Thiago Alcantara

[serghei]

Not the best example.

You simply dont sign Thiago and let him and Pjanic (+Frenkie) fight it out. Competition is good, but there should be a clear hierarchy and at best young players/talents fighting to take over. Or squad player seizing there chances. It would be like Madrid buying Thiago to compete with Kroos for one spot.

Pjanic - De Jong - Thiago would be the starting midfield. The others would have to accept being rotational players or prove otherwise in the minutes they get. I see no problems in that.

 

[Rory]

Isn't having lots of competition for spaces the exact thing you do when running a top club. Especially when the other players are 31-32 besides frenkie and puig.

 

[mc_lovin]

Pjanic - De Jong - Thiago would be the starting midfield. The others would have to accept being rotational players or prove otherwise in the minutes they get. I see no problems in that.

I personally dont think Busquets is so much worse than Pjanic and Thiago to justify demoting him.

Isn't having lots of competition for spaces the exact thing you do when running a top club. Especially when the other players are 31-32 besides frenkie and puig.

Not to that degree.

 

[jamrock]

We should be going all in to bring him back, but are will nope.

But we are willing to take back neymar who left like a thief in the night and wreck the club, we've been trying to replace him to the tune of half a billjon dollars and nana

We were also willing to go back for blondely after the bs he pulled when we first moved for him.

But thiago who waited and waited, who would a need we have like a glove, nope. What we really need is another forward.

Jesus H Christ, i hate this board

 

[Rory]

I personally dont think Busquets is so much worse than Pjanic and Thiago to justify demoting him.



Not to that degree.

Would be alright if you said "I don't think it would work" but the absoluteness of your statement suggests there's something you must know that others don't so please share this nugget of wisdom that I'm guessing is backed up by evidence?

 

[Rory]

I'll start with a recent example. Real Madrid won the ucl and league double with zidane because they were basically able to play a 2nd string team in the league that was still better than every other team except maybe ours and atletico.

 

[DonAK]

Messi wants Lautaro or Neymar. End of discussion. The club will sign one of them.

Neymar maybe. Dont think he cares too much about Lautaro.

Didn't Alaba reinvent himself as a ball-playing CB? I don't think Bayern are keen on selling him. Does he want to leave?



.

Like with Thiago his contract runs out next year and it was reported that he will leave Bayern if either Barca or Real Madrid make an offer for him.

 

[khaled_a_d]

I would have loved Thiago before we went for Pjanic, but now that we got the later I think we need to get younger.

 

[DonAK]

I would have loved Thiago before we went for Pjanic, but now that we got the later I think we need to get younger.

If we go for younger then it will cost us close to 100m and there is a reasonable chance they will sign the worst young midfielder available for a big buck

I would not sign Milinkovic-Savic or Fabian Ruiz for the transfer fees their teams want.

 

[mc_lovin]

Would be alright if you said "I don't think it would work" but the absoluteness of your statement suggests there's something you must know that others don't so please share this nugget of wisdom that I'm guessing is backed up by evidence?

Yeah, sorry for that. But I dont think there are many examples past and present of (working) top teams with, lets say, 4 players, who are entitled to starting spots, for 3 positions. Madrid 16/17 was insane in that regard, and fell apart after a season (depth wise). We were at our best with guys like Keita and young Thiago as backups, and not the likes of Fabregas. Yaya Toure stormed off as well.

And I am pretty sure we cant lure Thiago in with the perspective of fighting for a spot against Busquets, Frenkie and Pjanic.

 

[gregorrin10]

I know that you think Busquets is one of the bad amigos, but hes still only 31. He wont accept a rotational role. And rightfully so. We need to be realistic. Not that Thiago would have anything to do with Busquets as well, it would be Pjanic vs Frenkie vs Thiago. Nonsensical. Thiago should be left alone after the signing of Pjanic. Was either/or for me.

I am probably in the minority that I think Busquets is fine for at least another season though. Our DM looked always decent enough, even when Rakitic played there. Our CM spots have been the bigger issue.

