Gerard Piqué
- Thread starter Barcaman
- Start date
Messigician
Senior Member
Best defender in the world
He has really stepped up this past month. Fitness seems to be sorted out and peaking the right time. I am assuming his business transactions are done for the season, he has tightened his diet and prioritised his football.
Team looks extremely motivated this season compared to last season (despite the unbeaten run). And this without recovering Arthur to full fitness and Dembele to full form.
Team looks extremely motivated this season compared to last season (despite the unbeaten run). And this without recovering Arthur to full fitness and Dembele to full form.
YodaMaster
Member
What a fucking boss. Definitely one of the 3 greatest defenders of his generation. And an absolute Clasico master.
Leo_Messi
New member
My MoM. Was everywhere and hardly put a wrong foot. As usual in the El Clásico and in big games. The definition of a big game player when he is focused on and off the field.
Been absolutely crucial in our defensive improvement. Since the 1-1 draw at the Wanda in late November, we have only conceded 6 goals in the league in 13 league games. We conceded once against RM in the CdR semifinals and kept Lyon from scoring away from home.
Happy to have defended him here when he was met with largely unfair criticism.
Never doubt the Piquénbauer. There is a reason why he has been playing for us for 9+ seasons and why he has the career resume and trophies that he has.
A focused Piqué is the best CB of his generation in my eyes.
Been absolutely crucial in our defensive improvement. Since the 1-1 draw at the Wanda in late November, we have only conceded 6 goals in the league in 13 league games. We conceded once against RM in the CdR semifinals and kept Lyon from scoring away from home.
Happy to have defended him here when he was met with largely unfair criticism.
Never doubt the Piquénbauer. There is a reason why he has been playing for us for 9+ seasons and why he has the career resume and trophies that he has.
A focused Piqué is the best CB of his generation in my eyes.
El MeSSiaS
Member
El President 
Yes, he has been amazing and i would even say top 3 this season: 1) Messi, 2) Pique, 3) Alba 4) Arthur so far. Still criticism has not been been wrong over the years. He has allways been paid as one of top defenders in europe and the club caculated with him. He has then showed a lot of doubtful attitude alot of times, at vital moments, putting the club in an akward position because we depended on him. Its like if Messi just went missing, because he was clubbing around and getting some stupid injuries.
Leo_Messi
New member
Overall he has had an amazing career for club and country. Everywhere that he has been actually. Even for a stacked Man Utd he performed well whenever he played and helped them win the CL in 2008. In Zaragoza as a 18 year old, he was one of their very best performers (quickly became a starter alongside Gabi Milito) and probably the best performing youngster (CB) in the league that season (2006-07).
Sure he had periods with bad form, not looking focused (his main problem) and not being the leader that he should be (defensively) in such time periods. However he has always bounced back and he is almost always one of our better performers in the top games. Been the case since forever.
Being married to the likes of Shakira and having so many projects (successful at that too) outside of football obviously takes a toll. Him getting kids etc. The political mess in the country that he feels strongly about. Obviously that will impact him on the field.
He is not a Puyol type of player or leader. We always knew that. However he is growing in this department (as he gets older) and he does not necessarily need to be one. MAtS is doing that job already at the back.
There are drawbacks with being a "Ramos type of player". 25 red cards, selling the league and CdR each season (almost) and mostly only showing up for the CL (a recent thing too, not the case between 2005-2013) while making plenty of individual mistakes in the process as well and brain farts. There are no perfect CB's out there but Piqué has been one hell of a signing for us. €5 million back in 2008.
Thanks for that one SAF.I just want to remind people what Piqué has achieved while being a central piece in all of those achievements with the exception of his time in Man Utd but even there he played a role from the bench in the 2007-08 season and had 3 appearances and 2 goals in the CL that season. If not for that Vidic-Rio partnership and the likes of Brown playing great, he would have gotten more than those 13 games. He was actually performing well that season coming off a successful loan to Real Zaragoza the season prior.
Manchester United
Premier League: 2007–08
FA Community Shield: 2007
UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
Barcelona
La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2015
FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Spain
FIFA World Cup: 2010
UEFA European Championship: 2012
UEFA U-19 European Championship: 2006
Individual
La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2008–09
La Liga Best Defender: 2009–10
La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15
UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2016–17
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2012
UEFA Team of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016
FIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2013, 2015, 2017
FIFA FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2014, 2018
ESM Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
483 games and 44 goals for us. How many sending offs? Can't even recall a single one right now. 534 games and 49 goals in total. 102 games and 5 goals for Spain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Piqué
He still has 2-3 good seasons (at least 2) in him IMO. He never was a player that lived of his pace but more of his footballing IQ, timing and reading of the game. He struggles if he is left alone in 1-1 situations against pacy, technically gifted and agile attackers nowadays (32 years old so not a youngster anymore) even though he used to (for the most part) keep the likes of C. Ronaldo and Marcelo in his pocket alongside Alves back in the day when he was younger and quicker.
