Marc Bartra

[desoe]

Best thing about Bartra is that even with buying a new defender, it's not a danger for his future in the club. He's very young and in the long term, we'll need more than just one new player on this position. But maybe loaning him for the next season would be a good idea, because he will still have too much competition for a place.

2013/14:

Puyol
Pique
Mascherano
Player X

Bartra - loaned

But this is still dangerous, because Puyol will continue to get injured, which will leave us with just three defenders for the most of the season. So, Bartra is in strange position - he needs to play more and be loaned, but in same time we need him to cover for Puyol and other injured/suspended defenders.

 

[Stric]

Considering what a good season we've had in La Liga so far, there were plenty of opportunities where Bartra could have gotten a few minutes. And some games in the CdR or wherever where he could have played entire matches. There IS opportunities for him, he's just not being chosen, which is ridiculous. Our staff seems to think it's better to put a 34-year-old constantly injured Puyol to play in an irrelevant game than Bartra.

 

[Povikas]

Trust in the cantera, go with Bartra

this

 

[Stric]

When you think about it... Bartra has played in the last two Champions League games, in the freaking quarter-finals, against the best French team and against none other than Zlatan. Playing next to a sleeping Busquets, off-form Pique, and two fullbacks who spend their lives attacking. Coming in from the bench. That's immense pressure, and he did his job decently. The team only conceded one goal during his minutes, and he wasn't to blame. He was chosen out of necessity, as the absolute last choice. And he did well. How is he then not good enough to play at least in the Mickey Mouse Cup (credits to whoever came up with that name recently ), or a Liga game now and then? He wasn't good enough, but he is now, all of a sudden, when there's no other choice. There's no excuse for this. I hate to say it, but this season, Barcelona has been absolutely abysmal with their handling of cantera players.

 

[Don_Andrés]

Considering what a good season we've had in La Liga so far, there were plenty of opportunities where Bartra could have gotten a few minutes. And some games in the CdR or wherever where he could have played entire matches. There IS opportunities for him, he's just not being chosen, which is ridiculous. Our staff seems to think it's better to put a 34-year-old constantly injured Puyol to play in an irrelevant game than Bartra.

Like the club categories the tickets prices according to the opposition, maybe the club should work on a similar principle regarding the development of is younger players. If I could use Man Utd as an example. Jonny Evans is now somewhat of a regular in their side now. He is 25 years old and has played around a 150 first team games. When he was 22, the same age as Bartra, he had played 75 games for Man Utd plus 35 on loan at Sunderland. Bartra has played 12.

The club should also do the same with Puyol as Ferguson does with Ferdinand, both roughly similar ages. Ferdinand cannot and is not expected to play successive games, when those games are less than four days apart. The should be done with Puyol, prioritize his games due to their importance. How many games do we expect Puyol to play next season? more or less than 25?

 

[Stric]

That's a good point, I agree. It's shocking that they haven't figured this out already.

Let's take a look at the situation so far:

Overplaying Puyol
Overplaying Xavi
Overplaying Alba
Overplaying Alves

Meanwhile:

Bartra in the stands
Montoya in the stands
Iniesta on LW

With the depth this squad has, incredible rotation possibilities are available. Yet the management seems like they've made a goal of screwing that up completely.

 

[Messi+Eto]

Contrary to my other posts about him. . . . I'd say he impressed last night. Also showed he isn't scared of aerial battles. . . . A couple nice clearing headers. If we can't get Kompany, we should pair him with Pique for next season just to see how it goes.

 

[dostoevskij]

That's a good point, I agree. It's shocking that they haven't figured this out already.

Let's take a look at the situation so far:

Overplaying Puyol
Overplaying Xavi
Overplaying Alba
Overplaying Alves

Meanwhile:

Bartra in the stands
Montoya in the stands
Iniesta on LW

With the depth this squad has, incredible rotation possibilities are available. Yet the management seems like they've made a goal of screwing that up completely.

Well, i got the feeling they were really focused on La Liga to stop Madrid from winning two consecutive seasons and were so afraid of losing points, that they didn't rotate really. Than its Titos first season as head coach and he was afraid of taking any risks. And their plan was to make a lot more rotation in the second half of the season, but sadly at this time of the year some players are already injured and/or overplayed...

I guess they learned their lesson and will deal differently next season with Puyul/Xavi and co!!!!

