Well, for starters, the team was trying to build real offensive rhythm in the first half and play effectively. And without Rakitic/Busquets stinking up the place, they did so amazingly.
By the time Arthur and them subbed on they were already having their 2nd water break and the score was 4-0, no one really tried after that and the subs were just thrown on without instruction. You could see because FDJ/Arthur switched positions on a whim, and then when FDJ went to support Coutinho who just ditched the LW completely and started dribbling in circles in the midfield like a blind idiot while everyone sat around and watched him embarrass himself. That was a team switched off, not on.
What's really funny is how you can stand year after year of visibly horrible midfield play from Raki-Busquets-Vidal or Iniesta-Raki-Busquets-Paulinho double pivot. Game after game for the entire seasons and on top of that, the 2 standout utterly embarrassing matches in Barcelona history against Roma and Liverpool. You have no qualms about insisting we use the same failed formulas which were proven to be way out of their depth.
Yet 15 mins of Arthur and FDJ running the clock out in a friendly is enough for you to damn that pair and say it's somehow too dangerous/irresponsible to ever play them together. Hmm.
Look, I want victories.
If we were without any bias, then the best lineup we have seen this preseason is: Frenkie-Alena-Roberto.
Look, if that midfield will be winning match after match, I have no problems with Rakitic playing 0 minutes in a whole season.
On the other hand, would YOU be fine with Arthur playing 0 minutes, as long as if we are winning with Frenkie-Roberto-Alena?
This was one match.
And even in the first 45 minutes, the midfield was good in pressing, defending and moving off the ball.
But we lacked a connection between midfield and attack.
Which resulted in our actions happening this way:
1. we win the ball
2. we move well and are avoiding press
3. we get into the attacking 3rd: midfielders stop moving and aren't entering into the attacking third: the ball is passed to Dembele or Griezz or Semedo/Alba.
If they do something=awesome.
If not, repeat the same for 30 times.
After 45 minutes, it looked as:
1. midfield moves nice. We have fluidity, legs, defending.
But then: who knows what will happen when Messi will play and drop deep (he will ruin fluidity).
Also, first 2 goals were scored from offsides.
If it stayed 0:0 then, the question would have been: midfield is fine, but we lack one guy who will be calmer in the attacking third and who will act as the 4tf striker. Who will pass, shoot, dribble, and lurk around the box for a chance to shoot.
That guy can be Alena, Coutinho, Raki or Rafinha.
So, you see, we scored 2 from offsides and then killed them.
And people forgot that problem.
But if it stayed 0:0, now we would comment on our forum how we need one guy in midfield (probably instead of Alena) who will be the 4th attacker.
Like Deco in Rijkaard's 433.
That would mean: the midfield was good, but we need some other options in midfield also.
Or, if we were leading 2:0 and we needed to calm down, then the ARthur is a perfect guy for "calma calma" football.
I mean, if we'll play the same team against Bilbao and if we'll struggle from the same problems in the first half: no connection between midfield and attack.
What then?
Will you guys say: let's continue with this midfield or we will need to try something different?
Anyway, 3 guys looked better than everything in this preseason and better than midfield from the last season.
But let's wait for a real match. And referees who know what is offside.
But also, a few other questions:
1. these guys played better than Raki. Fine
2. but, what about Busi?
If he will play, then Frenkie will have to be a CM which is not good. And then Arthur surely can't play. Plus, we will be slow with Busi either way.
3. and the 3rd question, as mentioned before: wasn't this midfield more fluid and faster than any midfield with Arthur in the last season?
Raki and Busi are the old turtles, but Arthur is quite similar to those two, except that he moves more, but only vertically.
If you want a fast paced football like Ajax or Klopp, then the best options currently are fast and mobile players like Frenkie, Alena, Roberto and even young Puig.
You guys are oriented only on hate towards Raki.
But again, how will you solve slow Busi playing?
And equally, very slow Arthur playing?
How ill fast Frenkie play with those turtles?