Ivan Rakitić

JerseyAddict

Well-known member
When people(not you specifically) argue that Valverde used him so much to show what a valuable player Rakitic is/was you just lost the argument. Nobody said that Valverde was a genius, that is true, I was exaggerating just to make a point. When it suits their argument Valverde using Rakitic 24/7 is a good thing, next thing when he inevitably shits the bed then Valverde is a moron. Can't have it both ways I'm afraid.

All the club is at fault for our humiliations but there are levels to this too. I would put them in this order: Bartomeu, Valverde, midfield, defence/attack. And within these big categories there are the individuals who are more or less at fault. For midfield there is Busquets/Rakitic as the main guys at fault, for attack Suarez and the lack of any consistent winger, for defence almost all of them but would still single out Bob/Alba while the CB lack leadership and strong mentality. Agreed on Ter Stegen and Messi. My point though is that everyone gets blame, some more than others. I won't ever agree with the slating of Rakitic as "disgusting pos" and whatever other strong insult he gets but Bartomeu is called a rat, Valverde is called a retard left, right and center, Suarez fat, useless and other "nice" adjectives. Stop making it out to be that Rakitic is the only insulted one and the only scapegoat. Also, the interviews over the years didn't do him any favours. From coming out as homophobic and racist a few years back, to an entitled diva just this summer he hasn't helped him endear to the fans too much.

Anyway, let's just agree that he doesn't have any place in this team whatsoever at this point and leave it at that. And before someone accuses me of having a bias, other should take a back seat or leave too. Like Suarez, Busquets, Bob, Dembele, maybe Alba and probably more. Doesn't change the fact that Rakitic is finished for us and should leave for both our benefit and his.

Now we can agree that we agree. LOL
So yes, the argument he was used so much last year because he was the best solution... well, that is not an good argument. Because we didn't played well and we were bad and all EV did was riding on the wave of luck waiting to crash on the first iceberg... as he did. He should and had to use more of Arthur and more of diverse tactics.

So to the next thing is... yes, they are all called names. Some even called Messi to leave etc. Insulting our/and worlds no1 player. That is the level of some fans.

There is to much bench level players in our first 11 and I can agree with you for most of pointed out. The problem is that even EV here is not sole to blame, but even sporting directors and board. They trusted for to long to over satisfied players. Rakitić is one of them to. But he is realy gettin the stick even when he says to normal thing like "I believe in my spot". That is perfect and normal thing to say from a professional.

He should leave if he want's to be undisputable starter for sure, if he is satisfied with sharing minutes, the I would keep him.
Bigger problem is that this board TRASHED HUNDREDS of millions of euros and has no player to sale for some decent money so they are even pushing players out with newspaper leaflets and stuff.
And if so many clubs want him, well... it is not a bad thing to move on after 5 years. as he himself said.
 

Sorin

Well-known member
Valverde is a spineless manager, that is his fault. Any manager worth his salt would have demanded another CM as soon as he saw the level of Rakitic in his first year. Imagine Klopp, Pep etc. watching his performances and be ok with it because there were no other alternatives. Hell would freeze over before they would accept everything the board or the veterans players would say. All these things before even considering the fact that with a cohesive and good system behind him, even Rakitic would have been used better and contribute more to the team. Valverde still remains the second most at fault, after the board, for the shit on a stick football we are serving up and utterly embarrassing CL humiliations.
 
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messi2140

6racies Xavi
Seems like some people need their mind refreshed.

Ivan "Mourinho praised him" Lamapardtic in all his glory.

D6FbjmiWsAATf0-
 

Tackle

Senior Member
How do people have it in them to be so fecking negative and toxic all the time?

You lads really are something. I have observed jaded and bitter fans before and in many cases justifiably so, but I have never seen a fan base in these dire straights before. Being pessimistic is one thing, but it seems like quite a few blokes here get off on being deliberately as negative as possible and wallowing in misery with other users.

It is the international break and I check-in to find multiple new pages of vitriol against a player that barely plays anymore and is probably out the door in January. Valverde is not a valid excuse to constantly be a piece of miserable shite all the time. Sorry, but this behaviour is not healthy and is borderline obsessive and deranged. If the club, the manager, the board and certain players seriously invoke such anger in some of your lot's hearts then maybe it's time to take a break.

Before flinging more toxicity at me for being an "apologist" please take some time to reflect and gain some perspective on what you have become.
 

Potroh

New member
How do people have it in them to be so fecking negative and toxic all the time?
Before flinging more toxicity at me for being an "apologist" please take some time to reflect and gain some perspective on what you have become.

Would you kindly go to Dembele's thread and read ALL of your own fecking negative, even toxic messages?
Can you give an explanation for all those, apart from saying that Dembele is an exceptional case and hence your toxicity had been well deserved?
 

Sorin

Well-known member
Would you kindly go to Dembele's thread and read ALL of your own fecking negative, even toxic messages?
Can you give an explanation for all those, apart from saying that Dembele is an exceptional case and hence your toxicity had been well deserved?

