Sergio Busquets

[Bobo32]

Trincao is too soft to be a b2b midfielder. At least someone like Rakitic had a bit of physicality.
We need a proper fucking hardman like Van Bommel. That's why I liked Rijkaards teams. There was always a blend of skill and physicality.

I remember so well Rijkaards play - everytime against a competent opponent Barcelona would play the "U-shape" and it would often end in Ronaldinho half-faking for a freekick with his back against the goal, near the touchline and halfwayline.
This was often Barcelonas way of getting the ball into the oppositions half. Sometimes Ronaldinho did something unbelievable and it changed some games, and the games would open up due to other stuff, but Barcelona were very often caught without any idea on how to progress the ball from the defence.

It was with Busquets arrival that Barcelona started to get the ball into the feet of midfielders in the final third with ease, that's when everything started to open up.
You can say it later became static, "handball-play", too hard to break through, but I much prefer having problems with the ball close to opp.area than close to your own area. I prefer opponents to be ultradefensive to having them play like PSG the other day.
Of course when having Vidal+Rakitic as interiors, you get little out of Busquets, and I have to say the same is true with Pedri+De Jong.

Edmilson/Marquez/Toure were great DMCs btw, really top class, and good technically. But they couldn't do what Busquets could, not close to it.

 

[Bobo32]

I think Trincao as a midfielder wouldn't work, I wouldn't even consider trying it, but I like the intention.
At least it shows some creativity and imagination from the poster, which seems very rare here...

 

[Messi983]

Just play Puig alongside him and Busi will be worldclass again. :bobo32:

 

[Bobo32]

Just play Puig alongside him and Busi will be worldclass again. :bobo32:

Very tiring posts, play Thiago, Verratti, Moutinho, Modric, Silva, or even Roberto+Alena in front of him, and he, along with the team, would look a lot better. Or indeed Puig.

Or quit playing him and start to play like every other club full stop, try to capitalize on the reputation and hope to get lucky in buying the right players...
I am sure you rated Henderson and Milner the same 2015 as you did 2019?

 

[mc_lovin]

I dont think the midfield personal is the problem (apart from Busquets obviously for defensive reasons). I get what Bobo is trying to say, and Frenkie/Pedri are ill positioned (either too advanced or too deep), but for me thats more of a consequence of our attack not making space for the midfield at all - they (Griezmann, Messi, Dembele) all want the ball in deep midfield positions - and our terrible defense (someone has to cover for them as well).

Just seeing Frenkie as our main attacking outlet in the box is a shame.

 

[Bobo32]

I agree that I was too focused on the midfield, the problem has to do with all the players in front and their movements (and also their rate of error)
In the first half of the season when Barcelona, as Sid Lowe put it, played a 4-2-the rest, with Coutinho in front as well, the play was even more chaotic; no width, no structure, no distances or free space. Sometimes it worked and looked great, but everything came by chance.

Regardless of where anyone stand, it's obvious that it's a clash of styles, not functioning together right now.

 

[Rory]

I dont think the midfield personal is the problem (apart from Busquets obviously for defensive reasons). I get what Bobo is trying to say, and Frenkie/Pedri are ill positioned (either too advanced or too deep), but for me thats more of a consequence of our attack not making space for the midfield at all - they (Griezmann, Messi, Dembele) all want the ball in deep midfield positions - and our terrible defense (someone has to cover for them as well).

Just seeing Frenkie as our main attacking outlet in the box is a shame.

Thing is that apart from Busquets part is the critical component of the midfield. So it becomes an absolutely gigantic problem. Imagine a player like Wijnaldum (reportedly available last summer for 10m-20m) playing alongside Frenkie (someone he has played with regularly for the national team) and Pedri. Instantly we can match their midfield intensity and pressing. That midfield is also only a little worse-off technically for a large gain of physicality.

Then as much as I can't stand Lenglet and Pique they are hung out to dry by Busquets time and time again making already poor ucl standard defenders even more vulnerable.

