Arturo Vidal

[Gnidrologist]

Should we continue in the same way, and hope that a light technical controller like Arthur or Thiago will magically solve the problem?

Agree on your overall sentiments, just want to point out that Arthur doesn't look 'light' to me at all. He's technical, but also physical and not only because he's quite adult-like bulky despite young age, but also what was seen in Gremio. He was obviously their engine. If what you mean is quick temper then yeah, Vidal and Suarez are our only hopes. Although to quick warriorish temper without much ability, like Bommel's, is useless. Stoichkov and Lucho were actually pretty 'light' and technical themselves, they just loved to get into cockfights.

 

[Barcilliant]

I wanted this guy five years ago and everyone was whining about barca DNA and possession. Same three years ago. The obsession with a controller is unhealthy.

 

[Sumlit]

I never said the team wasn't lacking in talent or guidance. I said the team was lacking character, which can fall into those categories you mentioned like proper team management and recruiting talent.

I'm saying that Barca lacks the talent that comes with characteristics that of which the likes of Vidal brings to the team on the pitch. Talent as in aggressive, hardworking physical and fighting playing style and characteristics such as commanding, vocal, confrontational, intimidating towards the opposition and not afraid to act thuggish.

That is outside of the typical Barcelona player we've seen over the last few years and imo the type we miss in those CL ties.

I think you're speaking about a profile of player though, namely the physical aggressive type, not character per se. A player can have strong mental fortitude and not be a physical player type.

I'm not going to argue against Barca needing this profile of player you speak of. It can never hurt to have that kind of player in your pocket. However I would much rather this team focus on more technical talent who is young and hungry, rather than just go for physical types.

But above all, they need to do things better. Both in talent renewal and management. Can't have important transition years completely torpedoed by poor planning and failures like buying Arda, Gomes, Vidal, et al. Can't also have coaching with poor game and player managing. That's how you get poor results in intense competitive games.

 

[Barcilliant]

This comment got a lot of likes from a Bayern forum:



We have been warned.

Some hilarious stuff there. Comments seem to be mixed. Still that forum is like a mirror image of this forum eg complaint about the board, lack of quality, complaining about not spending etc

 

[xXKonan]

Well when was the last time anyone complained about the board not spending?

While I wasn't around here during the tito and tata era, But I'm pretty sure that was the peak of us not spending the money on players we needed (CB's) during that time. But since the 2014/15 Season the board wasn't afraid of splashing the cash. The main worry was how and what they were going to splash the money on.

We did get some good players in but also spent money on a number of duds though.

 

[KingMessi]

Some hilarious stuff there. Comments seem to be mixed. Still that forum is like a mirror image of this forum eg complaint about the board, lack of quality, complaining about not spending etc

Basically every fan forum is like that.

 

[D10S_JC]

Paulinho is supposed to add "strength" to Barca and we see the result...

And Vidal is not really really better than Paulinho

 

[SeloBarca]

"Strength" players has almost always failed at Barcelona, its just not the Barcelona way.
If you want a thugish strenght type of team, go follow any of the Madrid teams.

 

[serghei]

It's not about character, it's about management and motivation. Klopp's teams show character not because their players are mental beast (lol, that team is filled with so called losers, but somehow made a CL final and beat City 3-0), but because he is an excellent manager. The managers we had post Pep all suck in at least 1 area. Most suck in several areas.

Our core, key players are at a stage where they need something from the manager to keep them going hard, they're not going to add that bit by themselves. That is missing. The managers we had are almost complete zero in this area. Valverde for example is as boring and play it safe as it gets.

 

[serghei]

Btw, Madrid players had no character with Benitez. They suddenly had character after he was replaced by Zidane. The manager is key here. You are either properly managed and prepped to win the CL or you aren't. Same goes for the league.

 

[Centauri B]

Paulinho is supposed to add "strength" to Barca and we see the result...

And Vidal is not really really better than Paulinho

Seriously?

 

[Barcilliant]

Various reports have the fee ranging from 17 to 30 million. Why such a big disparity?
I hope he stays injury free. Always been a fan of Vidal.

 

[KingMessi]

Btw, Madrid players had no character with Benitez. They suddenly had character after he was replaced by Zidane. The manager is key here. You are either properly managed and prepped to win the CL or you aren't. Same goes for the league.

Even with Zidane early last season, the Madrid players couldn’t be bothered until CL was their last hope to salvage the season.

 

[MTL_Barca]

Having a guy like Vidal on the bench can be great but tbh i don't like to give this option to Valverde out of all coaches because it may just end up as an excuse to play Raki+Vidal+Busquets with Messi, Suarez, Cou up front and perma bench Dembele, Malcom, Arthur because safety first no matter who's the opponent

May sound exaggerated but i was hoping he will be forced to play offensiv this year but with a player like Vidal i'm concerned it will still be far away from barca style a d some sort of slowish defensiv 4-4-2. Hope he can prove me wrong but i don't have high hopes. If he plays the same boring shit again he has to deliver in CL this season, no excuses.

Regarding Vidal i'm sure he can't play on his current level for 3 years. The decline is already noticable and i don't see him play top level football at 32+ with his body. So i guess in a year or so people will already talk about offloading old Vidal, maybe China comes to the rescue once again by that time.

 

[Judoman]

You should have read the whole post then.
Luka Modric has technique, but Madrid has lots of physique, aggression, thughs, mental strength and CR7, the robot in terms of mental strength and coming back.

Barca 2009-2011 is the only team ever who won trophies without physique, thugs and mental strength.
But as you see, when we lost alienish technique, we can't win anymore.
The same as Spain, who are a bad copy of our famous style.

Both Barca and Spain died in the same moment, when insane technique was past it's prime.

Listen, CR7 s mental strenght is very relative. Infact, up until few years ago he was considered as a pussy. He regulary disappeared in big matches. I guess
he grew up finaly, people have short and selective memories and CR7 is now a warrior
A man is not a static point in time and that is also true for his mentality. CR7 is a nice example of this.

It is true, that we lost some character with Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Alves, but the main problem was lack of skill, or to be more precise, the depth of skill. We always had great first team, but there were no
huge and hungry talents behind them. People get confortable in such environment with no real competition.

The blame is on the managment, they slept on trophies for too long, which produced this hole we had in the last years. It looks like they woke up, so i m quite optimistic for the future.
I think Valverde has some part in this. I m sure that Paulinho/Vidal are his idea. He also needs to show balls and bench any first teamer, that doesn t perform. He has this option now.