Thiago Translantara

[Alarcón]

I guess that was Tito's final present to us before he left

 

[barcanuck]

Horrible management last year, overplaying Xavi to death while this kid was rotting on the bench for all big games.

 

[KingMessi]

When the 2016(?) elections are over, the new president will bring back Guardiola and Thiago will be his marquee signing.

Also, we still have Rafa, and Thiago himself has said that he considers his little brother to be the more talented of the two.

 

[DonAndres]

Haha who on earth called him the most over rated player to come out of La Masia? Don't remember that at all.

He is showing that he is not a Xavi type player and is better given the freedom to go forward.

I remember something along those lines, might have been different. He was referred to as overrated quite a bit though, some escalated that to a very high level.

It doesn't really matter if he's a Xavi type player, IMO he's more in Modric's area/range (completely different style though). He's got a definite attacking mentality but he really is a huge contributor in buildup play from deep, so he's sort of an advanced central midfielder with license to go forward. This season, we could have used his quality and style a lot and he would've been played heavily by Tata. I would've even been comfortable with him playing some of the bigger games (Athletic, Milan, etc.)

He really did deserve more trust. This year he's been played by Pep in the big games and tight moments quite often, and provided huge quality (aside from when he was played at DM). I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting in the CL knockouts, and this is for European Champions with far more depth than us.

 

[DonAK]

Pep will never come back as a manager.

 

[KingMessi]

I remember something along those lines, might have been different. He was referred to as overrated quite a bit though, some escalated that to a very high level.

I think it was more of a consolation mechanism, where some of the forum members were convincing themselves, or trying to at least, that Thiago wouldn't be too much of a loss to handle. It's also what the club did by dubbing Roberto the "patient midfielder."

 

[jamrock]

I remember something along those lines, might have been different. He was referred to as overrated quite a bit though, some escalated that to a very high level.

It doesn't really matter if he's a Xavi type player, IMO he's more in Modric's area/range (completely different style though). He's got a definite attacking mentality but he really is a huge contributor in buildup play from deep, so he's sort of an advanced central midfielder with license to go forward. This season, we could have used his quality and style a lot and he would've been played heavily by Tata. I would've even been comfortable with him playing some of the bigger games (Athletic, Milan, etc.)

He really did deserve more trust. This year he's been played by Pep in the big games and tight moments quite often, and provided huge quality (aside from when he was played at DM). I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting in the CL knockouts, and this is for European Champions with far more depth than us.

my point exactly, tito tito tito.

tata's more directly style would fit him like a clove

 

[JamDav1982]

I remember something along those lines, might have been different. He was referred to as overrated quite a bit though, some escalated that to a very high level.

It doesn't really matter if he's a Xavi type player, IMO he's more in Modric's area/range (completely different style though). He's got a definite attacking mentality but he really is a huge contributor in buildup play from deep, so he's sort of an advanced central midfielder with license to go forward. This season, we could have used his quality and style a lot and he would've been played heavily by Tata. I would've even been comfortable with him playing some of the bigger games (Athletic, Milan, etc.)

He really did deserve more trust. This year he's been played by Pep in the big games and tight moments quite often, and provided huge quality (aside from when he was played at DM). I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting in the CL knockouts, and this is for European Champions with far more depth than us.

One of the biggest things people were saying is that the club have lost Xavis replacement though.

He has been getting more license to go forward than that and that is when he is at his best.

Is he better than Iniesta and Cesc? Not for me.

 

[barcanuck]

Pep was the one who managed him best, he didn't like no trust from Tito, so he left to join Pep. Can't blame him, he's not a true Catalan afterall but I'm a little bitter at how quickly he jumped ship.

 

[Flavia]

One of the biggest things people were saying is that the club have lost Xavis replacement though.

He has been getting more license to go forward than that and that is when he is at his best.

Is he better than Iniesta and Cesc? Not for me.

Not for me either. But he's a lot better than song and Roberto. Considering the opposition song faces, Thiago would be a better dm sub for Busquets than song.

In time he can be huge. It was a mistake to let him go. Barça gave bayern a great player for years to come.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Yes he had a great game. Yes he is a good player. Yes we should not have let him go.

Get over with it.

 

[DonAndres]

One of the biggest things people were saying is that the club have lost Xavis replacement though.

He has been getting more license to go forward than that and that is when he is at his best.

Is he better than Iniesta and Cesc? Not for me.

They are better but that doesn't mean he's less useful or less valuable. Everything isn't that black or white. Just because in merit/theory he was 4th choice doesn't mean that it should've pushed him out. Pedro is 4th choice for 3 attacking positions, he's getting plenty of time and goals. Roberto is 4th choice midfielder and WAYYY farther behind in quality than Thiago, yet he's still getting a lot of games. Same deal for Bartra, and Montoya. Added to that, Thiago is farther along than those young players, no longer a prospect but a genuinely useful player that can be relied on.

Once you start defining a rigid pecking order that pits Thiago as 4th choice like Tito did, you're guaranteed to discourage a young player on his playing time. However when you use a wide variety of factors to judge who should play when and rotate to give fair time to everyone, he'd feel like he's around as important and regular as the others and a significant part of the team. It was truly a mistake to let him go, one that hopefully is learned from.

 

[JamDav1982]

Pep was the one who managed him best, he didn't like no trust from Tito, so he left to join Pep. Can't blame him, he's not a true Catalan afterall but I'm a little bitter at how quickly he jumped ship.

If Pep had not signed Fabregas Thiago would still be at the club.

 

[JamDav1982]

They are better but that doesn't mean he's less useful or less valuable. Everything isn't that black or white. Just because in merit/theory he was 4th choice doesn't mean that it should've pushed him out. Pedro is 4th choice for 3 attacking positions, he's getting plenty of time and goals. Roberto is 4th choice midfielder and WAYYY farther behind in quality than Thiago, yet he's still getting a lot of games. Same deal for Bartra, and Montoya. Added to that, Thiago is farther along than those young players, no longer a prospect but a genuinely useful player that can be relied on.

Once you start defining a rigid pecking order that pits Thiago as 4th choice like Tito did, you're guaranteed to discourage a young player on his playing time. However when you use a wide variety of factors to judge who should play when and rotate to give fair time to everyone, he'd feel like he's around as important and regular as the others and a significant part of the team. It was truly a mistake to let him go, one that hopefully is learned from.

Thiago did get a lot of minutes last season though and despite what people seem to think he started almost all the games when Xavi was out injured.

It came to the point in the summer that either Fabregas or Thiago would go. No chance both would have stayed.

 

[DonAndres]

Thiago did get a lot of minutes last season though and despite what people seem to think he started almost all the games when Xavi was out injured.

It came to the point in the summer that either Fabregas or Thiago would go. No chance both would have stayed.

That same logic was used to say that Thiago wouldn't play at Bayern. Gotze, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Martinez, and Lahm all class midfielders, yet Thiago is fitted in. Having 4 players of starting quality for 2 midfield spots is good, when Xavi is gone having 3 players of starting quality for 2 spots is necessary for a top club. Soon it would've been Thiago, Iniesta, and Cesc all worthy as starters which is what depth is about.

Counting numbers would say that yes Thiago did get time. However in reality, he wasn't played at the end to keep his contract from activating the clause, he wasn't played in place of Xavi on painkillers vs Madrid, and overall his role showed that he wasn't looked upon as a useful player but someone that was played in games as a luxury.