Martin Montoya

[Blaugrana Man]

I thought he was solid today. Kept his position way better than Dani does, and added to the attack when it made sense. He also doesn't bomb 15 random crosses into the box when no one is in position.

He's not in top form or confidence, but he stepped into a high-stress game and delivered reasonably well. He didn't make any mistakes or shirk his defensive responsibilities, and I'd rather have a stronger defensive presence on the right side now that Jordi Alba is well and truly coming into his own. He's a better attacker than Dani or Montoya, and he gets forward an awful lot.

Saying Montoya wasn't good today is to overlook his real tasks on the pitch.

 

[Stric]

It's amazing how Alves-biased people are. Seeing too much of him and his unique style has blurred people's perception, I guess.

 

[DonAK]

He didn't well in the first half, but he grew in to the game and ended up with a solid performance against a top team in Athletic Bilbao IMO. Don't get why so many people think he is shit and mediocre. Atleast give him a chance, but then again, it's the same people who wouldn't think twice before selling Bartra and called him shit after the 2012-13 season.

He is not gonna be fancy like Alves, but he at his best potential wise is gonna be very good defensively and also quite good going forward making some very intelligent runs and well timed runs and good link-up play. His final ball and other things of course need to be refined, and he still has a long way to go, but he is not mediocre or that bad as people make him out to be.

He hardly plays. Makes one apperance here and there and people expect him to be the full package already and at his best form wise, that's very unfair IMO.

 

[Ini8]

He was pretty good today, IMO. I think that our team is more balanced when we have a more defensive minded right back like Montoya when Alba makes his attacking runs. Granted, Jordi does track back most of the time, but I'm thinking more positioning wise. Like a few years ago when we had Abidal on the left and Alves at his peak on the right.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

He gave like 3 or 4 crosses. Or would you like dani alves to play who will send out cross after cross ?

I've only watched the first half, but Montoya's crosses were pretty much as bad as Alves. The reason he didn't cross more is because Rakatic took them for him. Rakatic at least picks a target, but his Alonso-like balls were mostly too long, easily scooped up by the keeper. Though Racatic did get one to Messi, who headed wide.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

He hardly plays. Makes one apperance here and there and people expect him to be the full package already and at his best form wise, that's very unfair IMO.

Yup. Forumites pretty much single out one thing in a game they liked or hated about a player, then judge their entire performance from that (rather than view in context of the game and the season). Usually it's the last thing they saw.

 

[Ursegor]

He is wank.

 

[Xavinho]

I thought he was solid today. Kept his position way better than Dani does, and added to the attack when it made sense. He also doesn't bomb 15 random crosses into the box when no one is in position.

He's not in top form or confidence, but he stepped into a high-stress game and delivered reasonably well. He didn't make any mistakes or shirk his defensive responsibilities, and I'd rather have a stronger defensive presence on the right side now that Jordi Alba is well and truly coming into his own. He's a better attacker than Dani or Montoya, and he gets forward an awful lot.

Saying Montoya wasn't good today is to overlook his real tasks on the pitch.

Yeah, totally agree with this. I'd like to see him play again against APOEL and see if he can build some more match fitness and confidence.

 

[Zangash]

I've only watched the first half, but Montoya's crosses were pretty much as bad as Alves.

You know, with the significant difference being there were a small handful of them this game, as opposed to 30-40.

The reason he didn't cross more is because Rakatic took them for him.

And the somewhat overlooked fact that he's not and never has been very prone to crossing. He likes to dribble, actually. We saw that from him several times yesterday, but he doesn't want to do it as much, probably out of trying to emulate Alves more closely.

 

[serghei]

And the somewhat overlooked fact that he's not and never has been very prone to crossing. He likes to dribble, actually. We saw that from him several times yesterday, but he doesn't want to do it as much, probably out of trying to emulate Alves more closely.

Offensively, he's not better than Alves at anything. What he does offer more than Alves is a more constant presence in defence. Considering that most teams spend their time defending when they play Barca, Dani Alves is much more of an asset for this team than Montoya is.

Montoya does his job when he's counted on, why some people won't be happy with that, I can't understand. He's a very good squad player that can be trusted when Alves is suspended/injured. That's good enough for me and that is his place in this team right now.

 

[FCBarca]

He was made to look foolish early against Munain and we were fortunate Atletico didn't score that early chance...He's not Dani and no one should make that mistake of comparing but an attacking fullback for Barcelona is expected to also add something in attack...I thought more than his lack of contribution in attack was the absence of the right sided linkup that Messi often benefits from

 

[JamDav1982]

I thought he was solid today. Kept his position way better than Dani does, and added to the attack when it made sense. He also doesn't bomb 15 random crosses into the box when no one is in position.

He's not in top form or confidence, but he stepped into a high-stress game and delivered reasonably well. He didn't make any mistakes or shirk his defensive responsibilities, and I'd rather have a stronger defensive presence on the right side now that Jordi Alba is well and truly coming into his own. He's a better attacker than Dani or Montoya, and he gets forward an awful lot.

Saying Montoya wasn't good today is to overlook his real tasks on the pitch.

The real task of the full backs under Lucho looks to be attackers first and defenders second. They are more attacking than any of the midfielders.

Alves has easily been one of the best attacking players in the first two games. He is getting forward that much as he is being instructed to in order to get the attacking players more central.

If teams break and exploit the space left in the full back areas it is up to Rakitic/Iniesta/Busquets and the CBs to close off this space.

Anyone blaming the fullbacks for going forward too much and leaving defence exposed doesnt understand how they are being asked to play.

 

[khaled_a_d]

He was made to look foolish early against Munain and we were fortunate Atletico didn't score that early chance...He's not Dani and no one should make that mistake of comparing but an attacking fullback for Barcelona is expected to also add something in attack...I thought more than his lack of contribution in attack was the absence of the right sided linkup that Messi often benefits from

He isn't an attacking fullback ,he is a balanced one ,Montoya usually help to create at least one chance in every game he playes ,but he isn't always looking to move forward like Alves
I wasn't impressed with him yesterday but he was still good ,Yeah Montoya would never became our starting RB but he is more than solid for a back up RB

 

[Ursegor]

He is not balanced. He is limited going forward and in link-up-play. That doesn't automatically make him solid in defense however.

 

[serghei]

He is not balanced. He is limited going forward and in link-up-play. That doesn't automatically make him solid in defense however.

I agree. But while Montoya doesn't add much to our attacking power, he is still good enough to be trusted in the majority of our Liga games. And yea, he is limited in our ling-up play, but he's smart enough to not get involved in it that much. He is pretty much like Carvajal.