Thiago Translantara

[serghei]

The biggest creative role inside the team lies within the MSN. They are creators as well as finishers. Iniesta, Rakitic, Busquets' main tasks right now is to distribute balls to MSN, and I don't mean assists or brilliant through balls, but pretty regular passes, one that can be made by most good mifielders, even Kondogbia types. What our midfielders must do above anything else, their primary task IMO, is to block opponents attacks and then look to quickly engage the MSN. There were very few moments when Iniesta actually showed his creativity, the PSG run and assist was a glimpse of the old Iniesta. His role is different, and while he is no Gatusso (never said he is), he is still better defensively than Thiago. Iniesta has sacrificed his game for the team this year, in a position that does him little favours. Few player are willing to do that, and if I were to bet, I surely wouldn't consider Thiago to be the type who puts the team first. He's much too selfish for that. All Thiago has shown at Barca is self-rightousness. What he wants, what he expects. Never about what he ows to Barcelona.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

I wrote about our midfield before too and agree with DonAndres here. It is seriously overlooked because of the larger than life trio upfront.
90% of the time we are still keeping possession, moving the ball and trying to dominate the opponent which is the main task of the midfield.

 

[DonAndres]

The biggest creative role inside the team lies within the MSN. They are creators as well as finishers. Iniesta, Rakitic, Busquets' main tasks right now is to distribute balls to MSN, and I don't mean assists or brilliant through balls, but pretty regular passes, one that can be made by most good mifielders, even Kondogbia types. What our midfielders must do above anything else, their primary task IMO, is to block opponents attacks and then look to quickly engage the MSN. There were very few moments when Iniesta actually showed his creativity, the PSG run and assist was a glimpse of the old Iniesta. His role is different, and while he is no Gatusso (never said he is), he is still better defensively than Thiago. Iniesta has sacrificed his game for the team this year, in a position that does him little favours. Few player are willing to do that, and if I were to bet, I surely wouldn't consider Thiago to be the type who puts the team first. He's much too selfish for that. All Thiago has shown at Barca is self-rightousness. What he wants, what he expects. Never about what he ows to Barcelona.

MSN is the dynamic creative force on our team but it is still incredibly important for the midfield to set the platform. If Barca's midfield was just about "winning the ball" then Messi would've had no trouble with his Argentina midfield. Busquets, Rakitic, and Iniesta form a very important creative unit even if the purpose is to 'empower' the front line rather than doing individually creative maneuvers. Passing between the lines and giving support in attack is incredibly important. Sticking Kondogbia in CM is practically the equivalent of sticking Masch in CM, which would be phenomenally bad for our buildup play and attacking potential. Masch at CDM was bad enough for our transition in the first half of the home Clasico, let alone taking up an even more forward position. There's simply no real logic supporting your 'midfielders are just ball-winners' theory and we'd be fucked if we just stuck another semi-composed DM into our lineup and hope that MSN can do literally everything on the offensive side. They need proper support, service, and space to work their magic. It's not just about some 'pretty OK passes that practically any midfielder can make'.

Iniesta isn't better than Thiago defensively. Thiago clearly has the better defensive stats but I'd say that their defensive game is roughly equal and there wouldn't be any real disparity. Also, your opinion on Thiago is clearly very biased. You claim he's too selfish to play/sacrifice for the team yet his workrate for Bayern isn't even close to bad by any means and his entire role as a playmaking CM is built around team play and working for the collective (broke the record for most passes in a Buli match in his first season). Hypocritically enough, you've seemed to have 0 problems with Pogba who easily shows these traits of 'selfishness and self-righteousness' to a level that is several orders of magnitude higher than Thiago. He plays with a near negative amount of positional discipline and 90% of his game is self-fulfilling in nature but I don't see you taking issue with that.

 

[serghei]

Also, your opinion on Thiago is clearly very biased. You claim he's too selfish to play/sacrifice for the team yet his workrate for Bayern isn't even close to bad by any means and his entire role as a playmaking CM is built around team play and working for the collective (broke the record for most passes in a Buli match in his first season). Hypocritically enough, you've seemed to have 0 problems with Pogba who easily shows these traits of 'selfishness and self-righteousness' to a level that is several orders of magnitude higher than Thiago. He plays with a near negative amount of positional discipline and 90% of his game is self-fulfilling in nature but I don't see you taking issue with that.

Pogba didnt leave Barca to play for a direct rival in Europe, because he didn't play in front of players that were better than him in the first place. Thiago wanted preferential treatment, and when he saw he couldn't have that, he left. A weak mentality if I ever saw one. Strong characters impose themselves in the team by working hard and having the determination and the ambition required to succeed, they don't walk away from a challenge like he did. At Barcelona he had everything he needed to thrive, like many others before him, and he bailed out. Yes, I'm biased against Thiago, but for good reason. He threw away the chance to become a Barca legend as if it didn't mean anything to him. And, like Figo, it probably didn't. I guess some players just don't care for the club, they care only for themselves. Why should I care for Thiago then?

I never said our midfield only gets the ball back, I said it's the dominant role these days. Obviously, our midfield has other roles as well, and, again, it's obvious that it is all-around better than the Arg. midfield you gave as an example. It doesn't change the fact that the creativity of our midfield is deliberately reduced in favour of more defensive security, which is the point I made all along.

 

[Aryagorn]

Pogba easily shows these traits of 'selfishness and self-righteousness' to a level that is several orders of magnitude higher than Thiago.