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Overall he has had an amazing career for club and country. Everywhere that he has been actually. Even for a stacked Man Utd he performed well whenever he played and helped them win the CL in 2008. In Zaragoza as a 18 year old, he was one of their very best performers (quickly became a starter alongside Gabi Milito) and probably the best performing youngster (CB) in the league that season (2006-07).
Sure he had periods with bad form, not looking focused (his main problem) and not being the leader that he should be (defensively) in such time periods. However he has always bounced back and he is almost always one of our better performers in the top games. Been the case since forever.
Being married to the likes of Shakira and having so many projects (successful at that too) outside of football obviously takes a toll. Him getting kids etc. The political mess in the country that he feels strongly about. Obviously that will impact him on the field.
He is not a Puyol type of player or leader. We always knew that. However he is growing in this department (as he gets older) and he does not necessarily need to be one. MAtS is doing that job already at the back.
There are drawbacks with being a "Ramos type of player". 25 red cards, selling the league and CdR each season (almost) and mostly only showing up for the CL (a recent thing too, not the case between 2005-2013) while making plenty of individual mistakes in the process as well and brain farts. There are no perfect CB's out there but Piqué has been one hell of a signing for us. €5 million back in 2008.
I just want to remind people what Piqué has achieved while being a central piece in all of those achievements with the exception of his time in Man Utd but even there he played a role from the bench in the 2007-08 season and had 3 appearances and 2 goals in the CL that season. If not for that Vidic-Rio partnership and the likes of Brown playing great, he would have gotten more than those 13 games. He was actually performing well that season coming off a successful loan to Real Zaragoza the season prior.
Manchester United
Premier League: 2007–08
FA Community Shield: 2007
UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
Barcelona
La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2015
FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Spain
FIFA World Cup: 2010
UEFA European Championship: 2012
UEFA U-19 European Championship: 2006
Individual
La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2008–09
La Liga Best Defender: 2009–10
La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15
UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2016–17
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2012
UEFA Team of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016
FIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2013, 2015, 2017
FIFA FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2014, 2018
ESM Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
483 games and 44 goals for us. How many sending offs? Can't even recall a single one right now. 534 games and 49 goals in total. 102 games and 5 goals for Spain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Piqué
He still has 2-3 good seasons (at least 2) in him IMO. He never was a player that lived of his pace but more of his footballing IQ, timing and reading of the game. He struggles if he is left alone in 1-1 situations against pacy, technically gifted and agile attackers nowadays (32 years old so not a youngster anymore) even though he used to (for the most part) keep the likes of C. Ronaldo and Marcelo in his pocket alongside Alves back in the day when he was younger and quicker.
Thats nice and all, but first of all, dont make it sound like Pique was anyhing more than a bench warmer for United. When he came to Barca he clicked pretty well with the team and the defence, but he "overperformed" in the sense, that he didnt carry our defence, but he just filled a gab - and the real star of the defence was Puyol (and Alves). I really liked him back then, because he did what he needed to and played really well. But as soon as Puyol wasnt around anymore, Pique had a lot of trouble until Mascherano - a more or less new guy in the team and DM orginal, took things into his own hands. After a horrible first 6 months were they were catastrophic iirc, Mascherano and Pique found into a rythm. But it was Mascherano who gave the defence the needed spark of leadership, and since then Pique has been on/off showing absolute world class performances and periods were he was meh and sometimes even really bad.
All in all im pretty happy about his barca career, he has done well, and right now i really like the spirit he is showing. I hope he can stop his career at this absolute top level he is showing right now, because of all that he stands for (ideology and on a human level I also like his personality a lot, talking about being a joker with good values)
Leo_Messi
New member
Did you deliberately miss this part of my post or did you not understand it?
You surely did not expect a 20 year old Piqué to play more than those 13 games in a Man Utd team with a prime Rio and Vidic (their best CB partnership in history arguably) and Brown (third option) who played his best season for Man Utd that very same season?
Piqué did not over-perform jackshit. He has consistently over a 10 year period been one of our two best CB's if not the best CB in every single of his pairings. Whether with Marquez, Puyol, Milito, Chygrynskiy, Toure, Mascherano, Umtiti, Lenglet etc. Similarly for the Spanish national team.
What? Mascherano arrived in 2010 and Puyol left in 2014. Piqué performed with both of them.
How many times do I need to tell that Piqué does not need to be THE leader in order to be one of the best CB's out there for us and in the world over the past decade? In any case who if not Piqué has been the leader this season at the back?
You are talking like Piqué had several horrible seasons (while that was never the case) or that he had some extensive periods of very bad form. That was never the case either even at his worst. Been one of our best and most consistent performers in the biggest games for the club in the past 10 years. Similar with Spain. Not a coincidence. Sure he has had crappy games (big ones included) but so has EVERY single CB out there (elite) and every player. Even a GOAT like Messi.
Pretty much this. Whether he is the best or not in the past 10 years is a personal opinion but he is surely in the top 3 without a doubt. On his day (when focused) I would not trade him for any other central defender.
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FC B
Senior Member
When motivated yep, he's there between the best.
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