Ivan Rakitić

Riordon

New member
I dont see our midfield as a big problem to be honest. We could add Partey or Thiago and it will be top three in the world IMO. But even without them, it is still quite good. But when you can get worldclass players like for that for 50m(Partey) or whatever Thiago may cost(30m?), then you should seriously consider it.

Our biggest problem is our unbalanced frontline which also unbalance the whole team.
 

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
I dont see our midfield as a big problem to be honest. We could add Partey or Thiago and it will be top three in the world IMO. But even without them, it is still quite good. But when you can get worldclass players like for that for 50m(Partey) or whatever Thiago may cost(30m?), then you should seriously consider it.

Our biggest problem is our unbalanced frontline which also unbalance the whole team.

Yeah those two guys would be good. It would help the balance. We need to replace Suarez ASAP.
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
One last point: you severely mischaracterized our Roma/Liverpool defeats if you think they are down to our inability to handle high balls.

It doesn't have to be only one.

You can have a perfect midfield and mentally strong team, but a short team will still concede a lot against European opponents.

And please don't reply: but Pep's team...

What if:
1. there were no Italians back then due to calciopoli and bankruptcy of Milan and Juve?
2. best English teams were Man Utd and a little Barca Arsenal, who don't play a physical football
3. Bayern had the worst era ever
4. there was no Atletico
5. there was no Psg

Teams were less physical back then, Epl wasn't rich, there were no oil clubs, Milan, Juve, Bayern, Atletico, Liverpool were clowns back then.
So, in that era it was possible to survive with guys who can't defend on corners.

Sadly, time is not standing still and we are in 2020 today.
Teams are richer, more physical and athletic.
And their default game against Barca is:
1. play physical, lots of duels, fouls and dirty tricks
2. run more than Barca
3. try to kill Barca on counters since we have slow players
4. try to hurl as many long balls, crosses and corners in the box. 2-3 of them will end in a net in this or that way.

If you have any hopes about a CL, you need to find an answer:
1. how to break buses in attack
2. how to win physical duels in midfield
3. how to run more as a team
4. in defense: how to prevent counters (due to our weak pace) and 20 crosses into a box (due to our poor height and aerial game).
5. improve mental strength of our (physically weak) choir boys
 

CatalinR10

Senior Member
Secret sources in Croatia said that Messi went to Rakitic before the game was about to start and told him that they should play like in the good old Valverde days , and they did , thus making the worst game since Setien arrived.
 

DonAndres

Wild Man of Borneo
Woeful player that had 2-3 decent games after the break and everyone thought he was good as new/still worth it. I don't see any games at all where playing Rakitic isn't a liability. A liability which results in us playing collectively slower, duller, less effective football.
 

xXKonan

Senior Member
Rakitic had a role here, he was used as a support CM to help cover for the likes of Messi and Alves.

Alves is Long gone and Messi is more or less interested in wanting to stay off the wings and has gotten older and Rakitic himself has decayed significantly since 2017 and the flaws he already had have become more and more exposed due to his decline.
 

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