Ivan Rakitić

[DonAndres]

Jovic is too short to be an athletic Cf for my taste.
Athletic CFs are Ibrahimovic, Mandzukic, Etoo, Lukaku, Ruud, Trezeguet.
I am leaning more towards strength and height for a Cf than to a pure pace.
So, if I could pick a tall and strong guy with an average pace or a guy with average height (Jovic) with a good pace, my pick is=height and strength for a Cf.
2 wingers can offer enough of pace for counters.
A CF should offer a presence in the box and some heading ability (on top of a regular finishing skills).

So, in short, Jovic is nowhere near my dream of a classical Cf.



1. I wanted more physique=we had it, true
2. I wanted leaders=Messi, Busi, lol? So we don't have that
3. I want more fighters. We have one a a half: Vidal and Suarez. So, we need more.
4. I want less schoolboys
5. I want less guys with Coutinho's and Dembele's frightened submissive personality
6. a very important thing: we need a plan B in attack. Our only plan is playing through the ground for Messi. I have asked for some crosses and headers since always. Who can head the ball in our team?
Ok, counters are also an option. But if counters with Dumbele are an option, I will rather give up before a match than rely on Dembele.
7. The same as in defense: in Europe, we are a team of midgets who conceded at least one goal after corner/header in our last 3 CL exits: Juve, Roma, Liverpool.
For La Liga having Albas and Arthurs is fine. In Europe, that means that you are starting a match with a 0:1 deficit since you will concede at least 1 after a corner.
If you'll reply: we were fine during short Xavi and Iniesta. Well, teams evolved. Juve, Roma, everyone are hurling 100s of crosses against us since they know that they are our biggest weakness.
Opponents are not dumb. If we are good in midfield, they won't go out and try to outplay us in possession. They will look for different areas.
And then we have a Gk somewhat weak on crosses and a team where only Pique, Lenglet and somewhat Suarez and Raki can jump.

So, yeah, I didn't actually get what I wanted.
IT is the same as saying: you had Xavi-Iniesta-Busi against AM for 2 years, and they lost.
You will find 100s of excuses and say: they were old, or we had a weak RB, or we had a bad attacker, we didn't move well, we didn't press as well as we used to etc, right?
Well, yes. True.

Btw, I wouldn't play Roberto as a RB in an away game if we are having a lead.
Also, I wouldn't play Coutinho, but a good old EV's 442 with 4 true midfielders. Let's say: Busi-Raki-Vidal and then Cou as a LM/RM or Arthur.
I don't think that Dumbele would have changed too much in 433. But neither would Flopoutinho.

So, EV had some traits which I wanted, but far from it that Anfield's team is my dream team and a dream setup.
But still, even flopped Anfield's setup would be my choice over 3 lighter midfielders.
I have seen enough of that horror show since 1994 till today, and I don't want to see it ever again in a CL away KO match, so no thanks.

So, we will need something in between.

It may not have been your absolute ideal team, but you have shown thorough satisfaction over the years in how those teams were built and managed.

Let's rewind back to 2016. You were over the moon with pleasure when we bought Andre Gomes. You constantly praised him as a tall/strong workhorse beast and advocated that he start our biggest matches, and then he started the 4-0 catastrophe at PSG and the rest is history. You were also a huge proponent for Mathieu over the years (tall/strong/fast CB who could play at LB) and one of the biggest advocates on this forum for Mascherano playing in midfield because of his "fighting spirit" and all that jazz. Cue, 3-0 loss to Juventus specifically caused by those players.

Move one season forward, and you were absolutely in love with Paulinho and worshipped him. He was atrocious against Chelsea and didn't do anything at all valuable in that season except for a few tap ins at the beginning of the year. And this last season, your favorite transfers were Vidal and Lenglet. Many on this forum including myself preferred De Ligt, but you have no choice but to oppose the "sexy young prospect" in favor of Valverde's stamped and approved midtable level player Lenglet even though he is "small and weak" to your dismay. You also used to constantly call Coutinho one of the most important/crucial players on this team and how he was the best galactico signing we had in years and such.

