Mavericky Puig

P

Porque

Senior Member
Pretty sure that Puigs off the ball disaster class is the reason he wasnt trusted with minutes these past two games. Imagine being a midfielder like Xavi was and seeing Puig doing a giant shit on how to play the position off the ball. All that while also lacking physically.

So now he is pretty much at a crux where he will have to put the work in in training and show improvements there before his next key chance.
 
Windhook

Windhook

Well-known member
From all succesfull managers in current era I think I've only heard Mourinho trash in the media his own players, like he did with Balotelli and Casillas (for being good buddies with Barca players, for example). It's not some special Barca DNA trait, it's universal to keep inside stuff out of the public eye.
 
Bobo32

Bobo32

Senior Member
Porque said:
Pretty sure that Puigs off the ball disaster class is the reason he wasnt trusted with minutes these past two games. Imagine being a midfielder like Xavi was and seeing Puig doing a giant shit on how to play the position off the ball. All that while also lacking physically.

So now he is pretty much at a crux where he will have to put the work in in training and show improvements there before his next key chance.
Click to expand...

I have thought you had a good eye and sane judgement, but this I think you have to explain.
I see a very positionally sound player.
 
fergus90

fergus90

Senior Member
Bobo32 said:
I have thought you had a good eye and sane judgement, but this I think you have to explain.
I see a very positionally sound player.
Click to expand...

He left his position in the centre of the pitch to attempt to cut out a pass from the opposition right-back to the centre back 30 yards away, with two Barca players already close by. Thus creating both a passing lane and acres of space for the opposition to exploit that wouldn't have been there if he didn't mindlessly charge up the pitch at that moment.

Especially with minutes left and only a small lead.
 
Bobo32

Bobo32

Senior Member
fergus90 said:
He left his position in the centre of the pitch to attempt to cut out a pass from the opposition right-back to the centre back 30 yards away, with two Barca players already close by. Thus creating both a passing lane and acres of space for the opposition to exploit that wouldn't have been there if he didn't mindlessly charge up the pitch at that moment.

Especially with minutes left and only a small lead.
Click to expand...

I explained this situation here before.
It blew up because someone posted it on reddit in isolation, and people look for easy explanations and simple memes.
The clip starts just after Coutinho had misplaced a very easy pass, and the Espanyol player is immediately under pressure by three players, with the only way out being a back pass to his RB. Puig immediately spots this, and sees that Depay is hesitating to cover that pass so he takes a quick decision in order to win the ball or at the very least force the RB to hoof it.
You can't defend with the assumption that the one pressing will be nutmegged!
You can say that with 1-0 and a few minutes left, you should play extremely safely and not leave any gaps etc, but I think it goes against the mentality needed - they should play their way all the time and not allow a team like Espanyol to push them down, but try and win the ball!
de Jong was playing pivote then, but stood and marked someone in the back line, Pique stood lazily very far to the right, and Garcia helped with the pressing. With Puyol and Busquets there, the back line would rise and Busquets would pressure the player that recieved the nutmeg immediately. de Jong has this tendency to fall and fall, instead of taking a step forward.

How much talk there has been about taking a step forward after losing possession, how it has been key for Barcelonas entire way of playing!
Check for example Fabregas in this clip at 0:40, or even Thiagos immediate intention later in the clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc_ljII-Vuc

This is btw one situation from the game where Puig arrived to play 20 minutes and didn't lose the ball once, and won at least one loose ball that would otherwise lead to a counter, because of his good positioning and awareness.
Frenkie lost the ball and caused the free kick that left the Espanyol player with a completely free header because Frenkie didn't mark him... Just as an example...

Xavis mission is to get the players to play together and move as one unit. I hope that Puigs aggresiveness and willingness to press and win the ball will become a guide for the rest of the team. Gavi has some of it too, and a lot of the other players too, but they have been more and more accustomed to fall back instead, because they haven't trusted each other.
 
J

JamDav1982

Senior Member
That 'pressing' from Puig is most amateur moment will ever see.

Absolutely moronic and it is brilliant that fan boys actually believe it to be impressive.

Sums them up.

Puig entered game and control was lost completely. Can see why.
 
P

Porque

Senior Member
Bobo32 said:
I have thought you had a good eye and sane judgement, but this I think you have to explain.
I see a very positionally sound player.
Click to expand...
[MENTION=7348]Bobo[/MENTION].

I'm talking of his pressing out of position without realising who and what is behind. In general, isn't what Puig showed versus Espanyol the type of pressing you expect from the forward line and not the midfield line?

Those clips in isolation look bad, just if you took an Abde defensive effort in isolation it would look bad, or a failed Nico turn in his own half (you probably know the one versus Villarreal). But they do show an issue.

Anyways, I am just reading between the lines and could be way off. Xavi hasn't been here long, but he has had more time with Puig than Frenkie, Nico and Gavi who were all with international games when he arrived. So a slight advance in working with him, and then he hasn't played him in the last two "difficult" games.

So for whatever reason, Xavi hasn't trusted Puig as a change for Benfica and Villrreal after the Espanyol game. For whatever reason, and I could be wrong. But also it is very clear that Puig is great in possession and positioning in possession.

Betis @ H
Bayern @ A
Osasuna @ H
Boca Friendly (ignored)
Elche @ H
Sevilla @ A

These are the next 5 games until the winter break. I'm not going to comment too much about Xavi's selections and substitutions until then, so we will have a better idea at the end of the year. But what games do you think Xavi will play Puig in and under what circumstance?

Here is my prediction.

Betis @ H - Sub if game is concluded
Bayern @ A - Doesn't feature
Osasuna @ H - Sub, possible starts
Boca Friendly (ignored)
Elche @ H - Sub, possibly starts
Sevilla @ A - Doesn't feature

You?
 
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