@BBZ
How would you feel about Brozovic in Barca? He looks like a better version of Rabiot. Perhaps less technical with better shot? I think i also saw him play RM?
To be honest, I watched Rabiot way less.
While I have watched Brozovic a lot of times.
Brozovic is running and covering like crazy, but isn't too good in a build up (for top teams).
So, Croatia sometimes have problems because: Brozovic is not THAT good in build up and Rakitic can have problems sometimes, as we know from Barca, and then it all comes down to Modric and passing the ball to flanks right away.
So, for example, Barca with:
Coutinho-Rakitic-Brozovic would be good in defense and we would be a tough team to break in defense.
But, we would also struggle in attack and build up and we would probably play a lot of 1:1s like Croatia.
So, we wouldn't lose, but we wouldn't win either...
So, Brozovic plus Rakitic as 2 out 3 Cms for Barca, for the highest level is not good enough.
On the other hand, if we would have 2 technical, light, isanely good creators, like Xavi/Iniesta/even Coutinho, then Brozovic could work as a Cdm, like RM's Casemiro.
He wouldn't help too much in a build up, but he would close down every single attack in defense.
He would play short-sideway passes in attack.
In that type of a setup, let's say a team consisted of Cdm Brozovic-Cm Xavi-CM Iniesta, RB Alves would have been good enough.
Brozovic wouldn't be as good as Busi, but he would offer way more running, covering, defending, recycling of possession and passing the ball straight to Xavi-Iniesta-Alves.
So, you see, it all depends on circumstances and imo, we always need a mixture of runners/workhorses and technical guys (except during that short Pep's era where we survived with technical guys only).
Even today, Thiago, whom I don't like too much, could work with one Casemiro/Edmilson as a Cdm behind him.
Xavi-Thiago-Casemiro/Edmilson in enough of technique/vision/physique/defending/thugs in midfield.
But Busi-Thiago-Coutinho, that is imo, an invitation for a horror show (with lazy in defending Messi and Dembele infront of them).
About Rabiot, he could work in pair with mobile, light, technical players like Coutinho, Xavi, Iniesta.
On the other hand, if we pair, Rakitic-Rabiot as Cms, that won't be good either.
So, 3 workhorses=not good enough in creation.
3 light players=not good enough in defending.
Some combination like 2-1, 1-2 or 1-1-1 sounds like the best option for 2018, 2019 and similar.
So, I am not 100% against Thiago, but it depends who are his partners in midfield.
Also, about Rabiot, even though I like workhorses, I surely wouldn't want to see Rakitic-Rabiot-Gomes/Paulinho/enter a random similar player in the same time.