Those are all transfers that were at best unsuccessful and at worst absolutely horrendous, supported by you. And most of all, you supported the man at the helm making the decisions of which players play and which systems we used. You were Valverde's biggest fan on this forum for years, saying how he was a Rijkaard-esque savior who brought "balance" and "toughness" to the team instead of the forum's desired "schoolboys". You supported every squad decision he made and you aggressively defended his 4-4-2 in 17/18. Before the Liverpool tie you were beyond adamant that Valverde's system is the ONLY way not to get dismantled in the CL.

If someone asked you on Monday, May 6 of this year and said "Tell me BBZ what lineup you would use against Liverpool, and how you feel about Valverde's system?" you would have said this:

----Suarez-Messi
Cou-Rakitic-Busi-Vidal
Alba-Lenglet-Pique-Roberto
---------Stegen

And you would've said you were thoroughly satisfied with Valverde's system and tactics which have proven to be successful with results and blah blah blah.

How exactly is that a big distinction from what we ended up doing on May 7?

 

[FCB1987]

There would be a shit load of backlash if Busi got sold ahead of the likes of Rakitic.

Dude is crap now but he's basically untouchable due to his status, coming through the B team and establishing himself as a Barca Legend. The biggest mistake we made is giving him two long term contract renewals within a space of a year.

We did the same thing with Alba, once his pace/athleticism goes, it will get ugly and he's on a long term deal.

Rather deal with backlash over selling Busquets and Suarez than backlash over another humiliation away from home

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Rather deal with backlash over selling Busquets and Suarez than backlash over another humiliation away from home

True. Rakitic, Busquets and Suarez should be all sold but the lack of replacement for Suarez makes it tough. Busi and Raki we could sell.

 

[shadows]

Rather deal with backlash over selling Busquets and Suarez than backlash over another humiliation away from home

I would rather we have Busquets as a sub coming off the bench, same with Vidal (whose intensity is something we could have to add steel in our midfield depending on situations). I would require two of them for this season considering we play so many games and we need depth, but Busquets as an undisputed starter, probably Not although he can still start a fair share of games. The only reason i dont specify Rakitic here is because EV would then start him every game if he is able to move. Playing Rakitic-Busquets is obviously a No for me although that is probably what we will see yet again.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

I would rather we have Busquets as a sub coming off the bench, same with Vidal (whose intensity is something we could have to add steel in our midfield depending on situations). I would require two of them for this season considering we play so many games and we need depth, but Busquets as an undisputed starter, probably Not although he can still start a fair share of games. The only reason i dont specify Rakitic here is because EV would then start him every game if he is able to move. Playing Rakitic-Busquets is obviously a No for me although that is probably what we will see yet again.

That's my worry as well. Raki needs to go 100%, otherwise he will start every game and our midfield will look like **** again.

 

[khaled_a_d]

If we are going to play Roberto as a CM, he needs to have at least two Midfielders who are strong on the ball.

Having him try and be a ball distributor as a CM is a poor idea as he has shown in the past.

If we accept that FDJ & Arthur are our 2 starter, what do we want from our 3rd midfielder?
Those 2 are great in ball retention, great in bringing the ball from defense -especially FDJ- and we are hopeful that they can get their final pass to break defense.
They still lack that offensive creativity that we are hopeful they will get, they also lack defensive awareness at some situations and in Arthur case his stamina isn't the best.
I don't think we really need another ball-retention type of midfielder with them. That excludes Busquets for me. Also I don't think either Puig or Alena are ready for starting spot.
I think we need more "lungs" beside those 2, someone who can press and do the effort and I think Roberto right now might be the best option.
He is versatile, would be able to support right side flank when needed when Messi is our "false RW" and his on the ball and even creative ability is more advanced than Vidal for sure.

