The College Dropout

Some great and accurate things posted here. Don't get me wrong, I love Pirlo but I find people that really appreciate what Xavi does and Busquets too - understand the intricacies of the game more. With Pirlo it's often more obvious the great work he does. But Xavi - he's like Floyd Mayweather junior. It's a master class in movement, patience, finding the opportunity to strike etc. With Pirlo - it's probably easier to have him in your side. He just needs two very athletic midfielders beside him and he's ready to go. Xavi - he IS the system. The heartbeat of the Barca way. In another set-up without the cohorts it would be harder for him. Until the manager realises the rest of the players need to take their cue from Xavi.

Went home. Injured.

I said that in January. Then Bale scored twice against and turned into Superman. After Bale it was Mata-Suarez then RVP.

But I don't understand his inclusion here except he's more experienced in the national side and Mata has played a lot of games these last 2 years. In a team reliant on midfielders to score. I'd take Mata over Silva everyday.

He's more tiki-taka than Mata. for better or worse. Mata is English football/Premiership made. All about final product.

Busquets is there. But he's very slow. A quick pass past him and he's done.

There's not loads of world class 9's.

Indeed. Martinez would be a more defensive move and the team probably doesn't need that. Where as dropping Iniesta in and making him even more central helps. I just think that 3 can concede many goals. Where as Martinez would continue the need for just one.

It is certainly entertaining and I think VDB is using this tournament to test it out.

Going forward though man... wow.

That Xavi-Busquets-Iniesta midfield 3 doesn't look strong defensively at all. Don't understand Silva over Mata. Silva always looks for the pass first and foremost. Mata gets more goals and looks for more incisive passes. In a team with only 1 natural goalscorer and Pedro, you'd think Del Bosque would go for more of a goal scoring midfielder.

Is this Darren Bent stuff serious?

Disagree with the first statement nearly as much as I disagree about Brazils strikers being better than Germany and Spain's. Fabregas has become very underrated recently too. I'm going to be honest, I only made the first statement as a conversation starter for the rest of you to discuss to my enjoyment. I'm weak at the knees for big, physical midfielders, I know. It can't be helped at this point. I think Javi Martinez is a more complete player in a vacuum (outside of the Barca-created midfield of Spain) than Busquets and can slide into the same role without much fuss at all. Fabregas played a very different role in England in Mata, but I still think what the little boy at Chelsea accomplished the past two seasons is above anything Fab did, even at the height of his powers. He hasn't shown that form for three years anyway. I'd echo the sentiment of wanting to see him back in central midfielders. He's not a striker, #10, or a winger despite where he's been playing. Javi Martinez always strikes me as very one paced... Thought he was massively overpriced... Hard to argue against the season he's had though... If he's one paced, what is Busquets? Or Alonso? Or Xavi?# IMO Barca should've signed him and stuck him at CB. That's what I thought Song was for.

The problem is Fabregas doesn't have a position in this team.... the AM role he performed so fantastically in for Arsenal doesn't exist and he never has been and never will be a controlling CM in the mould of Xavi. Disagree with this. He was developing that way for most of his time at Arsenal. Wasn't until the last 2 maybe 3 seasons he was made into Arsenal's Gerrard/Lampard. His game became more about goals and assists rather than controlling the match. What he brings in that regard is unique for Barca and it's why they won't sell him. He's still only 26. I can see him going further and further back into a more Xavi-like position as time goes on.

Yeah Ligue 1, I mean the French national side.

I've never seen Sissoko play CM tbh. When I saw him for France he was wide.

Alonso is really more Xavi and Pirlo than Martinez and Busquets. Under Morinho he's become more combative but that's not really his game. Although Alonso plays behind Xavi for Spain they really have 2 players trying to control te tempo of the game.

I'm sure they'll go back to a double pivot. Even if not Alonso it should be Martinez or Pardo.In his last few seasons at Arsenal, Fabregas really become much more of a Gerrard/Lampard than one of the Spanish masters.

I pointed out your fallacies in another thread regarding this. Juve have Pirlo then Vidal and Marchisio in midfield. They are immense defensively, strong in the tackle. They do get forward but in essence they are battlers. Moussa Sissoko is not, and has never been a battler. Javi Martinez is not a box-to-box player stop it. He's a fabulous player with many attributes but for Bayern, he's a more combative and ambitious Busquets. Sissoko - i'm not sure about him tbh. He was great for 2-3 games but very poor since other than Benfica away. He's not a link man. The most worrying thing is how often his passing is bad. IIRC it's the lowest in completion of any player in our side.

Of all January signings' Sissoko is my biggest concern.

Aye, Sissoko is an attacking player. No good in the air, doesn't put a foot in. That's another big issue for me. All our central midfielders suck in the air. Tiote's pretty decent. Think Siss may do better defensively in that regard. With people wanting a Mbiwa - Colo CB partnership - i'd say we have the weakest first XI in the air, in the division.

Shame that they very rarely do.... as shown by Barca and Arsenal's defensive record. Also this myth that Tiote is athletic needs to stop.... Athleticism =/= Strength. Also the physical crap is getting very tiresome.... Liverpool has Lucas and Gerrard, Arsenal has Arteta and Ramsey, Everton has Osman and Gibson, Man Utd has Carrick and Cleverly, Swansea has Britton and De Guzman and many more. Yet we play with a load of "defensive midfielders" and have less points and more goals conceded than all of them. Plus with Sissoko in the midfield we are hardly lacking in the physical department there is no reason to play another physically strong player who offers nothing offensively. You're just agreeing with me. It rarely happens because they sit right in front of the defence and their teams mostly have the ball. Gerrard - Lucas = lots of legs, energy and strength. Gerrard doesn't make as many forward runs but he's always been strong as owt. Arsenal's midfield needs a huge upgrade. That's the worst CM they've had in a decade. The best? Vieira and Petit/Silva. Strength, legs, tackle, bite. Everton & Man United, while Carrick has been immense. Their central midfields are helped out a huge amount because so much of both teams attacks comes from wide players providing width (and Carrick's the best at what he does in the division). Our midfield pattern is Tiote > Cabaye > Sissoko *lose ball*. Or at best to Santon or something. Width provides an easy outlet. These are not great examples good central midfields. Look at Juve or Bayern. Currently, we don't have anyone "sitting" in front of the defence, they just do as they like. I haven't mentioned defensive midfielders today, i'm simply talking about sitting in front of the day shielding it. Tiote can get around laterally better than any of our midfielders. Sissoko is an attacking player man. He's pretty poor defensively. He requires a proper sitter behind him, not Yohan bloody Kebab. City have always played a proper sitting midfielder alongside Yaya because defensively, he's not very effective. Turn him and he's not very interested, same with Sissoko.

Of all the midfielders - Jonas is the biggest problem. At least Obertan knew what was expected of him and provided width and an outlet. Sign a real wide man please.

Agreed. especially in a Pardew team. I don't know whether Anita can be like Brittain but i'm on the fence about whether he can cope physically. His best games for us came in matches we got thumped in. For someone like Marveaux a creator, you can say at least in those games we can see what he offers going forward. But Anita? He needs to be a strong factor the other way for us imo.

Every good team has a midfield player who sits and largely plays "behind the ball" in attack and in front of it in defence. If you get the other side of Busquets or even Arteta in attack, they are in deep trouble.