Rafinha Alcantara

[JamDav1982]

He's going to get a shot to really feature all over the field. If the team sells Cesc and/or do not buy a proper CM, Rafinha is going to get a lot of playing time in a lot of different positions throughout midfield.

He's going to get his chance to shine, from then on, it is up to him.

Maybe but I think the primary position he will get a chance in will be on the RW, it is where he featured a lot for Celta.

If Cesc gets sold and Rafinha takes his squad place as a center midfielder then the squad has declined. Cesc is the far better player of the two for me.

 

[Ursegor]

But who will captain the club if not Xavi

I'm watching you. Be aware. :cesc:

 

[DonAndres]

He's going to get a shot to really feature all over the field. If the team sells Cesc and/or do not buy a proper CM, Rafinha is going to get a lot of playing time in a lot of different positions throughout midfield.

He's going to get his chance to shine, from then on, it is up to him.

Yeah I don't understand why people have to classify him to one role only given his versatility. He'll be a very useful squad player, a youngster we can actually use for rotation to help us rather than just to donate minutes to him.

RW seems far fetched since Lucho knows and appreciates how good he is in midfield as well as the fact that Deulo will be fighting for minutes in attack (Rafinha has far more to offer in our midfield than up front). He'll play more attack minded next to Xavi, reserved next to Cesc, and it's kind of a wild card with Iniesta (would be a partnership worth watching I feel).

 

[Learo]

I think he loses the ball too often to play in the middle. I think RW is where he can perform best for us, although he isnt the fastest.

 

[Sumlit]

Maybe but I think the primary position he will get a chance in will be on the RW, it is where he featured a lot for Celta.

If Cesc gets sold and Rafinha takes his squad place as a center midfielder then the squad has declined. Cesc is the far better player of the two for me.

Majority of the games for Celta he played in the midfield. He played a good amount at RW, but he played the most around the midfield.

Selling Cesc to open the way for Rafinha is a gamble, I won't deny this, and IMO this only should be done if the team buys a proper CM. Cesc is a better player now no doubt, but Cesc has consistency problems that are real, and perhaps a gamble in favor of Rafinha might be the smartest thing to do now.

Who knows though, it's all speculation at this point.

 

[JamDav1982]

Yeah I don't understand why people have to classify him to one role only given his versatility. He'll be a very useful squad player, a youngster we can actually use for rotation to help us rather than just to donate minutes to him.

RW seems far fetched since Lucho knows and appreciates how good he is in midfield as well as the fact that Deulo will be fighting for minutes in attack (Rafinha has far more to offer in our midfield than up front). He'll play more attack minded next to Xavi, reserved next to Cesc, and it's kind of a wild card with Iniesta (would be a partnership worth watching I feel).

Rafinha has always been more of an attacking player and has never shown he can play a more reserved role in midfield.

Lucho knows what he can do on the right and in the middle, he played him in both and marginally more on the right I think but he never played anything close to a Xavi type controlling role at Celta. His game is more about individual moments than constant involvement in games for me and he would be a long way behind all the CMs currently at the club other than maybe Roberto.

 

[DonAndres]

Rafinha has always been more of an attacking player and has never shown he can play a more reserved role in midfield.

Lucho knows what he can do on the right and in the middle, he played him in both and marginally more on the right I think but he never played anything close to a Xavi type controlling role at Celta. His game is more about individual moments than constant involvement in games for me and he would be a long way behind all the CMs currently at the club other than maybe Roberto.

Never said he's a Xavi type, by reserved I meant more focused on providing energy and dynamic ability rather than penetration. He has double the appearances at CM than at RW for Celta Vigo (14 vs 7). Sure he can play on the right, but most likely under injury crisis conditions.

And yeah he's attack driven, but let's not act like that's where his game originates and ends. He ain't no Ozil or Cesc. He pressures in defense and helps out in buildup. He can't 'dictate' a game but that's not to say that he'll just wait up top to receive the ball before going for a killer pass/shot. His play, unlike that of completely natural attacking midfielders, supports the buildup of the entire team AND provides an attacking option. True attacking players only do the latter.

But overall, does it really matter? His presence in the squad is good for competition and the fact that he will get due consideration from the coach. He'll play everywhere he can for minutes as a sub or starter. In the short term, I'm just glad that if we're not playing Xavi/Iniesta/Cesc we have him instead of Roberto.

 

[Learo]

Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Rafinha+new player. Maybe someone like Oriol Romeu could be useful for Lucho. I think we need another Busquets type of player. A player who can play DM and CM. Busquets is perhaps our best player. He is so smart and elegant and always find a way out of the tightest situations without losing the ball.

 

[JamDav1982]

Never said he's a Xavi type, by reserved I meant more focused on providing energy and dynamic ability rather than penetration. He has double the appearances at CM than at RW for Celta Vigo (14 vs 7). Sure he can play on the right, but most likely under injury crisis conditions.

