Oriol Busquets
- Thread starter Cuenca
- Start date
tacticvarium
New member
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FCBfan22
Senior Member
He is the best that we have in our B team. Better than Alena IMO.
DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
I wouldn't rush things with a meniscus injury, but I dunno how far along his recovery he is. Hopefully he isn't training with the first team out of caution rather than EV just ignoring him. Don't see how Riqui Puig deserves THAT much consideration for first team training when he has many years yet to go and can't provide us with depth in the near future. It should be the youngsters capable of contributing at the first team level that get priority.
Joan
Well-known member
He's not ignored. Everyone gets chances. Shame first two in a row to be promoted are injured. Cuenca, Cucurella, Miranda, Morey etc.
God Serena
New member
Except thus far under Valverde quite literally nobody has. He's used B team players even less than Tata Martino, lol.
Joan
Well-known member
I was talking about trainings. Valverde hasn't done much in other regards.
BBZ8800
Senior Member
Can someone who follows youth Spanish NT teams say more words about this part:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriol_Busquets
Oriol, youth NT teams:
2014–2015 Spain U16=8
2015–2016 Spain U17=13
2017 Spain U18=2
2016– Spain U19=2
6 Months older Cucurella:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Cucurella
2014 Spain U16=3
2014–2015 Spain U17=16
2016 Spain U18=2
2016–2017 Spain U19=6
2016–2017 Spain U20=6
Abel Ruiz, younger than Oriol:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel_Ruiz
2015–2017 Spain U17=37
2017–2018 Spain U18=4
2017– Spain U19=3
Alena:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carles_Aleñá
Abel Ruiz has 44 (lol) matches for youth NT teams.
Cucurella 33 matches.
Alena 32 matches.
Oriol, whom we are hyping lately, 25 matches. I know that he has been injured in the last few Months...
Miranda, younger, 24 matches.
Also, another thing:
Cucurella 14 matches for U18, 19 and 20 teams.
Alena 13 matches for U19, 20 teams.
Ruiz 7 matches for U18, 19 teams.
Oriol 4 matches for U18, 19 teams.
This indicator how OTHER coaches and scouts (NT teams) see a player could also be an additional indicator.
Samper, who probably failed, had 25 matches for youth NT teams, but also "only" 6 caps for U 18&19 teams.
On the other hand, Xavi had 57 matches for YOUTH Nt teams, and obviously ALL coaches thought that he is special BOTH in YOUTH NT teams, Van Gaal since the age 18 since he was a starter, and later Spanish SENIOR NT coaches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavi
I know that I will be a bad guy again for posting this, but something is "off" currently in this hype how Oriol is the brightest talent from La Masia currently.
If these numbers are corrected, NT youth coaches aren't "that" impressed with him as our forum suggests.
On the other hand, for example, Puig and Palencia have 0 NT youth caps, so NT coaches surely aren't impressed with them.
Again, imo, this could also be an interesting indicator, since we get an info how DIFFERENT coaches rate a certain player.
** Going by these numbers, it seems that NT coaches rate Cucurella and Alena as our best young players.
On the other hand, it seems that we will sell Digne and give chances to Cucurella as a backup LB.
Which, seems logical and it shows that SEVERAL different coaches rate Cucurella (Youth NT coaches and Barca's staff).
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khaled_a_d
Senior Member
How many games did the older Busquets played for Spain youth team before promoted?
BBZ8800
Senior Member
I knew that someone will ask that.
There is a thing, though.
Busquets, Pedro, Puyol joined Barca late in their careers and weren't playing in youth NT teams before then.
Youth NT teams obviously mostly pick players from Barca, Real and other big clubs.
As always, there will be extremes and exceptions, but in general, you get my point and you'll have to agree.
From players who were in Barca youth teams longer and who have made it later (starters or squad players like Roberto/Gabri):
Xavi 57 youth NT caps
Gabri 48 caps
Iniesta 45 caps
Thiago 42 caps
Pique 40 caps
Cesc 39
Sergi Roberto 39 caps
******************
Deulofeu 87 caps
Montoya 47 caps
Bojan 41 caps
Oriol Romeu 39 caps
Bartra 37 caps
Planas 34 caps
Muniesa 30 caps
Jeffren 30 caps
Sandro 26 caps
Tello 26 caps
Iago Falque 25 caps
Samper 23 caps
Grimaldo 21 caps
Munir 20 caps
Adama 18 caps
Fontas 14 caps
Valiente 13
Femenia 11 caps
Espinosa 5 caps
Isaac Cuenca 3 caps
Victor Vasquez 1 cap
Oleguer 0 caps
Patric 0 caps
Gumbau 0 caps
Players who didn't have NT caps:
Pedro 2 caps, but he joined Barca aged 18
Busi, joined Barca aged 17
Puyol, joined Barcelona aged 17, 12 youth NT caps, even though he played as a defensive midfielder and then RB in those days.
So, there are always some exceptions, but in general:
1. if Barca's young player who is at Barca since a young age is called ALL the time to youth NT teams:
1) he will either make it at a senior level
2) or fail
2. if Barca's young player who is at Barca since a young age is never called in NT teams or isn't rated highly
= he will usually fail and won't make it at Barca
So, all players who made it at Barca in this century and who were at Barca since the early age=were RATED HIGHLY by Spanish NT coaches and all of them played 39 or more youth NT matches in their career.
In this century, there isn't a single La Masia player who wasn't called for youth NT Spanish teams, or who was mediocre there and who MADE it eventually at Barca.
(This is about Palencia, Puig, for example).
Of course, as always, there will be one guy who will make it inspite of these numbers.
But once again, a rule: if too many coaches in a row like/dislike a player, there is usually a strong reason behind it.
ALL La Masia players in this century who made it at top clubs were highly rated BOTH:
1. by Bteam coaches
2. youth NT Spanish coaches
3. A team coaches (except Thiago)
But they were BOTH in NT teams, in the end...
If you are not in the NT team, that is a huge red flag.
As I have said, this is not 100% accurate and there will always be exceptions.
But in general, it is a nice indicator.
In general, La Masia kid should be a key player or one of key players in the youth NT teams.
If not, it is highly unlikely that he will make it at Barca one day.
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