Ivan Rakitić

devo901

New member
@ BBZ8800:

more distance is not bad per se - I think we agree.

At the same time, we all agree that if someone who has a focus on beating numbers, KPIs, will have excellent numbers --- but overall, the higher goal is not met.

If, lets assume, a scenario.....

Raki joggs 90min on the pitch, with no crutial actions, he can run 20km per game - the effect is null.
in contrast Messi sprints twice 50meter timed perfectly and scores 2 goals. </scenario>

Yes, it takes both player-types in a team....but if I can, I pick someone who is able to do both. :)


comparing 2 players is difficult because they play different positions / different enemies. Maybe EV gave them the order do this - dont go there.... etc. we dont know.

It is not that
Player A can run X km"
"Player B can run Y km"
so
X>Y & thus A>B.
 
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Sorin

Well-known member
I agree raki is more a jogger than a greyhoud, but in the lukaku goal situation I cant agree that this was his goal.

https://youtu.be/NP4R8X7_M80?t=77

I do not see that Lukaku was raki's man to defend.
because
1. Lenglet was closer to goal better position
2. Lenglet had already more speed
3. on top of this ... while tobido was wrestling with martinez - there was still umtiti.

Plus, in the end the ball was a lucky goal because deflected otherwise it would have been at Neto at his right shoulder.
Yes, 4 defenders getting a goal from 2 attackers look bad, but this is hard to defend, given the skill of martinez and the bull lukaku + a crutial deflection.

Raki was again in an onlooker/pedestarian mode - but tackling lukaku, I do not see as his role in this specific situation.

I get what you're saying, however I disagree. That space in front of the defence is for the DM to cover. Maybe the CB needed to do a better job of blocking Martinez in the first place, but leaving that much space for Lukaku to exploit is a big mistake for a DM. The fact that he casually jogs back is what makes it even more his fault. Watch Busquets when other teams have counters or we are outnumbered, he actually busts a gut to get back and help. Busquets has the same faults though, lack of pace and he rarely is in position to cover anything these days. Rakitic on the other hand simply strolls out there like there absolutely no danger.

Sorry but he has a major part in that goal imo. Not entirely his fault mind you but still.
 
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Nello

Member
If Frenkie runs more than Arthur, what does that have to do with Rakitic lol?

Little to nothing. Frenkie also runs more than Rakitic and the rest of our team.
Also, Rakitic being one the players who ran most in the WC is impressive, but Croatia also played more minutes than most of the other teams, since they reached the final, so it might show that he was one of the most hardworking players from Croatia, but not much more than that.
 

devo901

New member
I get what you're saying, however I disagree. That space in front of the defence is for the DM to cover. Maybe the CB needed to do a better job of blocking Martinez in the first place, but leaving that much space for Lukaku to exploit is a big mistake for a DM. The fact that he casually jogs back is what makes it even more his fault. Watch Busquets when other teams have counters or we are outnumbered, he actually busts a gut to get back and help. Busquets has the same faults though, lack of pace and he rarely is in position to cover anything these days. Rakitic on the other hand simply strolls out there like there absolutely no danger.

Sorry but he has a major part in that goal imo. Not entirely his fault mind you but still.

Yes this space is place for the DM. IF he has the game in front of him...

So, even though, there are 3 defenders in a row umtiti, tolibo(marking martinez) and wague on the side, closer to the goal, and leglet coming from the side of lukaku (better takkle position than raki)

you ask raki to come from behind and challange lukaku? well maybe ... I would say if there were a inter player coming on the wing side and leglet has to mark him - then yes. But having Lenglet coming already intercepting Lukakus path....

anyhow, I hate it when I see guys marching on the field and a goal is the results ...
 

Sorin

Well-known member
https://streamable.com/wwthq

Well, if you look at the play you can see that Rakitic has Lukaku in front of him watching him begin his run. What does he do? He still barely gives a fuck. Absolutely infuriating.

It's him and Lenglet that fucked up the most here.

Edit: hell, he isn't even that far away from him.
 
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BBZ8800

Senior Member
Little to nothing. Frenkie also runs more than Rakitic and the rest of our team.
Also, Rakitic being one the players who ran most in the WC is impressive, but Croatia also played more minutes than most of the other teams, since they reached the final, so it might show that he was one of the most hardworking players from Croatia, but not much more than that.

