It's a good call actually. Marmol is left footed, having a good season and has featured as LB for the B team (last season) as a defensive option.
More rounded and reliable than Balde, who Xavi is overlooking for one reason or another.
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It's a good call actually. Marmol is left footed, having a good season and has featured as LB for the B team (last season) as a defensive option.
More rounded and reliable than Balde, who Xavi is overlooking for one reason or another.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Araujo does not play brilliantly at RB and hasnt at all.
Gets stuck in and shows pace/strength but looks nothing like RB.
Gets stuck in and shows pace/strength but looks nothing like RB.
messi2140
6racies Xavi
He really isn't comfortable as a RB though especially when he has the ball. Centrally he can somewhat hide this weakness since he has more options to give the ball to someone else. As a RB he is just a mess , could even see Osasuna yesterday leaving him free when Barca had the ball and instantly press him the moment he gets it.
But I guess Pique has to play.
But I guess Pique has to play.
I think the expectation with Araujo at RB is to be defensively sound enough to let the AMR focus unequivocally on attack. You are not going to be facing someone with the pace of Davies every week on the overlap.
Maybe it is also an idea from Xavi's experience having played with Abidal. He was not comfortable attacking as a fullback when he arrived but improved alot while being here before being moved to centreback. If it were to be a longer term idea (which I don't when Alves can play in Jan) then it is a smart way to develop on the ball before moving back to CB.
Or maybe there is no intelligence behind it and Xavi just finds Dest and Mingueza fuckin awful
Maybe it is also an idea from Xavi's experience having played with Abidal. He was not comfortable attacking as a fullback when he arrived but improved alot while being here before being moved to centreback. If it were to be a longer term idea (which I don't when Alves can play in Jan) then it is a smart way to develop on the ball before moving back to CB.
Or maybe there is no intelligence behind it and Xavi just finds Dest and Mingueza fuckin awful
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Abidal was a completely different class on the ball to Araujo and knew how to play LB even if struggled when first moved to club.
Araujo is an athlete that is poor on the ball in comparison and clearly has no idea how to play as a RB.
Araujo is an athlete that is poor on the ball in comparison and clearly has no idea how to play as a RB.
iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
Its working better than Dest and Eric Garcia at RB. Mingueza is a back up. I would rather have him than another kid playing LB who most likely is gonna be worse.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
It is not working in slightest and failing.
Mingueza is terrible. Dest as poor as he is has been the better RB and likes of Marmol would be better LB.
While it allows Araujo to get back to CB.
Xavi is making awful decisions so far. The back four is different near enough every game and Araujo/Mingueza pairing at full back is worst ever seen at club. Setien levels of bad team set up.
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BBZ8800
Senior Member
Bobo32
Senior Member
You don't remember Alves first games with Messi, for example?
Of course you could always question chemistry whenever you bring new players (your so called "alpha" players with tattoos and minimum 185cm too) but Cavani and Ferran are the right player types for the positions.
One of the reasons it is good to go to la masia is there will be less chemistry problems.
BBZ8800
Senior Member
I am saying that all of these decisions are erratic and impulsive.
If you play too many youngsters, they lack experience and probably quality.
Yet, if you throw too many new signings, they usually need 6 Months to click with a new club.
So, on paper all these signings look good and as if they will immidiately strengthen a team while in reality it probably won't be good.
What is my solution?
= sticking to a longterm plan
In the beginning of the season, we played with one coach, his formation and his signings (Luuk).
Now we have another coach, different ideas, La Masia players and soon he'll sign new players.
Imagine if we sack Xavi, in a few Months the 3rd guy would bring his formation and new signings.
We are just jumping from one chaos to another, just like paying fees for sacking Valverde, Setien and Koeman, yet not a single sacking improved a team. We were worse and worse with each new coach, the only change was = money spent on sackings and signing new random, weird players for each new coach.
But this is why our name is "Mes que un Titanic".
MTL_Barca
Well-known member
We don't have any chemistry anyway. So at this point it really doesn't matter if we add new players to the squad. Problem will just be getting actual quality players for once.
I mean just try to think what our best team would look right now with everyone healthy, and then think about how much they have played together. Especially in attack where all players are either new, always injured, bench warmers or a combination of these.
