Sergi Roberto

[Povikas]

Neither Barcelona nor Sergi Roberto want the player to leave on loan this summer. Both think he can have playing time next season. [rac1]
via barcastuff

So we're selling Cesc?

 

[Galning]

ask Thiago how much playing time he got.

 

[Jaykob]

I would really rather sell cesc and give him more playing time, really like him as a player, more potential than cesc imho

 

[SamperFCB]

I would really rather sell cesc and give him more playing time, really like him as a player, more potential than cesc imho

Cesc is top of the world, Sergi Roberto is average. People underrating Cesc the entire season. He wasn't on the top of his level, but gave 14 assists and scored 11 goals in La Liga. Not bad for someone who wasn't on his top. I'm sure he will do better next season.

Personally don't think that Sergi Roberto has the potential to become a first team player. However, I would suggest to send him on loan to Real Betis for two seasons. Just let him play his La Liga matches and Europa League matches with them and in the end see what the result is. Give Betis a first option to buy after those two years. Win-win for both clubs since Betis hasn't got the money to buy expensive players.

 

[instinct]

Cesc is top of the world, Sergi Roberto is average. People underrating Cesc the entire season. He wasn't on the top of his level, but gave 14 assists and scored 11 goals in La Liga. Not bad for someone who wasn't on his top. I'm sure he will do better next season.

This.

 

[Jaykob]

Cesc is top of the world, Sergi Roberto is average. People underrating Cesc the entire season. He wasn't on the top of his level, but gave 14 assists and scored 11 goals in La Liga. Not bad for someone who wasn't on his top. I'm sure he will do better next season.

Personally don't think that Sergi Roberto has the potential to become a first team player. However, I would suggest to send him on loan to Real Betis for two seasons. Just let him play his La Liga matches and Europa League matches with them and in the end see what the result is. Give Betis a first option to buy after those two years. Win-win for both clubs since Betis hasn't got the money to buy expensive players.

Cesc is not a striker, he is supposed to be a midfielder, but i don't think he will ever be a great midfielder for barca. He lacks the technique vision tactical discipline to play in the barca midfield, the whole barca game relies on the midfielder ability to keep the ball flowing, to keep possession, it's probably the most difficult position to play for a non la masia player. I know cesc is originally also from la masia, but his time in england changed his game too much, so he becomes a liability in midfield. His best position would probably be in the hole between midfield and striker, but he will never play there in barca because a certain messi occupies that space.

 

[SamperFCB]

Watch his Arsenal games. By far the most technical and skilled midfielder in the Premier League for years. Fàbregas has it all to succeed at Barca, but needs confidence and to play in the Xavi role, not the false nine.

 

[DonAndres]

How could people really suggest that Roberto is more valuable to Barca than Cesc? Roberto is a very, very poor man's Koke. Cesc adds a lot to the team even if he is inconsistent. It's just irrational Cesc hating and strange glorifying of Roberto who really isn't much more than a possible utility player.

 

[Deco 20]

How could people really suggest that Roberto is more valuable to Barca than Cesc? Roberto is a very, very poor man's Koke. Cesc adds a lot to the team even if he is inconsistent. It's just irrational Cesc hating and strange glorifying of Roberto who really isn't much more than a possible utility player.

this!

 

[jamrock]

A utility player is exactly the type of player we need/needed to replace keita

Roberto>cesc

 

[DonAndres]

A utility player is exactly the type of player we need/needed to replace keita

Roberto>cesc

Cesc (when on form) added more directness to the buildup play and was statistically remarkable. The only real problem I see people having with him is that his presence throws off the more comfortably accepted midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets. You only like Roberto better because he clearly isn't good enough to mess with that trio so he'd be a utility sub. In truth, that midfield is not going to be the same forever and we need to start experimenting with different styles and different players to be a more versatile team and not relying on a single type of lineup (the kind of thing that screwed us over this season). While Cesc may irritate you by throwing off what seems to be an already peaceful lineup, he adds intense talent to the team and can help in many ways in the future. Roberto will likely never be half as talented as Cesc and if it came down to picking one over the other, Roberto would be gone with the snap of a finger.