 

[Don_Andrés]

Well, i got the feeling they were really focused on La Liga to stop Madrid from winning two consecutive seasons and were so afraid of losing points, that they didn't rotate really. Than its Titos first season as head coach and he was afraid of taking any risks. And their plan was to make a lot more rotation in the second half of the season, but sadly at this time of the year some players are already injured and/or overplayed...

I guess they learned their lesson and will deal differently next season with Puyul/Xavi and co!!!!

Well hopefully that's the case and the likes of Montoya, Bartra, Thiago etc will get more playing time next season. Also there's the promotion of Rafinha and Sergi Roberto for next season. Are they going to get playing time? or should they be sent out on loan for a season?

 

[ceefoo]

He didn't show Tito up at all. Bartra was poor against celta and had a moment he could have been sent off. He was outrun and looked like an amateur, he could come good in the end but his lack if experience showed. Adriana was the only official choice and 99% of managers would have chosen him.

Answer this then:
Were we an utter shambles in defence when Adriano was on the field?

Did Bartra provide more defensive stability when he came on?

Did Adriano make a ridiculous sliding, reckless challenge that led to his yellow card.

Everyone knows Adriano is a mediocre defensive full-back and he is definitely NO CB. PSG also knew this, and exploited it.
Of course he has the advantage of experience over Bartra but that does not make him a bad player or a liability as you're inferring.

Should have started. End of.

 

[darthvader7888]

Contrary to my other posts about him. . . . I'd say he impressed last night. Also showed he isn't scared of aerial battles. . . . A couple nice clearing headers. If we can't get Kompany, we should pair him with Pique for next season just to see how it goes.

Nah, if we can't get Kompany (and it's pretty likely that we won't get him), we'll have to get someone else. Bartra will probably still be a good backup though.

Well hopefully that's the case and the likes of Montoya, Bartra, Thiago etc will get more playing time next season. Also there's the promotion of Rafinha and Sergi Roberto for next season. Are they going to get playing time? or should they be sent out on loan for a season?

Rafinha and Roberto should be loaned for playing time IMO. They won't be getting a lot of it if they stay since we already have Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and Thiago.

That's a good point, I agree. It's shocking that they haven't figured this out already.

Let's take a look at the situation so far:

Overplaying Puyol
Overplaying Xavi
Overplaying Alba
Overplaying Alves

Meanwhile:

Bartra in the stands
Montoya in the stands
Iniesta on LW

With the depth this squad has, incredible rotation possibilities are available. Yet the management seems like they've made a goal of screwing that up completely.

Tbf, Iniesta on LW worked really well in the first half of the season, when Cesc was on form. We should have dropped it sooner though. Not to mention Xavi/Iniesta in midfield with Villa up front is better. With an on form Cesc though, I wouldn't mind the Iniesta on LW thing as an alternative lineup (though I don't want to see it again until next season, and even then I don't want to see it as the main lineup). Bartra and especially Montoya should definitely have played more though. And Puyol and Xavi less (Alba and Alves too, to a lesser extent).

 

[sabby]

.....
...
I hate to say it, but this season, Tito has been absolutely abysmal with their handling of cantera players.

Fixed.

 

[Stric]

Tbf, Iniesta on LW worked really well in the first half of the season, when Cesc was on form. We should have dropped it sooner though. Not to mention Xavi/Iniesta in midfield with Villa up front is better. With an on form Cesc though, I wouldn't mind the Iniesta on LW thing as an alternative lineup (though I don't want to see it again until next season, and even then I don't want to see it as the main lineup). Bartra and especially Montoya should definitely have played more though. And Puyol and Xavi less (Alba and Alves too, to a lesser extent).

Yes, yes, we agree there. I'm not one of those who thinks Iniesta on LW never should have happened. I liked it while it was working. I mentioned it in the sense that the staff insisted on playing 3 of our best midfielders at a time (with only 2 midfield spots available) and overplaying all of them to the point of injury, instead of playing 2 midfielders and a winger, and rotating Cesc with Xavi and Iniesta.

 

[Darko]

thats true,we have Cesc,Xavi,Iniesta and Thiago for 2 CM spots,and Tello,Pedro,Villa,Alexis for 2 winger spots,perfect balance but they decided to put Iniesta on the wing with 4 players left to choose from for the other wing

 

[DonAndres]

I'm very confident in Bartra and he is getting to be a reliable choice. Even with Masch and Puyol out, it's not that bad considering the rate that Bartra is improving at. Can't wait to see him put in a strong performance vs Zaragoza today