and besides all that; Thiago was fucking badman against Villarreal in the Camp Nou, Milan in the San Siro and Santos in the CWC Final, which for his first 6 months in the first team is fucking good going. he was never going to waltz in and take over the midfield, so setting expectations that high was always gonna lead to disappointments. but frankly I'm delighted with how he's doing. he's showing that he can be solid as well as spectacular, that he can be a reliable member of the first team squad, which is a crucial step on his way to becoming a first team regular.
1) He was good v Villarreal in the 1st Jornada.
2) He was good in the SuperCup (I think, I was watching that particular game on a computer screen)
3) He was not great at the San Siro.
4) In the CWC he played as a winger, and did not do anything at all. Not that I blame him.
Now, to all the people in here who think that Thiago is the real deal, please tell me the games in which he excelled this season.
There is an automatic tendency on this forum, to consider each and every B player getting a chance here and there, as the next Xaviesta or something. Things are not that simple as most of you believe them to be. It is not just a matter of experience, and confidence and development that will magically come with time. A manager in football must be able to make radical decisions. Bojan for example, never lived up to his early promise. And the same thing will happen with many other players. The vast majority of our canteranos, will never, ever make it as Barca starters. Maybe Thiago will be one of the precious few exceptions, but until such evidence is provided, I won't be counting any chicken.