Ivan Rakitić

Barcilliant

Senior Member
Barca Stats

- Set a record by playing 71 games last season (60 for Barca and 11 for Croatia) despite being 30

- 2nd most accurate passes completed in La Liga this season (1436)

- Most appearances for Barcelona since 2014/15 (243)

- 7th best player in Europe in ball progression to final 3rd

- Leads the Barca midfield in interceptions per 90 minutes

- Least dispossessed midfielder in Barca per 90

- More through balls than any other Barcelona midfielders per 90

- Made 227 ball recoveries in 2018

- Has played Left Centre-Mid Centre-Back and Defensive-Mid this season

2018 World Cup

- 3rd most possession won in midfield (22)

- 2nd most recoveries (40)

- 2nd most distance covered (14.5km) vs. England in the semis (played with a fever)

- Buried two last penalties in to send Croatia onward to the next stages of their biggest World Cup since 1998


Rakitic is by no means a perfect player, but he is still very useful, ever reliable and does his duties very well. Despite what any foaming at the mouth Cruyffista says to try to slander him he's always been a favourite of all his coaches. That doesn't happen by accident and his daft haters need to try and expand their understanding of the game.

Tackle is either a board flunky or Valverde's assistant. 😂

He and BBZ are nothing but Stat merchants. I bet Fabregas had better stats then Iniesta when he was here but who was the better player?

Fuck off Rakitic and take Busquets and Valverde with you.
 

Arizona Scott

New member
It is time for him to go but there are much bigger problems, of course that defies looking for a simple scapegoat (e.g., Rakitic and Coutinho--sell them and our problems are solved, maybe Suarez too).
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
People are shitting on Rakitic, but they are not realizing that our other, supposedly better options are:
Arthur, aged 23, made 2 assists in his career
Alena, not called for Spanish U21 team
Puig, NEVER called for any youth Spanish team

You guys are acting as if we have 8 world class midfielders and a poor Raki is preventing them to play.
In reality, if you would mold Arthur, Alena and Puig into one player, you would finally get a good player for Barca's standards.
But since black magic and making biological experiments on people is forbidden, that ain't gonna happen.

We have Frenkie and 5 midfielders below Barca's standards.
If you want Raki out, we need to buy 1 or 2 new world class midfielders.

** Waiting for Copa America to start to see Arthur in "action".
Maybe people will come back to reality then.
 

mc_lovin

Senior Member
We dont have the money for another midfielder I presume - and our forward line is a mess.

Of course we can just stick with Rakitic, but we have already proven in spectacular fashion that his combination with Busquets doesnt work anymore - too slow, too weak. Sticking to him is the easiest route, but we need change. You can shit on Arthur all you want and quote statistics, but I would gladly give Arthur a shot as a starter - at least you (maybe not you BBZ) can see his potential.

Regarding your damn statistics: who gives a shit. If Arthur can deliver his best performances (Tottenham, Real Madrid, Sevilla) constantly we are set. Now is the time to trust young players. And if Arthur doesnt deliver he will be gone.


Again: Rakitic was never world class. If "solid" is enough for you, nice. Otherwise we have to try and find the next best thing. And Arthur looks like a damn good shot. Puig and Alena are nowhere near ready though.



Edit: Copa means shit.
 

te amo barca

Blaugrana al vent
People are shitting on Rakitic, but they are not realizing that our other, supposedly better options are:
Arthur, aged 23, made 2 assists in his career
Alena, not called for Spanish U21 team
Puig, NEVER called for any youth Spanish team

You guys are acting as if we have 8 world class midfielders and a poor Raki is preventing them to play.
In reality, if you would mold Arthur, Alena and Puig into one player, you would finally get a good player for Barca's standards.
But since black magic and making biological experiments on people is forbidden, that ain't gonna happen.

We have Frenkie and 5 midfielders below Barca's standards.
If you want Raki out, we need to buy 1 or 2 new world class midfielders.

** Waiting for Copa America to start to see Arthur in "action".
Maybe people will come back to reality then.
Arthur got injured in a friendly against Honduras.
 

Zidane82

Well-known member
Fecking Valverde is back in Barcelona to sort out next season’s squad ... his first demand is that Rakitic has to STAY !!

For gawds sake !!
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
Regarding your damn statistics: who gives a shit. If Arthur can deliver his best performances (Tottenham, Real Madrid, Sevilla) constantly we are set.

If you guys would use cold logic and not emotions, you would figure out that Arthur's best matches came:
= against strong teams who are attacking and pressuring us, like Real, Tottenham and Sevilla
Why?
= because those teams are putting a pressure on us and then Arthur thrives because the opponents are "running at him like crazy" and then he is using his best skill: press resistance, his little twists and turns, and he plays well in these matches

The sad thing is that 80% of La Liga opponents are Mickey Mouse opponents who sit around their box, they are not attacking us and they aren't coming into our half at all.
In those matches, Arthur can't use his press resistance and he can only pass safe sterile passes left and right to fullbacks.
No wonder that he was subbed for CAMs Coutinho and Alena (who can actually shoot, dribble and pass around the box) after 45 minutes in these Camp Nou matches.

So, the same as how for La liga: you need Pep's football and for a CL you need Pep upadted with physique, running, headers, fighting, aggression, the same is with Arthur for now:
Good against teams who are attacking us.
Useless against parked buses.

Yet, we play against parked buses for majority of La Liga season.
 
Last edited:

Hawk

Member
rackitic was a waterboy for the cracks on the team in '15, he served a purpose then. now, with the years of decline, hes long outlived his stay at barca. The game has passed both him and busquets by. deemed relics in today's football. getting outdone by average joes like henderson etc. a sad state of affairs

he needs to shipped asap, for the betterment of the club and himself. serie a would be good for rackitic to extend his career, could do a job there like borja valero.
 

mc_lovin

Senior Member
If you guys would use cold logic and not emotions, you would figure out that Arthur's best matches came:
= against strong teams who are attacking and pressuring us, like Real, Tottenham and Sevilla
Why?
= because those teams are putting a pressure on us and then Arthur thrives because the opponents are "running at him like crazy" and then he is using his best skill: press resistance, his little twists and turns, and he plays well in these matches

The sad thing is that 80% of La Liga opponents are Mickey Mouse opponents who sit around their box, they are not attacking us and they aren't coming into our half at all.
In those matches, Arthur can't use his press resistance and he can only pass safe sterile passes left and right to fullbacks.
No wonder that he was subbed for CAMs Coutinho and Alena (who can actually shoot, dribble and pass around the box) after 45 minutes in these Camp Nou matches.

So, the same as how for La liga: you need Pep's football and for a CL you need Pep upadted with physique, running, headers, fighting, aggression, the same is with Arthur for now:
Good against teams who are attacking us.
Useless against parked buses.

Yet, we play against parked buses for majority of La Liga season.



Your conclusion is kind of weird. You said it yourself, Arthur is best vs opponents who attack us. Accidentally that were the games that truly hurt us (Liverpool, Roma). In both games a fully fit Arthur could have been the difference.

Against the 80% La Liga "dross" we can just carry Arthur and hope he improves vs deep opponents with experience. But we cant carry Rakitic vs the 20% of teams that attack us.
 

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