21 - Frenkie de Jong

Loki

Well-known member
Was the pre-season too hard? "Minor" injuries start piling up with the third player now. Bad situation for Flick to start stabilizing the squad for the difficult CL matches coming up. Let's hope it stops here.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Oh plz stop.

We saw FDJ on 8 position.

Just stop this.

Aye and he was better there than likes of Gavi has been and when box to box under Koeman was very very good with late runs into box etc.

As said 15 goals/assists when spent half the season at CB and DM.

Was best player after Messi that season.. so yes we have seen him in freer role there. Indeed we have.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
And thats why folks you need competent backups.

Imagine if we sold Fermin/Casado or both. Would be fucked right now.

Fermin there is an argument for but there is next to no team that keeps a player that is 4th pick in his one position when all fit for depth.

Could well be 'fucked' if Casado has to play anyway.. he is not that great and another slow midget v likes of Newcastle could be hairy.
 

draconifire

NTC with a Positive attitude
Fermin there is an argument for but there is next to no team that keeps a player that is 4th pick in his one position when all fit for depth.

Could well be 'fucked' if Casado has to play anyway.. he is not that great and another slow midget v likes of Newcastle could be hairy.
Hard disagree.

Casado would be fine. And he is supposed to be a backup. Can't expect him/them to perform at the FDJ level week in week out or else there wont be any need for FDJ.
Low wages, youth product, has the mentality to fight, and plays two-three positions in the team. Kinda perfect player for us. A backup is supposed to be "fine" or worse than your starter, so its grand. If you want us not to be "fucked", then might aswell go the Chelsea/City route and have 2 players of similar quality and money in each spot.

I say, Fermin could have been the one, if Olmo wasn't made of glass. If Olmo was your regular player, then a backup consisting of Gavi, Raphinha and a Masia b-team player would have been adequate. But seeing how fragile he is, we need a solid backup for him.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Of course Casado is the back up but the point is teams dont carry the 4th choice in one position for depth.

Low wages is all good.. but you weight that up against any fee they could get for him to improve the team.

He does not play 2 or 3 positions. He can play one and that is a DM that closes down a lot.

Gavi at 10 doesnt work. Gavi and Flick have spoken about that and it is fucking up his development.

If the board could finally get to 1:1 then selling Fermin for FFP space and bringing in another AM as well as strengthening other areas would most likely be the play.
 

Porque

Senior Member
In the end it is Flick job to rotate and manage the squad. Pedri, Frenkie and Casado for 2 pivots is nothing.

Then there is Gavi who is neither here nor there.

Take the Rayo game. The issue was that Pedri and more so Frenkie were good, but the connection in front was non-existent.

Pedri could have gone further upfront while consolidating the double pivot with Casado. Or we could have switched to a more traditional midfield trio.
 

jamrock

Senior Member
In the end it is Flick job to rotate and manage the squad. Pedri, Frenkie and Casado for 2 pivots is nothing.

Then there is Gavi who is neither here nor there.

Take the Rayo game. The issue was that Pedri and more so Frenkie were good, but the connection in front was non-existent.

Pedri could have gone further upfront while consolidating the double pivot with Casado. Or we could have switched to a more traditional midfield trio.

Flick make actual tactical charges and not just like for like sub.

Are you crazy.

PS, mind yourself and ma boi gavi
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
The way Barca played in pre season it looks like Gavi is going to play at DM more than Casado will.

Bernal when fit will.

The issue with taking on Casado in Rayo game could be that it moves Frenkie who was about only outfield player doing his job at DM.

Also Casado was shite v Levante and just chasing ball all over park out of position and passing ball early to first man open as he always does. Some folk love that as seen with Riqui Puig but coaches want more control than that.

Pedri did not play well as thought on first look. He is at the stage the comms drool over an almost world class pass but what happened when failed was it was ball back to Rayo and lacking control Barca needed to calm game down.

Pedri defensive shift was fairly poor also. Jogging about one paced a step off when closing down.

Had Gavi been on bench I think he may have come on and Pedri pushed up a bit but not Casado.

This idea Flick only makes like for like changes is nonsense. Plenty of time he clearly takes on players that are different profile than the ones coming off.

There are not even enough players in same position who are like for like for that to be much of an option.
 

draconifire

NTC with a Positive attitude
teams dont carry the 4th choice in one position for depth.
So you are considering Bernal ahead of Casado? I don't think you should, though. Looking at Gavi and how much time it took for him to be 100% and he got injured again because of the same injury, I think Bernal should be considered behind Casado. He should be integrated very slowly.
Yes, come next season, if Bernal is fine and dandy, he should be ahead of Casado. And we can even think of selling Casado.

Also with Gavi. As you mentioned later, I don't think we should consider him as the DM backup. Everything he has shown as of yet, he is a CM. Let's wait till he plays some matches and then formulate if he is an adequate backup as a DM.

So for that, I would say Casado should be the main Backup for FDJ, while Gavi should be for Pedri.
 

Home of Barca Fans

Top