Ivan Rakitić

[Xaviniesta]

prick, I have been saying "sell", not renew and raise. But the hypocrisy I see in scapegoating him vs holding Busi (who makes a good deal more of a wage BTW) and many others at least equally accountable for our debacles in the CL (and in fact only I blind person would not hold Alba the most responsible among any player in this year’s decider) is just too thick not to expose. Haters are going to hate, and objective ratings help expose it, as if objective ratings are "tinted", one can't get any more ludicrous than a Fox News Expose' on Obama.

You want objectivity? How about you read these ratings again:

Whoscored ratings of the 4 matches that knocked us out of the CL:
-Atletico
-Juventus
-Roma
-Liverpool

Why is Rakitic the worst-rated starting midfielder in each of these 4 games? Is that a coincidence?
Enlighten us, please, Mr. Scott.

Or better yet....don't. I'll save myself from the hassle of you parroting "but busquets" or "scapegoat" again.

 

[Afromaticz]

prick, I have been saying "sell", not renew and raise. But the hypocrisy I see in scapegoating him vs holding Busi (who makes a good deal more of a wage BTW) and many others at least equally accountable for our debacles in the CL (and in fact only I blind person would not hold Alba the most responsible among any player in this year’s decider) is just too thick not to expose. Haters are going to hate, and objective ratings help expose it, as if objective ratings are "tinted", one can't get any more ludicrous than a Fox News Expose' on Obama.

Busi and Raki both have to be dropped if we want to win anything

 

[xXKonan]

If there's one thing we know, both Busi and Rakitic cannot play together anymore.

Both struggle with vary degree of issues that are hurting us in the center of the park when they play together. Both are declining at a pretty fast rate, and if we are still stuck with both of them being starters we will repeat the same problems we have had in the past couple of years now.

Simply having a pair of Rakitic-Busi together with their declining abilities is simply unacceptable at this point. Play one or the other, not both or sell one and keep the other or sell both.

 

[jairzinho]

[youtube]Tk76NxK7hjk[/youtube]

He should have been sold just for that dumb pass.

You have guys like BBZ talking about low IQ players yet here is Rakitic making the most low IQ play you would ever see.

A high IQ player would never make a dumb pass like that.

 

[Tekkers]

He should have been sold just for that dumb pass.

You have guys like BBZ talking about low IQ players yet here is Rakitic making the most low IQ play you would ever see.

A high IQ player would never make a dumb pass like that.

he's the dumbest midfielder to ever don a barca shirt. no awareness whatsoever and he's constantly in panic mode because he doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing out there

you almost have to feel sorry for him if he wasn't robbing the club of millions, because it's not his fault that he wasn't blessed with the highest of footballing IQs

 

[Arizona Scott]

You want objectivity? How about you read these ratings again:

Whoscored ratings of the 4 matches that knocked us out of the CL:
-Atletico
-Juventus
-Roma
-Liverpool

Why is Rakitic the worst-rated starting midfielder in each of these 4 games? Is that a coincidence?
Enlighten us, please, Mr. Scott.

Or better yet....don't. I'll save myself from the hassle of you parroting "but busquets" or "scapegoat" again.

Sofascore had Busi behind Rakitic in both Liverpool ties, didn't fine whoscored for those matches (but dug a little deeper and found some more below). Whoscore did have Rakitic rated the highest of the 4 regular midfielders in our CL matches. (also decided to check that in sofascore below)

OK here is the data. No cherry picking of which does in, which stats goes out, which site to use--no biases, just the closets things to fact we have in player ratings...

Overall CL ratings across matches (objective stats based metrics, not pundits and fans personal ratings).
https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/65/Show/Spain-Barcelona
https://www.sofascore.com/team/football/barcelona/2817

Rakitic and Busi are exactly tied for top performing midfielder at 7.17 in sofasore, Rakitic tops among whoscored.


Match 1 vs Liverpool https://www.sofascore.com/liverpool-barcelona/Usrgb
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1...hampions-League-2018-2019-Barcelona-Liverpool

Rakitic top rated midfielder by both whoscored and sofascore.

Match 2 vs Liverpool https://www.sofascore.com/liverpool-barcelona/Usrgb
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1...hampions-League-2018-2019-Liverpool-Barcelona

Sofascore had Rakitic #2 (behind Vidal) among midfielders, though his rating like those below him is not good. Whoscored had him last among midfielders (only alba and lenglet trailed him overall). However all midfielders except Vidal were terrible (hovering around 6) and within a small fraction of each other.

So in terms of "ratings" it is absurd to call Rakitic the chief problem last year in the CL or otherwise.
The idea we could have benched him and played so much with a Vidal-Arthur-Busi midfield (or Alena or Sergi there) is also absurd.

Yes we could do better than Rakitic (and Busi, and Vidal--if we think of him as a starter). One of our big hopes--and I don't think a big stretch-- is that FDJ blows them out of the water. Another hope, and I think a good one, is Arthur in his 2nd year in Europe becomes accustomed to the intensity for 90 minutes and adds a little more creativity to his game--in short becomes better than last year, or we consistently see what we saw from him in one of the madrid matches.

