.1 Through Balls - 5th in team
1.9 Long Passes - 13th in team
Couple of Xavi peak seasons to Arthurs time at club...
Xavi
09/10
1.0 Through Balls - Highest in Team
3.2 Key Passes - Highest in Team.
6.0 Long Passes - Third in Team
10/11
0.8 Through Balls - Second to Messi
2.5 Key Passes - Highest in Team
7.4 Long Passes - Highest in Team
Arthur
18/19
0 - Through Balls
0.5 Key Passes - 13th in team
2.1 Long Passes - 10th in team
19/20
0.6 Key Passes - 16th in team
0.1 Through Balls - 5th in team
1.9 Long Passes - 13th in team
BBZ8800
Senior Member
I am a fan of more physical players, but Xavi is one of the rare guys whom I would take to my team.
For example, Iniesta is good for me, but Xavi was a God.
I often call him "Mr TikiTaka himself", and imo, one of the biggest reasons why TikiTaka worked, is not the system, but:
1. cheating codes called young Messi
2. and Xavi, TikiTaka himself.
I often talk very bad about players with average or low footballing IQ.
Xavi was like a computer.
He could predict five moves into the future.
Then you have Arthur, who is not Dembele dumb, but I wouldn't call him too bright either.
Of course that he can't understand, read and predict the game like Xavi.
Then you have Riki, who is quite impulsive and erratic and who often has no clue what he will do in 2 seconds and not to mention: what will happen in the future after 5 passes.
So, Xavi knew when to speed up, when to slow down, when to risk, when to wait.
His moves were calculated and he usually picked the best solution.
Again, then you have Arthur, who's natural instinct is to avoid players (press resistance) and how to keep the ball.
Even on Juve's forums, some fans figured out his body language and movement and how he never looks up (towards the attack) when he receives the pass.
He has no clue what is happening in the attack.
On the other hand, "The Exorcist Xavi" would look 2-3 times towards the attack BEFORE receiving the pass.
Why?
He wanted to know what is happening in the attack and before receiving the pass, he had an idea: where to make the first step with the ball after receiving it, whom to pass the ball after that and whether that 2nd guy will be able to pass to that 3rd guy in the attack.
And again: then you have Arthur, who receives the ball with his ass turned towards our attack and he never lifts his head to check what is happening.
He receives the pass, dwells on the ball, passes it back OR: once in a while tries some forced through ball because the coach and teammates are mad at him.
The same about Riki: he has a horrible physique and he doesn't possess some special IQ to dominate the game with his IQ like Xavi or Busi.
This is why I give almost zero chances to Riki to make it on top level.
Imo, that is a huge flaw of a lot of Barca fans who grew up during Pep's days.
Back then everything revolved about technique and fans today think that similar level of technique alone will be enough.
So, they neglect physique, IQ and some leadership, bravery, fighting spirit, cockiness.
Pep's guys didn't win because physique, leadership and fighting spirit are irrelevant.
They won IN SPITE of not having those skills.
But since they were miles better than everyone else in technique, they managed to win without those skills.
But even then, they struggled heavily in away KO matches where technique alone is not enough and where Pep had 20-22% of wins iirc.
And then, what bothers me the most, we have some La Masia purists or Barca DNA purists who have too huge faith in guys like Riki and Arthur because they resemble on Pep's days in 2-3 skills.
These guys have similar flaws as Pep's players.
Yet, their skill quality is at 30-50% of what Xavi and those guys had.
Plus, they have way lower IQ and game reading.
When you sum it all: how can you build results in 2021 on guys like Arthur and Riki?
Those are Uefa Cup (Arthur) to midtable-bottomtable level of players (Riki).
To some extent, it's a blasphemy to putting them in the same sentence as prime Xavi.
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[MENTION=16942]BBZ8800[/MENTION]
Is it just height and strength you mean when talking about 'physical'?
Because Xavi was a machine, usually the player with most ground covered. Worked hard in offense and defence and wasn't afraid to make a tackle.
We talk about current Busi, Raki and Arthur being cones in defence, but Xavi never had that reputation.
Physical for me includes using your body the best you can in duels, and not being afraid of contact. Kante, Xavi, prime Busi, Alves I'd all consider being quite physical despite not having Haaland or Yaya body type.
Is it just height and strength you mean when talking about 'physical'?
Because Xavi was a machine, usually the player with most ground covered. Worked hard in offense and defence and wasn't afraid to make a tackle.
We talk about current Busi, Raki and Arthur being cones in defence, but Xavi never had that reputation.
Physical for me includes using your body the best you can in duels, and not being afraid of contact. Kante, Xavi, prime Busi, Alves I'd all consider being quite physical despite not having Haaland or Yaya body type.
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