Bernardo Silva

[serghei]

It's definitely mediocre for European standards. Barca in general are miles behind as everyone knows and in for a painful few years, especially given the economic situation.

At least we had some nice football for a period until March, then it was insufferable to watch once again

Realistically, being able to enjoy football matches again would be a start and just go from there.

We're not talking about winning the CL here, are we?

On La Liga level, we have at worst the 2nd best midfield behind Madrid. What lets us down is the defense and the attack. Here we need to improve the squad a lot. With losing Dembele, as flawed as he was, and adding no other player, it's a decrease in quality rather than the increase we need. Also Luuk de Jong who added quite a few goals last season.

So, before we think about any other positions what we need is a good fast winger to replace Dembele + top CB.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Miles behind physically for sure. And now most teams are technically proficient. But the midfield is handicapped by not having the supporting network around it.

Got the right building blocks in Pedri and Gavi though.

This. We might be talented but many teams will run over us, like Frankfurt did.

 

[fergus90]

We're not talking about winning the CL here, are we?

On La Liga level, we have at worst the 2nd best midfield behind Madrid. What lets us down is the attack, and the defense.

no I'm not talking about winning the CL. I'd be chuffed winning the Copa Del Rey with the current mob.

 

[serghei]

no I'm not talking about winning the CL. I'd be chuffed winning the Copa Del Rey with the current mob.

OK, but we're talking about the midfield. Not the whole team. I already said our defense is terrible and our attack not much better than mediocre. I just don't see on what planet we need to invest in midfield when we have like 5-6 huge weaknesses in the team that are unadressed.

Midfield is Lucho's starting midfield for Spain probably if all of Pedri and Gavi and Busi are fit. Plus De Jong and now Kessie. It's plenty. If anything, selling De Jong and buying some good players in attack is probably advised if we don't have money.

 

[khaled_a_d]

We're not talking about winning the CL here, are we?

On La Liga level, we have at worst the 2nd best midfield behind Madrid. What lets us down is the defense and the attack. Here we need to improve the squad a lot. With losing Dembele, as flawed as he was, and adding no other player, it's a decrease in quality rather than the increase we need. Also Luuk de Jong who added quite a few goals last season.

So, before we think about any other positions what we need is a good fast winger to replace Dembele + top CB.

Are you serious or trolling? Because I am not really sure.
Our midfield failed to protect defense, failed to create enough chances for at least 2 thirds of the season, was outplayed in most European games against even the average sides, we relied on freakin cross and pray tactics for most of the season under 2 different coaches.
Yeah,it is mediocre midfield for anything more than CL group stage at European level.

 

[serghei]

Are you serious or trolling? Because I am not really sure.
Our midfield failed to protect defense, failed to create enough chances for at least 2 thirds of the season, was outplayed in most European games against even the average sides, we relied on freakin cross and pray tactics for most of the season under 2 different coaches.
Yeah,it is mediocre midfield for anything more than CL group stage at European level.

It's because we are poor in every other areas around the midfield. Midfield doesn't play on its own as you seem to believe. If midfield is surrounded by clown defenders and rejects attackers or a winger who puts 6/8 shots in row Z...

And even then, you get your numbers very wrong. Check the actual data on conceded goals under Xavi in La Liga. We have among the fewest conceded goals, and that's with a crap defense and one of the worst shot-stoppers in the league in Stegen.

That's because the midfield is far superior to the rest of the team.

Don't know what you guys are talking about here.

The difference between us and Madrid lies in 4-5 players.

Courtois, Benzema, Vinicius, Militao, and Carvajal. We have no match for these players. We don't have an elite keeper or an elite 9, we don't have a winger who adds both speed, with passing and especially goals to boot, we don't have solid defenders like Militao and a solid defensive fullback like Carvajal.

 

[vegitot]

It's because we are poor in every other areas around the midfield. Midfield doesn't play on its own as you seem to believe. If midfield is surrounded by clown defenders and rejects attackers or a winger who puts 6/8 shots in row Z...

And even then, you get your numbers very wrong. Check the actual data on conceded goals under Xavi in La Liga. We have among the least conceded goals, and that's with a crap defense and one of the worst shot-stoppers in the league in Stegen.

That's because the midfield is far superior than the rest of the team.

Should you give credit to defense about that too? When Pique is injured, the team defends much worse.

