Ivan Rakitić

Barca83

Banned
R/Barca Gold

(on Gomes, 42 upvotes)

"Is it just me, or his dribbling style looks like Messi?
I found that some times on live match I thought that it's strange how Messi got easily dispossessed when triying to go through 2 players, but then when I saw the shirt number I had to do a double check to made sure that Messi was indeed at another part of the pitch."
 

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
How in the hell did Suarez get runner up on Barca Reddit? oh wait I'm not surprised.

Hell I would put Coutinho ahead of Suarez and this guy only came in January and didn't play in the CL. :lol:

Sounds like bullshit. Suarez was quite terrible the whole season. Steigen should be the best with Messi imo.
 

xXKonan

Senior Member
Sounds like bullshit. Suarez was quite terrible the whole season. Steigen should be the best with Messi imo.
People look at how many goals he scored and say "Look he's still good he scored a decent amount of goals!"

In this team you need a player who can score more than just goals. we need a guy who can link up well, be mobile and can pass as well that doesn't fuck up plays. Suarez wasn't perfect with the passing part before but he was much better a couple of years ago in filling that role.

His all around game declined massively. People give Benzema shit for his finishing this season but he does so much more than that and I would kill for Suarez to be like Benzema right now.
 

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
People look at how many goals he scored and say "Look he's still good he scored a decent amount of goals!"

In this team you need a player who can score more than just goals. we need a guy who can link up well, be mobile and can pass as well that doesn't fuck up plays. Suarez wasn't perfect with the passing part before but he was much better a couple of years ago in filling that role.

His all around game declined massively. People give Benzema shit for his finishing this season but he does so much more than that and I would kill for Suarez to be like Benzema right now.

If you read Liverpool forum, even they would take Suarez back. I don't think they actually watch the games, because otherwise they would never take him back. He regressed a lot this season, might be his knee injury but he is getting there in age as well, so end is close. We need to get ready for time without Suarez. We need new striker.

Suarez used to be great pressuring opponent teams but today he is just too slow to do it. He isn't fast enough anymore.
 

ronniecro

Active member
You see it on Barca Twitter as well, you have guys who think there's nothing wrong with Suarez and that we don't need Griezmann and we will be fine having Suarez lead our line for another season.

The same dudes who routinely bitch about how useless the likes of Paco,Vidal,Gomes,Yerry,Digne, Paulinho are but give Suarez a free pass because he scored some goals despite him playing like complete garbage and ruining the flow of the attacking game.

incredibly,bolded part describes paulinho aswell,but he cannot be criticized for it
 

henias

New member
MATS is clearly player of the season other than Messi.

Rakitic was probably the best after that.

Rakitic can be very inconsistent like Suarez and has few individual brilliances here and there. Other than that, he's very limited and the 442 has been designed to suit him. Which is why he does look relatively good in such a system, while other players like Busquets, Iniesta suffers greatly, and people think he did the best after Messi and Mats.

But honestly, it just shows how much of a problem are in terms of players and their positions, I would still try and get a backup for Rakitic who can play a pure CM and possibly someone who is faster and can produce more workrate.
 

Alik

Moderator
Rakitic can be very inconsistent like Suarez and has few individual brilliances here and there. Other than that, he's very limited and the 442 has been designed to suit him. Which is why he does look relatively good in such a system, while other players like Busquets, Iniesta suffers greatly, and people think he did the best after Messi and Mats.

But honestly, it just shows how much of a problem are in terms of players and their positions, I would still try and get a backup for Rakitic who can play a pure CM and possibly someone who is faster and can produce more workrate.

Rakitic was nowhere near as bad or inconsistent as Suarez. Who do you think was the best this season after Messi and Mats?

The poll was about this season, right? If Rakitic is limited outside a 442, it's irrelevant as that is the system which we have played in the past season.

Rakitic has generally done well including when Busquets wasn't around.
 
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MessiCam

Guest
Rakitic was nowhere near as bad or inconsistent as Suarez. Who do you think was the best this season after Messi and Mats?

