Rafinha Alcantara
- Thread starter Plip
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Kohe321
New member
Yeah confidence and being calm has a lot to do with getting the best out of a player. Mathieu was very good yesterday as well because he let his shoulders down and was focused, not nervous and shaky. If Rafinha can get this relaxed against bigger competition then he'll be awesome there as well, because his talent and reading of the game is really great when relaxed. Enough gametime is key. The mental part of football at this level is a big factor, and some players need more time than others to become comfortable so they can actually show their potential on the pitch.
Rafinha seems pretty cool, though, I don't think he has a long way to go before he can string together performances like this on a weekly basis.
Rafinha seems pretty cool, though, I don't think he has a long way to go before he can string together performances like this on a weekly basis.
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linetty
Guest
No he hasn't. He's been impressive whenever he got a chance.
messi2140
6racies Xavi
He played around 700 minutes , thats barely 8 full games.
DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
He played a very impressive game. I wasn't convinced by him at all in the first half of the season. He looked very limited always playing strictly towards his left, weak passing/movement game, and his final ball was a constant obstacle.
Against Elche he was an entirely different player. His turns were great and he played with an awareness to pressure/space that I haven't seen from him, anticipating his opponents at his back and creating space with his dribbles on both his left/right sides. His first half in particular displayed a great maturity in passing and he was linking up well with Adama/Montoya/Munir and telling them where to position themselves. Did well in the fast transition counters we had as well (throughballs to Munir and Adama in the first half). The flair was an aesthetic bonus.
I hope his improvement can mirror that of Isco who had many of the same weaknesses as he did (too keen to go at it himself instead of creating space to pass/move, weak passes and dribbling with his head down, predictable, etc.). Isco had all of those faults and a low defensive workrate unlike Rafinha who defends with intensity. I do believe Isco is more talented but Rafinha can have a similar improvement and become a very reliable midfielder. His performance against Elche is a start, and with the way Lucho praised him I could definitely see him getting a chance against Deportivo as well. Now he'll have to perform in a different setting with better teammates but also having to support more dominant players than Roberto, Munir, etc. Hopefully he shows the same maturity and intelligence that he did against Elche.
Against Elche he was an entirely different player. His turns were great and he played with an awareness to pressure/space that I haven't seen from him, anticipating his opponents at his back and creating space with his dribbles on both his left/right sides. His first half in particular displayed a great maturity in passing and he was linking up well with Adama/Montoya/Munir and telling them where to position themselves. Did well in the fast transition counters we had as well (throughballs to Munir and Adama in the first half). The flair was an aesthetic bonus.
I hope his improvement can mirror that of Isco who had many of the same weaknesses as he did (too keen to go at it himself instead of creating space to pass/move, weak passes and dribbling with his head down, predictable, etc.). Isco had all of those faults and a low defensive workrate unlike Rafinha who defends with intensity. I do believe Isco is more talented but Rafinha can have a similar improvement and become a very reliable midfielder. His performance against Elche is a start, and with the way Lucho praised him I could definitely see him getting a chance against Deportivo as well. Now he'll have to perform in a different setting with better teammates but also having to support more dominant players than Roberto, Munir, etc. Hopefully he shows the same maturity and intelligence that he did against Elche.
evilhita666
Barçapocalypse NOW!
I don't think he's game was that good... Sure, he had some very nice dribbles and fancy moves, but most of the time they turned to nothing...
onzeXI
New member
except Pedro
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linetty
Guest
http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football...-we-are-training-hard-to-fight-for-everything
Rafinha Alcántara is in fine form at the moment and he is convinced that he and his team mates are on the road to success. For the Brazilian-born midfielder, the team are feeling “very well” and “with confidence: training hard to show that we can fight for everything,” he added. Rafinha spoke to Barça TV after taking part in a documentary about players who have come up from the youth.
After his decisive contribution to Barça’s Cup second leg win over Elche, the brother of former Barça player Thiago is confident that he can continue to develop. Luis Enrique praised the young midfielder following the win in the Martínez Valero stadium: “He is a top quality player, and he will be key for the club in the coming years. He has to improve in certain areas but he is growing and it’s pleasure to have players like him.”
To be champions, you have to beat the very best
Rafinha recognises that for players who are not playing as much as they would like, game such as the second leg against Elche are “very important” and have to be taken “very seriously” because they allow players to “pick up match fitness and enjoy themselves”. Now comes the quarter final tie against Atlético Madrid for the blaugranes and for Rafinha: “We knew that whoever came through [Real Madrid or Atlético], it would be a difficult tie. To be champions you have to beat the best and we have that attitude to fight on every front.”
However, before the Cup first leg against Diego Simeone’s side, FC Barcelona have a league encounter on Sunday against Deportivo La Coruña to focus on. Rafinha spent last season at Celta Vigo and he experienced the importance of the Galician derby. “If I was playing for Celta than it would be a very important game, but with Barça it’s not the same,” he added.
Rafinha Alcántara is in fine form at the moment and he is convinced that he and his team mates are on the road to success. For the Brazilian-born midfielder, the team are feeling “very well” and “with confidence: training hard to show that we can fight for everything,” he added. Rafinha spoke to Barça TV after taking part in a documentary about players who have come up from the youth.
After his decisive contribution to Barça’s Cup second leg win over Elche, the brother of former Barça player Thiago is confident that he can continue to develop. Luis Enrique praised the young midfielder following the win in the Martínez Valero stadium: “He is a top quality player, and he will be key for the club in the coming years. He has to improve in certain areas but he is growing and it’s pleasure to have players like him.”
To be champions, you have to beat the very best
Rafinha recognises that for players who are not playing as much as they would like, game such as the second leg against Elche are “very important” and have to be taken “very seriously” because they allow players to “pick up match fitness and enjoy themselves”. Now comes the quarter final tie against Atlético Madrid for the blaugranes and for Rafinha: “We knew that whoever came through [Real Madrid or Atlético], it would be a difficult tie. To be champions you have to beat the best and we have that attitude to fight on every front.”
However, before the Cup first leg against Diego Simeone’s side, FC Barcelona have a league encounter on Sunday against Deportivo La Coruña to focus on. Rafinha spent last season at Celta Vigo and he experienced the importance of the Galician derby. “If I was playing for Celta than it would be a very important game, but with Barça it’s not the same,” he added.
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linetty
Guest
Great game.
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