From the other topic:
Messi talks about the strength of the defense after Neymar's departure for Psg
https://twitter.com/ActualiteBarca/status/957210075109740549
Translation:
Messi says that the departure of Neymar has made us lose offensively, but we are more solid defensively, more equilibrium.
Now, when Messi says this, maybe more people will start to believe in this theory.
Some of us were saying for years that Neymar's style of play, Neymar's lost balls and counters against us were hurting us defensively.
People replied for years that Neymar was working in defense and tracking back.
That is irrelevant.
He was trying so many dribbles and lost so many balls that too often he hurt our team more with his numerous lost balls than with a slim end product of his dribbles.
Any comments about Messi's words how we are stronger defensively WITHOUT Neymar?
Again, I am quite sure that we are not stronger in defense ONLY because of Valverde.
Losing Neymar was one reason for midfield's and defensive stability.
We lost some attacking power, though.
But it seems that a gain in midfield in defense due to losing Neymar is way bigger than what we lost in attack due to him leaving.
In short: what he brings to a team is often less than how much we are losing in other areas (defense, counters against us, stability, balance, flow, teamplay, possession) when he is on a field and when he is playing solo whenever he receives the ball.