The poll was about this season, right? If Rakitic is limited outside a 442, it's irrelevant as that is the system which we have played in the past season.

Rakitic has generally done well including when Busquets wasn't around.
Busquets.

For a pivot Rakitic was dribbled past way too much if you wanna use stats as your metric but there are things like functioning under pressure where he is nowhere near Busquets level.
 

henias

New member
Rakitic was nowhere near as bad or inconsistent as Suarez. Who do you think was the best this season after Messi and Mats?

The poll was about this season, right? If Rakitic is limited outside a 442, it's irrelevant as that is the system which we have played in the past season.

Rakitic has generally done well including when Busquets wasn't around.

He is. He has been very mediocre, considering he is supposedly a workhorse alongside Busquets but he's too slow in tracking back and hasnt quite provided the same workrate as he had before. He definitely has some moments or matches when he did show up as an extra man and was fairly effective, but in tough matches, he just couldnt match up physically. He cannot deal with too much pressure if the forwards in front are having a tough time. Everyone needs to play the perfect game in order for him to not get too overwhelmed. I like him as a player but he is too limited as times. I don't like that. Especially with Iniesta's departure Rakitic is going to suffer tremendously.

Busquets and Rakitic is getting exposed very badly and we definitely cannot do without Busquets. We need someone with better physique with much much more workrate or a pure CM who can control the midfield. It isnt Rakitic fault, it's just our slow squad needs more workrate and movement.

We definitely need an upgrade from Rakitic and Suarez.
 

Neymessi

Active member
Rakitic was nowhere near as bad or inconsistent as Suarez. Who do you think was the best this season after Messi and Mats?

The poll was about this season, right? If Rakitic is limited outside a 442, it's irrelevant as that is the system which we have played in the past season.

Rakitic has generally done well including when Busquets wasn't around.

No way rakitic was 3rd best in the squad ffs. Umtiti alba roberto busquets and even suarez with his dire overall gameplay could be better than raki. What has raki done again? Did the defensive work worse than he did previous seasons and provided absolutely 0 contribution in attack and he is not a cdm. I don't remember raki creating any good chance in like forever.
 

Alik

Moderator
No way rakitic was 3rd best in the squad ffs. Umtiti alba roberto busquets and even suarez with his dire overall gameplay could be better than raki. What has raki done again? Did the defensive work worse than he did previous seasons and provided absolutely 0 contribution in attack and he is not a cdm. I don't remember raki creating any good chance in like forever.

Umtiti's level dropped sharply after he began negotiating his contract. Alba's also dropped a lot since the beginning of the season. No, Suarez was definitely not better Raki.

Busquets or Roberto, yeah, you could argue that.
 

YodaMaster

Member
Umtiti's level dropped sharply after he began negotiating his contract. Alba's also dropped a lot since the beginning of the season. No, Suarez was definitely not better Raki.

Busquets or Roberto, yeah, you could argue that.

The thing is Umtiti's level dropped but before it dropped, he was performing at a world class level, some will say he was in the top 3 best defenders in the world, some will even say that he was best in the world. Rakitic never reached that kind of level at his position at Barcelona. And that’s a fact. Umtiti’s level dropped but Rakitic’s level never reach those highs Umtiti was performing at. It is what it is: Rakitic isn’t good enough to be a starter at Barcelona. Simple as that.

He was ok in 2014-2015 when he had Alves behind him and Messi in front of him. These 2 together are worth 4 good players, so all Rakitic had to do is defensive contribution. Now that we have just «*normal*» right-backs and wingers, Rakitic has been exposed: he isn’t good enough for Barça as I’ve already said.
 

