Lliga | Round 11: Rayo Vallecano - FC Barcelona 2-3

[raskolnikov]

Rakitic played 4266 minutes last season. Kroos played 3570. Modric played 3339. So basically Rakitic played nearly 700 more minutes than Kroos last season, and nearly 1000 more minutes than Modric (the equivalent of 8 games more than Kroos, and 11 games more than Modric). Busquets played 4164. That's 600 more than Kroos and 800 more than Modric.

Busi and Rakitic played together 1800 more minutes than Modric and Kroos. That's 10 games each that they played more. It's a huge difference. 13 games is basically the full lenght of a CL campaign (6 games in groups, 2 games in last 16, 2 games in quarters, 2 games in semis and 1 game in the final).

That's one of the big reasons why they look sharp in march-april, while we look tired as fuck. Our star players have more mileage in their legs, compared with the ones from Madrid.

Its visible for everyone but Valverde (and Lucho before him). You can tell how this season will go. We make a run for la liga and crash out of the cl in the earlo ko stages come april.
Rafinho (who is Celta level) starting over Dembele is frustrating as hell as well.

 

[serghei]

Its visible for everyone but Valverde (and Lucho before him). You can tell how this season will go. We make a run for la liga and crash out of the cl in the earlo ko stages come april.
Rafinho (who is Celta level) starting over Dembele is frustrating as hell as well.

Yea, it is amazing how Valverde's apologists fail to understand that when you have a big squad filled with quality players but don't use it properly, and you basically put in the same first 11 each week no matter the opponent, the starters get more tired due to overplaying and their intensity drops late in the season as a result. When basically intensity is probably the main factor in CL ties.

Madrid did the same under Ancelotti in 2015. Great first half of the season, but overplayed the starters and their level dropped come march.

 

[Barcaman]

Chat is up

 

[raskolnikov]

Yea, it's amazing how Valverde's apoligists fail to understand that when you have a big squad with quality players but don't use it, the starters get more tired due to overplaying and their intensity drops late in the season as a result.

Not to mention wasting talents and scaring la masia players and prospects away. I would bet my house on Iniesta starting over Coutinho and Gomes being higher in the pecking order than Arthur if they were around this season.

 

[Messigician]

Not to mention wasting talents and scaring la masia players and prospects away. I would bet my house on Iniesta starting over Coutinho and Gomes being higher in the pecking order than Arthur if they were around this season.

Yes if I was a LaMasia player i would be so scared of being above Dembele in the pecking order as Rafinha and above Malcom as Munir. Who both cost around 200m...

 

[serghei]

Not to mention wasting talents and scaring la masia players and prospects away. I would bet my house on Iniesta starting over Coutinho and Gomes being higher in the pecking order than Arthur if they were around this season.

Iniesta would start even at 35 under Valverde. Gomes, no, it's too much even for Valverde. But midfield would be Iniesta - Busi - Rakitic to this day if Iniesta was around.

 

[hulinat]

He started in the last 3 games FFS! Over Dembele and Malcom?!?! Come on...

lol he's played against Inter and Real which is 2 out of 3 last games. By the way Malcom and Dembele didn't do shit vs a 3rd division team so they aren't any better than Rafinha at the moment.

 

[Messigician]

lol he's played against Inter and Real which is 2 out of 3 last games. By the way Malcom and Dembele didn't do shit vs a 3rd division team so they aren't any better than Rafinha at the moment.

+1

 

[jairzinho]

Rayo fans are probably the loudest in La Liga.

 

[Devils]

Please sub Rafinha off, it's like playing with 10 men.

 

[Potroh]

I haven't seen a Barca so far that manages only two shots in half of the match...

 

[pregra]

Will Coutinho ever step up? Chips in with some goals but absolute crap otherwise. Must be the weakest player of all time.

 

[Devils]

Terrible first half.

Christ. We're not playing well at all.

 

[D10S_JC]

Rayo are playing high and we play two wingers which has no speed

 

[Devils]

FOH Rafinha.