Sergio Busquets

[Bobo32]

Issue is the way we play we need him to defend large spaces as we can't compress and control teams like we use to with xavi. So with him on we always face the same issues against teams who are quick and physical in transition.

Yes Barcelona can compress and control, they have done so in the majority of games in which they didn't lose for the last months.
Today the entire team looked a bit out of it strangely. The right hand side with Araujo-Mingueza-Dembele was complete shit and very easy to press for the opponent. Alba wasn't able to do much more on the other flank. Gavi was very silent, and Pedri tried 18 passes today succeeding with 13 in the half he played... Aubameyang and Torres also did little and mostly failed. It is EXTREMELY strange to point at Busquets for this loss.

 

[evilhita666]

A zombie during the 180 minutes of the tie...

 

[Horatio]

yeah Busi criticasters with a huge W tonight

 

[El MeSSiaS]

ZZZ at least 6 years everything that can be said about his performances have been said, but whatever

 

[Respekt_III]

Yes Barcelona can compress and control, they have done so in the majority of games in which they didn't lose for the last months.
Today the entire team looked a bit out of it strangely. The right hand side with Araujo-Mingueza-Dembele was complete shit and very easy to press for the opponent. Alba wasn't able to do much more on the other flank. Gavi was very silent, and Pedri tried 18 passes today succeeding with 13 in the half he played... Aubameyang and Torres also did little and mostly failed. It is EXTREMELY strange to point at Busquets for this loss.

Against intensely pressing teams who are good in transition we definitely we haven't been able to do it for years. we can do it against teams who are slow or lack quality.
What isn't helped is when busi constantly does a man man press up the field for absolutely no reason and leave gaps in midfield. I think rodi is shit even though people think he's great recently and the only reason he seems to have improved is because he sits instead of constantly getting caught out of position being so slow.

 

[Jaguar]

Get a young Yaya Toure to replace him. Thank you.

 

[CatalinR10]

same shit every time against a fast team

 

[Riordon]

Get a young Yaya Toure to replace him. Thank you.

Tchoaumeni is there but most likely Madrid bound.

 

[Bobo32]

Only way to win with Busquets in games like these is to build the midfield and entire structure around him with runners off the ball like Juventus did with Pirlo when they had Pogba, Vidal, Marchisio alongside him to hide his weaknesses.

But it's honestly not worth it.

He does not need runners, he already had Vidal and Rakitic who are good runners and it was much worse than now. What he needs is for the entire team to be decently predictable and structured, so that the ball isn't lost in bad spots.
With midfielders who crave for the ball, and who does not lose it too much nor only play the alibi safe pass but is instead constructive while also being secure, Busquets is currently the best DM in the world. With great wingers in the vein of Bernardo Silva or Alexis, who can be threatening while also good at combining without losing it in silly spots it is even better, and then you need good defenders too. Araujo and Mingueza are very bad in buildup, and Garcia and Alba were not good today either.

 

[Bobo32]

Against intensely pressing teams who are good in transition we definitely we haven't been able to do it for years. we can do it against teams who are slow or lack quality.
What isn't helped is when busi constantly does a man man press up the field for absolutely no reason and leave gaps in midfield. I think rodi is shit even though people think he's great recently and the only reason he seems to have improved is because he sits instead of constantly getting caught out of position being so slow.

Based on this thread, you would think that every time Barcelona lose it is because a team has pressed high, and other games the opponents don't try to press high.
Frankfurt is not one of the better teams Barcelona has faced lately. It is not about tempo, speed, or quality.

Busquets press high correctly, as it is an overarching strategy of the style Barcelona play. It is the rest of the team that needs to follow, and his midfield companions who need to take up good spots behind or beside him. Maybe he can be criticized for not leading his companions better in these cases.

 

[ajnotkeith]

He does not need runners, he already had Vidal and Rakitic who are good runners and it was much worse than now. What he needs is for the entire team to be decently predictable and structured, so that the ball isn't lost in bad spots.
With midfielders who crave for the ball, and who does not lose it too much nor only play the alibi safe pass but is instead constructive while also being secure, Busquets is currently the best DM in the world. With great wingers in the vein of Bernardo Silva or Alexis, who can be threatening while also good at combining without losing it in silly spots it is even better, and then you need good defenders too. Araujo and Mingueza are very bad in buildup, and Garcia and Alba were not good today either.

Yes, you need defenders who can do it all on their own as Busquets surely isn't going to help them.

Leaves acres of space in front of the defense and gets lost on transitions. It's called defensive midfielder for a reason.

 

[Bobo32]

Yes, you need defenders who can do it all on their own as Busquets surely isn't going to help them.

Leaves acres of space in front of the defense and gets lost on transitions. It's called defensive midfielder for a reason.

Don't get lost in semantics there. Busquets has won it all playing like this, he once revolutionized the game, and he has shown in the last year (if not before) that he is still great at the highest level as well. He needs the structure around him as I have written, now as before. A lot of players failed today as I wrote, Busquets was not one of the first, but as a captain, he should take some responsibility for the entire teams bad performance too, yes.

 

[Catta]

LOL at Busi being the best DM in the world. Tell me one thing he is world class at. If he was great as you say, then he would make others around him better, and not expect that others up their level to world class so he isn't a complete liability.

 

[JamDav1982]

Busi hasnt won it all in years and that excuse wears thin for every player ever.

In europe he has had one season in 11 when he didnt get over run and fail miserably is the reality and that one season Barca gave up element of their midfield to let front three run riot to a large extent.

He is a dated player and legs gone on top of that.

 

[te amo barca]

Don't get lost in semantics there. Busquets has won it all playing like this, he once revolutionized the game, and he has shown in the last year (if not before) that he is still great at the highest level as well. He needs the structure around him as I have written, now as before. A lot of players failed today as I wrote, Busquets was not one of the first, but as a captain, he should take some responsibility for the entire teams bad performance too, yes.

The game has changed a lot since 2011 in regards to how teams press and defend high up the pitch. Busi has shown consistently since 2015 that he can't cope with the intensity.