I'll continue here from Mats thread:
If there is one player that actually gives a f*ck and is as motivated as ever, it is Mascherano. Also, Sergi Roberto has showed hundreds of times that he is a very good player. He stepped up just as much as the 1st teamers against tough teams. How can he be such a huge downgrade?
The difference between La Masia youngsters and oldies who aren't good enough is La Masia players have room for improvement. Just look at Denis Suarez now compared to Arda Turan. Or Roberto in comparison to basically all of those older backup players (lol).
Your La Masia hate-boner has caused you to suggest we purchase Paul Pogba. I have to wonder, though, will you have the same opinion several years from now when the time comes for Carles Alena to knock on the door to the first team?
But what we currently have is Rafinha, who never impressed till now.
And Roberto, who improved a lot compared to how vanilla he was 2-3 years ago.
There are matches where he played like a world class (let's just hope that his match against Real Madrid won't end the same as Bartra's match against Atletico a few years ago, aka one legendary match that will be remembered for years in all forum debates), but in majority of matches he is still "vanilla".
He just plays, he is ok, he is not good, he is not bad, but basically nothing happens when he has the ball.
He is devoted like Bartra, he loves the club, he is young, he is a likeable guy. He runs a lot, he is motivated, but...
As a RB, he is miles behind Alves in attacking area, and that is a part which we need the most in 90% of matches against midtable La liga teams.
As a Cm, he is like 50% of Rakitic when Rakitic is in his worst creative days where he just runs and can't do anything important in attack.
(I love Rakitic, btw)
So, when Raki or Iniesta play like a crap, and we need another option, Roberto currently is NOT a guy for whom we could say: "Oh, bring him in, maybe he will change something on the field."
Even Rafinha has higher chances to actually change something in attack when we are losing than Roberto.
And that says a lot also...
While I am probably slightly pessimistic regarding La Masia talents, you will clearly see the pattern of our fans/this forum, how we are always desperately look for the next big thing or at least for the next starter in our team.
And when there aren't obvious options, we (a forum), just "create" a new option even though that player is far from it.
Last year it was Bartra, Samper, and Adama to some extent.
When those guys failed or stagnated, forum created the next big thing out of Halilovic this year.
Now, when he stagnated or when some of his flaws became more visible, suddenly the world will end if we don't play Mats, and in the last 2-3 Months, Roberto became a future starter and a solution for our problem with oldies and with a lack of motivation.
If Roberto will fail, stagnate or if people will realize that he is not that good, forum will soon turn back to Samper again or we will create new 2-3 La Masia kids who will suddenly get overhyped here.
Also, I think that 80-90% of our fans on this forum are giving too much credit to a phrase: "he is young, he will improve".
That phrase became a solution for every flaw of any young young player.
So, if Roberto isn't too creative as a RB:
People will say: but he is young, he will improve
= well yes, he will improve to some extent. But if he isn't naturally too gifted in that area, he will never improve enough.
But people don't want to accept that part.
They will just reply: no, we need to give him more, more, more chances.
Again, if someone says: Roberto isn't too creative as a Cm, or he doesn't create too often, he just hides on a field and passes the ball sideways all the time.
Again: he will improve, he is young.
He is 24 already, he is more or less a formed player.
What you see is what you get.
Ok, players are improving all the time, but you get the point.
Again, remember how Xavi or Iniesta played when they were youngsters.
Ok, some will reply now: but nobody can be as good as Xavi or Iniesta.
True, but we will need at least slightly similar level of quality.
We shouldn't settle for average players now only because Xavi and Iniesta were one of a kind.
Here is Xavi's debut aged 18 in La Liga:
You can only see his "footballing Dna". He improved over the years, but even then, you can see his basics and his Dna.
Or 21-22 years old Iniesta:
Again, we can see his basics and his footballing Dna (who he is).
He also improved over time, but both Xavi possessed the intelligence from the day 1 (and mastered in that area later) and Iniesta possessed his skill and vision from the day 1 (and mastered in that area later).
And they both had a natural skill/talent and then improvement on top of it.
On the other hand, imo, with guys like Roberto and Rafinha, we are trying to create something even though they clearly lack a natural talent in 100s of areas to be starters in Barca one day.
So, if Roberto isn't too creative aged 24, or if he uses that skill very rarely, it is very likely that he won't improve in that area too much.
This isn't a hate towards La Masia or young players.
I think that is a common sense and objectivity.
Too many people are blinded with cules-glasses and are desperate for new La Masia talents and they see a lot of things in too many players which aren't there at all.
And again, that phrase "he is young, he will improved" is extremely overused and overrated here.
We see too much emphasis on "he is young and he will improve" and too few "on player's natural all-round footballing talent and his natural footballing flaws" (like Halil's irreparable low footballing IQ, for example).
.. true and hilarious and sad .. all three