It's quite simple and it has to do with the man we have on the bench. When the case is about the players that are benched/mismanaged by Valverde like Alena, Malcom, Semedo etc., he and the other guys that support this manager don't have any problem dishing out insults and toxic comments. As soon as the other side critiques and insults Valverde's most trusted players, they all come out and cry wolf. I mean, these guys have slandered fecking Guardiola just to defend Valverde and his proteges.
 
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xXKonan

Senior Member
Pretty much.

Bunch of hypocritical shit to be screaming "why do you guys need negative and toxic all the time" when said poster has been doing the same shit in certain other player threads because it "Warrants it" So what's the difference here then?

What tackle is doing in the Dembele threads or any other thread that isn't the Valverde thread or players that Valverde clearly liked, is the same crap he's whining about in this thread about Toxicity. it's like trying to convince people your shit don't stink.
 

serghei

Senior Member
Lol, there is absolutely no excuse not to play Arthur vs Liverpool. None. Accept it as a colossal management error from Valverde, one which probably costed him glory as a manager, and that's it.

Valverde had some excuse for playing Rakitic in his first season, because we didn't have Arthur, but Gomes, who was clearly not good enough. As soon as Arthur came in the summer of 2018 and he played great from the get go, he should've played whenever fit. Because he is simply a better mover, a better passer and a more composed player, probably the three most important attributes for playing CM at Barcelona: movement, passing, composure. Rakitic is slow and old (not just slow as in physically slow, but he thinks slow), his passing is not good enough (due to a variety of factors) and his composure is non existent (he breaks whenever even lightly pressed, and desperately looks for ways to get rid of the ball and put some teammate under pressure).

It's Arthur instead of Rakitic any fucking time, due to Rakitic registering the worst, ability wise, in Liverpool's strongest areas. That's fucking basics, you don't put in a CM whos huge flaws are a direct match with how Liverpool usually play.

So, the situation is like this.

Lucho tried to bench Rakitic, but due to some poor signings in midfield (especially Arda and Gomes) he was unable to, and just had to play Rakitic.
This situation continued in Valverde's first season. No Vidal, no Arthur, with Gomes and Paulinho (who was mediocre at CM whenever he had to play there and don't do his second striker showings). So, again, there are some mitigating factors for playing Rakitic. Last season however the over-reliance on Busi - Rakitic combo cost us the treble probably. And Valverde did have options. So it was a planning and management problem mostly.

It's good at least that, even if a year too late, Ernie found out that Arthur is simply a better midfielder than Rakitic.
 
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Sorin

Well-known member
Lol, there is absolutely no excuse not to play Arthur vs Liverpool. None. Accept it as a colossal management error from Valverde, one which probably costed him glory as a manager, and that's it.

Valverde had some excuse for playing Rakitic in his first season, because we didn't have Arthur, but Gomes, who was clearly not good enough. As soon as Arthur came in the summer of 2018 and he played great from the get go, he should've played whenever fit. Because he is simply a better mover, a better passer and a more composed player, probably the three most important attributes for playing CM at Barcelona: movement, passing, composure. Rakitic is slow and old (not just slow as in physically slow, but he thinks slow), his passing is not good enough (due to a variety of factors) and his composure is non existent (he breaks whenever even lightly pressed, and desperately looks for ways to get rid of the ball and put some teammate under pressure).

It's Arthur instead of Rakitic any fucking time, due to Rakitic registering the worst, ability wise, in Liverpool's strongest areas. That's fucking basics, you don't put in a CM whos huge flaws are a direct match with how Liverpool usually play.

So, the situation is like this.

Lucho tried to bench Rakitic, but due to some poor signings in midfield (especially Arda and Gomes) he was unable to, and just had to play Rakitic.
This situation continued in Valverde's first season. No Vidal, no Arthur, with Gomes and Paulinho (who was mediocre at CM whenever he had to play there and don't do his second striker showings). So, again, there are some mitigating factors for playing Rakitic. Last season however the over-reliance on Busi - Rakitic combo cost us the treble probably. And Valverde did have options. So it was a planning and management problem mostly.

It's good at least that, even if a year too late, Ernie found out that Arthur is simply a better midfielder than Rakitic.

He even had the example from the first leg, when despite the 3-0 result, our midfield was constantly pressed and lost the ball over and over again. Even Stevie Wonder saw that we had really big problems with their pressing and needed something else, especially going away at Anfield where the pressure was going to be even bigger. A guy earning 8 figures a year couldn't see it. Same with Bob being destroyed by Mane and Robertson and not utilizing the superior defender in Semedo in the return leg. Forget everything else and that alone is enough reason for sacking him.
 

DonAndres

Wild Man of Borneo
People are making it out to seem that Rakitic was an absolutely amazing player that was underrated and scapegoated for 2 years and is only just now declined. In reality, he was never actually as good as most people claimed and he got credit for doing way more than he actually did, and now people are catching up and realizing it. Something about his playstyle is so absurdly deceptive that it lulls people into believing passenger/absentee performances are "good".

