Sergi Roberto

[darthvader7888]

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.

I wouldn't change our starting midfield trio (next season, at least), just rotate more to keep them (especially Xavi) fresh. Like I said, Xavi-Busquets-Iniesta is still our best midfield trio IMO. Thiago-Busquets-Iniesta when Xavi's tired, off-form or injured, since Cesc/Iniesta doesn't work that well (as we've seen a few times this season) due to the lack of a Xavi-type midfield controller. Thiago's obviously not the exact same as Xavi, but he does well in that role and should be the one used to rotate with and rest Xavi, not Cesc. Also, we should change some things tactically, like bringing back the pressing, but, again, we shouldn't change the starting midfield trio.

I do think something like the lineup from the first half of the season (Xavi-Busquets-Cesc with Iniesta on the wing) might be a good plan B though.

 

[jamrock]

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.

Let's see how things have change for us over the past 20 years
Midfield-pep,laudrup,bakero...with a forward line of hristp,Salinas,... giving us variety
2006-deco,van bommel,inista,...., dinho and eto variety
2009, iniesa,busquets,xavi,..., eto,henry,messi

I don't need to go on, we have always won when we have midfielders who emphasizes control over chaos, as I have heard Tito refer to cesc and a forward line that gives us variety, barca have need reach the highest heights with a 20 goals 15 assist midfield its not what we are about, And no matter how football changes we will never be about this.

As it relates to teams have figures us out, they have not figured out our midfield we still do hat we want in midfield most games, when all are fit, they have figured out the front line, because everyone bar messi has been poor over the past two seasons.

Their is not much to figure out in the midfield we control the ball thus the game and give our forward players a platform to build on.


Won't even address cesc mitigating the decline of xavi, just no.

 

[DonAndres]

As it relates to teams have figures us out, they have not figured out our midfield we still do hat we want in midfield most games, when all are fit, they have figured out the front line, because everyone bar messi has been poor over the past two seasons.

Their is not much to figure out in the midfield we control the ball thus the game and give our forward players a platform to build on.


Won't even address cesc mitigating the decline of xavi, just no.

Haven't figured out the midfield? Where were you when Bayern pressed so hard that Xavi and Iniesta were reduced to making a huge array of complacent passes around the central circle? They couldn't even get the ball to the forwards, how could it be the forwards fault? Our midfield was dominated by a simple compressed defensive pressing game and with this slow, lethargic system under Tito we will have to get used to that more often. At the very least Cesc will help us break down parked buses and get through difficult situations with his direct style of play. The true end of the era isn't when Cesc becomes a starter, it's when we become over-reliant on a single set of players even after the decline. What would Roberto even add that is better than Cesc?

 

[darthvader7888]

Haven't figured out the midfield? Where were you when Bayern pressed so hard that Xavi and Iniesta were reduced to making a huge array of complacent passes around the central circle? They couldn't even get the ball to the forwards, how could it be the forwards fault? Our midfield was dominated by a simple compressed defensive pressing game and with this slow, lethargic system under Tito we will have to get used to that more often. At the very least Cesc will help us break down parked buses and get through difficult situations with his direct style of play. The true end of the era isn't when Cesc becomes a starter, it's when we become over-reliant on a single set of players even after the decline. What would Roberto even add that is better than Cesc?

What we need is to get a new coach and/or make tactical changes (like bringing back the pressing), not change the starting midfield trio. Not saying that that's what will happen, but that's what should happen.

Player-wise, it's still the best midfield in the world imo. Bayern dominated us in midfield because of superior tactics. There are definitely a few areas of the team that need personnel changes, but our midfield is not one of them (like I said before, just rotate them, especially Xavi, more to keep them fresh, and maybe start Thiago over Xavi if Thiago's in better form or Xavi's injured/tired). What the midfield needs is rotation and tactical changes, not changes to the starting midfield trio. Again, I'm not saying that that's what will happen, but it's what should happen.

I do agree that Cesc would be a good option to use in certain situations though.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

At the very least Cesc will help us break down parked buses and get through difficult situations with his direct style of play.

With a vacant front, as we have played most games once Messi stops walking around up front and drops to mid, there is no one to "be direct" to:

Seriously, that is how Barça has played when they don't have someone going CF in front of Messi to occupy the centerbacks.

 

[DonAndres]

Assuming Cesc replaces Iniesta, he'd be in a much more advanced position at default. That leaves him with Alexis and Pedro to play direct passes to. Alexis we know links up well with him and continuously works to find a way behind the defense, Pedro is more inconsistent at it. And whenever the defenders get pulled closer to Cesc+Alexis as they link up, it frees up more space for Messi to get forward and act as a vital attacking option as well.

 

[darthvader7888]

Assuming Cesc replaces Iniesta, he'd be in a much more advanced position at default. That leaves him with Alexis and Pedro to play direct passes to. Alexis we know links up well with him and continuously works to find a way behind the defense, Pedro is more inconsistent at it. And whenever the defenders get pulled closer to Cesc+Alexis as they link up, it frees up more space for Messi to get forward and act as a vital attacking option as well.

Replace Iniesta? Benching our best midfielder would be a retarded idea. As for putting him on the wing... could work, but it hasn't worked in big games this season.

He can't replace Xavi either, since he can't play in that role. If I were to make any change to our midfield, Thiago's the one I'd put in (to replace Xavi), not Cesc. Not saying we should change the starting midfield trio, but if I were to make a change, it'd be Thiago for Xavi.

 

[DonAndres]

Game-specific replacement, not overall succeeding him.

 

[darthvader7888]

Game-specific replacement, not overall succeeding him.

Fair enough, but I still think it would be a stupid idea to bench our best midfielder, even if it is only for one game. I suppose a Cesc for Iniesta sub could work in certain situations though.

 

[VenusA]

Why sergi Roberto didn't play with Spain Un21 and Spain Un20 ... His age is 21 right ? SO WHY .????

 

[DonAndres]

Too old for u20, not good enough for u21

 

[VenusA]

Uuuuuuh feel Sorry for him ... =(

 

[kozza]

Not good enough ?! lol, he wasn't in U21 NT just because all players were part of their first teams

 

[Ronnie10]

He still has a chance to play for the next UEFA U21 2015.

 

[Jean]

According to Dutch television Roberto will also have a great probability to go to Ajax for 1 season.