Yeah, but the fact is, Busquets started to slow down A LOT more quickly than Suarez and even Pique who both really look like shit these days, but they're both 33 now...while Busquets at 31, but on the pitch he looks like he's 35 or 36, no joke. So no, he can't be a starter anymore. De Jong is top 5 midfielder in the world material, he's the future, and needs to be incorporated to his rightful CDM position as soon as possible. As for Busquets, If he's willing to accept a rotational role behind De Jong, it's fine, otherwise sell him. You can draw a lot of comparisons with Pedro that way, since they rose through the ranks together, and we all thought Pedro was here to stay for many years to come, and yet he was sold. I wouldn't actually mind selling Busquets to Pep for like 40-50M, and I would actually be very interested to see how that turns out, and it would make sense for City and Pep too, it's clear Pep needs a replacement for Fernandinho, and it seems Pep doesn't see Rodri as a like for like replacement, considering Fernandinho is still so important to their team and still plays nearly every match, even at 35 years old, but it's clear he's can't keep up like this for two or even one more year, while Busquets is where Fernandinho was when Pep bought him, at least in terms of age, from their point of view.

 

[DonAK]

Busquets should fight for his position and not just be handed it. That is what leads to complacency.

I despise these kind of arguments where a player is simply supposed to be handed something over. I have no issues if someone leaves because of it, that is fair, but there should be a fair competition for all the spots where seniority and all that crap should get tossed to Pluto.

 

[Rory]

Yeah, sorry for that. But I dont think there are many examples past and present of (working) top teams with, lets say, 4 players, who are entitled to starting spots, for 3 positions. Madrid 16/17 was insane in that regard, and fell apart after a season (depth wise). We were at our best with guys like Keita and young Thiago as backups, and not the likes of Fabregas. Yaya Toure stormed off as well.

And I am pretty sure we cant lure Thiago in with the perspective of fighting for a spot against Busquets, Frenkie and Pjanic.

Tbh the Fabregas situation to me was just that the team had had such highs the seasons before that they were coming to one of the lows, then pep left. Also the 2011/2012 Fabregas was great for us but Villa broke his leg and we were extremely short in attack. Would we have had that depth we probably would have been on for the treble again so I think it's right to not have too much competition but for me having 4 players worthy of starting for 3 positions is bare minimum for a team challenging for everything. On top of those 4 you can have the youngsters and the player that adds a different dynamic.

 

[mc_lovin]

Busquets should fight for his position and not just be handed it. That is what leads to complacency.

I despise these kind of arguments where a player is simply supposed to be handed something over. I have no issues if someone leaves because of it, that is fair, but there should be a fair competition for all the spots where seniority and all that crap should get tossed to Pluto.

I dont oppose that, we just disagree where and in which form that competition should come from.

Tbh the Fabregas situation to me was just that the team had had such highs the seasons before that they were coming to one of the lows, then pep left. Also the 2011/2012 Fabregas was great for us but Villa broke his leg and we were extremely short in attack. Would we have had that depth we probably would have been on for the treble again so I think it's right to not have too much competition but for me having 4 players worthy of starting for 3 positions is bare minimum for a team challenging for everything. On top of those 4 you can have the youngsters and the player that adds a different dynamic.

Another example: we wouldnt buy a worldclass striker to compete with prime Suarez. Maybe a bit extreme of an example, because midfield spots are more felxible, but the point still stands. But, well, more a matter of opinion I guess. I would rather have us go for someone like Bruno Guimaraes than Thiago if both would cost the same.

 

[DonAK]

I dont oppose that, we just disagree where and in which form that competition should come from.

You are writing a lot, but saying very little.

Where and in which form should the competition come from? I dont see how adding more quality to the team makes it a problem. If Busquets feelings are hurt because of it he is free to leave. Thiago left back in 2013.

Barca must be the only team where people are scared of adding more quality and competition to the team. Are we supposed to have a good starting XI, a couple of good young talents and the rest of it filled out with bums and filler players?