And yeah he's attack driven, but let's not act like that's where his game originates and ends. He ain't no Ozil or Cesc. He pressures in defense and helps out in buildup. He can't 'dictate' a game but that's not to say that he'll just wait up top to receive the ball before going for a killer pass/shot. His play, unlike that of completely natural attacking midfielders, supports the buildup of the entire team AND provides an attacking option. True attacking players only do the latter.

But overall, does it really matter? His presence in the squad is good for competition and the fact that he will get due consideration from the coach. He'll play everywhere he can for minutes as a sub or starter. In the short term, I'm just glad that if we're not playing Xavi/Iniesta/Cesc we have him instead of Roberto.

He played 11 times from the right hand side and 14 in the middle from whoscored.com and even a lot of those he was classed as playing in the middle he was very much on the right of a midfield three for the majority.

'Supports the build up of the entire team'

Thats not the case, he was much more of an attacking player moving away from ball and trying to get into areas where he can hurt the opposition.

 

[jamrock]

jamdav as per usual doesn't know what he is talking about.

anyways he will play in midfield, he has play CM for most of his life and only started playing AM a few years back, if he develops over the years, he will be a iniesta type player. a rounded AM

one thing i am sure of is that he will play as many games on the wing as thiago played under pep, very very few, maybe just to put him on and get him some minutes

 

[JamDav1982]

jamdav as per usual doesn't know what he is talking about.

anyways he will play in midfield, he has play CM for most of his life and only started playing AM a few years back, if he develops over the years, he will be a iniesta type player. a rounded AM

one thing i am sure of is that he will play as many games on the wing as thiago played under pep, very very few, maybe just to put him on and get him some minutes

Haha you followed Rafa for 'most of his life' have you?

Even for Barca forum that is a fair claim.

For the b team and the youth team before that he was an attacking midfielder and spent some time at false nine also.

When did he stop playing as a CM oh wise one?

 

[DonAndres]

He played 11 times from the right hand side and 14 in the middle from whoscored.com and even a lot of those he was classed as playing in the middle he was very much on the right of a midfield three for the majority.

'Supports the build up of the entire team'

Thats not the case, he was much more of an attacking player moving away from ball and trying to get into areas where he can hurt the opposition.

By that logic we should move Iniesta to LW permanently? Even when he's in midfield, he always drifts to the left side. Players roam, he's an attacking midfielder, does that mean he shouldn't play in midfield? Hell no. Even Xavi used to drift way far forward into attacking positions to hurt the opposition back in 08/09, but yeah I guess #Xavitofalse9.

He has a healthy balance between tucking in to receive the ball and making off the ball runs. He likes to drive from deep. It's known characteristics of his play. I dunno what to tell you if you don't know this.

 

[Learo]

By that logic we should move Iniesta to LW permanently? Even when he's in midfield, he always drifts to the left side. Players roam, he's an attacking midfielder, does that mean he shouldn't play in midfield? Hell no. Even Xavi used to drift way far forward into attacking positions to hurt the opposition back in 08/09, but yeah I guess #Xavitofalse9.

He has a healthy balance between tucking in to receive the ball and making off the ball runs. He likes to drive from deep. It's known characteristics of his play. I dunno what to tell you if you don't know this.

Pretty much all of Iniesta's best games this season was on the left wing and thats where he plays for Spain as well. I remember people were screaming for Iniesta to be played as CM after his MoM performances on the free role at left wing. And ever since people got their will and he was moved back to the CM, he has been underperforming.

 

[ebieymjunior]

Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Rafinha+new player. Maybe someone like Oriol Romeu could be useful for Lucho. I think we need another Busquets type of player. A player who can play DM and CM. Busquets is perhaps our best player. He is so smart and elegant and always find a way out of the tightest situations without losing the ball.

Can always play Samper.

I like the idea of seeing if the younger CMs will stay or not in the preseason (Roberto, Dos Santos, Suarez). If they're good, then yay, but if not, doesn't matter, there are others waiting to take their places.
Let's just not forget that even the likes of Xavi and Iniesta had to wait a while to get recognition, so let's not just to the conclusion that for example Roberto is not good enough, he was really good in preseason last year, and in the first half of the season, only to regress in the second half with less playing time.

 

[JamDav1982]

By that logic we should move Iniesta to LW permanently? Even when he's in midfield, he always drifts to the left side. Players roam, he's an attacking midfielder, does that mean he shouldn't play in midfield? Hell no. Even Xavi used to drift way far forward into attacking positions to hurt the opposition back in 08/09, but yeah I guess #Xavitofalse9.

He has a healthy balance between tucking in to receive the ball and making off the ball runs. He likes to drive from deep. It's known characteristics of his play. I dunno what to tell you if you don't know this.

Iniesta drift about getting involved in the build up play, his natural game is to come to ball and help control the game.

Rafinhas game is not that. He is more like Cesc in that he will try and get into positions in the final third to make things happen and will take more risks than Iniesta would. You will see him drift to right and run at players much more than Iniesta does on other side.

He has never been the type to get heavily involved in build up play and a lot of his best moments come when he has drifted to the right and has more space to run at players.

We shall see how Lucho uses him and can always revisit this thread.