Marc Bartra

[serghei]

Bartra is technically superior to Mathieu in my opinion. Mathieu gives me that sensation that he's gonna fuck up any moment. Only time Mathieu looks confident IMO is when teams try to skip the midfield and play long balls on our backline. Then he can just wait for the ball and hit it with that big head of his. He's great at that.

 

[linetty]

Bartra is technically superior to Mathieu in my opinion. Mathieu gives me that sensation that he's gonna fuck up any moment.

That's what I'm trying to say the entire day.

 

[JamDav1982]

I am not making out that Mathieu gives ball away more, you didn't hear that from me. I'm just pointing out that Bartra looks more confident on the ball while Mathieu sometimes seems to panic and it doesn't have a good impact on team mates surrounding him, I don't even feel secure watching him from my sofa let alone the keeper or other players from the defensive formation. Even Ray said yesterday that Bartra doesn't seem to have heartbeat.

I dont agree that Mathieu does always panic though. I think he has that style that isnt as languid as Barta but Mathieu tries to play ball out from back.

Mathieu was really good against Rayo on the ball and dominated them physically, always looked to play ball forward and barely ever passed to Pique.. He wasnt far off being as good as Barta yesterday.

But he got next to no praise as he doesnt tend to.

I like Barta just dont think Mathieu is nearly as weak in certain areas as people make out.

 

[KingMessi]

Mathieu has a better pass percentage than Barta and makes more passes.

Against better teams.

"Freak out with the ball at his feet" =/= "Gives the ball away all the time."

Mathieu just doesn't instill a lot of confidence in terms of his technique on the ball. This of course is compared to the rest of our centerbacks, who, let's be honest, are elite on the ball. Mathieu's technique may be good, but I don't think it's as good as Bartra's.

 

[JamDav1982]

"Freak out with the ball at his feet" =/= "Gives the ball away all the time."

Mathieu just doesn't instill a lot of confidence in terms of his technique on the ball. This of course is compared to the rest of our centerbacks, who, let's be honest, are elite on the ball. Mathieu's technique may be good, but I don't think it's as good as Bartra's.

Maybe not but he gives away the ball very rarely and doesnt always look to play safe option.

If Barca play Real the left centre back a lot of the time we be left covering Alba gone forward, most likely coming out to LB area to cover Bale. Who would you prefer doing that? Mathieu or Bartra?

The last game against Real isnt a reference point as Mathieu was thrown to the lions and his head looked gone.

 

[serghei]

Been thinking about that myself, that maybe Mathieu has an odd style. But I've watched him closely a couple of times and he just hits the ball wrong. More often than not, his passes are perfect, as in very precise and very quick, but when he misshits them, it can cause a disaster.

 

[KingMessi]

If Barca play Real the left centre back a lot of the time we be left covering Alba gone forward, most likely coming out to LB area to cover Bale. Who would you prefer doing that? Mathieu or Bartra?

The player that starts against City should start against Real Madrid. That is my opinion.

If Mathieu gets the nod, then I'm fine with that. After all, he's more experienced.
If Bartra gets the nod, then I'm fine with that. He's earned it.

 

[zanela]

Since we are talking about stats et al. Mathieu has been the starting CB in all 5 games Barca has lost thus far. Either it's all a coincidence, or he's played poorly, or he's just a bad omen. Whatever the case, he doesn't inspire much confidence, and I'd rather not see him start this week, but neither Bartra. Difficult situation this.

 

[Gasgas]

Been thinking about that myself, that maybe Mathieu has an odd style. But I've watched him closely a couple of times and he just hits the ball wrong. More often than not, his passes are perfect, as in very precise and very quick, but when he misshits them, it can cause a disaster.

His clearances could be useful especially when madrid look to pounce on loose balls around the box

 

[JamDav1982]

The player that starts against City should start against Real Madrid. That is my opinion.

If Mathieu gets the nod, then I'm fine with that. After all, he's more experienced.
If Bartra gets the nod, then I'm fine with that. He's earned it.

Yeah, just to make it clear I have nothing against Barta and thought he was brilliant yesterday.

If he starts fair play.

 

[JamDav1982]

Since we are talking about stats et al. Mathieu has been the starting CB in all 5 games Barca has lost thus far. Either it's all a coincidence, or he's played poorly, or he's just a bad omen. Whatever the case, he doesn't inspire much confidence, and I'd rather not see him start this week, but neither Bartra. Difficult situation this.

He didnt start at CB vs Real Madrid.

 

[serghei]

Since we are talking about stats et al. Mathieu has been the starting CB in all 5 games Barca has lost thus far. Either it's all a coincidence, or he's played poorly, or he's just a bad omen. Whatever the case, he doesn't inspire much confidence, and I'd rather not see him start this week, but neither Bartra. Difficult situation this.

Well, against Madrid he didn't start as a CB did he?

 

[zanela]

Well, against Madrid he didn't start as a CB did he?

Yeh, missed that. The fact is that he's started as part of our backline on all 5 occasions.

 

[JamDav1982]

Yeh, missed that. The fact is that he's started as part of our backline on all 5 occasions.

Barca never lost with Song in team for a while, these patterns happen.

Mathieu playing against better teams and he wasnt at fault at all for home defeats to Celta and Malaga.

 

[serghei]

Something I don't like about Mathieu is that he follows the forwards around and he doesn't have the speed to do that. I've noticed he did that a lot in the game we lost at PSG. There is one play for example where he leaves his spot in defence to follow Pastore (I think) and then we see Lucas Moura attacking exactly the space Mathieu leaves open. Other players are probably instructed to draw Mathieu out to create rifts in our backline, because their manager knows Mathieu is not quick enough to block his faster players' run. Aguero could do something like this as well if Mathieu decides he wants to follow one of City's players around.

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