Nico Williams

[jamrock]

I don't want yamal to be a bench rider, but a 60/40 split with raphinha for this season is good for me

Then next summer we sell raphinha.
Yamal show at that point.

 

[serghei]

You keep repeating that, but it’s just not true. Lamine stayed on when we were chasing results… not Raphina. There’s more than goals and assists.

Like what? Workrate, defensive coverage, stamina? Raphinha is better than him in areas falling outside of goals and assists. And of course, there's the fact that goals and assist for an attacker are of absolutely key importance.

Lamine got subbed instead of Raphinha vs PSG no? Got subbed in the first leg ahead of Raphinha too. Those were the biggest games this season.

 

[mc_lovin]

Like what? Workrate, defensive coverage, stamina? Raphinha is better than him in areas falling outside of goals and assists. And of course, there's the fact that goals and assist for an attacker are of absolutely key importance.

Lamine got subbed instead of Raphinha vs PSG no? Got subbed in the first leg ahead of Raphinha too. Those were the biggest games this season.

Context. We weren't chasing a result and especially in the 2nd leg it would have been madness to keep Lamine on with 10 men.

Lamine is the (slightly) superior player on pure talent alone right now. And hopefully makes another jump in physicality soon.

 

[serghei]

No, his talent makes him the superior talent. That's it. To be the superior player he has to score more, assist more... stuff like that. In the future, if he ups his numbers, sure. For now, Raphinha is better.

 

[draconifire]

I have a feeling Lamine's going to play a similar amount of games like this season. If Niko comes, Yamal needs to go on a loan, or he is not going to get enough games under his belt.

 

[soul24rage]

The likes of Cubarsi and Yamal are established starters.

Just need to get some good depth to give them a rest.

 

[mc_lovin]

I have a feeling Lamine's going to play a similar amount of games like this season. If Niko comes, Yamal needs to go on a loan, or he is not going to get enough games under his belt.

The shit you read here

 

[te amo barca]

Maybe Flick will try Yamal at the CAM position. Personally I think Yamal could absolutely cook in central areas.

 

[khaled_a_d]

The likes of Cubarsi and Yamal are established starters.

Just need to get some good depth to give them a rest.

Cubarsi isn't established starter, he started because we were forced to put Kounde as RB after Balde getting injured, and Christensen as DM due to lack of alternatives, both are superior CB, he did great for 17 years old, but despite a good patch when the team was great he was a mixed form otherwise. His positioning, physical profile, aerial ability are all questionable once you judge him without the "17 years old" tag.

Lamine was also a starter due to the team getting into the season with only 2 wingers in Ferran and Raphinha who both got injured good part of the season, with Torres never coming back to his form from early on, and Gavi ( our false winger) being injured while Felix being mediocre.
Lamine did great regardless of age, but we also need to remember that Xavi system is very favourable to a player like him tbh.

If you invest in a winger like Nico, then Yamal should be first attacker from the bench, mainly because you have to protect him. Every La Masia/Barca youngster who played heavy minutes before the age of 18 has suffered serious injury setback in his early career (Bojan, Fati, Gavi & Pedri), even if his talent warrant him taking a bigger role. Barca need to stop gambling with those kids' future by overplaying them at young age.

 

[soul24rage]

Cubarsi isn't established starter, he started because we were forced to put Kounde as RB after Balde getting injured, and Christensen as DM due to lack of alternatives, both are superior CB, he did great for 17 years old, but despite a good patch when the team was great he was a mixed form otherwise. His positioning, physical profile, aerial ability are all questionable once you judge him without the "17 years old" tag.

Lamine was also a starter due to the team getting into the season with only 2 wingers in Ferran and Raphinha who both got injured good part of the season, with Torres never coming back to his form from early on, and Gavi ( our false winger) being injured while Felix being mediocre.
Lamine did great regardless of age, but we also need to remember that Xavi system is very favourable to a player like him tbh.

If you invest in a winger like Nico, then Yamal should be first attacker from the bench, mainly because you have to protect him. Every La Masia/Barca youngster who played heavy minutes before the age of 18 has suffered serious injury setback in his early career (Bojan, Fati, Gavi & Pedri), even if his talent warrant him taking a bigger role. Barca need to stop gambling with those kids' future by overplaying them at young age.

