Here's my point: I'd completely understand this move if Xavi was like 28-29 and still had like a good five years of his prime left. But he's not, he's 34 and honestly has a year maybe two tops before his time is pretty much over. WC 2014 will be Xavi's curtain call. So I'm saying if Thiago stayed for at least this year, he would have a very good chance of being able to take over the reigns. It's not like he is going to be riding the pine for another 3 or 4 years before he gets his shot.
Again, Iniesta and Xavi weren't regular starters until they were around 24 or 25 and he has the potential along with Cesc to really start making Barça his own. Like his times right around the corner, which is why I'm so frustrated with him leaving right now.
Hell, I'd say give it another year and if he still isn't happy with his playing time, be on your way. He'd only be 23, would still have his entire career ahead of him and he will be physically stronger and a more seasoned and matured player.
Ultimately, he is only a year away from being able to be THE man in our midfield (next to Iniesta), could put Cesc on the bench (even tho I love the guy) and become the next la masia icon leading us to glory. Why throw that away by making a high risk move to a league that really doesn't complement his style and join a team who just lost the man who has led that team for nearly a quarter of a century? Ehh...
Sorry reds, I'm not sold on Moyes being your man.
Good post and i see perfectly where your coming from, id probably say the exact same thing in your shoes.
But heres the thing, firstly there's no guarantee when Xavi will call it a day, it could be in the next 2 years, it could be next year, it may not be in 3 years, ive seen legends at my own club play on till nearer 40 and still be great players, now thats rare i know and our midfield dosnt have anything like the options yours has but its not impossible that Xavi remains good enough for at least the next 2 or 3 years, theres no guarantee for thiago when this spot becomes available full time.
Secondly there's the small matter of fabregas and to a lesser extent Iniesta, Iniesta is one of those 28-29 year olds in his prime you describe and is going nowhere, Fabregas is in direct competition for that Xavi spot along with Thiago, and at the moment hes ahead of Thiago so its not even just a case of when Xavi cant play Thiago can, Fabregas needs games to, and given how much effort your club went to to get him back from arsenal for great expense i don't see you ignoring him to the level it would currently require to satisfy Thiagos needs, is that fair?
For what its worth we said the same things to Pogba about being patient, used club legends like Scholes and Giggs as examples of what rewards patience, told him to wait and hed get there, he wasn't interested and sought the riches and regular games at another club, the point here is not all players care what others previously did, Thiago might not be infatuated with emulating Xavi and Iniesta's route to he top, he might not care to wait another year or 2 or even 3 to make the grade when he can do so right now, i dont know, but not all players can be convinced by that talk as we know to our cost very recently, also Thiago might say it was different for these players, they didnt have a Xavi or an Iniesta ahead of them.
As for Moyes, time will tell, im 50/50 myself, he did a great job at Everton on a nothing budget and had them regularly competing in and around European places with a team that had no right to be there. Hes a gamble in the sense hes got no top club experience but you only get that by being given the chance, a few years ago Jurgen Klopp relegated Mainz from the Bundesliga, no one outside of Germany had heard of him, fast forward to today and hes hot property, one of the most sought after managers in the world, but prior to him being given the Dortmund job hed had no previous history of success and was in a sense a big gamble, you guys have done similar things with Guardiola and Tito, although granted they were in house appointments the sentiment is the same, they were total unknowns at this level, but you gave them a chance, sometimes thats the best way to go.