Ivan Rakitić

[JerseyAddict]

I Don't get me wrong I would have him in the squad and do think he's good for the smaller games, I just don't think it's a point that holds as much weight as some people are making out.

Agreed.
But people are realy taking to much shit on him. Like he is a sole problem in this squad. He is "pedro" here for peoples frustrations. There is a lot if baaaaaaad aples in team.

 

[Alik]

Well... You can all shit me all you want but I would rather have FDJ - Arthur - Raki midfield than FDJ-Arthur-Busi.
Raki can go forward and shoot (see Cro games) he can drop at CB. While Busi, LEGEND as is, nowdays can oly dragg his ass around. He is slow mou last season. Raki to, but Busi is even more.


You won't see Cou in mid, RP will root on the bench for CDR, Vidal will be "super sub"... S. Roberto is unpredictqble for position.

I am also against Raki-Busi-3rd because it is suicide...

Agreed. However, Coutinho has to be given a chance in midfield because he is a complete liability as a forward. And, as you say, Roberto is unpredictable. So we need to try him out a few times to see how he performs.

 

[JerseyAddict]

Agreed. However, Coutinho has to be given a chance in midfield because he is a complete liability as a forward. And, as you say, Roberto is unpredictable. So we need to try him out a few times to see how he performs.

If Cou stays for me there is no other option than midfield for him. Now with G17 in team

S. roberto. Thanks for that PSG winner. But I wan't to see more of him in midfield to judge on him.

 

[Alik]

If Cou stays for me there is no other option than midfield for him. Now with G17 in team

S. roberto. Thanks for that PSG winner. But I wan't to see more of him in midfield to judge on him.

Everything good that Roberto has ever done for this club happened when he was playing in midfield or on the wing, so I am willing to give him a few more tries before completing assessment on him.

One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to ever see him play RB again.

 

[Arizona Scott]

fyi i think bobs best ever play was at rb when he was chief in the counter (that messi finished in et) that should have kept our la liga streak going and madrids drought longer. i think we later dropped points to lesser opponents while madrid didnt and poof la liga (i think enrique/neymars unimpressive sayanara seasons.

roberto can play rb or right wing, not world class but serviceable. rakitic/vidal are for sure better ACMs--better field vision and instincts for the position and imp coutinho is much better than him there based on many of his liverpool amd brazil matches

 

[BBZ8800]

One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to ever see him play RB again.

That could change easily if we will lose points a few times in 0:0 and 1:1 matches with Semedo and other sterile players in a lineup.
Especially if we'll have too many midfielders. Then Roberto will need to play, as always. The only available place will again be: a RB.

About Roberto as a midfielder, people forgot the past.
He was good as a winger.
And ok as a pivot.
And very bad as a CM. He had a good solo run or a good match here and there, but often he was poor and offering only legs and running.

 

[Zidane82]

That could change easily if we will lose points a few times in 0:0 and 1:1 matches with Semedo and other sterile players in a lineup.
Especially if we'll have too many midfielders. Then Roberto will need to play, as always. The only available place will again be: a RB.

About Roberto as a midfielder, people forgot the past.
He was good as a winger.
And ok as a pivot.
And very bad as a CM. He had a good solo run or a good match here and there, but often he was poor and offering only legs and running.

If Roberto wasn’t a Barca boy we wouldn’t even be talking about him tbh

 

[Hawk]

I get the point that rakitic can be a good starter for the smaller games and group stage ucl (easy teams) but I'd argue we would win those games anyway with a different midfielder in his place. Saying "well who is going to play against all the smaller la liga teams" etc is giving rakitic a lot of credit for these wins, you could probably start ter stegen as a cm and we'd get the win against smaller teams.

It's not like he influences the game to the point where we win the match as demonstrated by 5 goals and 10 assists in 54 apps last year (yes I'm aware that's more than the others). Did those goals/assists earn us more points than the difference to the second placed team? If other cm's (not busquets) were given as many minutes as him they'd have notched up a few more assists and maybe even a goal here and there and then they are almost equal in those stats and yet rakitic is GOOD at attacking but the others BAD? Don't get me wrong I would have him in the squad and do think he's good for the smaller games, I just don't think it's a point that holds as much weight as some people are making out.

indeed. that what leaves you dumbfounded is the spin regarding who should play against teams in the lower end of the league, as if that carries so much weight, for a non elite midfielder. rackitic was a water boy (when he had legs) when its all said and done. a mere footnote in barca's history in the same way the likes of van bommel, edmilson etc were before him.

 

[Zidane82]

indeed. that what leaves you dumbfounded is the spin regarding who should play against teams in the lower end of the league, as if that carries so much weight, for a non elite midfielder. racktic was mere a water boy (when he had legs) when its all said and done. a mere footnote in barca's history in the same way the likes of van bommel, edmilson etc were before him.

