Bernardo Silva

[serghei]

I'd argue not anymore. This isn't Tata post Pep where we win a game 3 or 4 nil and and the papers lambast the possession stats.

LE, Valverde, Koeman never played the Barca way.

Barca DNA is dead. The last top midfielder that came through with Barca DNA was Thiago 10 years ago.

Gavi, Pedri, Araujo, Nico are all not Barca DNA defenders and midfielders. There's no Pedro's, Messi's, Alba's, Piques, Busquets coming through. Only one that is close is Eric.

His big money bet so far Ferran, is not a Barca DNA striker, suffering the quickness of brain and intuition in short spaces and passing.

So it is probably better if Xavi adapts his ideas around the talent in the scope of a modern 433.

Because waiting to revert the current base to our football of a single one-off LaMasia generation is dreaming.

Nah, Pep's Barcelona was not the normal Barca football, it was the highest expression of it, a freak team, like Bulls in the 90s. There are variables. Luis Enrique's team was very much in the spirit of Barca football. The same was Rijkaard's team and other variants.

EV was not exactly. Too negative. Koeman no.

Xavi doesn't look like a Pep student either. More like Van Gaal, Rijkaard, and Enrique, but he is not blessed with very good offensive players. From Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Messi, Suarez, Neymar, to current players the drop is enormous.

I'd say the normal high-class Barca is more like Rijkaard and Lucho. With star offensive players and possession, and a mix of strong players and leaders and technical magicians. With Pep, the team was like a freak technically. Never seen anything like it. Superstars on the ball that are normally scattered at the world's best 5-6 teams (if that, since most were all-time greats), were all of the sudden playing for the same side week in week out.

I don't think anyone thinks Pep's Barca level is normally achievable or the model for us.

 

[xXKonan]

There's no doubt there are positions that need to be addressed, but the Midfield, I guarantee you most of it comes down to coaching, and in this sense, I may be harsh but Xavi while a genius as a player, but as a coach it's the opposite, he seems more naive and stupid in this regard. Either due to lack of experience or part of it is he might just flat out be stubborn.

You can't build a Midfield around this Busi, the one of 5-10 years ago you could but not anymore. The idea that a nearly 35-year-old Midfielder who is one of the slowest and physically weakest Midfielders in the top leagues gets to have all the responsibilities of the Build up far deep and leaving our other two CMs pushed so far forward is such stupid and naive thinking.

If Xavi is that hell-bent on wanting to persist with Busi he needs to rethink responsibilities and acknowledge that we can't build the Midfield around Busi and we need to get the other two CMs much more involved in sharing all the responsibilities and instead of the stupid nonsense we have seen during the final stretch of the season.

Bernardo would be a good fit but if Xavi still thinks Busi has to have every responsibility from down deep, even he will suffer here.

 

[Zidane82]

If we could get Kante here then Busquets could carry on for years with him alongside him

 

[xXKonan]

If we could get Kante here then Busquets could carry on for years with him alongside him

If this was Kante of a few years ago perhaps.

But now even he's becoming more injury-prone and has not been consistently up the standards he had set years prior.

 

[mc_lovin]

People are still way too harsh on Xavi.

We had a brilliant period to save our season with a bunch of teenagers (with the most important ones being unavailable for large stretches), veterans, a so-so defence and a good but not world-class frontline. We couldn't keep it up, but that's hardly surprising.

 

[Temptation]

Bernardo is such a funny guy.

https://youtu.be/l7YCiYm4O1I

 

[Barcilliant]

People are still way too harsh on Xavi.

We had a brilliant period to save our season with a bunch of teenagers (with the most important ones being unavailable for large stretches), veterans, a so-so defence and a good but not world-class frontline. We couldn't keep it up, but that's hardly surprising.

Even Lampard and OGS had their purple patches. Bottom line Xavi lost against some pretty dire opposition. Didn't we lose 3 or 4 matches at home against piss weak opposition?

 

[Zidane82]

People are still way too harsh on Xavi.

We had a brilliant period to save our season with a bunch of teenagers (with the most important ones being unavailable for large stretches), veterans, a so-so defence and a good but not world-class frontline. We couldn't keep it up, but that's hardly surprising.

Perfect assessment

 

[Zidane82]

Even Lampard and OGS had their purple patches. Bottom line Xavi lost against some pretty dire opposition. Didn't we lose 3 or 4 matches at home against piss weak opposition?

Our defeats seemed to coincide with Pedri getting injured

 

[Barcilliant]

Our defeats seemed to coincide with Pedri getting injured

So if Pedri gets injured the whole team falls apart?
If an important player gets injured it's incumbent on the manager to tweak the system so we get results.
Xavis obsession with Busquets is half the problem. The other is the team structure in general.

 

[Zidane82]

So if Pedri gets injured the whole team falls apart?
If an important player gets injured it's incumbent on the manager to tweak the system so we get results.
Xavis obsession with Busquets is half the problem. The other is the team structure in general.

Simply put .. Pedri is a special, special player and many do not appreciate how important he is to us and Spain

 

[Raketa10]

There is no way we'll be able to afford him. City will demand over 100 mil for him and we can't pay that nor we should. Pep said that he could leave if a "good offer" arrives and a good offer is for sure above 100 mil.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

The world has changed. I can't believe we are talking about Silva as a 100mil player.

He is good and all but hundred mil? Doesn't excite me at that price or as the "star" signing.

Hundred ain't what it used to be.

 

[Kul_z]

If we could get Kante here then Busquets could carry on for years with him alongside him

Kante would look just like fdj looked last couple of months. And why would kante be in service of ancient one..

 

[Temptation]

Kante is clearly on the decline and getting very injury prone nowadays. His playing style won't last that way since it depends a lot on his superhuman stamina