It was hilarious how much of a defensive beast he was made out to be. If we're going just by duel-winning stats (which I maintain is a shallow level of critique) then Vidal is far and away the best defensive midfielder we've had in the past few years. It's clear he's great in this aspect, so the eye tests back up the stats.

Busquets has been criticized as a slow, statuesque turnstile who is years off his prime and a liability. This is a criticism that is fair and it is clear Busi is nowhere near what he once was. Yet, in the same breath, people made Rakitic out to be this prime workhorse and well rounded machine who had no weaknesses and high level competency everywhere on the pitch despite:

-Busquets completely dwarfing Rakitic in duel winning stats every single year (tackles, interceptions, aerial duels, etc.)
-Busquets having equal or better distance covered stats per game in BOTH the CL and the World Cup
-Rakitic consistently being well below average in distance covered stats in the CL for Barca
-Rakitic being outperformed in the WC in distance covered by most other key players (Modric, Mandzukic, Perisic, Rebic)
-Rakitic being thoroughly outperformed in defensive duel-winning stats by most other Croatia players including fucking attackers like Mandzu, Rebic, Perisic, etc.

Where exactly was he so elite and superior on a consistent basis that he warranted such a reputation? A handful of wild, disorganized Clasicos? 2 games against Argentina and England? A few penalties in shootouts? In offense it is even more clear how little value he has. Let's ignore goals and assists because BBZ and co. seem to think that Arthur scoring/assisting a lot now is some kind of anomaly, and others have argued that Rakitic's goals/assists have not had ANY significant impact towards Barca's success in many years.

Rakitic plays football as if he is just going through the motions in a passing warmup drill with no defenders. Almost never makes the run into space to receive the pass, he pretty much always just asks for the ball at his feet in static positions away from defenders. When he is on the ball, he absolutely never makes a run with it as he's completely paralyzed with fear at the thought of confronting a defender. When he does pass it off, he never makes a followup run afterwards to keep transitioning the play with XYZ purpose. He just dumps it off to the fullback and waits again for his turn to keep the ball moving merrily along in safe areas with little to no objective.

There's no change in momentum that occurs from before Rakitic gets the ball to after he passes it away. No change in pace of the play. No improvement in our position with the ball to attack defenses from a better angle. Most of the time, not even any forward progression of the ball. What exactly is gained by Rakitic's input in our possession play? Nothing, pretty much a zero-sum.

Contrast that with Arthur or FDJ. They are constantly active in either checking in to receive the ball when the carrier is under pressure, or making a run into a pocket of space where they can receive the ball and keep the play moving dynamically. After they make the pass, they are always on the lookout for a followup run to keep things moving. They don't just stand there idly twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the other player to do something, they make supporting plays and runs.

When they are on the ball, they are confident in their dribbling abilities and constantly drag defenders out of positions with their ball carrying which opens up space for other players to run into. Effective play ON the ball is critical in opening up space for other players to make effective runs OFF the ball. They also spend this time on the ball scanning for 3-4 different options they can play it to and judging which one is the most valuable play, unlike Rakitic who pretty much immediately dumps the ball to the first outlet he sees and the most convenient one (including his long balls, which are always just lazy switches).

Consider it in the case of Messi. FDJ recently said:

"Playing with Leo is easier, he does everything well. When he gives you the ball it's as if it has instructions with it and you have to do it."

I think this is an exceptional quote from FDJ. It's uncanny how every time you see Messi cut in and beat that first defender, there is immediately a clear path to goal from Messi's feet and Alba/Suarez/Vidal/whoever are already making runs into clear channels where Leo can hit a dagger pass. Part of it is how much they've drilled those specific plays, but it's also because once Messi has disrupted the defense and created that space it becomes OBVIOUS where the runs should be made and where the dangerous positions are for players to run into.

No one can effectively make runs off the ball when the possession is sterile and static, but once someone like Messi drags defenders out with the dribble the situation becomes dynamic and suddenly 3 or 4 players can make runs that create effective paths to the goal. Messi creates motion when the sterile Barca offense of the past 2 seasons was thoroughly lacking in it.

FDJ and Arthur are obviously nowhere near as brutally effective as Messi, but their elite ball carrying in our possession play creates MOTION offense instead of STATIC offense. Rakitic is a champion of the latter, and there are maybe a handful of times over multiple entire seasons where he has demonstrated an ability to turn static plays into motion ones.
 

Raketa10

Senior Member
Seems like some people need their mind refreshed.

Ivan "Mourinho praised him" Lamapardtic in all his glory.

D6FbjmiWsAATf0-

Why don't you pull Jordi Alba highlights from that match also? It's absolutely hypocritical to blame one player for that defeat. Entire team was horrible and Rakitic is not more or less guilty than any other player that day.
 
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DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
Forget everything, the fact that he was garbage, that Valverde overplayed him and everything else.

His interview in the summer alone, begging for contract renewals all the time, saying he was waiting for Presi to make a call, was embarrassing. This guy thought he was untouchable and played like it too.

Rakitic forgot that one trait which led to his path to becoming a Barcelona player. Humility.

Or the easier choice. Just shut up.
 

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