11 - Ousmane Dembélé - V1

BBZ8800

Senior Member
So, you are giving Dembele a chance to prove himself if he learns how to play the Barca way in the following years, while Denis is just shit apart from the few games where he was overperfoming and should be sold in the summer (I can say you were right on this one)?

Dembele has insane potential.
Denis hasn't.

So, from the start, Denis could have turned into a squad player at best, if all factors would have clicked perfectly for him. Which haven't.

Denis can't be a leader of any other top club.
Dembele can, if he fails here.

So, it is not about potential of Dembele.
That is not a problem at all.
The problem is whether he wilk fit here because of his style which relies on counterattacks.
I see him closer to a type of counterattacking players like Bale to Barca type of attacking players like Pedro, David Silva and similar.

People will again reply: but he is similar to Messi.
Well imo, he isn't.

Messi, Ronaldinho and others were able to play both TikiTaka and counters.
Regarding TikiTaka or possession football, imagine Iniesta, Pedro, even current Sergi Roberto as a Rb.
So, a player who is involved in build up and in 50 passes before we try a deadly through ball.
For me, it is a player who understands when to do a simple sidepass and when is the moment to try a deadly throughball which will end as an assist or as a lost ball.
So, when you try a deadly pass or a dribble, the action for Barca is over. We will either score or face a counter.
But the art of Barca's play is IQ and to understand WHEN to try a deadly pass and WHEN to wait and play 60 seconds of passes around the box.

And imo, players like Ronaldinho, Messi and Iniesta are perfect players for Barca because they UNDERSTAND and they can feel when it is a right moment to try a deadly move and when it is a moment to slow down and wait for a better moment to try a deadly action.

Messi doesn't dribble in EVERY action when he gets the ball.
Messi doesn't shoot in EVERY opportunity when he is around the box.
Messi doesn't try a through ball in EVERY single action when he gets the ball.

Sometimes he plays safe and sometimes he goes for a kill.
The same was with Iniesta and Ronaldinho.

On the other hand, what was Neymar doing?
He was going for a kill in EVERY single actuon when he received the ball.
Some guys here replied: but at least he is trying.
Well, he was an idiot who couldn't distinguish when to wait and when to play a deadly ball.

When you understand what I am trying to say, for now:
1. Dembele doesn't look like a guy who will be able to do both
For now, he is either totally ineffective in possession buildup. Or he goes for a kill in every action, like Neymar.
But that can be improved over years. Unless if he is dumb. And we don't know yet.
Even though I already have some concerns about his IQ compared to Messi, Ronaldinho, Iniesta and similar.

Then there is a problem of him being a counterattacking player for now.
Plus, his area of play clashes with Messi.
If Messi played against Celta in a 2nd half, Dembele wouldn't be able to do any of those runs.
Because Messi would have taken the ball and Dembele would have moved near the touchline.

So, it is not about his potential.
His IQ, ability to play a possession game and be effective in it and to coexist on a field with Messi=will either ruin or make his Barca's career.

A shiny solo run doesn't mean too much.
These things from above will be key.

Also, it is not fair to compare anyone with Messi, but a few guys mentioned how Dembele resembles of young Messi.
Imo, not.

This is how 19-20 years old Messi played BOTH possession and counterattacking football.
So, Messi was able to play both styles.
With Dembele, he never played in a possession team...
https://youtu.be/fbDcJmEwl7k
 
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DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
There is no convincing BBZ now. Stop kidding yourself and arguing against him.

He's made up his mind already about Dembele not succeeding at Barca and there is nothing that can change that, even if he stays for 10 years and we win 5 CL titles lol, he'll nitpick something and create a narrative that will make people doubt him.
 

FCBfan22

Senior Member
Ok cool. I was not comparing him to Messi. No one can be compared to him.

Anyway, it's nice to see that you are giving Dembele a chance, however, it might take a few years until we see if he is right for Barca.

I hope that Valverde creates a bond between him and Dembouz like Tuchel did, because I think Dembele is far more coachable than Neymar was.
 

FCBfan22

Senior Member
There is no convincing BBZ now. Stop kidding yourself and arguing against him.

He's made up his mind already about Dembele not succeeding at Barca and there is nothing that can change that, even if he stays for 10 years and we win 5 CL titles lol, he'll nitpick something and create a narrative that will make people doubt him.

No, I'm just asking him to give him a chance, that's it. He played 400 minutes for Barca FFS.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
There is no convincing BBZ now. Stop kidding yourself and arguing against him.

He's made up his mind already about Dembele not succeeding at Barca and there is nothing that can change that, even if he stays for 10 years and we win 5 CL titles lol, he'll nitpick something and create a narrative that will make people doubt him.

Yip no matter what he does it will be the same.

Fair play to anyone that actually reads those posts.
 

CatalinR10

Senior Member
1. I was saying that Neymar isn't right for us from the day1.

You were also saying after the treble that Neymar proved you wrong and you agree he is a barca legend from that moment. I also remember you puting a heart at his name.

I thought you would cut out with your bullshit after Neymar would leave ( cause I thought you actually have something personal against him , hate his face , his looks , something about him that deeply bothers you , etc ) but I was wrong. From this point Dembele can do whatever , it doesn't matter , cause you will have the same opinion on him , just like you had on Neymar from the start . He can score 2 goals from now on in each CL fixture this year , including the final , and you will go on about how a great fit he is , how amazing he is only to shit on him again next season if he misses a pass or doesn't do something that fits your agenda and get back to the Dembele is not good for Barca shit again.
 

Horatio

You're welcome
Watch Dembele play a great season after a great season only for BBZ to argue this is a bad thing because now the club will never let him go.
 

Barcaman

Administrator
Staff member
He changed his opinion on Stegen and was right about the rest more or less.

You guys are so sure Dembele will adapt well to Barca? I'm leaning towards - yes but it's surely far from sure thing.
 

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
After wanting to sell ter Stegen to keep Bravo, which would have had us scrambling for a new GK right now probably having to pay over 30 or 40m for one.

Doesn't get credit for changing his opinion after ter Stegen came good. It's like when he changed his opinion on Neymar only to change it back at the first possible opportunity.

He can have his doubts about Dembele, but he almost present them as facts or something that is going to happen and all based on such a small sample size. You could even dispute a lot of the things he mentioned, one of them being Dembele like Neymar always going for the kill and trying to dribble which is just factually incorrect or a lie if he watched the three measly games Dembele has played for Barca so far, or his games for Dortmund. You could in fact argue Dembele is yet to open himself and try to take on players, playing it safe and keeping the ball moving instead of dwelling on it.
 
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Sorin

Well-known member
After wanting to sell ter Stegen to keep Bravo, which would have had us scrambling for a new GK right now probably having to pay over 30 or 40m for one.

Doesn't get credit for changing his opinion after ter Stegen came good. It's like when he changed his decision on Neymar only to change it back at the first possible opportunity.

Spot on. Does he want a medal? lol Bravo was good, however he began to slip up even before he went to City. Any other opinion other than MATS being first choice was, frankly, stupid.
 

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
Why is BBZ's opinion or verdict on Dembele or anything else for that matter so important though? A man should believe whatever he wants to believe. So he doesn't rate him, so what?
 

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