NICK

New member
Rakitic has actually been one of the better performers this year. I don't understand why some people keep saying Rakitic is just some workhorse. Wow far from the truth-he has been asked to play a role for the team like many other players at Barca past and present. When he was bought from Sevilla Rakitic was playing as a number 10 for them and was their main man - he was dangerous, he dribbled, passed, great short and pinpoint long passes, crossing, set pieces -corners, free kicks -,creativity,talent and great shots, goals and assists in that role for them-that is the role he truly excelled with more freedom to express himself. Check out the year they won the UEFA cup for example when he was their main man and captain. He played fantastically in an attacking role - a creative midfield, number 10 role and I remember the pundits here in the UK gushing over him and praising him in that role for Sevilla. When he came to Barca like most players he was asked to go from being the main man at his club and the main creative man at Sevilla to playing a much more restrictive and defensive role in midfield which does not show many of his attacking qualities. All credit to him, unlike many before him he managed to change his role completely to adapt to the Barca system, changed his game to be far more defensively minded and often had to babysit Alves and others for large parts of the game in the past, while still scoring important goals. This has nothing to do with 442 - Rakitic has excelled at other systems and roles in his career and other clubs before which got him to Barca in the first place. Many other players have failed to do this at Barca coming from other clubs - failed to adapt and many other players will fail to do this in the future. Not many players have managed to completely change their game, become part of the team to fit in at Barca. So credit to Raki as I feel some are being harsh when there are many others who performed far worse this season - he has objectively been one of the better players this season. You will see in the future many players we buy will fail to adapt to the Barca system - other players that people will want to buy will fail to adapt to the system, flop totally and fail to make it here. So I feel Rakitic deserves credit as he has played many high level games for Barcelona over the years and, in a new , more defensive and less creative role than he was used to in the past. So as one of a group of players who has sacrificed himself and succeeded in becoming part of the Barca system I give Raki a big thumbs up. Yes there have been some ups and downs but that happens with all players during a long season and as stated there have been many who have performed far worse than him this season. He is still a very important player - just like the manager said.
 
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MessiCam

Guest
Rakitic has actually been one of the better performers this year. I don't understand why some people keep saying Rakitic is just some workhorse. Wow far from the truth-he has been asked to play a role for the team like many other players at Barca past and present. When he was bought from Sevilla Rakitic was playing as a number 10 for them and was their main man - he was dangerous, he dribbled, passed, great short and pinpoint long passes, crossing, set pieces -corners, free kicks -,creativity,talent and great shots, goals and assists in that role for them-that is the role he truly excelled with more freedom to express himself. Check out the year they won the UEFA cup for example when he was their main man and captain. He played fantastically in an attacking role - a creative midfield, number 10 role and I remember the pundits here in the UK gushing over him and praising him in that role for Sevilla. When he came to Barca like most players he was asked to go from being the main man at his club and the main creative man at Sevilla to playing a much more restrictive and defensive role in midfield which does not show many of his attacking qualities. All credit to him, unlike many before him he managed to change his role completely to adapt to the Barca system, changed his game to be far more defensively minded and often had to babysit Alves and others for large parts of the game in the past, while still scoring important goals. This has nothing to do with 442 - Rakitic has excelled at other systems and roles in his career and other clubs before which got him to Barca in the first place. Many other players have failed to do this at Barca coming from other clubs - failed to adapt and many other players will fail to do this in the future. Not many players have managed to completely change their game, become part of the team to fit in at Barca. So credit to Raki as I feel some are being harsh when there are many others who performed far worse this season - he has objectively been one of the better players this season. You will see in the future many players we buy will fail to adapt to the Barca system - other players that people will want to buy will fail to adapt to the system, flop totally and fail to make it here. So I feel Rakitic deserves credit as he has played many high level games for Barcelona over the years and, in a new , more defensive and less creative role than he was used to in the past. So as one of a group of players who has sacrificed himself and succeeded in becoming part of the Barca system I give Raki a big thumbs up. Yes there have been some ups and downs but that happens with all players during a long season and as stated there have been many who have performed far worse than him this season. He is still a very important player - just like the manager said.
This argument again... He played as a part of a double pivot for Sevilla and on occasion as a 10. Further Sevilla don’t dominate the ball like Barcelona does and as such has never had to take care of it as much. He is your archetypal box to box midfielder that does better in a more direct system which Lucho gave him in the second half of the 2014/15 season.

He is not the type of player that is going to dominate the ball, set tempo, make himself available as a passing option and carry it forward.
 

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