Rafinha Alcantara
- Thread starter Plip
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dakt
Active member
It's not the same as with Mats. Rafinha is huge talent, looks very responsible and hungry and it's a fit for our midfield deficiency (aging Xavi and out of form Iniesta). The sooner we establish some dominance in the midfield, the better.
There will be teams that will exploit our midfield weakness. Yes, I want to see Rafinha as much as possible.
So, again, the same as with Mats, to ruin the team's chemistry, morale and to ruin the first 11 who have 9 wins in a row, and who play the best football in the last 3-4-5 years?
In order to see how one youngster will develop?
Again, is the whole club more important, or a single player?
:
How would Rafinha ruin the team's chemistry and morale? He played against Villareal (A pretty big game) and was one of our standout players. If we'd have suggested he start that game you would have made this same post, word for word.
BBZ8800
Senior Member
1. There is nothing wrong in starting a game or two when Rakitic and Iniesta need a rest.
-- that is exactly what Lucho should do and what he is doing
= he has the starting 11, but he is slightly rotating the team to:
a) rest the key players in some matches
b) to give some chances to squad players, to keep them happy and ready for whenever they will be needed (Pedro, Bartra, Rafinha, Mats)
c) he isn't changing too much, to keep the chemistry and the balance and yet to still slightly rotate the team, save the energy of players, and to give some minutes to squad players
2. But it would be WRONG to make him a starter now suddenly.
That is my point.
That is really a hard thing to balance, and this is why some of us on this forum will never be coaches.
Because we (or you) would ruin the balance of the whole team in a second with a bias towards young players.
Never said I would make him a starter. Starting him against City would make him just as much a starter as Cuenca was. Rafinha has shown he can hang in there with our starting XI without ruining anything and I'd give him the chance to show it again, if not in the first leg, then definitely in the second. The more he improves the better, as we're in desperate need for capable midfielders as Xavi and Iniesta decline.
Irish_Cules
New member
I expect him in midfield tonight, probably with Iniesta.
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
BBZ8800;1394089[B said:]So, again, the same as with Mats, to ruin the team's chemistry, morale and to ruin the first 11 who have 9 wins in a row, and who play the best football in the last 3-4-5 years?
In order to see how one youngster will develop?[/B]
Again, is the whole club more important, or a single player?
You know that ter Stegen has played 4 out of those 9 matches right?
BBZ8800
Senior Member
Cup matches.
Cup matches and home La liga matches are a good place for all young squad players to get more and more minutes.
If he will be extremely good, he will slowly get more minutes in important matches (I am talking about Rafinha)
On the other hand, NOT to rotate as much as Lucho did in the first half of the Season and not to do what Arsene Wenger always does (he is always developing new generations of young players, without caring too much for the first team and for the present)
MessiDinho10
New member
He was great today, was part of some beautiful combinations with Messi and Alves.
Alen
New member
I actually don't think he was that good. He didn't make differences offensively and was all over the place defensively.
He did not create many chances but it as not his job. He controlled the ball very well and his pressing contributed a lot to Villareal offensive impotence.
BBZ8800
Senior Member
But he did roam all over the place.
At moments, our formation looked like 424 with Dmc Masche too far back in the defense, and Rafinha standing in line with Ney, Suarez and Messi as a central forward, and only Iniesta between those two lines.
Also, our right side is linking up much better with Rakitic-Alves-Messi.
When Rakitic stepped in, he isn't a dribbler or a flashy player, but our team was much more balanced both in attack and in defense.
Also, it doesn't mean that Rafinha isn't good or that he won't be an awesome player, but currently he brings different things to our team compared to Rakitic, and Iniesta-Rafinha midfield is a midfield consisted of two Amcs, while Iniesta-Rakitic is a much more balanced midfield currently.
424 may work in cup, and in home matches, but it could cause huge troubles against stronger opponents.
evilhita666
Barçapocalypse NOW!
I sort of agree... He is very good in offense and, in particular, with the ball at his feet, but the team loses a certain balance in defense when he's playing...
Not with Mascherano behind him... Today our defense was very good. BTW I believe Rafinha played few games as DM in B-team.
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