Which player in his prime (active or retired) would fit prime Barca the most?

[khaled_a_d]

Yeah, Neuer is a good pick, good pick by @Andresito
Ramos would have meant no Pique, Modric won't start over Xaviesta and same for Kroos, great players though.
Marcelo or Lahm might be a good choice but Alba was great and Abidal provided something different early on. Attack was always stacked too.
Neuer upgrades our weakest position + fits the style

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Modric makes no sense guys, our midfield was the best in history in our prime, we don't need midfield players, Neuer makes much more sense

Midfield + la pulga + Alves are safe

We should buy Cristiano Ronaldo!

Lw = Cristiano

Striker= Eto'o

Rw = Messi

With this trio we can play without GK guys, our front three will outscore every opponent 🔥🔥🔥👏

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

Modric makes no sense guys, our midfield was the best in history in our prime, we don't need midfield players, Neuer makes much more sense

Midfield + la pulga + Alves are safe

We should buy Cristiano Ronaldo!

Lw = Cristiano

Striker= Eto'o

Rw = Messi

With this trio we can play without GK guys, our front three will outscore every opponent 🔥🔥🔥👏

Ronaldo and Modric makes no sense. In this photo, you will see that we already had the Spanish Ronaldo. And, on the right, there is a player that, without injuries, would have been better than Modric.

 

[Maradona37]

Modric makes no sense guys, our midfield was the best in history in our prime, we don't need midfield players, Neuer makes much more sense

Midfield + la pulga + Alves are safe

We should buy Cristiano Ronaldo!

Lw = Cristiano

Striker= Eto'o

Rw = Messi

With this trio we can play without GK guys, our front three will outscore every opponent 🔥🔥🔥👏

REM.

To be fair, 'Man on the Moon' suits Cristiano down to the ground given his delusions

 

[Bobo32]

Yeah I believe prime Cristiano would score quite a few goals playing for that Barcelona, but I wonder if the team would be so much stronger after losing the pressing of Pedro/Villa... The wingers needed to be pretty clinical, and be both quick in behind the defense and able to play very well and offer a threat against the parked bus, being very humble and able to run a lot. Perhaps someone like Arshavin could suit that role, but I don't think he would really improve the team.
I think the back four are pretty well balanced, and have a hard time seeing someone improve the team there either. Maybe Thiago Silva instead of Pique, but I don't really think so as I believe Pique understood the style better than Silva could've... But a little bit of extra speed there could help a little.
Perhaps MatS would be slightly better than Valdes, but if so it wouldn't be dramatic.

 

[Porque]

Remember after Calciopoli we were very close to signing Buffon, but didn't based off of his ball playing.

I would have loved to have seen a prime Buffon at Barca mind you.

 

[Bobo32]

Remember after Calciopoli we were very close to signing Buffon, but didn't based off of his ball playing.

I would have loved to have seen a prime Buffon at Barca mind you.

Perhaps you were a bit curious to see Zambrotta and Thuram, too? Of course they were not in their prime then (as Buffon wasn't neither), but I believe it was the right decision to let Valdes play, I believe he did better than Buffon would've. Both faster off his line, better with the ball, and probably stronger 1v1.
I happened to speak to a mate yesterday about the Arsenal 2002 team, and I guess not that many Barcelona 2012 players would walk into that team, either. Different styles and structures (and Juve 2006 is even more different).
Nedved would be a nice player to have as a sub (with his work rate and long range shots). And I still believe in a different timeline where Ibrahimovic was the perfect fit...

 

[khaled_a_d]

Perhaps you were a bit curious to see Zambrotta and Thuram, too? Of course they were not in their prime then (as Buffon wasn't neither), but I believe it was the right decision to let Valdes play, I believe he did better than Buffon would've. Both faster off his line, better with the ball, and probably stronger 1v1.

Zambrotta was actually very good for us, especially on left side at which he was natural there. But at 30 we expected him to be the best FB in the world which was unfair back then. His wife wanted to go back to Italy and we saw an opportunity with Alves so we moved on smoothly, it was a win for everyone involved. But in no way Zambrotta was kicked out or was bad for us.

Thuram was 34 going 35, he was a bit undersized and lost his athletic ability, it was a bad deal.
At 34+ even the likes of Puyol, Pique, Mascherano were either gone or were as bad, when they were at the same age of Thuram when he joined us.


Buffon was 28, his peak ended after Valdes was done as a professional GK.
And Valdes wasn't a ball playing GK until Pep came and forced him to be, telling him he can live with his mistakes (and god, there was plenty) as long as he stick to it. We don't know how Buffon would have done in such circumstances and whether he would have adapted or not. It will always remain theoretical argument.

The reason we didn't go for Buffon was because he didn't push for it, so Juve were in a position to ask for a record fee for a GK that we weren't willing to pay, especially when we knew that Valdes can do the job and had his best game in CL.
The passing thing was more if a later execuse.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Modric makes no sense guys, our midfield was the best in history in our prime, we don't need midfield players, Neuer makes much more sense

Midfield + la pulga + Alves are safe

We should buy Cristiano Ronaldo!