 

[mc_lovin]

Thing is that apart from Busquets part is the critical component of the midfield. So it becomes an absolutely gigantic problem. Imagine a player like Wijnaldum (reportedly available last summer for 10m-20m) playing alongside Frenkie (someone he has played with regularly for the national team) and Pedri. Instantly we can match their midfield intensity and pressing. That midfield is also only a little worse-off technically for a large gain of physicality.

Then as much as I can't stand Lenglet and Pique they are hung out to dry by Busquets time and time again making already poor ucl standard defenders even more vulnerable.

I dont disagree with that, but our frontline deserves some credit as well. Griezmann, Messi and Dembele is a dysfunctional mess.

Edit: I think its hard to find 3 less compatible players. Thats art.

 

[Rory]

I dont disagree with that, but our frontline deserves some credit as well. Griezmann, Messi and Dembele is a dysfunctional mess.

Edit: I think its hard to find 3 less compatible players. Thats art.

Agree they're dysfunctional too. Also that Dembele and Griezmann are good enough only 15% of the time. Messi this season about 40%-50% of the time.

 

[Total-Football]

I dont think the midfield personal is the problem (apart from Busquets obviously for defensive reasons). I get what Bobo is trying to say, and Frenkie/Pedri are ill positioned (either too advanced or too deep), but for me thats more of a consequence of our attack not making space for the midfield at all - they (Griezmann, Messi, Dembele) all want the ball in deep midfield positions - and our terrible defense (someone has to cover for them as well).

Just seeing Frenkie as our main attacking outlet in the box is a shame.

Good point. Not only they don't move enough in offensive phases but also love bad (or dobt at all) in defensive phases...

 

[Bobo32]

I was browsing some allasfcb on youtube, I think he put his videos back up recently someway?

Here are some brilliant passes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpkho6tppzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbQMRANX-mQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTI7uAP621M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj5IeQ9GUxo - insane!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi46nduZNr4 - this is how good he can be defensively. Has he become slower or worse since? I don't think so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaN5IEzyHFc - I love this player!

 

[Bobo32]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXO3cdeFaC4

Here is another video showing multiple things:
-because of the good positioning of Iniesta, Busquets can make a brilliant, easy header towards him and continue the attack
-Iniesta wasn't invincible or without fault, he made many mistakes, as he did there.
-I bet if you clock Busquets there, he wasn't so fast to track back back then, either, but in that case it was enough.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

You live in the past.
Not just Busi's surroundings have changed but he himself has changed too. You could put him on an island against any pressuring opponent 10 years ago and he would have never lost the ball or miss accuracy in his passing. Busquets was the anchor of the whole team with the ball and was able to solve every situation, no matter where it was on the pitch and how difficult.
But today all of that is gone. Apart from being the biggest liability in defense due to tactical mistakes exposing the back line and being so bad physically that he is not able to win individual duels anymore Busquets has lost his edge when in possession. Misplaces passes regularly and crumbles under pressure.
Unthinkable up until 3 or 4 years ago.

Busi has always been on of my favorite players but his time is up.

 

[Xaviniesta]

https://youtu.be/6FklM6qvh0c?t=20

how unlucky, clears it twice but both times it rebounds to a madrid player lmao

 

[Bobo32]

He had a great game today, playing two assistworthy passes, multiple patented perfect passes between the lines, a few long passes out to the winger, and generally finding the right player at the right time.
As he wasn't instructed to fall inbetween the CBs, the angles were generally great, and he could hold the position 20m into the offensive half and distribute the ball safely and precisely, while being in the perfect position to break up any counter attacks.

While he was on the pitch, Barcelona were dominating. As many times before this season, Barcelona lost the lead after Busquets went out.
You can say that Cadiz, like opponents before, was always going to push forward at the end, whether Busquets was on or not. Still, I am sure Barcelona would win this game if Busquets had stayed on.