I have told you that it is extremely hard to find distance covered stats, and it seems that you can see them only on Champions league matches and on a World cup.
For a CL, I have posted that for this season's CL, Rakitic is the 2nd best in our team with 50 meters covered less than Vidal, per 90 minutes (calculated per minutes, not per match).
And 1 km more than Arthur and Busi on average.
But we got replies that it was due to Arthur playing for 90 minutes.
I don't agree, but fine, since we can't find any other numbers to draw more conclusions.

The only other numbers left to give some insight are World cup matches.
Croatia:Argentina 3:0, group stage, distance covered by both teams:
https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/eng-23-0621-arg-cro-cro-teamstatistics-pdf-2964375.pdf?cloudid=xkmviheyxkxvz77uo9k7

11,211 Brozovic
10,294 Rakitic
10,175 Mandzukic
10,063 Tagliafico
10,040 Otamendi
10,003 Vrsaljko
9,879 Modric
9,865 Acuna
9,824 Meza
** 7,624 Messi

1/8 vs Denmark, extra time:
15,409 Eriksen
13,555 Poulsen
13,194 Vrsaljko
13,081 Rakitic
12,562 Knudsen
12,248 Braithwaite
12,096 Modric
11,884 Rebic

Or semis against England, where Croatia has already played twice in Extra time and English players played extra times once, and won 2:0 against Sweden in quarters (also English EPL players are known for running a lot, right?)
16,339 Brozovic
15,786 Lingaard
15,642 Alli
14,541 Rakitic
14,531 Perisic
14,354 Trippier
13,773 Vrsaljko
13,915 Kane
13,000 Stones
12,226 Modric
https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/eng-62-0711-cro-eng-cro-teamstatistics-pdf-2985108.pdf?cloudid=sqhadpdaxlfs7m2queu5
https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/eng-62-0711-cro-eng-eng-teamstatistics-pdf-2985090.pdf?cloudid=vt2uwt8ds8ouqg5h9zpf

Basically, on almost every match where you can find numbers (like yesterday in a CL, or on a World cup), Rakitic is usually the best or in top2-3 runners of his team and among 3-4-5 top runners from both teams.
Now, again, take into the account that on a World cup, he played his 71st match of a season, and he still ran more than his younger and fresher teammates or opponents.
Is it a coincidence again?
 
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devo901

New member
https://streamable.com/wwthq

Well, if you look at the play you can see that Rakitic has Lukaku in front of him watching him begin his run. What does he do? He still barely gives a fuck. Absolutely infuriating.

It's him and Lenglet that fucked up the most here.

Edit: hell, he isn't even that far away from him.

no doubt it looks bad, but there are 2 other players that are closer, in front of lukaku, and thus have better angle - lenglet and wague... why should raki do this? that is beyond me... dont get me wrong, I do not defend this guy ususally, but not in this situation...
 

serghei

Senior Member
Most of the things BBZ writes about are pluses of Rakitic. This is basically what he contributes on the pitch with. But there are important aspects where he suffers. But to understand these aspects you need tactical knowledge. There are no stats for these things.

What does Rakitic bring that is good:

- above average workrate (I would not say he is lazy, I think he is limited, but he has good work ethic and he tries)
- above average defensive coverage (tackles, interceptions, clearances, most of what BBZ writes about), which make him a good fit for conservative-defensive managers (see Mourinho praising him)
- some good long passing (probably the only passing area where he is among the best in the team) and overall decent passing when he has time to think and pick a solution
- some great goals from time to time (quite rare, but still, of all our midfielders, Rakitic is the one with the most chances to score a golazo out of the blue, see goals vs Real Madrid twice, Tottenham).

What does Rakitic bring that is bad:

- average support game for the player on the ball (contrary to Arthur and De Jong, Rakitic is one of the players with the least amount of off the ball movement done with the purpose to help a teammate complete a pass; to go deeper, it means if X Barca player is pressed, Rakitic is very rarely a teammate that he can pass to in order to play out and break that press - hugely important in trying to ride the pressing wave in deep areas and exploit spaces up front)
- erratic short passing when under pressure (he has a tendency to put teammates under a lot of heat when he is pressed, i.e. passes the hot sausage to some other guy who ends up making the mistake instead)
- limited technique in short spaces, leading to turnovers and bad passes (he just can't hold on the ball well when pressed because his close control is not very good)
- inability to think ahead and inform himself positionally, before he receives the ball (you often see him making passes which show that he doesn't know where the opponents are in relation to him, so he can't know when he needs to pass or when he can turn and advance in space)
 
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CatalinR10

Senior Member
Valverde: "Rakitic is playing more often now because he is winning."


There we go lads , Rakitic is winning the games for Barca.
 

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