Rafinha Alcantara

[te amo barca]

I can't wait him + Deu coming back next season

 

[JamDav1982]

I know he's not like xavi, just asked how deep he could play and still be effective and xavi himself used to take more risks when he was younger.

Edit: He answered, so he can play next to a AM-type player like cesc or iniesta

I don't think he could play alongside an AM like Cesc or Iniesta.

All three of them like to find space and get forward.

Unless Cesc or Iniesta sat in and let him have more freedom which cant see.

Wait and see next season though I suppose.

 

[DinhoR10]

I don't think he could play alongside an AM like Cesc or Iniesta.

All three of them like to find space and get forward.

Unless Cesc or Iniesta sat in and let him have more freedom which cant see.

Wait and see next season though I suppose.

I'm hoping he can cause right now we only have Sergi and he needs to work on his playmaking abilities (Through balls and Over the top balls please).

 

[te amo barca]

I just hope he has got more Barca in his heart than Thiago and won't leave the club.

 

[DonAndres]

I'm hoping he can cause right now we only have Sergi and he needs to work on his playmaking abilities (Through balls and Over the top balls please).

He can. If Iniesta-Cesc (two midfielders who play more advanced and with less defensive effort than Rafinha) can play together and succeed, I can't see the reason as to why Rafinha can't play alongside another AM considering he is more suited to do that than either of those two.

Besides, as a person who observes Rafinha every week, I can say that he does move as I described and he often starts off deep before driving forward. If you want evidence for this, you can check all of the action maps on FourFourTwo for Celta games and see that he's never the most advanced of Celta's central midfielders and even when he plays as a winger/wide midfielder he starts off deep.

His nature is to attack, but his movement isn't just to stay up and leaving space behind like a usual attacking midfielder does. He is very much in the bulk of the buildup and then carries the team forward with his direct and eager play. He isn't a "deep lying playmaker" but if there ever was an attacking midfielder who could play alongside another in a 4-3-3, it's Rafinha.

 

[JamDav1982]

He can. If Iniesta-Cesc (two midfielders who play more advanced and with less defensive effort than Rafinha) can play together and succeed, I can't see the reason as to why Rafinha can't play alongside another AM considering he is more suited to do that than either of those two.

Besides, as a person who observes Rafinha every week, I can say that he does move as I described and he often starts off deep before driving forward. If you want evidence for this, you can check all of the action maps on FourFourTwo for Celta games and see that he's never the most advanced of Celta's central midfielders and even when he plays as a winger/wide midfielder he starts off deep.

His nature is to attack, but his movement isn't just to stay up and leaving space behind like a usual attacking midfielder does. He is very much in the bulk of the buildup and then carries the team forward with his direct and eager play. He isn't a "deep lying playmaker" but if there ever was an attacking midfielder who could play alongside another in a 4-3-3, it's Rafinha.

There is a massive difference playing for Celta than playing for Barca though.

He is their best midfielder and they want him on the ball as much as possible and let him go all over the pitch to get on it.

At Barca in the youth and b team he always played further forward and has never been the type to dictate a game.

We shall see next season but I would be very surprised if he ever starts along side Cesc or Iniesta and they are playing as AM.

 

[DonAndres]

There is a massive difference playing for Celta than playing for Barca though.

He is their best midfielder and they want him on the ball as much as possible and let him go all over the pitch to get on it.

At Barca in the youth and b team he always played further forward and has never been the type to dictate a game.

We shall see next season but I would be very surprised if he ever starts along side Cesc or Iniesta and they are playing as AM.

No one's saying he'll dictate the game at Barca, just that he'll maintain his style of play which isn't the same as Cesc or Iniesta in straying that far forward naturally (really that's mainly Cesc nowadays, Iniesta plays in a fairly central position most of the time and doesn't attack much). At the B team he was instructed to be the player who remained forward to start those quick transitions or counterattacks, which was the only way we constantly scored. He had more of a secondary striker's role in the B team than a real midfielder.