On one hand, it's Thiago who leaves a club where he spent most of his childhood because he is not given preferential treatment... On the other hand it's Pogba, one of the most promising young mid fielders who was not just left behind because the players being played ahead of him were any better but players were being played out of position(Giggs) and few even brought back from retirement(Scholes)


Thiago couldn't give a second thought before leaving the club where he spent 8 freaking years and Pogba had only spent 3 years at United with a manager who holds so much grudge on him that he had to somehow speak some thing negative about the player not more than a month ago, when the last match the said player played was a CL final as a starter!

 

[DonAK]

Pogba who easily shows these traits of 'selfishness and self-righteousness' to a level that is several orders of magnitude higher than Thiago. He plays with a near negative amount of positional discipline and 90% of his game is self-fulfilling in nature but I don't see you taking issue with that.

Yes. Damn Pogba for fulfilling a role with more freedom given to him by his coach. Never mind him being praised for that role by his own team and several football experts in Italy.

Don't need to slag off Pogba to prove your point about Thiago.

 

[DonAndres]

Pogba didnt leave Barca to play for a direct rival in Europe, because he didn't play in front of players that were better than him in the first place. Thiago wanted preferential treatment, and when he saw he couldn't have that, he left. A weak mentality if I ever saw one. Strong characters impose themselves in the team by working hard and having the determination and the ambition required to succeed, they don't walk away from a challenge like he did. At Barcelona he had everything he needed to thrive, like many others before him, and he bailed out. Yes, I'm biased against Thiago, but for good reason. He threw away the chance to become a Barca legend as if it didn't mean anything to him. And, like Figo, it probably didn't. I guess some players just don't care for the club, they care only for themselves. Why should I care for Thiago then?

I never said our midfield only gets the ball back, I said it's the dominant role these days. Obviously, our midfield has other roles as well, and, again, it's obvious that it is all-around better than the Arg. midfield you gave as an example. It doesn't change the fact that the creativity of our midfield is deliberately reduced in favour of more defensive security, which is the point I made all along.

The circumstances of Thiago's departure mean nothing for the sake of this argument though, it just clouds your judgement of him as a football player entirely (saying he wouldn't defend at all because he doesn't sacrifice himself for Barca, lel). But even though your point here is a complete tangent, I'll remind you that Pogba did practically the same thing leaving United for Juventus because he didn't get the playing time he felt he deserved. But again, my point was not to sway your opinion on Thiago and convince you that he was right for leaving, just that his leaving has very little to do with this discussion about the tactical role of our midfield and whether he'd fit in it theoretically.

And once more, I disagree that defending is the dominant role. We have the same possession of the ball as in years past and our game is very driven towards mounting continuous attacks and having the pressure in the opponents half. Yes, the midfielders have a bigger defensive responsibility than before and that somewhat mitigates their attacking potential. However that doesn't mean that we have a defense-first midfield just because their workrate is higher than before (it was abysmal in 12/13 and 13/14, so anything would've been an improvement). I guess we see it differently though so at this point let's just agree to disagree.

 

[oggydude]

On one hand, it's Thiago who leaves a club where he spent most of his childhood because he is not given preferential treatment... On the other hand it's Pogba, one of the most promising young mid fielders who was not just left behind because the players being played ahead of him were any better but players were being played out of position(Giggs) and few even brought back from retirement(Scholes)


Thiago couldn't give a second thought before leaving the club where he spent 8 freaking years and Pogba had only spent 3 years at United with a manager who holds so much grudge on him that he had to somehow speak some thing negative about the player not more than a month ago, when the last match the said player played was a CL final as a starter!

Pogba is no saint he wanted preferential treatment, he was late to training, and wanted to play in the league without even starting matches in the cup games something that Fergie never does. Your manager decided not to play Thiago even when the league was won and preferred and ageing Xavi, whereas Fergie didn't want to play an inexperienced teenager in crucial league games. Pogba also wanted very high wages something that Fergie never believed in giving to inexperienced young players.

 

[Qqqq]

More mature and Xavi-like ... agreed

BUt he seems to be very arrogant and his arrogance might destroy him as a player here at Barca. + he definitely doesn't fit in Lucho's system.

Funny, I don't find him arrogant at all.

 

[Sterlingfan2000]

Do U think he will move with pep, if pep goes 2016? Pep is like his Godfather or Secret Dad , everyone where pep goes , he follows him.

 

[zanela]

If Guardiola wants him at M.City next summer, by which time Thiago will only have a year left on his contract(if he doesn't renew), he will cede to his mentor, no doubt.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Do U think he will move with pep, if pep goes 2016? Pep is like his Godfather or Secret Dad , everyone where pep goes , he follows him.

I think he will stay at Bayern even if Guardiola leaves. But again, I think Guardiola is going to renew.

 

[Sterlingfan2000]

I think he will stay at Bayern even if Guardiola leaves. But again, I think Guardiola is going to renew.

Really? He seems like a guy who will always follow Pep

 

[Luftstalag14]

Really? He seems like a guy who will always follow Pep

He gave me the vibes that he feels genuinely at home at Bayern.

 

[Drexl]

So fucking pathetic how some try to belittle such a great player, because they want to justify his departure.
No, he's not lame at defending. He defends very well, he played even as a DM, and always had great tackles, despite it never was up to him.
Wasn't he patient? My God, we played for almost three years that pathetic 4-5-1. Yeah, Messi was in the midfield with Xavi, Iniesta and Fortinbras. €e$c played like shit and never been benched. A blind could see the names were more important than skills and form. He tried to save his career and simply play football. He's a smart lad and he knew he had to do it.
Watch this. That's how he played after coming back from a year-long injury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgS0c3mAN14
After a whole fucking year...