Alexis Sanchez

[caseballs89]

I'll never understand the hate he gets from Barca fans. He took time to settle alright which should be understandable IMO but this season he was on course to be our player of the season (along with Valdes) until Neymar and Messi were both back....then he got relegated to being a bit part player making substitute appearances and sporadic starts.

He should leave but not because he isn't good enough but because he has been screwed here at Barcelona. He was a key player in both wins against Real and almost won us the league with a wonder goal...he also stepped up big time for us when other forwards weren't scoring in La Liga. His work rate is immense and compensates Messi/Neymar lesser workrate well. I don't care if 21/21 of his goals were tap ins, 21 goals is 21 goals there are no extra points in a league table for goals that are better. And even looking at that video he is well capable of scoring all types of goals.

He is 25 years old and one of the best forwards in the world. If we sell him it will be one of the biggest mistakes we have made in the transfer market in quite some time. 25 years old, with Messi at 26 and Neymar at 22.....if the rest of the team were playing better that is the best front 3 in the world and could be the best for a number of years to come. Perfect really with young players that we have coming through up front we wouldn't need to buy a FW for a few years and could focus on the actual weak parts of our team.

Watch him closely in the World Cup, I am confident he will be one of the better players there I expect Chile to ruffle a few feathers at the tournament. Also I am confident he will be a massive success at Juve, I can see it now....two years time and everyone on here is saying how we should never have let him go.

Sorry this is very rambly but I am in work and don't have time to edit it to make it more coherent.

 

[anguy]

Again, he's too small and easily bullied by more physical players. It's not just about him, it's about balance of our attack. Barca needs real 9 or at least bigger, more physical winger. We can't use 3 small forwards at the same time anymore, so at least one of them must go. Do you want to sell Messi or Neymar instead?

 

[Ghostmaster]

Again, he's too small and easily bullied by more physical players. It's not just about him, it's about balance of our attack. Barca needs real 9 or at least bigger, more physical winger. We can't use 3 small forwards at the same time anymore, so at least one of them must go. Do you want to sell Messi or Neymar instead?

I was thinking about that too, replace Alexis with a real striker, but then again, you will face another problems, Alexis is doing a huge defensive work on the right wing, you take him out and you have defensive problems.

 

[anguy]

I was thinking about that too, replace Alexis with a real striker, but then again, you will face another problems, Alexis is doing a huge defensive work on the right wing, you take him out and you have defensive problems.

We shouldn't be picking forwards based on how good defenders they are. Besides new RB might be better than Alves defensively, so the Sanchez and Pedro's defensive work won't be that necessary.

 

[Vapor]

I think he has great talent and I really wish him the best, I like the guy's fighting spirit to come back after 2 seasons of pretty much humiliation and rise out of that to pretty remarkable heights, scoring 21 goals and some fantastic, important golazos along the way. I don't think he is the best fit for Barcelona's wing however... I think he is more suited to be a more central striker.

Hopefully he does well at whatever club he goes to next, if he indeed is leaving (which I could very well see happening seeing how he's been treated the past half year). A likable guy and undoubtedly has a good amount of talent. Wish him the best.

 

[Ghostmaster]

We shouldn't be picking forwards based on how good defenders they are. Besides new RB might be better than Alves defensively, so the Sanchez and Pedro's defensive work won't be that necessary.

If our new RB were defensive RB then that would be better, but most likely he would be another attacking RB.

 

[1207]

if Lucho isn't stupid which he isn't then i don't see alexis leaving.
or only because of a real good offer

 

[BBZ8800]

I was thinking about that too, replace Alexis with a real striker, but then again, you will face another problems, Alexis is doing a huge defensive work on the right wing, you take him out and you have defensive problems.

You are right.
Our current team is so unbalanced on so many levels.

We don't have a defense. And then, from players which we have, they are too short/weak and most of them are bullied by our opponents and also we are weak in aerial duels.

Our midfield is one-dimensional. Again, they are short, easily bullied, losing all aerial duels.
And what is worse, we were buying smaller midfielders because they were the best in Passing, workrate, creating chances.
But lately they suck even in that.
So, they don't have any physical strength, or strength to win aerial duels, they don't run, they don't press, they are bullied, plus they don't create anything anymore.

Attack, the same. Small players again. One dimensional. Plus, not lethal at all lately.

We suck in all areas on so many levels.
Further, we should try to fix some problems, for example, to get more lethal forwards.
We will sell Alexis (I am voting for that), even though, again, we will then lose his workrate and we will suffer on other levels.

Our current team is so painfully unbalanced in the last 3-4 Seasons with 1000s of wrong decisons by the board, but by Pep also. He has a huge part in the current mess.

I am sorry for Alexis, but we need a huge overhaul in all lines with a lot of players to fix this mess.
It will take several years to fix this.

 

[Ghostmaster]

We need not only more lethal attackers but also we need to use pressing again, we almost didn't do that this season and we saw how leaky our defense is. You introduce pressing and reinforce your defense with new signings and you need less goals to win matches because you concede less.

 

[BBZ8800]

We need not only more lethal attackers but also we need to use pressing again, we almost didn't do that this season and we saw how leaky our defense is. You introduce pressing and reinforce your defense with new signings and you need less goals to win matches because you concede less.

Ok.
True to some extent, and against weaker/average teams.