His best work has been at Celta in the midfield role he has now, which can be translated to Barca with the difference of it being less end-to-end football and him not being the center of everything. He'll be inclined to be a part of the buildup and create attacking moves but he won't just stay forward or neglect his defensive duties. That's why even though he's attacking in style, there is no issue with playing him alongside Cesc or Iniesta. If those two can work together without us losing quality of play, Rafinha definitely can do the same. Besides he won't be playing in the biggest games anyway, we definitely have a style of play that can allow two attacking midfielders to coexist in a league match.

 

[JamDav1982]

No one's saying he'll dictate the game at Barca, just that he'll maintain his style of play which isn't the same as Cesc or Iniesta in straying that far forward naturally (really that's mainly Cesc nowadays, Iniesta plays in a fairly central position most of the time and doesn't attack much). At the B team he was instructed to be the player who remained forward to start those quick transitions or counterattacks, which was the only way we constantly scored. He had more of a secondary striker's role in the B team than a real midfielder.

His best work has been at Celta in the midfield role he has now, which can be translated to Barca with the difference of it being less end-to-end football and him not being the center of everything. He'll be inclined to be a part of the buildup and create attacking moves but he won't just stay forward or neglect his defensive duties. That's why even though he's attacking in style, there is no issue with playing him alongside Cesc or Iniesta. If those two can work together without us losing quality of play, Rafinha definitely can do the same. Besides he won't be playing in the biggest games anyway, we definitely have a style of play that can allow two attacking midfielders to coexist in a league match.

I don't think the way he is playing for Celta can transfer to Barcelona.

We shall see but Barcelona don't play with a box to box player and dont need to.

Cant see them playing a DM, a box to box midfielder and an AM. They will play as they do now.

We shall see next season but I dont believe he will play in midfield with Cesc or Iniesta at AM and more likely see him play further forward.

In the b team and youth sides he played AM, wide or even false nine. That's where they see him in the system it seems.

 

[coura]

I disagree. I think barça needs a box to box player with intensity. A player like Yaya. His style. We are very soft in the midfield.

 

[JamDav1982]

I disagree. I think barça needs a box to box player with intensity. A player like Yaya. His style. We are very soft in the midfield.

Rafinha is nothing in the slightest the physical defensive and powerfull player Toure was.

I think the team has been stronger with a Xavi, Iniesta and Busquet mix than it ever was with Yaya Toure. Good player though he was.

 

[coura]

Rafinha is nothing in the slightest the physical defensive and powerfull player Toure was.

I think the team has been stronger with a Xavi, Iniesta and Busquet mix than it ever was with Yaya Toure. Good player though he was.

Rafinha is not on his level, of course. But he´s playing a bit like him. I like it. And we need it. Skill and intensity.

Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets in Pep´s time. We had intensity all through out the team. We lost a substantial part of that.

 

[jamrock]

he actually did play further back in the youth teams, he moved forward for juvinel A and barca B, but before the big talk was the thiago brothers, thiago the flashy AM and rafa the discipline CM

 

[JamDav1982]

Rafinha is not on his level, of course. But he´s playing a bit like him. I like it. And we need it. Skill and intensity.

Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets in Pep´s time. We had intensity all through out the team. We lost a substantial part of that.

He is playing nothing like Toure, the only difference is that he has to track back more when playing in the middle at Celta.

His workrate has been impressive but people starting to act like he has been brilliant defensively is pushing it.

He is an attacking player and will be that when he returns.

 

[coura]

He is playing nothing like Toure, the only difference is that he has to track back more when playing in the middle at Celta.

His workrate has been impressive but people starting to act like he has been brilliant defensively is pushing it.

He is an attacking player and will be that when he returns.

Touré is not brilliant defensively. That´s why they bought Javi Garcia and failed. And this year bought Fernandinho and get it right.

 

[JamDav1982]

he actually did play further back in the youth teams, he moved forward for juvinel A and barca B, but before the big talk was the thiago brothers, thiago the flashy AM and rafa the discipline CM

I cant remember ever seeing him play further back.

Always seemed to be in attacking positions and was even at false nine for a while in youth teams.