Xavi Hernández

[DonAK]

If Samper comes through, then I can see Busi being pushed forward and it would make sense as well.

 

[DonAndres]

What about Busquets when Samper comes on the scene in the first team. Busi clearly has the vision and ability to control the game like Xavi maybe if he is pushed into the Xavi role he can excel beyond his legendary CDM role into a Xavi-esque CM

Don't fix what isn't broken. Busquets is best in his role with some added playmaking responsibility as he is getting now, he isn't mobile enough or fit enough to successfully excel at an outright distributor role. Samper is more of a natural CM, he can push up from a pivot to a hybrid orchestrator perhaps. Samper+Oliver could be a very successful midfield pairing in the future, not to mention that there are so many other options we have.

 

[Behrox]

Don't fix what isn't broken. Busquets is best in his role with some added playmaking responsibility as he is getting now, he isn't mobile enough or fit enough to successfully excel at an outright distributor role. Samper is more of a natural CM, he can push up from a pivot to a hybrid orchestrator perhaps. Samper+Oliver could be a very successful midfield pairing in the future, not to mention that there are so many other options we have.

Xavi was never the most mobile either but he used his vision to make up for that u don't have to be a super athlete to be good being smart can be much more deadly just look at Messi he doesn't even move half as much as Pedro or Alexis even when he was a winger but he is always where he is needed. I am not saying to throw Busi in the role just experiment like Pep used to do

 

[DonAndres]

Xavi was never the most mobile either but he used his vision to make up for that u don't have to be a super athlete to be good being smart can be much more deadly just look at Messi he doesn't even move half as much as Pedro or Alexis even when he was a winger but he is always where he is needed. I am not saying to throw Busi in the role just experiment like Pep used to do

Xavi has always been mobile. He's not fast or box to box but he is mobile. Busquets is more static in the way he plays, relying on positioning rather than movement. Xavi is constantly shuffling around distributing the ball and giving passing options for linkup, that's what you need in an orchestrator. Busquets is a hybrid regista which is a fairly different type of player. He can become more ball oriented in his role, but I really doubt he'd ever replicate what we need in a "Xavi player"

 

[André]

Xavi has always been mobile. He's not fast or box to box but he is mobile. Busquets is more static in the way he plays, relying on positioning rather than movement. Xavi is constantly shuffling around distributing the ball and giving passing options for linkup, that's what you need in an orchestrator. Busquets is a hybrid regista which is a fairly different type of player. He can become more ball oriented in his role, but I really doubt he'd ever replicate what we need in a "Xavi player"

This, this, this and this!

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

Xavi has always been mobile. He's not fast or box to box but he is mobile. Busquets is more static in the way he plays, relying on positioning rather than movement. Xavi is constantly shuffling around distributing the ball and giving passing options for linkup, that's what you need in an orchestrator. Busquets is a hybrid regista which is a fairly different type of player. He can become more ball oriented in his role, but I really doubt he'd ever replicate what we need in a "Xavi player"

Exactly. Busquets is an anchor pivot in front of the centerbacks (or even level with them). Xavi is a moving pivot, always providing the third option anywhere needed on the field, which is why he runs further than any other Barça player, just at a steady jog and shuffle all through the game. That's also the source of his RSI tendinitis, as he's constantly on his toes to receive passes, like a tennis player waiting to return a serve. That constant bouncing puts a lot of strain on his Achilles.

 

[The Observer]

At least he should be well rested for new year. He's barely played in December.

Feels strange. We have missed Valdes, Xavi, Messi and Alves for large chunks of this first half of the season. Can't wait to see all of them back together on the pitch.

 

[DinhoR10]

Oliver would be a great cm replacement has the potential to be a xavi pass dictator but also has some of iniesta's flare in him. Suarez/Rafinha-Samper-Torres/Sergi for the future.

