Arturo Vidal

[tacticvarium]

[tw]1025247050542137344[/tw]

Although I'm not really a fan of Vidal I would say this would be a great bargain if true.

 

[kollegah]

i dont understand why people complain.
we have busi, raki, arthur and cou as controlling midfielders.
a guy like vidal was missing, he is cl proven and cheap.

 

[JamDav1982]

Vidal is a good signing if he is there to play a role and be another option in the squad when the team need more cuntyness, aggression, physicality etc.

If he is being bought as a sure fire starter it is different but doubt he is.

The midfield now with potentially Arthur, Vidal, Coutinho, Roberto, Alena as options is far better, more energetic and mobile than last season.

If Malcom or Dembele could fill in at CF as an option would punt both Munir and Paco as well.

 

[BarçaBarça]

i dont understand why people complain.
we have busi, raki, arthur and cou as controlling midfielders.
a guy like vidal was missing, he is cl proven and cheap.

Because people won't be satisfied before we play Busquets-Arthur-Alena-De Jong-midfield and win CL at the same time..

 

[henias]

Because people won't be satisfied before we play Busquets-Arthur-Alena-De Jong-midfield and win CL at the same time..

Doubt anyone requested that combination of midfield. People were complaining how strengthlike players doesnt complement to our style, I think that's a legit uncertainty.

Inb4 EV use Vidal as part of the starting 11 instead because we all very well know what he likes. I dont mind him as a bench player, will have to see how this squad will be utilised.

 

[Joan]

Vidal, since Valverde's wish, obviously fits what we're going to play. So it's pretty much irrelevant if he fits 'our' style or has Barca DNA.

 

[BarçaBarça]

Doubt anyone requested that combination of midfield. People were complaining how strengthlike players doesnt complement to our style, I think that's a legit uncertainty.

Inb4 EV use Vidal as part of the starting 11 instead because we all very well know what he likes. I dont mind him as a bench player, will have to see how this squad will be utilised.

Right, I would like him as a sub in the league as well. With him, I think our depth in midfield is better than last year. That could lead to more rotation, hopefully, where Rakitic isn't run to the ground, and Arthur/Alena gets some substantial playing time. Off with Denis/Rafinha/Gomes and use Roberto in midfield when needed.

Rakitic/Coutinho/Arthur/Alena/Vidal/Roberto is plenty for the two midfielders in front of Busquets. They have different profiles and qualities, which makes us more versatile (something that decides CL-trophies). Therefore it would be ludicrous to play with a fixed midfield through all competitions, I really hope he doesn't do that!

 

[Ritchie]

Kante was the player we needed but we're settling for the older, cheaper version

 

[Birdy]

Sorry, no. That's a great midfield right there. We can moan our midfield is not good enough all we want, but it's up to the coach to set it up to properly and make it work. One could argue we don't lose battles against allegedly the best midfield in the world in Clasicos. My point: it's not really the midfield not being good enough, it's making the most of it. Structure of the team. Gameplan.

Bit about the players.

Busquets: world class. Nothing to add.

Rakitić: world class. One of the best in the world, as shown this World Cup. Would start in most teams you mentioned. Better than Fernandinho, pretty much all Liverpool's midfielders, heck, Chelsea, Cesc is a starter there, Bakayoko played most of the games, Juve's midfield is nonexisting etc.

Coutinho: world class, will play as a midfielder.

Roberto: knows the team well, versatile, great rotational option

Arthur: great potential there, it's on Valverde to make use of him

Vidal: impact player, physical beast Valverde wants, b2b etc.

That's a very good squad. Valverde has to deliver. By deliver I don't mean win a treble, but mustn't exit the CL the way we're used to lately.

