Ivan Rakitić

J

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Kohe321 said:
Did he spend his summer running marathons or something? He looks completely burnt out and it's still only September.

Absolutely horrible match by any measurement, and the fact that he played the full 90 minutes was a very puzzling move by Valverde.
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No he is just in a system where he is expected to be better on the ball than Luchos strung out right sided defensive midfield role and he isnt good enough.

Never has been a possession type player.
 
J

Jombi

New member
Kohe321 said:
Did he spend his summer running marathons or something? He looks completely burnt out and it's still only September.

Absolutely horrible match by any measurement, and the fact that he played the full 90 minutes was a very puzzling move by Valverde.
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For years now, he seems to have just finished a marathon most of the time he plays.
 
Kohe321

Kohe321

New member
I'm certain the version of Rakitic we saw in the treble-winning season would perform under the current Valverde system as well. He was smart with his positioning, had a good touch, accurate through-balls and overall passing, and every now and then even dared to shoot from a distance or make some attacking runs into the box that lead to headed goals or tap-ins. You know, the kind of thing we see Paulinho doing now. The system isn't keeping Rakitic from doing the same, but he himself seems to have absolutely folded as a player.
 
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J

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Kohe321 said:
I'm certain the version of Rakitic we saw in the treble-winning season would perform under the current Valverde system as well. He was smart with his positioning, a good touc, accurate through-balls and overall passing, and even dared to shoot from a distance or make some runs every now and then. You know, the kinds of things we see Paulinho doing now. The system isn't keeping Rakitic from doing the same, but he himself has absolutely folded as a player.

I mean, the amount of misplaced passes and lack of mobility and creativity is something you just don't see from anyone else on the team.
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He was shit that first half of season and only found a place in the team when Lucho virtually gave him up as a midfielder and used Alves in his place with him covering.

Never been a Barca midfield type player who takes ball in tight areas and looks to dominate ball. Never been that at Sevilla let alone Barca.

He was effective in that second half of treble season as he got more time on ball out the way of the technical players and could get about to defend even if he is nothing great defensively either he was mobile enough.

Occasional late runs into box as he can finish and running about covering Alves as he wasnt good enough to connect well with Messi was what he was all about.
 
Kohe321

Kohe321

New member
JamDav1982 said:
He was shit that first half of season and only found a place in the team when Lucho virtually gave him up as a midfielder and used Alves in his place with him covering.

Never been a Barca midfield type player who takes ball in tight areas and looks to dominate ball. Never been that at Sevilla let alone Barca.

He was effective in that second half of treble season as he got more time on ball out the way of the technical players and could get about to defend even if he is nothing great defensively either he was mobile enough.

Occasional late runs into box as he can finish and running about covering Alves as he wasnt good enough to connect well with Messi was what he was all about.
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I can agree that his role in Lucho's system was a better fit for him than this current one, but it's not the complete explanation for what we're seeing now. And it's not true that he basically wasn't a midfielder back then, either. He has declined in so many aspects of the game, the aspects I mentioned above that made him great at Sevilla and at the start with Barca.

And this decline was going on towards the end of Lucho's tenure here as well, and his role in the system didn't change dramatically from the first season, so it's not like this is a sudden binary change in performance that can be pin-pointed to this season when Valverde took over.
 
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FCBfan22

FCBfan22

Senior Member
If his form trend since the Asspanyol game continues, he will soon be sitting in a middle of the pitch, watching the game around him.
 
Saladin

Saladin

Active member
Truthist said:
How can Valverde justify playing him him week in and week out. Get him out of there ffs.
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Rakitic, Pique and Fat Rat are horrendous. Absolutely unacceptable level from all three if we are to be anywhere near title contenders (don't let the good run fool you).


Pique is ridiculously slow and easily shifted by even average midrange strikers. Suarez is lightyears from his former beast self, Rakitic is just utter piss.

We have a great, solid base of players such as Ter Stegen, Semedo, Umtiti, Alba in the back, Busquets and Paulinho in midfield, Messi and Dembélinho in front and some solid subs in Denis Suarez and Sergi Roberto (who is not starter material, even though I like Sergi alot).

I would love to see Valverde give Alena a chance soon, he's been solid for the B team so far.
 
Truthist

Truthist

New member
Saladin said:
Rakitic, Pique and Fat Rat are horrendous. Absolutely unacceptable level from all three if we are to be anywhere near title contenders (don't let the good run fool you).


Pique is ridiculously slow and easily shifted by even average midrange strikers. Suarez is lightyears from his former beast self, Rakitic is just utter piss.

We have a great, solid base of players such as Ter Stegen, Semedo, Umtiti, Alba in the back, Busquets and Paulinho in midfield, Messi and Dembélinho in front and some solid subs in Denis Suarez and Sergi Roberto (who is not starter material, even though I like Sergi alot).

I would love to see Valverde give Alena a chance soon, he's been solid for the B team so far.
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I agree and I think we are going to start dropping a lot of points away from home sooner or later as Messi will fatigue and can't bail us out like he does at the nou camp.

I've seen a lot of Alena and he is easily an upgrade over all or midfielders right now BUT we no longer give chances to players from the B team anymore.
 
xXKonan

xXKonan

Senior Member
Truthist said:
How can Valverde justify playing him him week in and week out. Get him out of there ffs.
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It's either based off reputation or Valverde seriously doesn't trust anyone outside Paulinho and Bob in regards to our other CM options.

I really don't get it myself. anyone can see that Rakitic has been absolutely woeful and undeserving of starter status here. Once in a blue moon if the conditions are right he will have a good performance but that shit is so rare.
 
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