Edit @The Observer: We haven't been at full strength yet for the season. But it seems like all the pieces will come together next year (Batra in CB, Messi,valdes,alba,alves back and Iniesta and Xavi are coming into form at the right time. )

 

[khaled_a_d]

Xavi has always been mobile. He's not fast or box to box but he is mobile. Busquets is more static in the way he plays, relying on positioning rather than movement. Xavi is constantly shuffling around distributing the ball and giving passing options for linkup, that's what you need in an orchestrator. Busquets is a hybrid regista which is a fairly different type of player. He can become more ball oriented in his role, but I really doubt he'd ever replicate what we need in a "Xavi player"

I think we shouldn't make the mistake of trying to "replicate " a player ,Xavi is what he is and it will be difficult to replace him ,he is probably one of the best ever in his position too so whoever we get is gonna be downgrade anyway
We won CL with Deco& MVB as our starting CMs and both aren't more mobile than Busquets ,we should start to realize that Pep era i over ,we had the players to play that kind of football but trying to replicate the past is never the wisest decision ,even Pep himself isn't trying to replicate what he has done with us with Bayern
On the other hand ,players like Cesc and Xavi started their playing career as DM when they were at the youth system then moved to more attacking role gradually ,even Inista had more defensive role and then became more of attacking player by time ,Busquets seems to me to be moving in same direction tbh ,he is growing as more complete player who can play 2 way which is useful for a CM

 

[Neal Faradinho]

I think we shouldn't make the mistake of trying to "replicate " a player ,Xavi is what he is and it will be difficult to replace him ,he is probably one of the best ever in his position too so whoever we get is gonna be downgrade anyway
We won CL with Deco& MVB as our starting CMs and both aren't more mobile than Busquets ,we should start to realize that Pep era i over ,we had the players to play that kind of football but trying to replicate the past is never the wisest decision ,even Pep himself isn't trying to replicate what he has done with us with Bayern
On the other hand ,players like Cesc and Xavi started their playing career as DM when they were at the youth system then moved to more attacking role gradually ,even Inista had more defensive role and then became more of attacking player by time ,Busquets seems to me to be moving in same direction tbh ,he is growing as more complete player who can play 2 way which is useful for a CM

Busi started out as a CAM.

 

[Behrox]

Busi started out as a CAM.

CAM to CDM how did he resist the urge to go forward at every opportunity like most CDMs now a days is beyond be maybe thats why he is the Boss

 

[KhaledBarca]

20+ Barcelona assists since 2003/04 [all official comps]

Xavi 134 [161 since debut]
Messi 119
Iniesta 89 [90 since debut]
Alves 75
Ronaldinho 62
Cesc 41
Eto'o 35
Deco 32
Pedro 31
Henry 24
Alexis 21

 

[CatalinR10]

 

[voodoomaster]

We need a new centre back and a new midtfielder this summer. Xavis best days are gone, he is 33 after all. You cant let players play and stay only because they were good once(puyol shouldnt play more matches for Barca, Its a hard thing to say, but it is the truth, younger players must be given chances. And bartra is already way better than puyol). Xavi is still a better alternative than sergio, but it wont last. I would prefer to buy gundogan this summer. But as we all now, the guardiola god like team was destroyed because we didnt buy the neccersary players. At least we would have been a lot better. Now we are top 5 in Europa at best.

 

[Egert]

We need a new centre back and a new midtfielder this summer. Xavis best days are gone, he is 33 after all. You cant let players play and stay only because they were good once(puyol shouldnt play more matches for Barca, Its a hard thing to say, but it is the truth, younger players must be given chances. And bartra is already way better than puyol). Xavi is still a better alternative than sergio, but it wont last. I would prefer to buy gundogan this summer. But as we all now, the guardiola god like team was destroyed because we didnt buy the neccersary players. At least we would have been a lot better. Now we are top 5 in Europa at best.

All true, but still the game where is no Xavi isnt the Barca style. When I watched a game where Xavi didnt start it wasn´t it. When Xavi came in, it all changed. Xavi will be 1-2 seasons our motor(If not 2, but atleast 1). But I belive that Gündogan would be perfect, but with Zubi.... NO CHANCE.