Seung Woo Lee
- Thread starter mittchan82
- Start date
god damn this kid is a fast dribbler.. You think he has potential to be featured in the first team and get a few minutes this year?
KingMessi
SiempreBlaugrana
Perhaps in the first rounds of the CDR.
I donnt know if you remember Adamas debut for the first team, he looked really promising but we don't hear much about him nowadays nor do people talk about him al lot here anymore, hopefully this doesn't happen to lee
Bran the Greenseer
Well-known member
Adama was such a sad case, literally all the physical tools to become a star. Guess it just goes to show how football IQ is extremely important. Hopefully Lee is able to make it.
FCBarca
Mike the Knife
Adama not unlike others in the cantera have been poorly managed once they got to the B team. More concerning than his development having stalled at recently relegated Aston Villa is the rumours about disciplinary issues - would be odd from a player who has never had these issues. Yet another reason to take care of the club's kids rather than outsource development, not La Masia way
I've always thought Lee's footballing IQ is one of his strengths. In my fantasies, Lee would do well in the actual first team because of his footballing IQ. The ability to dribble at the speed he does and picking out passes(killer passes as well as clever one-twos) can't be done with average to sub-par FIQ
BBZ8800
Senior Member
IQ is only one skill.
Very important skill, though.
Without IQ, you can't make it at Barca (Alexis, Adama, Halilovic to some extent).
But also, you can't make it with IQ alone.
You can have awesome IQ, but lack bravery, for example (Roberto, Samper).
Or, you can have IQ+Bravery, but lack physical or technical skills.
If you check any current Barca's starter, all players have either ALL skills at a very high level (IQ, bravery, physical skills, technical skills, tactical understanding).
Or in the worst case, you can be mediocre in 1-2 areas, but you need to be world class in others (Alba has low IQ, but he is ok in all other aspects. Rakitic is somewhat slow, but he is ok in all other areas).
So, IMO, for Barca's level, you need to have all 5 of these basic aspects (we could add secondary things like injury proneness, poor professionalism at trainings, problems with fame etc) at the highest level, or 1-2 things at worst at mediocre level.
If any of key aspects is very poor, you probably won't be starter, but squad player at best.
If you are scared, you can't make it here.
If you have low IQ, you can't make it here.
If you don't have world class technique, you can't make it here.
If you are extremely slow, plus your stamina is very poor, you can't make it here.
Anyway, I like Lee and he has good IQ.
He is brave also.
But it needs to be seen, (imo) for his case, whether his physical+technical combo can get to a level to be good enough for Barca's starter or he will develop into a player who's skills are good, but his total combo of skills is not Barca's good.
(Someone will jump that I talk in numbers again, but if you'll analyze all of our players, you'll see that this estimation could work, more or less)
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God Serena
New member
Why do you see Samper and Roberto as players who lack bravery? With Barca B Samper didn't show any of that and while Roberto initially did in the last season he really stepped it up, to the point that he was our best sub for every midfield position.
Trickykid
Active member
Yeah, I agree.
I mean, with Samper he could have a point, but I think the timidity he sees in him mostly stems from his poor physical presence than a lack of actual mental bravery.
Sergi Roberto, though? He's played 7-8 positions in the team and went from being a no-show to a regular fixture in the team in no time and did it all while looking comfortable on the pitch. Would a coward play the way Roberto did in a clasico where we altered the tactic with him being the main anomaly? Not likely...
Well, I just hope this coward of ours is ready for a season, where he's most likely our starting rb. Not bad for someone lacking bravery...
BBZ8800
Senior Member
For the beginning, Samper and currently Alena are the only 2 players in whom I had faith from La Masia in the last 5 years.
I never "seen" too much potential for Barca's A-team level in Adama, Halil and 10s of others, less hyped players.
With Samper, I "have believed" in Xavi's words and I always had high hopes about this kid for years.
But, a few things that ring bells in my head:
1. stories that he was scared to play for Bteam 2 years ago when they faced a relegation from a 2nd division.
Stories claimed that he felt huge pressure and couldn't play.
(Someone will say: but he loves Barca so much, and a possibility of his beloved Bteam dropping to a 3rd division was too painful for him.
Well, I don't buy that crap.
Team was in troubles and a guy was scared to play).
2. nevermind, let's assume that it was a fabricated story or something.
Fast forward to last season. Preseason.
Our first match (against Usa or Australina team, before matches with Man Utd and Chelsea).
Guy entered in the 2nd half and he was a MOTM imo. He played like he is a 32 years old, and as if he has 2000 games under his belt.
Calm, asked for a ball, he was our key player in every action (build up).
I was so hyped after that match.
After that, for some reason, whenever he entered, he looked like a totally different player.
Scared, didn't offer himself to receive balls, as if he was hiding on a pitch.
He played like that in a few other matches when he played. I started to have doubts again: why is so hot and cold (ok, youngsters do that often, but still. He had 1 good match and 3-4-5 ghost matches after that).