Lw = Cristiano

Striker= Eto'o

Rw = Messi

With this trio we can play without GK guys, our front three will outscore every opponent 🔥🔥🔥👏

CR7 might be correct answer in that he improves us the most, but he takes rivalry out of equation. The Messi vs CR7 were arguably the greatest rivalry in history of sports and it fueled both teams and both players. Taking it out would have lead to more dominant side but less joy for everyone involved.
I would pass tbh.

 

[Maradona37]

The Messi vs CR7 were arguably the greatest rivalry in history of sports and it fueled both teams and both players.

It's a manufactured media rivalry, as one player is significantly better at football than the other. The other got put on his level due to circumstance (being born two years apart, playing for rival clubs in the same league) and being able to keep up in goal stats.

I also don't buy that Messi needed Ronaldo to 'fuel' him. The other way around, yes, but Messi would still have been an absolute genius if Ronaldo had never existed.

It was never a serious debate.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

It's a manufactured media rivalry, as one player is significantly better at football than the other. The other got put on his level due to circumstance (being born two years apart, playing for rival clubs in the same league) and being able to keep up in goal stats.

I also don't buy that Messi needed Ronaldo to 'fuel' him. The other way around, yes, but Messi would still have been an absolute genius if Ronaldo had never existed.

It was never a serious debate.

I doubt both would have reached the numbers they did in their prime without each other

If you know you have a rival who will score at least 40 goals in the season you have more motivation to beat it and win golden boot

In 11/12 Ronaldo had 46 goals, Messi had 50 goals alone in ll, Messi would have relaxed more if he would have known that no one can catch him anymore, same with both in 10/11

so for the numbers they got the rival was necessary

 

[Maradona37]

I doubt both would have reached the numbers they did in their prime without each other

If you know you have a rival who will score at least 40 goals in the season you have more motivation to beat it and win golden boot

In 11/12 Ronaldo had 46 goals, Messi had 50 goals alone in ll, Messi would have relaxed more if he would have known that no one can catch him anymore, same with both in 10/11

so for the numbers they got the rival was necessary

You're talking numbers and proving my point.

My point is Messi is far far better at football outside goal stats. And he was generally good throughout games, whereas Ronaldo disguised a lot of poor performances with stats.

That's what counting up the stats misses, and why you have to watch them play to appreciate Messi's vast superiority as a footballer

 

[Porque]

Perhaps you were a bit curious to see Zambrotta and Thuram, too? Of course they were not in their prime then (as Buffon wasn't neither), but I believe it was the right decision to let Valdes play, I believe he did better than Buffon would've. Both faster off his line, better with the ball, and probably stronger 1v1.
I happened to speak to a mate yesterday about the Arsenal 2002 team, and I guess not that many Barcelona 2012 players would walk into that team, either. Different styles and structures (and Juve 2006 is even more different).
Nedved would be a nice player to have as a sub (with his work rate and long range shots). And I still believe in a different timeline where Ibrahimovic was the perfect fit...

I think we bought Zambrotta as a rightback where he looked like the second coming of Francesco Coco, but he was always better as inverted LB. I actually enjoyed seeing Thuram at Barca because he was a classy player, but he was way past his best. Good point about systems as even Cannavaro was poor in Spain because of those changes.

The whole issue with Buffon was the ballplaying. And in hindsight it is something that never developed. Valdes probably got more opportunities then he deserved though being a homegrown lad, though his short peak was world class.

I remember watching him and Reina at Barcelona B where they would get a game each btw. And always preferred Valdes. Valdes was always great with his feet but a bit too overconfident. One moment of Valdes always sticks out in my mind though. It must have been 2002/2003 when Louis Van Gaal returned and we had a CL qualifier against a Polish side (Legia Warsow or Wislaw Krakov) and there was a long ball with the Polish striker running onto it. Valdes took it down on the volley with the man just in front of him and then casually passed it out to his defender. An absolute world class action.

Something is telling me it was the same day that Villarreal won the Intertoto Cup against Torino where Reina starred in the shootout. But I am sure my mind is just meshing memories together.

EDIT.
Legia Warsaw on the 28th. Villarreal beat Torino on penalties on the 27th. Almost got it.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

You're talking numbers and proving my point.

My point is Messi is far far better at football outside goal stats. And he was generally good throughout games, whereas Ronaldo disguised a lot of poor performances with stats.

That's what counting up the stats misses, and why you have to watch them play to appreciate Messi's vast superiority as a footballer

football-wise yes, you dont need a rival to perform in that aspect

i was only speaking about stats as it sounded like Messi played without thinking about Ronaldo so he would have had same stats

 

[Maradona37]

football-wise yes, you dont need a rival to perform in that aspect

i was only speaking about stats as it sounded like Messi played without thinking about Ronaldo so he would have had same stats

Yes you are of course correct that Ronaldo helped drive his stats, it's just that his football would have been amazing without Ronaldo, and he'd still be the best in the world if he scored 20 goals a season rather than 50. To be fair I did not do your post justice as I spoke about something unrelated to your stats point, and I apologise for that.