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Learo
Guest
Look back at Xavi in the prime years: roaming up to the CF position, dropping back to the CB's to get the ball. He'd run everywhere on the pitch constantly turning and dominating the ball. He'd provide passing options everywhere.
Busquets on the other hand is maybe 1/4 as mobile. He simply positions himself rather than moving around the pitch. He's intelligent and is a great passer but if we were to move him to CM, we'd lose our defensive backbone and our fluidity in midfield.
It was completely apparent vs. Sociedad. Busi wasn't moving around much and therefore our play was unbelievably static. We couldn't transition the ball between defense/midfield/attack well and rarely had control of the game. Sociedad had us pinned on the back foot for most of the match. We lost that game in midfield and that's because Tata tried experimenting with Busi in the 'Xavi role'.
Of course Busquets stays more static in the DM position. Why on earth would he roam around as a DM? He is of course instructed to stay back. Xavi also stayed less mobile when he played DM before he was moved to CM.
The idea that it was Busquets' fault that we lost that game is way too simplistic. I seem to remember Song frequently moving up the field in that game, playing more of the Xavi role than Busquets. Montoya played as well, and lo and behold, he is also blamed for the defeat together with Song by ppl who dislike Montoya and Song.
We have struggled many games this season. We lost against both Valladolid and Granada as well. It isnt proof of Iniesta being bad. Using a single game as some sort of proof is silly talk.
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DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
I think zanela is right. It's gonna be Marquinhos + someone else. Don't see both Marquinhos and Benatia coming. Would be quite a let down. Especially since it seem like Benatia want to join us. It will again will be the case of not wanting to pay up and wrong priorities.
Richard.H
Senior Member
Mathieu? Seriously? He is not that much better than Montoya. In fact I would start Montoya over him. Useless signing if you ask me. Might as well promote Edgar Ie and call it a day.
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Learo
Guest
Benatia will probably go for 50-60m, judging by the prices so far, so in that respect it is more sensible to go for a player like Laporte who has a buy-out. We shouldnt be held ransom. Marquinhos+Laporte can easily happen, unless we pay 50m for Marquinhos.
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instinct
Guest
Stay optimistic dude. There is certainly interest. Just wait and see.
DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
It's a tactical example. I'm not blaming Busquets for a poor individual performance in a single game which leads to a loss, that's too small a sample size. I'm just giving an example as to how he's very immobile as a player, even when he played CM. His immobility tactically screwed us. You don't need more than 1 game to see that. It's not like if he were to play another game there he'd somehow start running 16km and be involved everywhere. I'm not even blaming him for LOSING as the goals were caused by other factors. It's the fact that we were tactically dominated as a result of a limited and incapable midfield which was completely static.
The 'Xavi role' is all about movement, something Busquets does not have and has NEVER been shown to have. You're making it too simplistic by saying that Busquets is an intelligent passer therefore he should play in the Xavi role. He positions himself, he doesn't move around much. His passing is often in a few touches to provide a foundation presence in our buildup. There's nothing that suggests he's capable of playing in the Xavi role, it's completely unnatural.
ZenI
Professor Balthazar
Masch as backup for Busi will be OK, but unfortunately Busi will have to play all important matches. Whatever you think about Masch he can't do the same job Busi can - when Masch is under pressure we won't see the same calm, technical and smooth player as Busi is, but than again nobody is. Tbh, I even think Song will do a better job as backup for DM than Masch.
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
There is interest as you say, but lately we've only taken it that far, never taken it further to bidding, negotiating with the player's club. Saw it with Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and I see it happening with Benatia again lol.
BarçAjax8
New member
Sorry guys I don't see Cesc overtaking Iniesta's position. Doing that will just hinder our midfield taking away what Iniesta brings to his role just to force a place for Cesc. Iniesta & Busquets are still the masters of their positions, it's Xavi whose legs aren't what they used to be.
ZenI
Professor Balthazar
Exactly, playing Busi in CM will just cause us problems. Why would we take the best DM and play him out of position?
KingMessi
SiempreBlaugrana
I think Roberto, with some coaching and an injection of confidence, could play that mobile central midfielder role that Xavi plays, albeit nowhere close to the level that prime Xavi did it. Rafinha could do this as well, with some added physicality that Xavi lacked.
looks like alexis is about to go
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