But yeah we have to go at it with a plan, not continue to just get whoever we find at a time and then hope it works. By the end of the season we might be down to just 2 attackers though, so there is a lot of work left to be done.
I mean just try to think what our best team would look right now with everyone healthy, and then think about how much they have played together. Especially in attack where all players are either new, always injured, bench warmers or a combination of these.
But yeah we have to go at it with a plan, not continue to just get whoever we find at a time and then hope it works. By the end of the season we might be down to just 2 attackers though, so there is a lot of work left to be done.
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Bobo32
Senior Member
We agree there. And I say it is obvious the long term plan should go in line with the vision of la masia, the entire club should go in the same direction as much as possible
By luck, they got the chance to go all out la masia ten years ago, and they destroyed football.
As you are aware, the previous board was just objectively terrible in every way, and now Laporta is trying to start something new long term. If Laporta isn't patient he will be very much blamed by me. So far, he can't be said to be erratic and impulsive, he tried to be patient with Koeman and even gave him a couple of his preferred signings, but at last had to let him go. Xavi should get minimum the next season too, or Laporta will be at fault.
Other clubs could try a lot of different long term plans, as they do. Barcelona can try one of those other plans too, but they will find it harder to compete with plans that suit other clubs just as much or more. If the fan doesn't like the plan that has been kind of unique to Barcelona, it is better for the fan to change club I always thought (if you didn't grow up in Barcelona of course)
JamDav1982
Senior Member
This season is a shambles but things can change very quickly in football and with right direction and signings Barca can be back soon enough.
If for example they could somehow get Haaland you could potentially have a front line of Torres/Haaland and Fati. That is a world class front line.
Then behind that have potentially the last two Golden Boys in a years time.
Nothing can be achieved and direction changed with players like Busquets and Pique in the team though. Will never get past the issue of lack of intensity and team having to play a certain way to cover deficiencies of others.
Go ask Pep for Laporte, Zinchenko and Torres for FDJ and Araujo, get the Ajax RB and Aczi on free transfers and put all money can into Haaland and if not him some other top CF.
If for example they could somehow get Haaland you could potentially have a front line of Torres/Haaland and Fati. That is a world class front line.
Then behind that have potentially the last two Golden Boys in a years time.
Nothing can be achieved and direction changed with players like Busquets and Pique in the team though. Will never get past the issue of lack of intensity and team having to play a certain way to cover deficiencies of others.
Go ask Pep for Laporte, Zinchenko and Torres for FDJ and Araujo, get the Ajax RB and Aczi on free transfers and put all money can into Haaland and if not him some other top CF.
BBZ8800
Senior Member
About Busi and Pique, without Pique we will probably be the same or better.
About Busi, I am sceptical.
For example, when we had Rakitic and when he played as a pivot, we won some physical presence and MAYBE slightly better defense.
But we lost a link between a goalkeeper, defenders and midfield.
Even though I was Raki's fan, it was clear even to me that our team is downgraded in linkup against better teams when Raki played instead of Busi.
Imo, our players are so shit that they struggle to get the ball out of our half for years.
Fullbacks can't do anything, defenders can't do it.
Busi can do it.
Frenkie can do it, but he avoids the first barrier of opponents and then hits into the second block with running straight into them.
Without Busi, I can see our team being totally pressed and just hoofing the ball upfield all the time with zero connection between the lines.
For our style to work, we had Busi, Xavi and Iniesta.
All 3 of them were the type of players who would ASK FOR THE BALL and then make some build with smart movement and reading of the game and with a good connection with other two midfielders.
Now, majority of people here think that Frenkie is a good player, but he is shit in doing what Busi does.
Frenkie runs like a braindead person towards the opponents and then makes some stupid random nonsense pass to a teammate, without too much purpose and planning.
Gavi is fighting and running around, but doesn't have creative-TikiTaka skills of Busi-Xavi-Iniesta.
Nico is some weird player who sucks as a pivot but can make some things around the box. But in general, he sucks in what Busi and friends were doing in buildup.
And there's Pedri, the best out of the bunch, but who is also known as Lord of Hide and seek, miles away from Busi-Xavi-Iniesta build up-link up level, even though he is closest to them out of this bunch.
In a midfield with Pedri, Frenkie, Gavi, Nico, I fear that we will have some random passes without too much sense and planning.
Their profiles are just weird as fck and a bad combination.