Xavi played both Yamal and Cubarsi because they were good enough to play for the 1st team (the phrase "if you are good enough, you are old enough" applies to them both). Did the injuries and loss of form of other players helped them both in getting those crucial initial game time? Yes, but they justifiably kept their place due to their good performances even when there were other options as well such as Inigo Martinez and Raphinha in their respective positions (even when both of them came back from injury, Cubarsi and Yamal still justifiably kept their place)

Xavi could and should have rested them both more in the 2nd half of the season. Not just Cubarsi and Yamal, but all players shouldn't be overplayed and sufficient rest needs to provided to them all. With Flick, I have no idea what his thought process is and it'll depend on the transfer for this season, but my guess is that Cubarsi and Yamal will still be starters for this upcoming season.

 

[mc_lovin]

I don’t think Lamine or Cubarsi were overplayed. Xavi managed them well if you ask me.

 

[draconifire]

I don’t think Lamine or Cubarsi were overplayed. Xavi managed them well if you ask me.

Then what problem do you have with my previous post?

 

[serghei]

Cubarsi isn't established starter, he started because we were forced to put Kounde as RB after Balde getting injured, and Christensen as DM due to lack of alternatives, both are superior CB, he did great for 17 years old, but despite a good patch when the team was great he was a mixed form otherwise. His positioning, physical profile, aerial ability are all questionable once you judge him without the "17 years old" tag.

Lamine was also a starter due to the team getting into the season with only 2 wingers in Ferran and Raphinha who both got injured good part of the season, with Torres never coming back to his form from early on, and Gavi ( our false winger) being injured while Felix being mediocre.
Lamine did great regardless of age, but we also need to remember that Xavi system is very favourable to a player like him tbh.

If you invest in a winger like Nico, then Yamal should be first attacker from the bench, mainly because you have to protect him. Every La Masia/Barca youngster who played heavy minutes before the age of 18 has suffered serious injury setback in his early career (Bojan, Fati, Gavi & Pedri), even if his talent warrant him taking a bigger role. Barca need to stop gambling with those kids' future by overplaying them at young age.

Good post. Not convinced by Cubarsi in the slightest so far. Mixed bag for me. Even on the ball, after the initial good spell, he started to misplace passes that led to bad situations for our defense.

And Yamal is our new "great hope". Let's hope this great hope doesn't fall off a cliff due to various reasons like the previous great hope that even appeared as the star in the promo clip of the new stadium.

I don’t think Lamine or Cubarsi were overplayed. Xavi managed them well if you ask me.

Under given conditions, true. Because they had to play due to various injuries in defense and attack. Plus losing our starting DM in Busi and Dembele, who like him or hate him, was the main man in Xavi's system on the wings.

My bet is that they would have played a lot less if the squad had been better, both quantity and quality wise.

Our budget signings and loans in the summer didn't do it at all for me. Didn't like Cancelo (put simple, he's a bum on the defensive end), Felix is still a spoiled kid with no consistency in his game, and Inigo Martinez was a liability. Everyone could see why the two Joaos are rejects. Romeu the same, massively out of his depth. So, in the light of all these problems, Yamal's attributes were very needed, but this meant he played too often for my liking. Same thing with Cubarsi, but to a lesser degree.

 

[ZenI]

I have a feeling Lamine's going to play a similar amount of games like this season. If Niko comes, Yamal needs to go on a loan, or he is not going to get enough games under his belt.

Say what? Loan out our biggest talent since Messi? Are you for real or just very unlucky in your thought process? We have 3 players for 2 positions (I'm not really counting Torres, he's fourth choice and/or backup for Lewa) - what are you even talking about??? Also, he's 16 ffs - more games "under his belt" is what he DOESN'T need... he was overplayed because the other options sucked!

 

[draconifire]

Say what? Loan out our biggest talent since Messi? Are you for real or just very unlucky in your thought process? We have 3 players for 2 positions (I'm not really counting Torres, he's fourth choice and/or backup for Lewa) - what are you even talking about??? Also, he's 16 ffs - more games "under his belt" is what he DOESN'T need... he was overplayed because the other options sucked!

See I want him to play regularly. Yes, he is the biggest since Messi. But if we get Nico, he will have to become a substitute. Which I don't think will suit him. He needs to play 50-60% of the total games played with some being important ones. That's how you develop. If Nico comes he will mostly be a glorified Sub or we wasted the money on Nico. Both is not what we want.
I am fine with us not buying Nico and playing him plus a good sub for him. But not the other way around. You don't need to compare him with messi as we wont find a talent like him in decades. So quit that.

Plus

Are you for real or just very unlucky in your thought process?

Can the people stop with these types of personal attacks? You lose all respect you garner. I have a legit way of thinking, either you correct it or move along. Saying something like that negates whatever logic you will write in the next line.