World Cup 2022

[KingLeo10]

Imagine shoehorning Rodri at CB to accommodate this version of Busquets..

Busquets must be excellent at blackmail because he's been central to Barca and Spain's midfield meltdowns v good teams since 2017...and has continued to be an auto-starter under...

Lucho, EV, Setien, Koeman, Xavi, VDB

 

[xXKonan]

Dani Olmo more like Dani Lameo amirite.

 

[Givenchy]

People writing Pedri off is bizarre, I know he's been around a while now but he's literally just turned 20.. give it a rest. Gavi is 18. It's incredible they are starting at this age in a World cup, the biggest competition in football.

 

[JamDav1982]

Rotate Pedri with Gavi is absolutely what we should do in midfield.

No chance.

Pedri and FDJ are starters in midfield and rest is taken from there.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Too slow.. all the time. Urgency. Is Spain playing a game which lasts 120min? Looks like it.

 

[ajnotkeith]

I'm going to give Gavi a pass because he's still 18 or 19. And Pedri a slight pass for now, as he's dealing with Busquets at DM.

But if Pedri continues to not dominate midfield (versus good teams) say by the end of the 2023-2024 season, it's very alarming.

The problem is with these age related arguments is that players these days are hitting their ceiling and peaking faster than ever before, especially ones who were starters from a very young age.

Most professional players by the age of 18 or 19 have already peaked in technical ability, they've been doing that for over a decade at that point almost daily. There's not much more you can learn in terms of basic technique.

Then the only things you learn after that are mental/game experience based... Most youth players of their ages will not have played much pro football, so they have a lot to learn, but these two have a unique situation. With how many pro games Pedri and Gavi have played already, there will come a point soon where they can't learn much more as they have already played so much football at young ages.

Probably Pedri and Gavi won't improve that much in the next years, especially Pedri who's ability has been quite consistent in the last couple years.

 

[serghei]

People writing Pedri off is bizarre, I know he's been around a while now but he's literally just turned 20.. give it a rest. Gavi is 18. It's incredible they are starting at this age in a World cup, the biggest competition in football.

Nobody is writing him off, but more like advocating to take it slower with him. He's being referred to as this great player already, and he is not.

 

[JamDav1982]

Nobody is writing him off, but more like advocate to take it slower with him. He's being referred to as this great player already, and he is not.

No one is saying he is a 'great' but he is miles ahead of likes of Gavi and Busi and one of first names on Barca team sheet rightfully.

 

[KingLeo10]

People writing Pedri off is bizarre, I know he's been around a while now but he's literally just turned 20.. give it a rest. Gavi is 18. It's incredible they are starting at this age in a World cup, the biggest competition in football.

3 years of 50 matches a season (for club + NT) is a decent sample size in Pedri's case. He's avoided criticism because of the aesthetic appeal of his game (to Xavi-Iniesta), but he has: 1) not much attacking threat; 2) questionable stamina and physicality; 3) his ability to control the tempo of the game is excellent versus small teams but not that good v good teams (outside of the first half at Allianz, where he was masterful)

I quite like him, but he needs to start showing more now.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

3 years of 60 matches a season (for club + NT) is a decent sample size in Pedri's case. He's avoided criticism because of the aesthetic appeal of his game (to Xavi-Iniesta), but he has: 1) not much attacking threat; 2) questionable stamina and physicality; 3) his ability to control the tempo of the game is excellent versus small teams but not that good v good teams (outside of the first half at Allianz, where he was masterful)

I quite like him, but he needs to start showing more now.

He was the best player from Spain in the euro though.

 

[JamDav1982]

He was the best player from Spain in the euro though.

And has probably been their best player at this World Cup as well.

 

[Birdy]

It's Nico, not Mbappe.

2 actions and immediately 2 dangerous balls in the box

Lucho wasted 80 minutes by going with the usual ones

 

[KingLeo10]

He was the best player from Spain in the euro though.

Spain were good but nothing amazing in the Euro.

 

[serghei]

2 actions and immediately 2 dangerous balls in the box

Lucho wasted 80 minutes by going with the usual ones

Ok, considering he replaced Ferret, he's a clear improvement.

 

[JamDav1982]

2 actions and immediately 2 dangerous balls in the box

Lucho wasted 80 minutes by going with the usual ones

You were bumming up Spain as one of top two teams in tournament when it was those 'usual players' who had been playing for most part.