Signing another midfielder

[BarçaBarça]

So let me get this straight...

All of y'all would rather bench Rakitic, Roberto, Arthur and/or Busi in favor of Kante? Just because he is strong, fast and can run all over the pitch and make tackles?

I'm not saying he isn't a world class DM, but he would essentially be like Mascherano was at DM when he first came. He's a great player but I doubt he'd fit in well in a system where he needs to pass the ball intelligently without the space he is used to having by playing on more direct, counter-attacking oriented teams.

"But we could play a pivot of Busi-Kante..." and again, sacrifice offensive quality which is something we need a lot more imho?

I guess I am just sick and tired of the "physical MF" narrative here. The best player who fits that category has been Rakitic and his success here is rather relative. Just about every other physical CM we have signed since Alex Song has flopped massively here and I'm sorry but I think Kante would do the same here.

Thiago all day. Also, for a lot of the qualities people like in Kante, I see Roberto having all of that plus a better understanding of our style and offensive contribution.

So would you rather run Rakitic totally into the ground next season? He played every game last season and this world cup! Roberto and Arthur should be rotation-players next season, not starters because of their level. So we are left with Coutinho possibly playing CM. If that happen he would pray for a defensive-minded workhorse like Kanté on his side. Would also free responsibility for Dembele, who isn't great at tracking back. Not to speak of how great a player Rakitic actually is, especially if someone could take some of the running-responsibility unlike old Iniesta for the last years.

Rakitic as a relative success? Wow. He has been a great success, no way around it.
I get that you prefer Thiago. He is dynamic too, not a slow technical player. To me, he is just a little too injury-prone to be the favourite. Would take him in a heartbeat, though, as we will probably end up with worse than Kanté/Thiago-level anyway.

 

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

Kante to be the world-class workhorse we have missed. A midfielder who can actually run...

I would be fine with Pogba as a player, but I could do without all the fuss and drama coming along. And he would cost 150-200M for United not to lose face, we won't pay that, tbh.
Thiago would be great, but he is simply too injured (if we can choose freely). If he is realistic and the others aren't, I'd say 'go for him'.

In the end I would prefer any one of them over Gomes/Denis/Rafinha. Alenã only be fit late this year, Rakitic has played more than any footballer ever this year and Arthur hasn't played in Europe before. We desperately need a new midfielder.

My previous post responded to your points about Kante but I wanna come to bat for Rafinha here.

A lot of people forgot about this but dude was looking like a world beater in Lucho's second season. He made tremendous strides in his play from the 2nd half of Lucho's first season until the Roma game in the CL group stages that season. I will never forgive Nainggolan for that challenge, absolutely malicious, made no attempt at all to win the ball and probably ended Rafinha's career here.

He was always going to struggle coming back from an injury like that but honestly speaking, I think he should get a look in the Iniesta role as a sub for Coutinho. He has a lot of utility because he can also play decently as a FW as well. Him and maybe Denis are the only fringe players who could actually cut it here and those two are the only ones I'd give another season to.

 

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

So would you rather run Rakitic totally into the ground next season? He played every game last season and this world cup! Roberto and Arthur should be rotation-players next season, not starters because of their level. So we are left with Coutinho possibly playing CM. If that happen he would pray for a defensive-minded workhorse like Kanté on his side. Would also free responsibility for Dembele, who isn't great at tracking back. Not to speak of how great a player Rakitic actually is, especially if someone could take some of the running-responsibility unlike old Iniesta for the last years.

Rakitic as a relative success? Wow. He has been a great success, no way around it.
I get that you prefer Thiago. He is dynamic too, not a slow technical player. To me, he is just a little too injury-prone to be the favourite. Would take him in a heartbeat, though, as we will probably end up with worse than Kanté/Thiago-level anyway.

I've never been a huge fan of Rakitic here. He was good his first season here but I've gotten really frustrated with his decision-making and lack of precision with passing at times. He's good and for how we used Paulinho, I think we'd get more out of him if we let Rakitic play that way but honestly, I really wouldn't mind seeing our starting MF (assuming we play a 4-3-3) be Coutinho-Busi-Arthur if Arthur shows the quality he did at Gremio. Then we use Rakitic and Roberto as a sub to kill off games in the 2nd half or to start when it makes more sense to play more physical MFs and play more on the counter-attack (away CL games).

In my ideal world, our velvet MFs are Coutinho, Thiago, Arthur & Denis/Rafinha while the hammer and steel comes from Rakitic, Busi and Roberto.

 

[serghei]

Kante. Arthur is the one we needed as a technical creative midfielder, and we got him. Coutinho is also a great creator and he's here as well.

