You think Samper would be a better DM for Barca than Mascherano? We won a clasico with Mascherano at DM last season. Sure, he's not the ideal DM for this Barcelona team, not comparable to Busquets anyway, who is the best defensive midfielder in the world, but still a great player to have in that position. Samper surely is more comfortable on the ball, due to his Barca DNA, but in terms of positioning and off the ball movement, tackles, interceptions, reading of the game (mostly the parts that show the degree of maturity a player possesses, not just things related to style, flair and technique) Samper still has a lot of learning to do. Most of our La Masia prospects are technically gifted and very comortable on the ball, that can't be denied. However, there is much more involved in playing as DM, a very difficult position to master at a young age.