 

[xXKonan]

I think Kessie will surprise people next season.

Midfield setups are not good enough right now, having the two CMs pushed further up the park with very little influence on the Build-Up/Creativity to try to flood the Box with numbers is not good enough. Especially when you placed all the responsibilities on an Aging Busi who is slow and has very little mobility along with being physically weak at this point in his career.

 

[khaled_a_d]

It's because we are poor in every other areas around the midfield. Midfield doesn't play on its own as you seem to believe. If midfield is surrounded by clown defenders and rejects attackers or a winger who puts 6/8 shots in row Z...

And even then, you get your numbers very wrong. Check the actual data on conceded goals under Xavi in La Liga. We have among the least conceded goals, and that's with a crap defense and one of the worst shot-stoppers in the league in Stegen.

That's because the midfield is far superior than the rest of the team.

Oh, the classic "it is the teammates fault"
No, midfield didn't protect defense actually, our defence improved with Pique getting his head straight and Stegen did actually moved to much better performance in 2nd half (from below average to above average league performance in saving shit according to it's quality)

Our midfield outside of Pedri was mediocre, Busquets is only good in bringing the ball with teams not pressing him , Gavi and Frenkie are two guys that has ton of effort but lacks in ton of aspects
Only the trio of Pedri, Busquets & Frenkie were together, midfield looked decent. When Pedri was put it was hard to watch.

 

[vegitot]

The midfield next season, excluding Frenkie cause he may leave:

- Granny Busi, ok he is good but can be a fatal weakness at the same time.

- Pedri, class but only 19 (20 next season), still at developing ages

- Gavi, good but only 17

- Sergi

- Nico the fat boy.

- Kessie, still a question mark.

So it looks really thin and can easily fall off in tough time.

 

[serghei]

Should you give credit to defense about that too? When Pique is injured, the team defends much worse.

Sure, the defense gets a bit of credit. But look at the blunders of the players like Garcia, Lenglet, look at Dest being injured almost all the time, and at granny Alves struggling to keep up with the pace of even players from relegated teams.

That's where we need to insist on.

 

[serghei]

The midfield next season, excluding Frenkie cause he may leave:

- Granny Busi, ok he is good but can be a fatal weakness at the same time.

- Pedri, class but only 19 (20 next season), still at developing ages

- Gavi, good but only 17

- Sergi

- Nico the fat boy.

- Kessie, still a question mark.

So it looks really thin and can easily fall off in tough time.

If that is thin, then we need 3 more wingers, 2 more strikers, and 2 more CBs, 2 keepers, and 3 more fullbacks .

Apparently we lose:

Dembele
Adama
Luuk de Jong

I hear no replacements.

We need two wingers to replace those, plus another striker.

 

[fergus90]

Madrid are European champions with Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Valverde and Camavinga yet have still signed Tchouameni.

Depressing stuff.

 

[vegitot]

Sure, the defense gets a bit of credit. But look at the blunders of the players like Garcia, Lenglet, look at Dest being injured almost all the time, and at granny Alves struggling to keep up with the pace of even players from relegated teams.

That's where we need to insist on.

Lenglet looks decent under Xavi. And Pique and Araujo are solid pair. Pique out then the team defend much worse.

 

[serghei]

Madrid are European champions with Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Valverde and Camavinga yet have still signed Tchouameni.

Depressing stuff.

I already said weeks ago that Madrid is two levels above us. We need to compete hard next season, overachieve, and hope they get cocky and complacent.

But at the same time, we should not get fatalistic and say our midfield is mediocre for top 4 standards. We made 2nd this season without Pedri most of the time.

It's a very good midfield, and the only compartment in the team that is close to the level needed to compete for big titles. It's keeper, defense, and attack where we lag behind the top teams big time.

Look at the players other teams try to get from us. Gavi and De Jong. Do you see teams trying to sign Lenglet, Dest, or Aubameyang? Trincao rubbed the bench for Wolves.

Lenglet looks decent under Xavi. And Pique and Araujo are solid pair. Pique out then the team defend much worse.

True, but Pique is old. Disagree with Lenglet. He and Garcia are error-prone defenders that have no business starting for us. Only hope would be that Christensen is very good.

Let's say somehow defense will hold on decently with the addition of Christensen. We are losing 3 players in the attack which had an impact last season. Dembele, Adama, and Luuk de Jong. We need to replace them, and not with crap options, but better.