Sergio Busquets

[DonAK]

Should have done it right after Spain's WC Group Exit.

 

[Ghost]

Busquets decline has coincided with Xavi and Iniesta's. THAT is NO coincidence.

He was great when Xavi and Iniesta were dominant because he just had to clean up, intercept and do the simple things well.

He's good at reading the game in that way.

However on a physical level he's piss poor. No athletic ability, no physicality and when spaces appear he's not strong and quick enough to close them down.

I never really rated him, even during our prime years with Guardiola.

+1

 

[Behrox]

Look at the people who come crawling from under their rocks now... Busquets distributes the ball like no other player in the world, and when our system works, he is the best DM in the world, and people who say he was never good must have short memories or a bad taste in football... he doesn't work in the mess that is our playing style and he doesn't work alongside 2 central midfielders who do literally no defensive work, fix the tactics and you fix him.

Pretty easy to blame it all on him because he is not fast and that is obvious at counter attacks but thinking it would be any better with another player in his place is just naive, play Mascherano there and what you'll get is 2 dumb tackles and 20 long balls a game, nothing else.

Masch right now has alot more to offer than Busi because be it his hernia or something else Busi is unable to keep up with his markers and is unable to play lone DM right now. Plus you are heavily biased against Masch as DM

 

[Lomar1o]

we should play masch, busi, rakitic midfield. say buy buy to xaviesta. because i think busi is still worldclass and is more than capable of fitting in xavi's boots

 

[Co0ter]

When your team has 80% possession and you have two wingers and fullbacks working incredibly hard (during Guardiola's prime)...your DM doesn't really have all that much to do. He did well when he was called to do something, nothing more. Never a threat on net, never a threat on corners or free kicks. Let's not forget Busquets has a history of being sloppy on the ball at very, very bad times. I don't rate a player that had a few good seasons only, especially someone who imo had an easy job. Even Ronaldinho only had a few good seasons in his career, shockingly enough. However, during those times the things he did will be remembered by football fans forever.

All those coaches that kept playing him didn't have much of a choice. Pep sold Yaya and Mascherano has been playing defense since he joined pretty much. Don't even mention Song. You can't bench someone when you have no one to replace him with.

His last good year was when we won the Champion's League. The following season he was good the first half of the season, hasn't been the same player since.

Our team has been ordinary in big games vs big teams because Messi hasn't been himself since much of last season. We won a lot of games throughout the years because quite plainly he did things that were unimaginable.

 

[mobster_1930]

When whole team is playing well and dominating, people usually take notice him and label him as "background genius", that his work goes unnoticed and that he is so damn brilliant. Yes, he is reliable, but only when he has a world class creative midfielders at their peak (like Xavi and Iniesta during 2008-2012) besides him. Xavi and Iniesta are DONE at this level and that's exactly when you notice Busquets shortcomings. He's not runner at all, he is slow, doesn't offer any offensive drive whatsoever. He only clicks when midfielders along him are playing well. We need Mascherano playing at his place.

 

[Morten]

When your team has 80% possession and you have two wingers and fullbacks working incredibly hard (during Guardiola's prime)...your DM doesn't really have all that much to do. He did well when he was called to do something, nothing more. Never a threat on net, never a threat on corners or free kicks. Let's not forget Busquets has a history of being sloppy on the ball at very, very bad times. I don't rate a player that had a few good seasons only, especially someone who imo had an easy job. Even Ronaldinho only had a few good seasons in his career, shockingly enough. However, during those times the things he did will be remembered by football fans forever.

All those coaches that kept playing him didn't have much of a choice. Pep sold Yaya and Mascherano has been playing defense since he joined pretty much. Don't even mention Song. You can't bench someone when you have no one to replace him with.

His last good year was when we won the Champion's League. The following season he was good the first half of the season, hasn't been the same player since.

Our team has been ordinary in big games vs big teams because Messi hasn't been himself since much of last season. We won a lot of games throughout the years because quite plainly he did things that were unimaginable.

This

 

[CatalinR10]

some of the comments make him look like a random player. I know these days he is really far from what he is capable off but on his top level he is at his spot one of the best ever, top 10.


He should just get his operation asap and be ready for the second part of the season.

 

[PP10822]

People need to ask serious questions of both Enriques system and players like Pique, Alves, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Neymar because their positional discipline and defensive work rate is seriously letting the team down. Busquets is taking the flack of multiple errors from his teammates, losing possession easily, not defending, tracking back. Busquets is left doing the work of 3 people which he has done incredibly over the past 3 -4 years but now it's taking its toll. With how the team is playing now you could put Matic, Toure name a DM and it would make no difference.

 

[PP10822]

When whole team is playing well and dominating, people usually take notice him and label him as "background genius", that his work goes unnoticed and that he is so damn brilliant. Yes, he is reliable, but only when he has a world class creative midfielders at their peak (like Xavi and Iniesta during 2008-2012) besides him. Xavi and Iniesta are DONE at this level and that's exactly when you notice Busquets shortcomings. He's not runner at all, he is slow, doesn't offer any offensive drive whatsoever. He only clicks when midfielders along him are playing well. We need Mascherano playing at his place.

You seem to be forgetting what Xavi and Iniesta were like before 2008. Just like Busquets now. Talented players but wasted in a system that doesn't suit them. Look at Kaka for example, was incredible in Italy where they play counter attacking football which suits him pefectly but was very ordinary in Spain where you're given very little space. In Luis Enrique's system players like Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro are wasted because it doesn't play to their strengths. It's like Atletico Madrid suddenly trying to play open expansive football. Players like Gabi, Juanran, Tiago, Godin, Miranda would make mistake after mistake. Conclusion. The poor system, poor workrate and poor positioning is effecting the whole team. Not a big deal in small games but a very big deal in bigger games.

 

[aondoe]

Well stated

When your team has 80% possession and you have two wingers and fullbacks working incredibly hard (during Guardiola's prime)...your DM doesn't really have all that much to do. He did well when he was called to do something, nothing more. Never a threat on net, never a threat on corners or free kicks. Let's not forget Busquets has a history of being sloppy on the ball at very, very bad times. I don't rate a player that had a few good seasons only, especially someone who imo had an easy job. Even Ronaldinho only had a few good seasons in his career, shockingly enough. However, during those times the things he did will be remembered by football fans forever.

All those coaches that kept playing him didn't have much of a choice. Pep sold Yaya and Mascherano has been playing defense since he joined pretty much. Don't even mention Song. You can't bench someone when you have no one to replace him with.

His last good year was when we won the Champion's League. The following season he was good the first half of the season, hasn't been the same player since.

Our team has been ordinary in big games vs big teams because Messi hasn't been himself since much of last season. We won a lot of games throughout the years because quite plainly he did things that were unimaginable.

I Couldn't have said this better. Great points but to elaborate on one thing. I think Busquets is an underrated one-on-one defender. I even underestimated him. But I've rarely seen someone dribble by him. His greatest weakness is as you said, lack of certain offensive tools(shooting, free-kicks, and dribbling) and his lack of athleticism leaving him susceptible to exploit on counter attacks.

 

[DonAK]

Busi + Masch = Midfield?

 

[Flavia]

So our md member decided to write about it? Took a while. Lucho should try busi as cm, see how he does.

 

[DonAK]

So our md member decided to write about it? Took a while. Lucho should try busi as cm, see how he does.

I don't think having a turtle at CM would be a great idea though.

 

[Flavia]

I don't think having a turtle at CM would be a great idea though.

He's not that slow. Busi-Masch-Rakitic could work.