Ivan Rakitić

Arizona Scott said:

I think I'll just repost my post because of the nonsense. Might as well keep the thread about something relevant.

BTW Alena was solid. I am happy with Vidal, Busi and Rakitic rotation getting extra breaks with him prior to the CL. Also, Busi was saved our behinds a number of times, and Rakitic and Messi had some good interchanges. Good use of rotations by Valverde, just maybe he is learning.

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This. It is about opponents and pairings. Arthur and Rakitic can be paired with anyone, while Vidal-Alena is pretty suicidal as both lose their position too much. If Valverde rotate's efficiently then we have an incredible chance to win LaLiga and go far in both CL and CDR.

Just nothing silly like Chumi-Murillo, Vidal-Alena, Miranda-Malcom down the left, Semedo-Roberto down the right and we will be alright.

Once we are rotating the first 11, next step will be subs for energy conservation and subs because of in game performances, not seniority. But step-by-step. Perhaps Valverde will add this element next season.

Porque said:

This. It is about opponents and pairings. Arthur and Rakitic can be paired with anyone, while Vidal-Alena is pretty suicidal as both lose their position too much. If Valverde rotate's efficiently then we have an incredible chance to win LaLiga and go far in both CL and CDR.

Just nothing silly like Chumi-Murillo, Vidal-Alena, Miranda-Malcom down the left, Semedo-Roberto down the right and we will be alright.

Once we are rotating the first 11, next step will be subs for energy conservation and subs because of in game performances, not seniority. But step-by-step. Perhaps Valverde will add this element next season.

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I really don't want to see Alena in real high stakes matches. For important matches we have Busi-Rakitic-Vidal-Arthur to take all the minutes in 3 positions. I agree no more Chumi and Miranda--unless they have already won the league or up by 4 goals in a return CDR leg. Not sure yet for Murillo or Vermaelen as 3rd CB until/if Umtiti comes back.

I will say the fact Valverde started Alena and Vermaelen seems to suggest he has a better approach to managing the squad and league plan than last year.

Rakitic is better as a DM right now.

messi2140 said:

Not sure who will have a better night : Pique with Shakira or Rakitic with Valverde. #GOAT

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Arizona Scott said:

I really don't want to see Alena in real high stakes matches. For important matches we have Busi-Rakitic-Vidal-Arthur to take all the minutes in 3 positions. I agree no more Chumi and Miranda--unless they have already won the league or up by 4 goals in a return CDR leg. Not sure yet for Murillo or Vermaelen as 3rd CB until/if Umtiti comes back.

I will say the fact Valverde started Alena and Vermaelen seems to suggest he has a better approach to managing the squad and league plan than last year.

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I wouldn't risk Aleña either against tough opponents, but paired with either Arthur or Rakitic he will be capable against most opposition. I have no problem with Arthur-Alena being our Copa midfield, Rakitic-Vidal being our LaLiga midfield and Rakitic-Vidal/Arthur being our CL midfield depending on opponents and home/away for example. With the fixture congestion coming up Vermaelen-Murillo-Semedo in the Copa is another combination I would not object to.

Alena has a high ceiling and will get better with more minutes. Again, if Malcom has no future here, he for me, can be first sub at AMR too giving him 15-20 minutes extra minutes every week rather than Denis Suarez.

It's a disgrace for a team like Barça to start games with 2 DMs at Camp Nou. Should never happen again. But (shitty) coach knows better I guess. He also knows better than all the previous Barça coaches, guys like Cruyff, Van Gaal, Rijkaard, Guardiola, Tito, Enrique etc.

YodaMaster said:

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It's a disgrace for a team like Barça to start games with 2 DMs at Camp Nou. Should never happen again. But (shitty) coach knows better I guess. He also knows better than all the previous Barça coaches, guys like Cruyff, Van Gaal, Rijkaard, Guardiola, Tito, Enrique etc.

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Still better 2 DM's than 3 DM's like against Eibar, when Arthur, Rakitić and Busi were basically walking over eachother.

The Arthur-Busi-Rakitic Midfield is frustrating to look at.

Arthur was already going to be the conservative CM of that group because that's his job and style playing in the old Xavi role and he's a work in progress in making more attacking runs if needed. Busi keeps doing what he's always done perhaps not as good as he use to but everyone understands his role.

The puzzling part is Rakitic, one would think he would be the more attacking oriented CM in that group yet he's usually deeper than the other two parking himself on the HW line in Busi's space no less a good portion of the time.

Watching Vidal and Alena play together with Arthur seemed like a breath of fresh air because you had two Midfielders being a good attacking threat and occupying spaces they should be doing and instead of just sitting deep most of the time.

Lots of speculations doing the rounds over the now presumed de Jong signing, one that's not making sense at all to me is the one that Barto promised Frenkie that two starters would be gone and that he wouldn't have trouble for game time.

Now, I'm all for saying the right things to lure a player to sign for us, as long as said favoritism is forgotten as soon as he puts pen to paper. Meaning once he signs, he will be just another young player - who is contractually obliged to comply with the club's duties - fighting for his minutes primarily off the bench, to start with at least.


However, many people are already saying which players will probably be sold - if said absurdity is to take place - and, while they can't quite come up with two names, the one that's a constant is Rakitic. Could he possibly be playing his last half a season at the club?


Should BBZ preemptively start hating on Frenkie (and digging through all his stats of course) as is customary to any player who threatens Raki's spot in Barca's midfield? But this time it will be apparently indefinitely, meaning he's gone for good. Or, is he? With Valverde still here.

Rakitic's best position is DM now, and we have three deep midfielders in him, Busi, and Arthur. When the three are playing together it is a horrorshow to look at.

P.s. I forgot to add that the journalist who said Barto promised de Jong we will sell two midfielders to fit him in is apparently considered tier 1.
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Yes, Valverde looks to be waking up to that of late. He's played Rakitic at DM a fair bit over the past few weeks.

EdmondDantes said:

P.s. I forgot to add that the journalist who said Barto promised de Jong we will sell two midfielders to fit him in is apparently considered tier 1.
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Yes, Valverde looks to be waking up to that of late. He's played Rakitic at DM a fair bit over the past few weeks.

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Valverde imo likes both Arthur and Vidal quite a lot. I think he's at a point where he can see the extra energy we have with those two on. And he has too many attacking threats up top to play with anything but a front 3. So this makes either Busi or Rakitic very much expendable, on their current forms.

I'm sure Paris would love to sign him now. It makes sense from both sides or all parties involved. Barca makes money, Rakitic gets richer and PSG gets a midfielder.

If we sell Rakitic + denis + gomes + rafinha

we are looking at a midfield of

Arthur, Alena, Boetang??? Busquets, De Jong, Vidal.


i guess in theory it works

Arthur-----Vidal
-----Busquets

subs:

Boetang???----Alena
---------De Jong

we could also dip into the B team.