Sergi Roberto

Devils

Senior Member
I would rather have (younger) Arda-someone (not Iniesta/Rafinha)-Busi.
Arda is still a midfielder, a guy who was creating things for years.
Even though he is a shadow of himself lately.

Roberto, while he is capable for doing a random solo run (he has done a few lately from a RB position or in 343), he is still a guy whom teammates stopped passing the ball in the last few Months when he was a RB.
People will reply: but he was a RB.
Ok, but imagine if we placed Xavi as a RB in 433 (in theory). When he would get the ball, he wouldn't run past 3 players and cross, but he would do something useful even as a RB in terms of triangles, link up etc with other teammates. And I doubt that teammates would stop passing the ball to a RB Xavi.
Or if we would put Messi at a RB. Do you think that teammates would see him free at wing and think: I won't pass the ball to him, he won't do anything useful with it?

Ok, it is not fair to compare players with Xavi and Messi, even when we put them at a RB, but I hope that you get the point.
I like Roberto, he is awesome, as a squad player.
And compared with our other players, I would rather play him as a Cm than Gomes, Denis, Samper and even current, old Arda from my post.
BUT, I would still rather play Iniesta, Rafinha and Rakitic as Cms, before Roberto, because they have more allround skills for that position.

I have a feeling that people are currently slightly blinded (by emotions) by a good display, or more precisely, by a good solo run in the 93rd minute yesterday.
Roberto is still a guy who was an absolute disaster in his first seasons here, where people made jokes about him.
Later he improved and turned into a playable Cdm/Cm sub.
In 2015/16 he was very good when we suffered a lot of injuries.

Now, you can reply that it is because Lucho is "stupid", but Roberto lost his Cm position as soon as Arda was allowed to play and when Rafinha returned from a longterm injury.
So, when everyone were fit, a pecking order was:
1. Iniesta
2. Rakitic
3. Arda
4. Rafinha
5. Roberto

Then we signed Gomes and Denis and Gomes jumped to a No3.
It is hard to tell what would happen if Roberto was a Cm, but in Lucho's plans, at least Iniesta, Rakitic, Gomes, Rafinha and probably Arda were infront of him.
I am not sure about Denis.

So, it isn't as if Lucho picked our 2nd best Cm and turned him into a RB, but he picked a guy who was his 5th choice and who wouldn't play too much either way (probably).
Then Roberto was a RB, who started good, but has lost it pretty fast.
I know, I know, he is not a RB, but still, his link up and sideway passes were quite horrible for Months and he offered absolutely zero in attack.
This is where my claim comes from that teammates lately started to neglect him totally in attack.

Also, now in hindsight, it is easy to change the past and think that he played awesome in the past as a CM.
I have browsed his topic from 2015 now, and for example, in this post you can see that he actually didn't play too much as a CM either in 2015/16 autumn/winter:
November 2015: "He's played 4 games as a CM and 1 as FWR and his whoscored ratings are much higher in those positions than as RB where he has played 5 times."
So, he played only a few matches as a CM even then, and then played as a RB.
When Arda was available later, Arda played all the time.
And this season, he was used as a RB.
So, in the end, Roberto played as a CM probably 10-15 in his whole Barca's career (right?). And since he is already 25, I am not sure how do you expect that a 25 years old guy who played only a few matches in his whole career as a true CM will suddenly compete for a place of Barca's starter?

If you want to refresh (and other posters also) your memories from not too distant summer/autumn of 2015 (when he started as a CM), here you go:
http://www.barcaforum.com/showthread.php/2610-20-Sergi-Roberto/page122
And read 3-4 pages from back then.

There were 100s of posts like:
"This guy... Midfield Mascherano - Rafinha - Roberto is probably the worst Barça midfield in 10 years."

Since then, Roberto played 5-10 matches as a midfielder, and played all the time as a RB, or was not playing at all.
He surely improved, even with playing as a RB.
But still, he was a guy whom people called on forum as the worst Barca's midfielder ever and someone who should never again in his life play as a Cm (you'll see those posts also) and now 2 years later, when people are too emotional about his workrate and 2 magic moments (Psg 6:1 goal and Real 2:3 solo run), we are discussing him being a starter for Barca suddenly.