Personally I think we should sell 2 of 3 between Rakitic, Busi, Arthur + Coutinho + Malcom, but the idea Rakitic is any more critical to sell than the others, or that we have had better options than him for years, again, is ludicrous, it is a product of unhinged opinions from people who want to see what fits their anger and bias, intermixed with group think (sizable and loud minority who reinforce each other). Of course it isn't as a serious matter, but it is the kind of thing you find in climate change deniers.

 

[Xaviniesta]

...

So you reply to me showing me that he wasn't the worst-rated midfielder on anoter site in that one particular game?

The other humiliations, as predicted, have gone right through your head. He is still the worst-rated midfielder in the games that got us knocked out, as shown with the ratings and expressed through the eyes of the majority. Neither lie.

Anyways, you're honestly not worth another second of my time, seeing as the only thing tinted here are your eyes. See ya, BBZ Jr

 

[Never_Forget40]

WTF how can you pass there ???? Lol without that unnecassary pass Barca wouldnt have lost 4-0

 

[Kul_z]

Point is, rakitic had this past year and a half so many brainfarts, that couple of fine middlefielders combined didnt have in their entire careers. A FINE mf, and rakitic is supposed to be among the very top considering that he plays for us. As of today and past five years you have: Modric, kroos, casemiro, isco, de bruyne, kante, pogba, pjanic, koke, saul, yaya toure, david silva, erikssen, iniesta, busquets, veratti, vidal etc that are obviously better mf's, and second tier of banega, juan mata, fernandinho, moura, milner etc that are on his level. Like seriously, his time should've been over like 2015 in barca, considering that we used to have yaya toure, xavi, iniesta, keita, busquets at one point. Like holy fuck, from best middlefield ever to iniesta past his prime, busi and main mf rakitic. Its laughable.

 

[serghei]

WTF how can you pass there ???? Lol without that unnecassary pass Barca wouldnt have lost 4-0

Simple. FEAR. Rakitic craps his pants when pressured and he passes out of desperation to get rid of the ball. Here, in panic, he is unable to think lucidly and see how many options forward he had. He sees Alba, under pressure that is, and gives him the ball, knowing there is a considerable risk the pass would be intercepted.

That is the player the manager sees as irreplaceable in this team. What should be a very good squad player is now somebody we should get rid because this manager thinks he is world class.

Imagine what Arthur would have done in such a good situation like this. Forehead up, ball close to the feet, pass to Messi.

 

[Never_Forget40]

Simple. FEAR. Rakitic craps his pants when pressured and he passes out of desperation to get rid of the ball. Here, in panic, he is unable to think lucidly and see how many options forward he had. He sees Alba, under pressure that is, and gives him the ball, knowing there is a considerable risk the pass would be intercepted.

That is the player the manager sees as irreplaceable in this team. What should be a very good squad player is now somebody we should get rid because this manager thinks he is world class.

Imagine what Arthur would have done in such a good situation like this. Forehead up, ball close to the feet, pass to Messi.

Rakitic cost us the title last season with that pass

Well if the manager doesnt know what to do how the players should know what to do

 

[Tekkers]

Simple. FEAR. Rakitic craps his pants when pressured and he passes out of desperation to get rid of the ball. Here, in panic, he is unable to think lucidly and see how many options forward he had. He sees Alba, under pressure that is, and gives him the ball, knowing there is a considerable risk the pass would be intercepted.

That is the player the manager sees as irreplaceable in this team. What should be a very good squad player is now somebody we should get rid because this manager thinks he is world class.

Imagine what Arthur would have done in such a good situation like this. Forehead up, ball close to the feet, pass to Messi.

but according to barcaforum rakitic is supposed to have the highest footballing IQ on the team bar messi

 

[JohnN]

Rakitic cost us the title last season with that pass

Well if the manager doesnt know what to do how the players should know what to do

But.. but.. <a href="https://www.whoscored.com/Players/22732/Show/Ivan-Rakitic">Whoscored</a> says that his best ability is passing. And that he has no significant weaknesses. You must be wrong, that pass must be correct. Stats don't lie.

 

[ASordidGod]

WTF how can you pass there ???? Lol without that unnecassary pass Barca wouldnt have lost 4-0

To be fair, looking at that pic I'm pretty sure it's misleading. In that, if I remember correctly, he passes to Alba, and not where the red arrow points. Not a good pass by any means, and absolutely he should be brave/aware enough to find the space, but as much as I've come to dislike Rakitic both as a footballer and person, that goal was imo more Alba's fault than his. Indeed, I'm pretty sure - and hell no I've never watched that game back - it's Alba who subsequently plays the truly risky pass, a nonchalant attempted clip down the line which is easily intercepted.

 

[Never_Forget40]

To be fair, looking at that pic I'm pretty sure it's misleading. In that, if I remember correctly, he passes to Alba, and not where the red arrow points. Not a good pass by any means, and absolutely he should be brave/aware enough to find the space, but as much as I've come to dislike Rakitic both as a footballer and person, that goal was imo more Alba's fault than his. Indeed, I'm pretty sure - and hell no I've never watched that game back - it's Alba who subsequently plays the truly risky pass, a nonchalant attempted clip down the line which is easily intercepted.

Lets summarize that Rakitic and Alba were by far the worst players that night.