Marc Bartra

[Cruijffista]

The kid blew it. Lucho tried to put him out there as the leader of the defense tonight and he just didn't show up.

 

[BBZ8800]

I can't agree with most of what's been said recently about him. Yes, he's been bad the whole preseason, including tonight, there's no question about that. But posters here really tend to blow things out of proportion. Suddenly many people are saying how Bartra was always this horrible. I can absolutely understand that there are legit reasons for thinking he's not good enough for Barca and that many people think so in general, but in all honesty, I think everyone can agree that he wasn't this bad last season or any season before that. This is not his actual level. You don't just permanently turn shit overnight. I'm not saying he was ever Maldini, but he was much better than he is now, and he had plenty very good games. In fact, if you rewind to about this time or maybe a bit later last year, there were many people calling for Bartra playing ahead of Mascherano. Anyway, all I'm saying is, it's fine to be realistic and say that he's been absolute shit in the last month or so, (and that he's had bad performances in the past), but let's not act like he's always been this shitty and that he'll continue to be this shitty forever. He's had more than enough good games to be sure that they weren't just luck, and that this isn't his natural state. It's most likely form, complacence (hint: he's one of the youngest guys in a treble winning team), or whatever else. Hopefully it's temporary. Hell, we got the best possible example in our own squad. Pique anyone? Shit, then very good for a short while, then horrible for a long while, then absolutely world class.

Mate, he never played in any tougher matches.
I posted a few times already stats about matches where he played in previous seasons.

He was mostly playing against Levantes and Cordobas, and mostly at Camp Nou when we won 6:0.
In those matches, Sergi roberto looked like a 50 Million Euros player also, and Pedro looked like Messi.

Whenever Bartra played against bigger teams (except Psg in group stage, that is the only time ever when he played well), you got a bunch of matches where he costed us matches and after them his fans needed to write excuses like:
1. he was rusty
2. he was young
3. he need matches in a row, this is not his fault
4. he was injured before a match

A hype around Bartra was built because:
1. he was young, and a bias is huge on this forum towards everyone who is young
2. he is Catalan
3. he is handsome
4, he is so devoted and passionate about Barca
5. we desperatly needed a new La Masia gem, let's create one in Bartra
6. he played well and with passion against horrible opponents at Camp Nou

As someone said, imagine that he was not Catalan, and that he is some random kid from Cameroon, Czech Republic or Latvia.
Today he would play in some random midtable team in Czech republic's 1st division and he would cost 2 M Euros.

Other, mostly non-footballing factors and our eternal need for new, new, new La Masia gems and heroes created this delusion about Bartra.
Collective hype and huge belief in Bartra will now collectively turn to Samper or some other "new" gem whom we desperatly need.

 

[Barcilliant]

This guy needs to hit the weights HARD.
He is an absolute pussy in one on ones and has no physicality whatsoever. It's no wonder he has no confidence. Pique is soft but he makes Batra look like a tulip boy.
Shocked that the coaching staff can't see that or Batra himself.

 

[Barcilliant]

I am sure Abdennour would help. This cb situation has gone on for too long. I wouldn't mind spending 40 million for a genuine cb.

 

[Behrox]

What did Vermaelen did wrong?

Defending in general. You could pick a kid that plays in defense from the street and he'll have more positional and marking sense than the verminator

 

[Messi+Eto]

I used to give excuses for this lad. . . . . NO MORE!!!!

 

[EdmondDantes]

I love him but there's no defending that performance.

 

[El Flaco]

Whenever Bartra played against bigger teams (except Psg in group stage, that is the only time ever when he played well).

Excuse me but wasn't he good against Atleti in the CL as well?

Having that said, I agree everything about your post

 

[frog-fcb]

Is it fair picking on bartra when our whole defence has been a mess normally barcas best form of defence is there fitness and ability to close teams down from the front. After our grueling pre season we havent got to the fitness levels required yet. It even showed in the second half of euro super cup when we started to tire an let seville right back into the game

 

[Zincubus]

Ss

The kid blew it. Lucho tried to put him out there as the leader of the defense tonight and he just didn't show up.

Agreed . He was pizz poor and just not good enough .

There is a diamond ready for picking and I mentioned him this time last year as well .
John Stones of Everton , currently being chased by Chelsea but Everton won't let I'm go to them for some reason . Martinez may fancy trading him for a few of our youngsters plus cash .
He's the man of the match today against Southampton and fits Barca perfectly . More skilful than Piqué and even faster also adept at bringing the ball out if defence .

He's also rock- hard and has that "Ramos" trait which we sadly lack .

 

[Stric]

Mate, he never played in any tougher matches.
I posted a few times already stats about matches where he played in previous seasons.

He was mostly playing against Levantes and Cordobas, and mostly at Camp Nou when we won 6:0.
In those matches, Sergi roberto looked like a 50 Million Euros player also, and Pedro looked like Messi.

Whenever Bartra played against bigger teams (except Psg in group stage, that is the only time ever when he played well), you got a bunch of matches where he costed us matches and after them his fans needed to write excuses like:
1. he was rusty
2. he was young
3. he need matches in a row, this is not his fault
4. he was injured before a match

A hype around Bartra was built because:
1. he was young, and a bias is huge on this forum towards everyone who is young
2. he is Catalan
3. he is handsome
4, he is so devoted and passionate about Barca
5. we desperatly needed a new La Masia gem, let's create one in Bartra
6. he played well and with passion against horrible opponents at Camp Nou

As someone said, imagine that he was not Catalan, and that he is some random kid from Cameroon, Czech Republic or Latvia.
Today he would play in some random midtable team in Czech republic's 1st division and he would cost 2 M Euros.

Other, mostly non-footballing factors and our eternal need for new, new, new La Masia gems and heroes created this delusion about Bartra.
Collective hype and huge belief in Bartra will now collectively turn to Samper or some other "new" gem whom we desperatly need.

I don't agree with all of what you're saying, but I can understand your point, especially about the LaMasia/Catalan/passionate part. However, that doesn't change the fact that his current form is way below his usual form, and that's what people are ignoring. And that's what I have a problem with. Let's just not pretend that Bartra is always like this, because he simply isn't.

 

[jamrock]

What bartra needs is consistent game time to work the errors out of his game, cb's can't develop with a game here and there.

It's best if he gets loaned out and sold with a buy back clause, because he won't get the games he needs here.

He also needs to but on some muscle

 

[Flavia]

What bartra needs is consistent game time to work the errors out of his game, cb's can't develop with a game here and there.

It's best if he gets loaned out and sold with a buy back clause, because he won't get the games he needs here.

He also needs to but on some muscle

He has put on some muscle, actually. It's just his build-up. He's soft, and I can't see it changing.

 

[God Serena]

I must be the only one who thinks his amount of muscle isn't a problem.

Almost every time I see him make a huge error (I admittedly didn't even bother recording the last game when I saw the lineup) most of his mistakes are just poor decision making or mistimed step ins and tackles.

Out of all three of our backups I'd still unfortunately have to say he's probably the best we've got, though.

 

[Co0ter]

Going to have to agree there, almost all of his mistakes recently have had nothing to do with his physique, just terrible positioning and tackles...or attempts at tackling anyway. He's not a kid anymore, he has to be showing that he is mature NOW, not going backwards and continuing to have multiple amateur moments.

I've been all about giving him chances and playing time the last two seasons to allow him to mature. Making small mistakes or getting outdone by WC players is expected, but his mistakes continue to be huge, fundamental mistakes and against average opposition. He's just not good enough, although a lot of us hoped otherwise.