Again, I love Roberto, and want him here, but as a sub Cdm, Cm and a RB.
In moments like this when people are too emotional, posts like mine sounds like hating on our player (a current hero), but you see, a revisionism kicks in all the time, and past times are easily forgotten or altered.

This proves absolutely nothing and is senseless for the most part.

You make it sound like him being placed in the RB position was some sort pity placement from Lucho. When in fact it was his highly unique versatility, that no other player in our squad has, that made Lucho place him in a position that we had minimal to zero depth in over the past two years.

His breakout season was 2015-2016 and Lucho played him in 7 different positions. And he performed very well in most of them.

Most people on here simply see a player who has made incredible improvements over two years and has proved himself on the biggest of stages against the toughest of opposition but is playing out of natural position. And no, that isn't just two moments of magic...he's been very good for the most part of his breakthrough. Proved everyone wrong it and continues to deliver. He's earned the right top play in his natural position and he's certainly made a lot of people convincingly believe in his ability. Because Lucho used him due to his versatility doesn't discredit his potential as a CM.

BTW I don't think you have the right to call people blinded when you are the one plugging players into your self-derived hypothetical models and trends and making it sound like they provide some sort of concrete theoretical output.
 
Last edited:

gatsu

New member
Roberto is good when he have space. Under pressure its a completely different story, and thats precisely the skill required for a barca MF.
 

Neeraj

Senior Member
I agree, he should definitely play in midfield next season. However, I see him as one of those guys that will slot in at various parts of the midfield, as is the requirement and personnel at hand. He MAY make Rakitic position is, because I truly think Rakitic has lost some of his stamina and chutzpah. If he doesn't manage to do that, then he may not be in our Gala XI, because we will have Biscuits + hopefully a really good CM from the transfer market + one of him / iniesta / rakitic / any other breakout player or purchase.

He's versatile so you can still expect him to play most games, considering there will be injuries, possibly even at RB every now and then, which is completely fine because he's overall a good player. I'm not sure I'd look at him as a superstar in our Gala XI, which is completely okay IMO. He can and hopefully will be an important cog in the wheel. Something like a Keita, but possibly with much more game time.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Players hold and push off the ball all the time. Not sure why folk are even making an issue of that.

Roberto has a couple little pushes on Ronaldo as well as does Umtiti on Asensio. Not as big as Ronaldo but players are up to that all the time if can get away with it.
 

God Serena

New member
Yeah that wasn't very nice but there's really not much to that particular incident. I myself tend to do something similar but I grab and pull instead for basically no reason lol
 

Windhook

Well-known member
Sorry, but this kind of pushing with hands is not allowed even in corner situations. It's an offensive foul. If Cristiano pushed Sergi with shoulder no problem. A momentary lapse of reason by the Portuguese.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Sorry, but this kind of pushing with hands is not allowed even in corner situations. It's an offensive foul. If Cristiano pushed Sergi with shoulder no problem. A momentary lapse of reason by the Portuguese.

It is a foul but nothing out of ordinary from that players do all the time when officials cant see.

No big deal at all.
 

Windhook

Well-known member
I agree it's no big deal, because this is Sergi Roberto, a humble guy. Imagine it was some hot-head instead of Sergi, he would have struck back immediately in more aggresive way and voila! Red card for Barcelona. I just changed my mind, it's not momentary lapse of reason, it is a clear provocation by Cristiano.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
I agree it's no big deal, because this is Sergi Roberto, a humble guy. Imagine it was some hot-head instead of Sergi, he would have struck back immediately in more aggresive way and voila! Red card for Barcelona. I just changed my mind, it's not momentary lapse of reason, it is a clear provocation by Cristiano.

It isnt provocation. He thinks James is going to cross the ball and tries to get space by pushing Roberto.

Players who cant deal with that and react that is their own problem.

Barca have plenty provocative players as well. All teams do.
 

God Serena

New member
I agree it's no big deal, because this is Sergi Roberto, a humble guy. Imagine it was some hot-head instead of Sergi, he would have struck back immediately in more aggresive way and voila! Red card for Barcelona. I just changed my mind, it's not momentary lapse of reason, it is a clear provocation by Cristiano.

If Sergi strikes him back and gets a red that's his fault for being an idiot than it is Cristiano's fault for the initial push. If it was that easy to provoke a player into getting sent off it'd be an even larger issue.
 

Home of Barca Fans

Top