 

[shadows]

If we accept that FDJ & Arthur are our 2 starter, what do we want from our 3rd midfielder?
Those 2 are great in ball retention, great in bringing the ball from defense -especially FDJ- and we are hopeful that they can get their final pass to break defense.
They still lack that offensive creativity that we are hopeful they will get, they also lack defensive awareness at some situations and in Arthur case his stamina isn't the best.
I don't think we really need another ball-retention type of midfielder with them. That excludes Busquets for me. Also I don't think either Puig or Alena are ready for starting spot.
I think we need more "lungs" beside those 2, someone who can press and do the effort and I think Roberto right now might be the best option.
He is versatile, would be able to support right side flank when needed when Messi is our "false RW" and his on the ball and even creative ability is more advanced than Vidal for sure.

It could also mean Rakitic

 

[tacticvarium]

Arthur/Vidal - - - - - - - FDJ
- - - - - - - - Roberto - - - - - - - -

I would like to see how this line-up would work.
There are some flaws obviously but it might be still better than starting two turtles again.

 

[clemente]

Arthur/Vidal - - - - - - - FDJ
- - - - - - - - Roberto - - - - - - - -

I would like to see how this line-up would work.
There are some flaws obviously but it might be still better than starting two turtles again.

You underestimate CDM role if you think Roberto can play there, this is just a FIFA lineup, nothing else.
For a defensive role he has no idea how to defend, cannot tackle, not smart enough to read the game and intercept the ball, even Oriol would be better there 100%.

 

[gasgas]

If we accept that FDJ & Arthur are our 2 starter, what do we want from our 3rd midfielder?
Those 2 are great in ball retention, great in bringing the ball from defense -especially FDJ- and we are hopeful that they can get their final pass to break defense.
They still lack that offensive creativity that we are hopeful they will get, they also lack defensive awareness at some situations and in Arthur case his stamina isn't the best.
I don't think we really need another ball-retention type of midfielder with them. That excludes Busquets for me. Also I don't think either Puig or Alena are ready for starting spot.
I think we need more "lungs" beside those 2, someone who can press and do the effort and I think Roberto right now might be the best option.
He is versatile, would be able to support right side flank when needed when Messi is our "false RW" and his on the ball and even creative ability is more advanced than Vidal for sure.

Vidal arthur de jong

Midfield.
Ts quite simple

 

[Respekt_III]

You underestimate CDM role if you think Roberto can play there, this is just a FIFA lineup, nothing else.
For a defensive role he has no idea how to defend, cannot tackle, not smart enough to read the game and intercept the ball, even Oriol would be better there 100%.

He actually means this, Roberto as the AM. Don't know why a couple of people have put it the wrong way around.

roberto
arthur-FDJ

 

[CatalinR10]

You got every single thing you wanted, and it failed catastrophically.

This is like some epic ending reply from a legendary character in a GOAT Marvel movie just before he's about to win. No one would be able to comeback with a reasonable response after something like this.


Things will never be the same.


I'm actually lost for words.


Astonished.

 

[Arizona Scott]

I also have a premise that De Jong and Arthur are solid and its the question of the 3rd one. Roberto is not good enough as a midfielder to be the 3rd starter.

With the squad what it is I think Vidal/Rakitic sharing the role is best. Possibly Coutinho or AG with Vidal if Rakiti is sold. Def we need one of Vidal or Rakitic to stay unless we were to acquire a true attacking midfielder (why no interest in Bruno?)

Busi since we have no apparent interest in selling, should have a role where he is a last 20 minute protect a lead sub for FDJ or Arthur, with Busi playing the deepest. Not the same position but as Xavi got old that is how we used him effectively.

 

[Alik]

You underestimate CDM role if you think Roberto can play there, this is just a FIFA lineup, nothing else.
For a defensive role he has no idea how to defend, cannot tackle, not smart enough to read the game and intercept the ball, even Oriol would be better there 100%.

Roberto has put in decent performances in CDM position. Granted, that has been several seasons ago.

He is smart enough to read the game, I wouldn't say that's his weakness.

 

[George_Costanza]

--------------De Jong---------
-------Arthur-------Coutinho
Messi-----Griezmann----Dembele