The only thing to which i would agree is what you wrote about Arthur. And about Busquets, but only partialy (you are neglecting that he can get exposed if not properly complemented)
Coutinho will not play as a mid, but as a left winger, like last year.
Roberto sure, he knows the team well? What does this has to do with being a member of an elite md?
Vidal sure the b2b that EV wants with similar traits that Paulinho had. How does make him a member of an elite md again?
Rakitic: sorry i have to strongly disagree. It seems only in some Barca fan's mind that Raki is a world class player. Why is he not wanted then by all top clubs in the world like Modric, Kroos, Pogba, Kante etc? Think about it
And of course he would not start ahead of fernandinio because he cannot offer the positional play the no6 in Pep's system has to offer. He would not start ahead of Fabinho Keita in Liverpool, he would start ahead of Jorginho-Kante in Chelsea, he would never replace Pjanic in Juve.
Yeah, he had a couple of great seasons here, andp layed really well alongside Iniesta and Busi as an Xavi's replacement for that period. He never became world class..

 

[henias]

Vidal, since Valverde's wish, obviously fits what we're going to play. So it's pretty much irrelevant if he fits 'our' style or has Barca DNA.

Even Valverde's style is keeping possession. Unless we play a more direct style of football, Vidal wont be a good starter for us. Only to add depth then yes. Like I said, I really dont mind him as a bench player.

But I would have Vidal alongside Busquets than Rakitic. He provides much more workrate.

 

[DonAK]

The role Rakitic played for Croatia doesn't exist for Barca and if it does now he'll have Vidal ahead of him purely because Vidal if his knee holds up is a more mobile, explosive player with grinta that's on par technically.

 

[BarçaBarça]

The only thing to which i would agree is what you wrote about Arthur. And about Busquets, but only partialy (you are neglecting that he can get exposed if not properly complemented)
Coutinho will not play as a mid, but as a left winger, like last year.
Roberto sure, he knows the team well? What does this has to do with being a member of an elite md?
Vidal sure the b2b that EV wants with similar traits that Paulinho had. How does make him a member of an elite md again?
Rakitic: sorry i have to strongly disagree. It seems only in some Barca fan's mind that Raki is a world class player. Why is he not wanted then by all top clubs in the world like Modric, Kroos, Pogba, Kante etc? Think about it
And of course he would not start ahead of fernandinio because he cannot offer the positional play the no6 in Pep's system has to offer. He would not start ahead of Fabinho Keita in Liverpool, he would start ahead of Jorginho-Kante in Chelsea, he would never replace Pjanic in Juve.
Yeah, he had a couple of great seasons here, andp layed really well alongside Iniesta and Busi as an Xavi's replacement for that period. He never became world class..

Who qualifies in this category, then? He was one of Croatias best in a team who made it to the World Cup final?
Rakitic is not Xavi or has a profile like Arthur. That doesn't not mean that Arthur is automatically better, Rakitic has a much higher level right now.
We should do as much we can to hold on to Rakitic, especially now that the midfield changes, he has been a world class player for us.

 

[DonAK]

Who qualifies in this category, then? He was one of Croatias best in a team who made it to the World Cup final?
Rakitic is not Xavi or has a profile like Arthur. That doesn't not mean that Arthur is automatically better, Rakitic has a much higher level right now.
We should do as much we can to hold on to Rakitic, especially now that the midfield changes, he has been a world class player for us.

He has been great in a more defensive role, but we should require our midfielders to do more than that. We need mobility in the midfield and Rakitic loses out there to Vidal.

Won't talk about Arthur. Different profile.

You could argue Roberto has been World Class for us too, but it would serve Barca better to have a more mobile and explosive or creative midfielder than Rakitic and a faster more explosive RB than Roberto to win back the CL again.

Rakitic has a contract until 2021 and should not get an extension so we're in the end game here when it comes to him and other players in the squad that need to be renewed in the upcoming years.

The only player that is indispensable in the current Barcelona team is Messi and arguably MAtS and yes that doesn't include Busquets IMO, who will have a harder decline than Iniesta and Xavi did.

 

[BenRobbins]

Good rotation option for the money.

Good signing if he isn't starting most games.

 

[Vilarrubi]

The role Rakitic played for Croatia doesn't exist for Barca and if it does now he'll have Vidal ahead of him purely because Vidal if his knee holds up is a more mobile, explosive player with grinta that's on par technically.

That’s what I’ve been saying for a long time.. Sevilla and Croatia play a more open game and he is genuinely world class for them but for Barca he plays a limited role and it’s definitely not down to the coach or he’s been told to play like that like some people would like to think.