3. the 3rd thing, even Lucho was giving him very low amount of minutes even though we were without Arda (ban) and Rafinha (6-Months injury).
We had only Iniesta, Rakitic and Roberto.
And Lucho, instead of calling the next big thing Samper, when we had only 3 Cms, he started to call Lord Gumbau all the time.
Since I trust in coaches decisions more than to hype on forums, I started to wonder: If Samper is as talented as we think. And if we have only 3 fit midfielders (Iniesta, Rakitic, Roberto). This seems like a perfect opportunity for our "the next Xavi".
Then why on Earth is Lucho calling Lord Gumbau, almost the worst player who has played for Barca in the last 10-20 years?
Either Lucho was drunk. Or he has extremely poor judgement.
Or something is somewhat wrong with Samper when you train with him for 365 days as a Coach and as a Bteam coach.
4. my 4th concern about Samper is his "lack" of a true position.
Busi will play for years and we don't need a starter Cdm.
Plus, whenever Samper played as a Cdm for Ateam, he looked lost in defense, poorly positioned in defensive actions (I know, I know, that can improve over time but...). Also, he looks clumsy as fuck, as if he will fall down and slip in every single action (Alexis' style).
He just doesn't look like a real deal as a Cdm. The only positive thing about Samper and a Cdm position are Xavi's words that Samper is his heir.
Further, as a Cm, he almost never played there.
And I am not buying a story how a 21 years old guy will suddenly learn a new position and reach Barca's starter's quality there...
People will say: Look at Roberto. Again, I am not that impressed with Roberto.
A guy is awesome and devoted, but I still see him only as a squad level Cm/Cdm and not good enough Rb (I think that Vidal will take his place, or we will buy a new Rb next summer. I don't see Roberto as a long term replacement there)
So, about Samper, he was scared at times, he is extremely hot and cold (like 1 good match and 5 bad after that), he is clumsy, he is not good as a Cdm, he is not a Cm at all, Lucho doesn't seem to rate him as much as our forum etc.
I know that it is not fair to compare players with Xavi and Iniesta, but Samper is 21 and a half already.
He is not exactly a 17 years old kid.
Again, it is not fair, but I like to compare our current youngsters (who are supposed to be our starters one day) with our ACTUAL starters when they were aged 21-22 and similar.
So, this is a young Iniesta aged EXACTLY the same as a current Samper:
Or Busi aged 22, that is Samper's age in 6 Months:
World cup final... Samper is not actually too close to playing a Wc final too soon, right?
Anyway, I just can't shake off a feeling that Samper is just slightly too scared or a too nice and a shy guy.
He lacks some cockiness and bravery (like Neymar, for example. He has even too much of it)
About Roberto, he reminds me of my former favorite Kovacic.
Both players with lots of potential, but they show their potential not too often.
Again, like 1 world class game, a few average matches and 5 bad matches after that.
I have told a few times, I am scared that Roberto's match at Bernabeu will become an urban myth and a hyperbole of his abilities, like Bartra's matches against Psg and Atletico Madrid.
Happened once and never again, but people measuring their potential based on those few, rare world class matches.
Roberto also seems as a too nice guy.
He is good enough to be a squad player, but imo, he lacks some of a bad boy attitude, and some cojones.
You know, that: fuck off attitude from time to time.
Or when someone fouls you, to see "blood" in your eyes and a wish to outplay him in the next action, make a fool out of him, and similar.
Or when we are losing or have problems, that look in your eyes: come on guys, give a ball to me, I will do something now, we have to do something...
To me, Roberto looks like a kind of a guy: when things go well, like in 5:0 matches at Camp Nou, he is "free" and play freely and good.
Or at Bernabeu...
But when the things aren't going well, or when we face troubles, I have an impression that he is just passing the ball "to someone else".
Like: ok, YOU try something, please. I have no idea what to do, and I am slightly scared that I will make a mistake. (If you get my point).
Ok, again, people will say: but you can improve that over time and with more playing time.
Well, yes, true.
But some guys are just "natural" leaders, and they will always take responsibility, no matter what (Messi, Ney, Xavi, Iniesta, Pique etc).
Some guys are just "followers" by nature.
I really don't know how to explain it better with words, but imo, their "nature" and their personality will never allow them to reach greatest heights, imo.
They lack cojones to show their true potential, and to repeat their potential over and over in every action and in every match.
They will show their potential from time to time (Psg, Atletico, Bernabeu) and people will remember those awesome matches.
But I don't believe that they can consistently deliver their maximum, again because of their (too shy) personality, and their "follower"-personality.
Just look in this season, Roberto and Samper, and how often they will play to their full potential.
And how often you will have a feeling that they are "hiding" on a field, that they aren't risking, and that they are too scared to take more responsibility.
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God Serena
New member
My entire fucking reply got deleted and I've lost motivation for today...
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