Sadly the best thing about Ivan Rakitic has always been his NAME ..

 

[Messigician]

You can't fault [MENTION=16942]BBZ8800[/MENTION] dedication to Barca unlike the new fans BBZ has been around for the dark times and I respect his more nuanced take on things

 

[Raketa10]

Well... You can all shit me all you want but I would rather have FDJ - Arthur - Raki midfield than FDJ-Arthur-Busi.
Raki can go forward and shoot (see Cro games) he can drop at CB. While Busi, LEGEND as is, nowdays can oly dragg his ass around. He is slow mou last season. Raki to, but Busi is even more.


You won't see Cou in mid, RP will root on the bench for CDR, Vidal will be "super sub"... S. Roberto is unpredictqble for position.

I am also against Raki-Busi-3rd because it is suicide...

100% agree with this.

 

[BBZ8800]

rackitic was a water boy (when he had legs) when its all said and done. a mere footnote in barca's history in the same way the likes of van bommel, edmilson etc were before him.

Wait...
We played for 13 years since 1992 to 2005 with light midfielders.
And often we were kicked in a group stage of a CL against Dinamo Kiev, Cska Sofia, Besiktas and similar.

Then, for the first time ever, we moved to a combination of technique and muscles in midfield with those crappy guys whom you mentioned.
We won a CL and had our best defensive record ever in a CL KO matches.

Cool story.

I know, I know... but, but, but during Pep we won with those guys.
Well, we had Messi.
We'll never know whether Xavi-Iniesta and similar guys without Messi would ever win in any 1/4s of a CL.

One more question, could you enlighten me:
If Van Bommel, Rakitic and Edmilson are just footnotes in terms of midfielders, who is then written in capital letters?
Xavi, Iniesta, Busi... who else?
Probably Deco and that's it, right?

So, in the last 20 years, we had 4 good midfielders and 30+ midfielders who were footnotes?
I'll mention all of them since 2000 till today:
Footnotes:
Cocu
Litmanen
Gerard Lopez
Gabri
Petit
Fabio Rochemback
Mendieta
Motta
Riquelme
Davids
Albertini
Edmilson
Deco
Van Bommel
Yaya Toure
Keita
Fabregas
Thiago Alcantara
JDS
Song
Sergi Roberto
Rafinha
Arda
Andre Gomes
Denis
Paulinho
Samper
Alena
Coutinho
Arthur
Rakitic

Now, you have 31 footnotes.
That is quite a lot, for the start.
Now, among these footnotes, which player has made a bigger impact in our club, except maybe Deco (who btw had 2 good seasons with us and then went into "a Brasilian mode").
Or, are you trying to say:
That Xavi, Iniesta, Busi will be written in gold.
And all other guys in this century, 31 of them for now, are footnotes?

If I may give you an advice, your following of Barca will be painful in the next 50 years, because 95-98% of midfielders will be footnotes like these guys from above.
So, prepare yourself.

This century, number of matches:
Xavi 767
Iniesta 674
Busi 536
-------------------
Cocu 291
Rakitic 268
Keita 188
Deco 161
Fabregas 151
Gabri 150-ish

A footnote Raki has a chance to be the highest capped Barca's midfielder in this century NOT NAMED Xavi-Iniesta-Busi.
Or the highest midfielder ever who was not from La Masia.

that what leaves you dumbfounded is the spin regarding who should play against teams in the lower end of the league, as if that carries so much weight, for a non elite midfielder.

If it is irrelevant, why are we even buying Dembele, Coutinho and similar?
Why are people pissed off at EV's 442 then, if it is irrelevant how we play and who plays?

On 38 matches (a larger sample), everything counts.
Unless if we have 20 points advantage, small details are making a difference between 1:0 and 1:1 matches.

Btw, for the end, with which lineup would you play this season?
Let me guess: Busi-Frenkie-Arthur or Frenkie-Arthur-Coutinho, right?

With that opinion, it usually comes hand in hand: Suarez should be dropped and we should play either Messi or Griezz as a false 9 (Pep's school, lol).

Am I close in predicting your wishes?

 

[xXKonan]

[tw]1159831509739569152[/tw]

Yeah, there's a reason why your name keeps popping up buddy.

 

[José Mourinho]

Natural result when you decline a 90mio offer for this garbage last year.
Now Barça is probably stuck with his insane wages forever.
Should have been sold last year because this washed-up scrub was never Barça material.

 

[Devils]

If he is so upset at the club maybe he and the club should come to a mutual agreement to terminate his contract.

Would be the best course of action imo.