Also, imagine a pressing on us:
Mats has the ball:
Araujo is scared and can't do anything with the ball.
Mingueza/Dest are bad.
Eric can do something.
Alba is dumb and useless without Messi.
So, Eric can pass the ball only to Busi.
Without Busi, Frenkie will have to create in every single action and he sucks at that.
And even if we somehow avoid press, then you have Nico, Gavi (and Pedri) which brings us more or less the same chaos as in the last 5 matches.
I know that people's brains always need hope and some scapegoats which indicate = things will get better.
And Busi now sounds as a scapegoat = as in = we will finally be better without him.
But, imo, nothing will get better without Busi.
The same as with Messi. A lot of us (me included) wanted Messi out. But now we are like 10 times worse without him and we see that he was Barca.
I have some fears that the same will happen without Busi. That we will lose even the little sense and logic in our midfield once when he leaves.
People want to see Barca DNA, Barca's football etc but these 4 midfielders are so weird and such a bad fit together for our classical style.
Xavi wants to play that style, purists want that style, yet those 4 together are a horrible fit for it.
About Busi, I am sceptical.
For example, when we had Rakitic and when he played as a pivot, we won some physical presence and MAYBE slightly better defense.
But we lost a link between a goalkeeper, defenders and midfield.
Even though I was Raki's fan, it was clear even to me that our team is downgraded in linkup against better teams when Raki played instead of Busi.
Imo, our players are so shit that they struggle to get the ball out of our half for years.
Fullbacks can't do anything, defenders can't do it.
Busi can do it.
Frenkie can do it, but he avoids the first barrier of opponents and then hits into the second block with running straight into them.
Without Busi, I can see our team being totally pressed and just hoofing the ball upfield all the time with zero connection between the lines.
For our style to work, we had Busi, Xavi and Iniesta.
All 3 of them were the type of players who would ASK FOR THE BALL and then make some build with smart movement and reading of the game and with a good connection with other two midfielders.
Now, majority of people here think that Frenkie is a good player, but he is shit in doing what Busi does.
Frenkie runs like a braindead person towards the opponents and then makes some stupid random nonsense pass to a teammate, without too much purpose and planning.
Gavi is fighting and running around, but doesn't have creative-TikiTaka skills of Busi-Xavi-Iniesta.
Nico is some weird player who sucks as a pivot but can make some things around the box. But in general, he sucks in what Busi and friends were doing in buildup.
And there's Pedri, the best out of the bunch, but who is also known as Lord of Hide and seek, miles away from Busi-Xavi-Iniesta build up-link up level, even though he is closest to them out of this bunch.
In a midfield with Pedri, Frenkie, Gavi, Nico, I fear that we will have some random passes without too much sense and planning.
Their profiles are just weird as fck and a bad combination.
Also, imagine a pressing on us:
Mats has the ball:
Araujo is scared and can't do anything with the ball.
Mingueza/Dest are bad.
Eric can do something.
Alba is dumb and useless without Messi.
So, Eric can pass the ball only to Busi.
Without Busi, Frenkie will have to create in every single action and he sucks at that.
And even if we somehow avoid press, then you have Nico, Gavi (and Pedri) which brings us more or less the same chaos as in the last 5 matches.
I know that people's brains always need hope and some scapegoats which indicate = things will get better.
And Busi now sounds as a scapegoat = as in = we will finally be better without him.
But, imo, nothing will get better without Busi.
The same as with Messi. A lot of us (me included) wanted Messi out. But now we are like 10 times worse without him and we see that he was Barca.
I have some fears that the same will happen without Busi. That we will lose even the little sense and logic in our midfield once when he leaves.
People want to see Barca DNA, Barca's football etc but these 4 midfielders are so weird and such a bad fit together for our classical style.
Xavi wants to play that style, purists want that style, yet those 4 together are a horrible fit for it.
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Now, i don't care too much about this project, but regardless of Xavi's actual coaching abilities, what he needs most right now is balls, balls to just bench his old teammates, Pique, Busquets and Alba.
You can't create a serious top-team with these has-beens.
Maybe Busquets can serve a purpose in a few match-ups, but Pique and Alba? They are done.
You can't create a serious top-team with these has-beens.
Maybe Busquets can serve a purpose in a few match-ups, but Pique and Alba? They are done.
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