Kante and Thiago. They're very different, but we should be getting one of these two. Kante gives us something which we lack, and that's a defensive beast. Thiago reinforces even more the position that has been already reinforced with Arthur.

 

[BarçaBarça]

I will never forgive Nainggolan for that challenge, absolutely malicious, made no attempt at all to win the ball and probably ended Rafinha's career here.

He was always going to struggle coming back from an injury like that but honestly speaking, I think he should get a look in the Iniesta role as a sub for Coutinho.

Me neither, it came at the worst possibly time. Alright, he could be a squad-player, but I wouldn't want both him and Denis. Alena has a higher ceiling than both and should be preferred with regards to minutes.

I've never been a huge fan of Rakitic here. He was good his first season here but I've gotten really frustrated with his decision-making and lack of precision with passing at times. He's good and for how we used Paulinho, I think we'd get more out of him if we let Rakitic play that way but honestly, I really wouldn't mind seeing our starting MF (assuming we play a 4-3-3) be Coutinho-Busi-Arthur if Arthur shows the quality he did at Gremio. Then we use Rakitic and Roberto as a sub to kill off games in the 2nd half or to start when it makes more sense to play more physical MFs and play more on the counter-attack (away CL games).

In my ideal world, our velvet MFs are Coutinho, Thiago, Arthur & Denis/Rafinha while the hammer and steel comes from Rakitic, Busi and Roberto.

Coutinho-Busi-Arthur would be way too weak in defence, imo. If you have got disciplined attackers then maybe, but Suarez/Messi won't do any defensive work, and Dembele needs to be taught that aspect - he doesn't do it by himself.

 

[FC B]

Eriksen, Kante for me. Would be nice to have an option to pick every player in a specific order be it by % .

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Even though I'm really impressed by Kanté, I went with Drogba. If he could keep up the level of diciplin he's shown at the WC on a day to day basis and sprinkle it with his usual creativity and flair, he could easily be the missing cog in our midfield. I just can't see him being freed from his shackles of mediocrity at Man Utd, sadly.

Definitely Drogba...

 

[Sultan]

Pogba is who we want but Kante is what we need.

 

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

Me neither, it came at the worst possibly time. Alright, he could be a squad-player, but I wouldn't want both him and Denis. Alena has a higher ceiling than both and should be preferred with regards to minutes.

Cannot disagree with you on Aleñá. Super excited to see what he can do and hoping he comes back strong and not tentative from his recovery. Best way to recover is being brave and being decisive in those 50/50s. It’s going to be hard coming back from an injury and needing to show enough to get minutes but I’m rooting for him and would like to see space being left for him as well.

I want Thiago but I also feel the same way for Riqui Puig, who could be banging on the door in a year or two, depending on how things go with the B squad. But his upside is looking pretty big as well so bringing in another big name will limit his chances down the line.

The more I think about it, perhaps we should be focus more on a RB and FW because with Roberto and Arthur in MF, we’ve upgraded on Paulinho already and Arthur (should he show his Grêmio form, big assumption at this point) brings the control we have been missing, we really might not need anyone else at CM with the youth we have coming down the pipe.

Coutinho-Busi-Arthur would be way too weak in defence, imo. If you have got disciplined attackers then maybe, but Suarez/Messi won't do any defensive work, and Dembele needs to be taught that aspect - he doesn't do it by himself.

I mean, the holy trinity was hardly a defensive powerhouse and they did fine. Different era perhaps but my point is we’ve tried the whole physical MF approach before and it’s yielded these results. You don’t have to be tall or have an iron lung to play good defense. It comes from tactical awareness and playing as a unit, in cohesion. Plus, the whole idea is defending by keeping the ball but crucially, having CMs that carry a goal threat and can create clean goal scoring opportunities for the forwards.

Also, I think you underestimate Arthur’s defending. From what I’ve seen, he’s surprisingly strong in a challenge for a player of his stature and style and he looks like a fighter. I have high hopes and I think he’s the best MF signing we’ve made in ages.

 

[Trickykid]

Definitely Drogba...

Haha, shit!

 

[serghei]

Drogba is too old. Guy's 40.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Drogba is too old. Guy's 40.

we need drogba. Trust me

 

[te amo barca]

we need drogba. Trust me

the long-awaited Plan B.

 

[Icarium]

Getting Kante will be damn near impossible even more so than Pogba. Chelsea is destined to lose Hazard and Courtious. That is already 2 players to replace before season starts. I doubt they want to add another key piece to the list, they would be competing for Europa league spot again if they did that.

 

[FCBfan22]

No Pogba please.