JamDav1982
Senior Member
He hasnt been wrong with any of the young players so far. Plenty time yet.
He hasnt been wrong with any of the young players so far. Plenty time yet.
serghei
Senior Member
Sure, plenty of time to come. But plenty of wasted opportunities as well. As the season advances, the opportunities to play talent from Barca in real games, not early Copa ties where 80% of the team is rested, will drop significantly.
I see all these rumors about Valverde wanting transfers in the winter, and I ask myself, does he even know that Barca B exists? You know, the place that brought us Xavi, Busi, Iniesta and other amazing players.
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
This week they have done the right thing and first team players still geting used to each other and system.
He is right not to have called anyone from B team so far.
serghei
Senior Member
I'm eager to see how he'll give chances to Barca B players in february - march then, when games in La Liga will start to be decisive and there won't be any Olympiakos to play in CL.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Right thing not to call them up for Olympiakos.
Alena is developing all the time at B team for now.
serghei
Senior Member
He can develop even better at the first team, with us looking better at the same time.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Dont agree.
He gets more out of being leader of B team in tough game away to Osasuna than he does most likely dead minutes vs Olympiakos.
First team and B team still finding their feet a bit for now.
serghei
Senior Member
Dead minutes? How about 90 mins? He can go back playing for Barca B at any time you know. It's not like you call him up to sit on the bench at the first team. You only call him to start him at home in low risk games.
He can grow more playing full games next to players like Messi and Iniesta, than he can at Barca B.
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
Because it is better for him to try and establish himself as a leader in the B team in tough games away to Osasuna than it is to have a fairly easy game at home to Olyympakos that Barca would win regardless.
Much better for him to be involved tonight and be tested more.
Messi and Iniesta were different cases. Can easily point out many that played games and didnt develop.
serghei
Senior Member
Yea, if all managers adopt this idea, no 19 years old ever play first team football at big teams, because it's more important for them to establish themselves as leaders at smaller teams.
Don't agree at all. If a 19 year old is good enough to play for the first team, then he should play for the first team. Didn't we pay 130m. for a 19 year old? Why can Dembele play at a high level for Dortmund and France first teams, and Alena can't play for Barca's first team? He has everything to play first team football at Barca now, at 19, but needs a bold manager to give him time if he deserves it. And he does.
Sometimes to only difference between a Dembele and an Alena is the fact that one got the chances, and the other didn't. Talent and ability might be the same.
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
The idea was set down by Pep and there is nothing to say he should never play for first team but he learns more and develops more playing tonight.
Dembele isnt 19 and if you think he is relevant you dont get the point anyway.
serghei
Senior Member
The idea wasn't set down by Pep at all. Pep promoted Busi at 20 years old in a midfield which had a world class DM on his spot. If Pep was at the team now, Alena would already have 2-3 full games played in the first team, considering the state of our midfield.
Pep used this approach you're talking about only with the players he wasn't sold on. The ones he truly believed in, he promoted them fast and gave them minutes early on.
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
It was set down by Pep. He helped put in place a plan for players from B team to first team squad that had them being leaders in B team as important step in developing the before promotion.
Bascially off the back of Bojan failing and thinking he missed a step.
You have no idea how many games Pep would have played him and Pep was not calling up young players from B team as much as is made out.
Alena is developing well and tonights game as centre piece in Barca B team in tough away game is better for him than a game he goes and looks neat and tidy in game barely breaks sweat v Olympiakos.
serghei
Senior Member
Alena is a leader in the B team already. Clearly the best player in the team. No reason not to call him considering he'd be the 2nd best playmaker after 33 years old Iniesta.
Bojan failling is not any more relevant to this than Dembele making it big at 18-19. Some players need more time, some break out right away. But because some players are so good that they make it very very fast, you need to give them that chance. Maybe Alena becomes a starter by the end of the season a la Mbappe if he's given the chance. Just the posibility that he could be an Iniesta level midfielder should make Valverde give him a chance faster than you'd give a chance to the likes of Bartra, Montoya, Palencia or other good but rather ordinary Barca talents we've had in the past.
18, 19, I don't care. If he shows quality and deserves a chance, he should get it. Once he gets a couple of games we'll see how he reacts to it. If it's an exceptional reaction, he gets more and more chances. If it's a normal good reaction he gets some chances here and there. If he accuses the pressure, he players for Barca B until the end of the season. But at least you ask the questions.
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
He is a leader and getting better doing it all the time and is developing.
Bojan failing is relevant as it had an impact on way Pep wanted young players to be brought through the B team. Dembele has no relevance to that.
Tonights game is better for Alena and if he goes through season without getting chances along the way then it is a different story.
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