Ivan Rakitić

[CatalinR10]

Mats has the same amount of assists as Ivan ,, Frank Xavi " Rakitic.

Now haters will say that Rakitic is better because he has more interceptions than Mats.




good game btw.

 

[KingLeo10]

Good game. But,

BBZ loading.

 

[Raketa10]

Good game again. Well done Ivan!

 

[Vilarrubi]

Needs dropping, we conceded 2 with him on the pitch.

Jokes aside good game from him!

 

[Riordon]

Quite telling that we have played our best football this season in the games where he started. Should continue to be a starter with Frenkie and Busquest.

Nice he is getting into form btw, we have great midfield options which is needed for rotations etc.

 

[Messigician]

Yeah been playing very well.

Back to being a starter imo

 

[serghei]

He played a very good game imo. I'm glad we've recovered him. Just don't make him non-stop starter and we'll be fine. Alternate his sub roles with starting and we'll also keep him motivated.

He played well because he feels he has a point to prove. He feels that because the comfort of knowing he starts every game no matter what has been taken out of him. This is how you build motivation. You let players know that their level is not good enough and they have to elevate it.

 

[JohnN]

I won't comment on the opposition's level. We had our best 45 minutes for a very long time and Rakitic was in the top performers in my opinion. Anyone saying otherwise is lying to himself.

 

[JerseyAddict]

. This is how you build motivation. You let players know that their level is not good enough and they have to elevate it.

But sometimes younger players are pushed down with such approach...

 

[BBZ8800]

My opinion is still that with a core from the last season=a team plays meh to ok, but they are at least consistent.
Lenglet-Pique-Roberto were back.
Busi-Raki back.
Messi-Suarez back.

This team will probably lose in the same way in a CL, but for La liga, they are good enough for a title.

The problem is that the other option, a team with too many new players: is too young, players don't have mutual understanding and chemistry.
And their quality is often questionable.

Imo, with a team from yesterday, we will consistently get 7/10 level of performances.
Nothing too special, but okish and consistent.

Regarding defending, in the last 3 matches, against Dortmund, Atletico and Mallorca, Rakitic has made:
4 tackles
6 interceptions
4 clearances
2 blocks
=16 defensive interventions in total.

Arthur, who played as a CM till now has:
8 tackles
3 interceptions
3 clearances
0 blocks
= 14 interventions in his whole season in La liga till now (9 matches)

Rakitic started a season with 0 tackles and interceptions per match.
With more playing time, his numbers have really improved.
Also, in the last 300-ish minutes, he added 2 assists.

People expected that we will crash in December.
Yet, with a return to a lineup similar to the last two seasons, we are playing similar as back then.

More consistent, less chaotic, more consistent results.

 

[mc_lovin]

Well, its just lazy. And I wouldnt necessarily put our turn of results/performances solely on him. He was decent at best (and quite good yesterday). Our team as a whole looks much sharper. Individually Arthur and Rakitic are like night and day - one plays it safe and the other throws himself where it hurts (and this aint Rakitic - just rewatch Atletico).

 

[Rory]

He had a good game yesterday, as you'd expect at home vs a very very poor Mallorca. Hope he keeps it up. Turning this into another Raki Arthur debate is pointless, both have had good games this season, both have featured in games we've lost control of and lost/drawn/failed to inspire. One is 32 in march and the other is 23. Rakitic clearly has a squad role to play which is what many people have said and continue to say. Also Griezmann is a defensive powerhouse, 3 tackles and 2 clearances yesterday.

 

[Riordon]

He had a good game yesterday, as you'd expect at home vs a very very poor Mallorca. Hope he keeps it up. Turning this into another Raki Arthur debate is pointless, both have had good games this season, both have featured in games we've lost control of and lost/drawn/failed to inspire. One is 32 in march and the other is 23. Rakitic clearly has a squad role to play which is what many people have said and continue to say. Also Griezmann is a defensive powerhouse, 3 tackles and 2 clearances yesterday.

Completely agree. We should just be happy we now have one extra midfielder in good shape, giving us plenty of options for rotations, etc in the midfield.

 

[serghei]

But sometimes younger players are pushed down with such approach...

True, they need a different approach. But complacent veterans are known to respond to the cold shoulder approach. See Aguero at City, benched for several games in a row, or Pique during Lucho (after which he played his best football post 2011 in the treble season).

This is what it means to be a top manager.

You can't apply the same measure with overconfident complacent veterans (whose problem is precisely that they have too much confidence, and that confidence is not matched by reality anymore, meaning there is a discrepancy between how they think they are playing and how they are playing in reality), and also with young players who need confidence. That's like applying the same strategy with two completely different mental states. It can't work, and it doesn't work.

To be a good manager also means to know how to handle different players with different needs who respond to different stimuli. Valverde doesn't have that capability, to know how to deal with many different profiles.

 

[JohnN]

Most important thing is for the manager to make the lineup choices according to the match in hand, taking into consideration each player's abilities and weak points.
If the players believe they have an important part to play, even if they are not starters for all the matches, they will be motivated.
2 really tough matches after inter coming and the squad must be united above all.