Imagine a defense with Benatia or some new guys.
Imagine a midfield who runs and press, either with these guys or with some new guys.
But, imagine the attacking line up Neymar-Messi-Alexis/Pedro.

We would probably won 10 Points more and won La Liga.
I agree, a better defense and a midfield who runs, press and creates more will be enough for that.

But let's take a look at our attacking line.
-- last year, against Bayern, we lost 0:7
-- a better defense and midfield could help, but we would still lose probably 0:2, 0:3 or 0:4 on aggregate

-- this year, we played 6 games against Atletico (if I am correct)
-- we never scored more than 1 Goal, right?

Our attacking line also has huge problems and deficits.

So, we need:
1. a better defense
2. a better midfield (run, press, create more)
3. but also better/different/with more options attacking line

Our current team:
1. weak defense
2. midfield that doesn't run/press/create like it should
3. sterile, one dimensional, physically weak/short, not lethal attack, too Messi-dependant (what if Messi gets injured, for example?)

Regarding attack:
1. Messi is Messi, he stays
2. Neymar, he wasn't too good for now, especially regarding his 60-80 or 100M price tag
-- so, if we assume that those 2 stay (we spent too much on Neymar, so we have to believe and wait for him)
3. so, if we need a different attack, only a position 3 is available for a new player
-- this is why Pedro, Tello, Alexis have to go
-- especailly since Delo, Adama, Halilovic are knocking on our doors also
-- so, only Pedro will probably stay, because we need 4 players
-- Alexis is too expensive to sit on the bench, and again, Ney-Messi-Alexis is too one dimensional, too short, and not too lethal attack (it is good enough for La Liga if we'll have a better defense and midfield, but not good enough for Champions league)

And that's it.

 

[caseballs89]

Again, he's too small and easily bullied by more physical players. It's not just about him, it's about balance of our attack. Barca needs real 9 or at least bigger, more physical winger. We can't use 3 small forwards at the same time anymore, so at least one of them must go. Do you want to sell Messi or Neymar instead?

?? Neymar - Messi - Sanchez is too small/weak and yet Villa - Messi - Pedro were not and were part of the team that most say was the best Barca, even better than 09.

All of this strength stuff is nonsense, we are not losing because out players are being bullied we are losing because our workrate as a team a fallen dramatically and a lack of movement when we get to the final 3rd (from everyone not jus the front 3). We could have the exact same players we do now and still be the best in the world if they all still had the same motivation they did back in the early Pep days.

That said I would be for Neymar and Messi on the wings with a true CF.....even trying Alexis in there as the CF.....because I think our most balanced front three was Henry - Etoo - Messi which I think could be replicated again BUT it will never happen, Messi will play in the middle always and whatever CF we sign will end up like Ibra.

 

[Kerrybai]

Neymar - Messi - Sanchez

Neymar can play as a natural winger as he has the skill set and Sanchez could play as an inside forward. He get's lost out wide but his goal-scoring has improved enough for him to be our main striker. He could take up position in front of Messi too.

 

[serghei]

Neymar - Messi - Sanchez

Neymar can play as a natural winger as he has the skill set and Sanchez could play as an inside forward. He get's lost out wide but his goal-scoring has improved enough for him to be our main striker. He could take up position in front of Messi too.

I don't understand the people who want that front trio changed. It's a great attacking line, one of the best in Europe and easily comparable to Real's C. Ronaldo-Benzema-Bale. Why change what is already great? Messi's season was probably the weakest since 2009 and Neymar was in his first season. And we STILL scored 100 goals this season. Now, imagine a more integrated Neymar, a better Messi and an Alexis that will not go back to the poor form of 2012-early2013. I bet Neymar and Alexis could both provide 40-50 goals together next season.

The only player that will improve that front trio is Suarez. He will be an upgrade. Reus and Aguero instead of Alexis won't make us weaker, but I'm pretty sure they won't make us much better either.

 

[anguy]

?? Neymar - Messi - Sanchez is too small/weak and yet Villa - Messi - Pedro were not and were part of the team that most say was the best Barca, even better than 09.

That said I would be for Neymar and Messi on the wings with a true CF.....even trying Alexis in there as the CF.....because I think our most balanced front three was Henry - Etoo - Messi which I think could be replicated again BUT it will never happen, Messi will play in the middle always and whatever CF we sign will end up like Ibra.

Well, Villa wasn't very big, but he was stronger than Sanchez or Neymar. Also Messi played better, midfield played better, etc. Also other teams adapted and learned how to deal with such small lineups. Villa-Messi-Pedro would have it much more difficult against todays defenses even with 2011 form.

Messi can remain in middle, if he gets bigger RW. Even better solution would be to put Messi behind real 9, like he played for Argentina. I think that's his best position, not center of attack.

-------------------Stegen----------------------

new RB-------Pique---------Benatia----------Alba

------------Busquets----new CM/DM-----------

new RW/Messi----Messi/Iniesta----Neymar/Iniesta

--------------- ---new No 9 --------------------

This lineup allows us to play taller attacker, while Messi can remain in center. The only problem is what to do with Iniesta, who is backup in this lineup. For some La Liga games team can use current small lineup with Messi as false 9 and 1 DM.

 

[Semi-Neutral]

Well, Villa wasn't very big, but he was stronger than Sanchez