Javi Martínez
- Thread starter Aryagorn
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PhilS
Guest
Seeing the young defenders on the Spanish Olympic team has made me much more hopeful about Bartra's prospects. Bank that money, give Barta and Fontas their shots this year.
Cruijffista
SOY ANTIMADRIDISTA
I still think he would be a great fit with Barca but definitely not for 40M. If Bilbao is unwilling to budge on his buy-out, Barca should look towards Daniel Agger from Liverpool.
Ursegor
World Champion
A lot of knee-jerk reactions in here. The last time Martinez kicked a ball in a competitive match was in May in the CdR final (I won't count his 20 minute cameo against Ireland during the Euros). It's absolutely impossible for him to have any sort of match fitness or rhytm at this point of the season and that pretty much applies for every Spanish player (except Alba). Everyone was giving the ball away cheaply. Absolutely everyone. Picking Martinez out as the scapegoat when in reality no Spanish player did perform to their usual standards is a sign of bitterness to be honest, since Athletic Bilbao doesn't give in and want Barcelona to pay his buy-out clause or to GTFO. If an experienced top class player like Mata who played for the likes of Valencia and Chelsea for years can't impose himself against Honduras' U23 team and fluffs one chance after another then the problem lies somewhere else, not in Martinez.
As for Martinez' "Barcelona qualities". We bought Pique at a similar age when he was a Manchester United benchwarmer who didn't a get sniff into the first team. In his last season at United he played less than 500 minutes of football in the Premier League and he didn't even look promising (SAF wouldn't let go a highly rated young CB for only € 5 million, you can count on that). If such an unproven player can become a starter for us the very next season why shouldn't Martinez who's much better than Pique was when we bought him? € 40 million is of course not his worth. That's what we paid for Villa at his peak when he was the best striker in the world. € 25 million at most would be a fair price. If Athletic Bilbao don't want to sell then that's their right though. With their "Basque only" policy it's even harder for them to replace a player of Martinez' quality so that pushes the price even more.
If it was up to me I'd trust Bartra. Pique, Puyol and Mascherano as experienced defenders + 1 promising youngstar should really be enough. No need to dismiss Martinez though. He's only 23 and defenders get much much much better with experience.
As for Martinez' "Barcelona qualities". We bought Pique at a similar age when he was a Manchester United benchwarmer who didn't a get sniff into the first team. In his last season at United he played less than 500 minutes of football in the Premier League and he didn't even look promising (SAF wouldn't let go a highly rated young CB for only € 5 million, you can count on that). If such an unproven player can become a starter for us the very next season why shouldn't Martinez who's much better than Pique was when we bought him? € 40 million is of course not his worth. That's what we paid for Villa at his peak when he was the best striker in the world. € 25 million at most would be a fair price. If Athletic Bilbao don't want to sell then that's their right though. With their "Basque only" policy it's even harder for them to replace a player of Martinez' quality so that pushes the price even more.
If it was up to me I'd trust Bartra. Pique, Puyol and Mascherano as experienced defenders + 1 promising youngstar should really be enough. No need to dismiss Martinez though. He's only 23 and defenders get much much much better with experience.
Superfly
Banned
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Puyol the wall
sent-up-the-bomb
Pique forced the move,when we made the move there were 2 really promising CB's at United Pique and Evans,Pique with the lack of football he was getting due to the best CB paring in the world at that time he wanted to move on and also the fact that he grew up playing for Barca he wanted to return,thus Fergie and Qeiroz decided to stick with Evans and let go of Pique.
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xaviniesta
Guest
Yeah..but Javi is young, spanish, world class in 2 positions..and not slow at all.
but can he do that?...
didn't think so.
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Puyol the wall
sent-up-the-bomb
can he do what?
The people that think Martinez is world class are probably those Spain fanboys who rate every Spanish liga player as world class when some are clearly not (Martinez, Adrian, etc)
Of course anyone oh a sensible opinion will ignore them and focus on the truth. Martinez is average to slightly good at everything and not world class at anything , He is slow (just saying that this is a myth doesn't prove anything, show your proof) which is suicide with our high line.
He is also more reckless and aggressive than Ramos. Infancy now I think about it he is just Sergio Ramos without any pace or tactical awareness.
And forty million is a joke. For. Club in debt we need to use money wisely, no pay doubler ice for average players just because they are spanish
Of course anyone oh a sensible opinion will ignore them and focus on the truth. Martinez is average to slightly good at everything and not world class at anything , He is slow (just saying that this is a myth doesn't prove anything, show your proof) which is suicide with our high line.
He is also more reckless and aggressive than Ramos. Infancy now I think about it he is just Sergio Ramos without any pace or tactical awareness.
And forty million is a joke. For. Club in debt we need to use money wisely, no pay doubler ice for average players just because they are spanish
Puyol the wall
sent-up-the-bomb
I am not the biggest fan of Martinez but Mascherano was similar when he came yet turned out to be a great defender.
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PhilS
Guest
Masch came into the team proven as one of the best players in the world, captain of the Albiceleste. Then he put a CB from the FIFA 11 onto the bench. Javi Martinez just got embarrassed by U-23s from minor football countries. Javi may have a fine career, but the list to be compared to Masch is very short.
Co0ter
Senior Member
I think basically not playing since May really took a hit on his form. He's usually much better but I have to admit he's looking really, really bad so far in the Olympics.
He actually successfuly shut down Messi almost single-handedly last season, the first time we played them I believe. He looked really good at times and was a major part of why Bilbao did so well last season.
He's usually composed on the ball, decent passer and great in the air....we'd benefit from his height, 6'3, in our backline.
As far as world-class I'm not sure. All I know is that Fontas is definately not good enough to play for us. He's very slow and doesn't read the game that well. I just don't see any really redeeming characteristics in him. As for Bartra, I haven't seen enough of him yet.
He actually successfuly shut down Messi almost single-handedly last season, the first time we played them I believe. He looked really good at times and was a major part of why Bilbao did so well last season.
He's usually composed on the ball, decent passer and great in the air....we'd benefit from his height, 6'3, in our backline.
As far as world-class I'm not sure. All I know is that Fontas is definately not good enough to play for us. He's very slow and doesn't read the game that well. I just don't see any really redeeming characteristics in him. As for Bartra, I haven't seen enough of him yet.
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xaviniesta
Guest
it was the game at camp nou where barca won 2-0 actually. he man marked messi so well, its pretty surprising that a guy so big can do that. i just wonder why bilsea changed it in the copa final by switching amorebieta to mark messi. he was simply horrible.
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