Liga l Round 10: FC Barcelona - Granada 1-0

[AndreC]

In paper we win this game easily by 4or5, but we have to play it. The first half was very bad, ball movement was slow and the team played with no passion. This midfield never played together, that is one of the reasons. I would prefer gomes playing in busquets position, with rakitic and rafinha/denis suarez. Our defense will suffer against better oponents, digne and roberto lack something. Our offensive trio is the best in the world no doubt, but in midfield only busquets, iniesta(cannot play always), and rakitic. We improve the midfield comparing with last year but is not near the level of some years ago.

 

[serghei]

We need to win vs Sevilla. We have to do it. But knowing Sampaoli, he'll have his boys pumped up for that game, and the crowd of Sevilla is really like their 12 player. Lucho has to get the best mentality from our team to go there and play a tough game like a tough game is supposed to be played, with intensity and passion. We need to catch a good period of form going into the clasico, or else we'll be left chasing other teams for the majority of this season.

 

[Raketa10]

Where have you been the last couple seasons?
I responded to a person that's been whining about the midfield for years. That's why I wrote that this way of playing with these players is proven. Will there be bad stretches? Yes. All teams go through those. Even City and the mighty, creative Gündogan. This team will be just fine like they have been.

I do not think Gundogan would have been a solution, not to mention the fact that he is injury prone and nas never been so spectacular after that back injury.

I am more worried about the fact that Iniesta is injured right now and our midfield is only functioning well when Raki-Iniesta-Busi are playing. Whenever one of those 3 is misssing we really have big problem with game control. I also agree with you that Rafinha is really playing well this season and that Gomes and Suarez need time to adapt although for now I see nothing special in Gomes.

For me the main problem is that we have to much simmilar midfielders on the bench. Suarez, Rafinha and Arda are more AM or wingers than CM players and that is the reason thay do not really make ball transition from defense to attack. Last year Real Madrid had simmilar problem when Modric was injured since Isco or James are tottaly different players than he is.

My point is that we need one proper young CM or we will start to have serious problems when one of first 3 midfielders is out. Ball needs to come to attack somehow and if midfield has ZERO control we are also more vonurable in defense.

 

[snowy]

Not looking good for next week against Sevilla .

maybe it's a cyclical thing... as in, we slow down today to take a bigger leap next week. It's a game of inches. Each of MSN could've scored a few 2nite. Add in the off-sides, the duels lost and the incomplete passes and we get this 1-0 victory. Not likely we'll get the same streak of bad luck against Sevilla. We weren't top but still got the 3 points so that's pretty good considering x_D

 

[AndreC]

We cannot afford losing points until el clasico, the episode in valencia last week and bartolomeu words had a response, and we saw it today, the 2 non existent penaltys in madrid game today. Barça was bad tonight, playing like this in sevilha we have no chance.

 

[SeloBarca]

That's what I'm saying. Go watch, go support them so can regularly enjoy your man crush and a "proper" midfielder. Meanwhile this team will continue to be successful with a proven formula. I never see the likes if you after matches where we have been controlling the midfield by ball retention (yes, that still happens) or dominating by playing more directly. I guess that's because it doesn't fit your idea of what dominating or playing good football is. We are versatile, and it works. Deal with it.

Our midfield is worse than normal without two world class starters? Sure. Not close to one of the worst in the league though. Joke of an assessment. Two of the players are completely new to the team (D. Suarez and Gomes), and Rafinha seems to be doing just fine. He is one of the better midfield alternatives in this league. Perfect for our current way of playing. So yeah, I can see why you'd label him part of one of the worst midfields in the league.

D. Suarez and Gomes need at least a season (i.e. more training sessions AND playing time!) to get acclimated (look what happened to Arda, who people wanted gone after just one year), but even as they are now they'd walk into a lot of teams' midfields in this league. In a year (like with Arda), we'll have a lot more understanding of them in terms of them being able to provide sufficient quality to the midfield. But to call them one of the worst in the league is nonsense.

D. Suarez is not really new to the team, hes a lamasia product that got sold.
Rafinha has been really bad some games this year aswell, and was really bad last year completly dissapearing in many games.
Rakitic, Iniesta and Busi are good, but none of them creates, which has been a huge problem since Xavi left. Rakitic has a tendancy to dissapear and play really bad games, and Iniesta is getting old.
We have no engine in midfield to connect defence to attack with decisive passes, and if the front 3 doesnt create on their own, the rest of the team dont know what to do and our play gets compley stuck, like today.
It has happened so many times this year, and almost whole season last year, it was only that our front 3 saved us that made us win the league.
The midfield is and havent been working properly for 2 years now.

 

[snowy]

It's 5 goals in 6 shots I believe.

yep yep correctamundo

 

[serghei]

This is part of what's wrong. We should never neglect the yellow passing option from our arsenal, especially not against Granada. Yes, it's the harder way forward, but the yellow pass is our trademark as a team. And so far this season, I saw too few of those. We're abusing the red pass though, from CB to fullbacks or long ball, and that's frustrating, especially against Granada.

Also, I expect our CM (Rafinha here) to be able to receive in that space and play a good ball from there. If not, tap it back.

 

[Dan1983]

Got the result but not happy with the overall display.

 

[Alik]

D. Suarez is not really new to the team, hes a lamasia product that got sold.

He's not a La Masia product.

 

[PhilS]

I thought there were several positives in this game:

Rafinha has to be the first choice sub in midfield. Even if he plays mainly against weaker teams, he is a fine alternative to the starters.
Rak is the best DM on this team.
Having 3 CBs as good as Pique, Umtiti and Masch is a huge strength.
Sergi Roberto is a fantastic player, even though he allows his man too much space in the right corner.

I think the rotation is shaking out. First alternative up front has to be Turan. Rafinha backs up Iniesta and Rakitic, and maybe Messi, too. Masch is the alternative at RB. Any combo of Pique, Umtiti and Masch is ready to take on the world.

 

[Raketa10]

I thought there were several positives in this game:

Rafinha has to be the first choice sub in midfield. Even if he plays mainly against weaker teams, he is a fine alternative to the starters.
Rak is the best DM on this team.
Having 3 CBs as good as Pique, Umtiti and Masch is a huge strength.
Sergi Roberto is a fantastic player, even though he allows his man too much space in the right corner.

I think the rotation is shaking out. First alternative up front has to be Turan. Rafinha backs up Iniesta and Rakitic, and maybe Messi, too. Masch is the alternative at RB. Any combo of Pique, Umtiti and Masch is ready to take on the world.

Rafinha can't back up Rakitic, he is not playing defense at all. Gomes should have been Rakitic backup but so far he has been anything but good.

 

[khaled_a_d]

D. Suarez is not really new to the team, hes a lamasia product that got sold.

He has played 1 season with Barca B,that is all his previous experience with Barca.
And that season was under Eusebio,and while I like him as a coach he never played Barca type of game.
So no,Denis is actually new to the team and to the system.

 

[dakt]

I don't give a f....if we played badly in order to save some energy for MC, but I'm not so sure since our midfield is playing like shit, Neyboy is trying to dribble 5 players, while Suarez can't handle basic passes and score easy goals.

 

[barcanuck]

3 points. Nothing else.

And no injuries! Which has plagued up every game pretty much!