Thiago Alcantara

[BarcaOG]

But there was never really an issue with him at big games. He was never bad vs Barca or Madrid, there just wasn't a whole lot to say about him. People automatically assume that when Thiago wasn't particularly noticable in a loss, he must've played bad. When really though his whole job is stability, pressing and press resistance. If he looks to have an uneventful game, that's when he simply did the bare minimum of fulfilling the expectations. But when Bayern does not win, people look for scapegoats and point at players they haven't seen very much, irregardless of wether the faults were at their end or not.

he was invisible against us in 2015. invisible. that's pretty bad at the CL semi final level

 

[Yannik]

he was invisible against us in 2015. invisible. that's pretty bad at the CL semi final level

Well that's my point. If he is invisible, that means he wasn't awful.
He's a defensive mid. If you don't notice neither bad nor good things about him, that means he did the expected. Not more.
He is the anchorpoint between defense and midfield. If he actually plays a bad game, you'd not complain about invisibility. You'd instead notice very visibly that he missplaces passes in horrible situations within his own half, or gives away needless fouls. That hasn't happened though. He just didn't stand out. Neither positively, nor negatively.

So all in all the "pattern" were just relatively average performances in two or three bigger games mixed with actually very good performances in two or three other bigger games.

 

[Joan]

He's a good player. People tend to have unreasonably high expectations for him and feel let down when he doesn't meet them.

As I see it, he's a top teams' midfielder, but never a top teams' top midfielder.

Same in Liverpool, really.

 

[BarcaOG]

Well that's my point. If he is invisible, that means he wasn't awful.
He's a defensive mid. If you don't notice neither bad nor good things about him, that means he did the expected. Not more.
He is the anchorpoint between defense and midfield. If he actually plays a bad game, you'd not complain about invisibility. You'd instead notice very visibly that he missplaces passes in horrible situations within his own half, or gives away needless fouls. That hasn't happened though. He just didn't stand out. Neither positively, nor negatively.

So all in all the "pattern" were just relatively average performances in two or three bigger games mixed with actually very good performances in two or three other bigger games.

i get your point, but context here matters. he wasn't invisible in a victory: if that was the case then he would just be doing his job, quietly, competently, correctly.

but he was invisible in a defeat; a CL knockout. The same against Atlei and Real. if the goal is to win in order to progress to the next round, and you dont do that, and are moreover invisible, then you are not doing your job. certainly you are not doing it well.

in contrast, for example, Lewandowski was brilliant in the 3-2 at the allianz I thought. the opposite of invisible. His team may have lost but at least he did his job.

 

[Yannik]

i get your point, but context here matters. he wasn't invisible in a victory: if that was the case then he would just be doing his job, quietly, competently, correctly.

but he was invisible in a defeat; a CL knockout. The same against Atlei and Real. if the goal is to win in order to progress to the next round, and you dont do that, and are moreover invisible, then you are not doing your job. certainly you are not doing it well.

in contrast, for example, Lewandowski was brilliant in the 3-2 at the allianz I thought. the opposite of invisible. His team may have lost but at least he did his job.

But you could say the same for Thiago. He could do his job perfectly and people wouldn't notice, but if Bayern isn't in front then all he could do is to run upfront himself and bang in a brace so that people can say it wasn't his fault. This is the luxury forwards have, while defensive players get scapegoated when they aren't seen in a loss because 90% of people don't really understand how build ups or collective defending works and how all of that correlates with each other in the first place.
But when an attacking midfielder plays a through ball, when a winger dribbles a defenders, or when a striker scores a goal, those are things that are universally understood and immediately noticed.

 

[Ode to Django]

saving himself for the world cup

 

[jamrock]

This place brooos lol

 

[BBZ8800]

Didnt he usually fall through in tough CL-ties for Bayern in the past? Last season not included, of course.

He is good when things are going well, but is he really the guy to rely on when things get rough?

Bayern's leaders wanted to sell him a few years ago because he wasn't offering anything in the attacking third.

Thiago is a perfect example of a parallel universe created by Barca's fans after Pep's era.

Remember the hype for fucking Jean Michel Serri who wasn't doing anything than recycling possession.
A guy could barely tackle or run.
The new Xavi, lol.
Just what we need.

Then Arthur, Thiago, Puig.

Not that these players are bad.
Or that they aren't useful in certain setups.

But all of them are overrated a lot by our fans and the only place where they could play football are Barca, Arsenal and Pep's City.

No wonder that Thiago sucks in EPL.
Imagine Arthur or Puig there.

Those are players for teams who have 70-80% of possession and who need a player to connect the dots.

As Devils said, Thiago will be the death of Klopp and Liverpool, just like Fabregas for Pep or Gudjohnsen for Rijkaard.

Btw, Thiago's top level career is more or less over after this.
The only place where he could thrive is Barca.

A question: try to name 2-3 La Masia midfielders in this century who managed to have a good career outside of Barca.

Only Thiago in a German TikiTaka team.
And Fabregas in Wenger's Barcelona-light.

La Masia midfielders thrive only at Barca, under perfect conditions.

 

[mc_lovin]

A question: try to name 2-3 La Masia midfielders in this century who managed to have a good career outside of Barca.

How about you doing the same for other clubs? There are only a handful worldclass midfielder per decade - and we produced like half of them (hyperbole..). You are just completely nuts thinking all of our La Masia players are the same: Alena, Samper, Denis and co just had bad luck being born post Tiki Taka I guess?

Small numbers and shit.

 

[Bobo32]

Yeah Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and Thiago are world class and would succeed anywhere, although they thrive in the right system.
What about Olmo? Hardly saw him play but he's obviously CL semifinal level good in a team not really playing like Barcelona.

 

[serghei]

BBZ discovered players raised and developed by Barca are best suited for Barca style...

 

[Porque]

Thiago missed 18 of the first 21 Liverpool games through injury and Coronavirus. Since back from injury he has played just over 1000 minutes at Liverpool.

Bit too soon to jump to conclusions in a new league at a team riddled by injury and passing their peak.

 

[stk93]

i will swap coutinho with him anytime

 

[Proper]

You lot make me laugh

Seeing you lot defend Thiago, is like a watching someone defend and wanting their ex-girlfriend back after she leaves you for another bloke. You lot more than anyone should be like "fuck this bitch" and love how he got schooled by Tom Davies yesterday.

Twitter is laughing at this flop, Bayern fans are laughing at this flop, Liverpool fans are calling him a flop, but here are Barcelona fans sitting there in hope going "maybe he (she) will come back to us"

 

[te amo barca]

You lot make me laugh

Seeing you lot defend Thiago, is like a watching someone defend and wanting their ex-girlfriend back after she leaves you for another bloke. You lot more than anyone should be like "fuck this bitch" and love how he got schooled by Tom Davies yesterday.

Twitter is laughing at this flop, Bayern fans are laughing at this flop, Liverpool fans are calling him a flop, but here are Barcelona fans sitting there in hope going "maybe he (she) will come back to us"

Bayern fans aren't laughing. Can't really treat them as a beehive with a uniform opinion. The fact that Twitter is laughing only discredits your point.