 

[darthvader7888]

Cesc (when on form) added more directness to the buildup play and was statistically remarkable. The only real problem I see people having with him is that his presence throws off the more comfortably accepted midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets. You only like Roberto better because he clearly isn't good enough to mess with that trio so he'd be a utility sub. In truth, that midfield is not going to be the same forever and we need to start experimenting with different styles and different players to be a more versatile team and not relying on a single type of lineup (the kind of thing that screwed us over this season). While Cesc may irritate you by throwing off what seems to be an already peaceful lineup, he adds intense talent to the team and can help in many ways in the future. Roberto will likely never be half as talented as Cesc and if it came down to picking one over the other, Roberto would be gone with the snap of a finger.

Tbf, that previous lineup with Cesc in midfield nearly screwed us over (and would have screwed us over had we gone with it against Milan), despite working fairly well in the first half of the season. The Xavi-Busquets-Iniesta trio is still our best midfield trio. Thiago-Busquets-Iniesta when Xavi's tired or off-form (coz Cesc can't play the Xavi role, so Cesc and Iniesta in midfield doesn't really work). I agree with you that Roberto will never be half as talented as Cesc though, and that we should keep Cesc.

 

[DonAndres]

Tbf, that previous lineup with Cesc in midfield nearly screwed us over (and would have screwed us over had we gone with it against Milan), despite working fairly well in the first half of the season. I agree with you that Roberto will never be half as talented as Cesc though, and that we should keep Cesc.

It only screwed us over because it was way overused and Tito didn't balance it out (giving too much liberty to Alves, isolating the left flank, etc.). It was just as bad to overuse Xavi-Cesc-Busquets as it is to overuse Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets. Rotate, switch around tactics and player roles, then you wouldn't see a lineup go dead.

 

[jamrock]

Why would I want to mess with the holy trinity, unless its with a players that adds without taking away from the tried and proven, people are behaving like we have only just been playing a certain way in midfield its been the same way for most of the past 20 years, the successful parts at that, we have mainly failed when we tried to put players in midfield that doesn't fit, technically and tactical. if we want variety we get it from the front three with a utility man who offers something really different like a keita and not some in betweener like cesc.

Let's me clear I dislike cesc, but not for footballing reasons, on the footballing side, I said before he arrived he is not a midfielder and will not fit and that is the case and will remain the case, he is a top player, that will be a top player for all most every team not named Spain and barca.

The moment we hand our midfiel over to cesc is the moment our cycle will be truly over, mark my words.

 

[DonAndres]

Why would I want to mess with the holy trinity, unless its with a players that adds without taking away from the tried and proven, people are behaving like we have only just been playing a certain way in midfield its been the same way for most of the past 20 years, the successful parts at that, we have mainly failed when we tried to put players in midfield that doesn't fit, technically and tactical. if we want variety we get it from the front three with a utility man who offers something really different like a keita and not some in betweener like cesc.

Let's me clear I dislike cesc, but not for footballing reasons, on the footballing side, I said before he arrived he is not a midfielder and will not fit and that is the case and will remain the case, he is a top player, that will be a top player for all most every team not named Spain and barca.

The moment we hand our midfiel over to cesc is the moment our cycle will be truly over, mark my words.

Why mess with the holy trinity? Here are a few reasons:

- Teams have started to figure us out more in the past few years with parked buses, harder pressing, etc. forcing us to need a direct player from time to time.

- Tito is not Pep, the midfield trio will not work the same under him and needs more player rotation to successfully match the levels Pep reached. Pep had the tactical innovation to be able to keep the play alive and on fire even with one main midfield lineup. Tito doesn't have that, he overuses a lineup for a good 5-6 months before it becomes deadwood and starts harming the players.

- Xavi isn't getting any younger. We're eventually going to have to live without him and while Thiago can prove to be a worthy successor, he isn't the exact same player which calls for changes in the way the midfield lines up and plays. Cesc playing keeps things fresh and ever-changing so that we can compensate for the decline and eventual retirement of Xavi.

Things can never always remain the same. Pep was able to elongate the life of the holy midfield trinity but eventually even that can't remain exactly the same especially under Tito. Football is evolving and it's stupid to think that just because something worked before it'll always work in the future. Selling Cesc and keeping Roberto would be a massive step backwards and would ensure that our future midfield will become weak and a desperate attempt to cling to the past.