Álvaro Cortés

[ajnotkeith]

whilst not having any reliable/known guarantees.

but we have no proven senior options.

Cubarsi?.

He is mentioned in the post I was responding/adding to.

One proven CB is a huge risk. He doesn't even have a fixed partner, let alone reliable cover if anyone is injured.

We concede more goals naturally because of the scheme, but that doesn't mean we should start putting cones in defence, we can still lower the (very high) rate of goals against, even if it doesn't normalise it completely.

If it is true Flick is not requesting a defender, I think that is a big mistake.

 

[serghei]

We are really playing with fire in the CB core. One too many wildcards/gambles.

You can have one or two of those per position, but we are setting up the defense in a way where we are forced to rely on multiple gambles, whilst not having any reliable/known guarantees.

Cortes and Christensen are total unknowns. Christensen has practically not played a game in 2 years, and Cortes is a newbie from the B team who isn't clearly first-team level. Martin is good enough to be part of the rotation, but we have no proven senior options.

We do. And the consequences can be disastrous for the players who have the level to be CL winners, but because of huge holes at the back will end their Barca career like Rivaldo.

With a competent defense never in a million years do we go out vs a side like Inter. Who knows what can happen in a final vs PSG.

Vs AM the same. Just shitty blunders. The tactical discussion is valid, but personnel quality at the back is also valid, and proven to be not good enough for the level we want to get to. Teams like PSG will not be pressed to the level Flick thinks. Their attackers will always find at least 3-4 moments in 1 vs 1 situations vs our defenders, moments where defending power in a traditional sense bails you out and keeps you ahead. And if we ship in 3 goals... it's bye bye.

As for tactics oh wow, PSG - Bayern what an ode to the game all shite... a manager like Lucho was fuming behind the scenes and cleaned up the defense in the 2nd leg. Sat back when in a lead and saw the game out like a champ.

 

[jamrock]

He is mentioned in the post I was responding/adding to.

One proven CB is a huge risk. He doesn't even have a fixed partner, let alone reliable cover if anyone is injured.

We concede more goals naturally because of the scheme, but that doesn't mean we should start putting cones in defence, we can still lower the (very high) rate of goals against, even if it doesn't normalise it completely.

If it is true Flick is not requesting a defender, I think that is a big mistake.

It's been pretty clear all summer that a defender isn't a priority and one will only come in if someone leaves.

Araujo left so their is hope for those who think a CB is key.

I have posted it before but if you look at the defenders flick had at bayern they fall fit the profile folks here keep asking for and they concede pretty much the exact same number of goals as us in the league while he was coach.

If it wasn't for Manuel in the CL final is career highlight would be making a final and losing.

Their is a reason why defenders like rudiger and what's his name at durtmond don't fuck with flick, after he made them look like clowns at the work cup

I think the coach knows his strengths and weaknesses and is willing to make the trade in his tactical setup. Which is why we've been doubling down in forwards with work rate.

All that being said their is still a chance we sign a CB or FB the question is who. We have even secured cancelo yet which would have been a lay up.

 

[serghei]

If the defense is not a priority and we go out again like in last years, like the biggest idiots, who pays the bill. It's on the refs again?

CL is all that's left for this Barca to be undisputed no1. We dominated one of the top 2 leagues like bosses, now it is time for big ears.

 

[serghei]

If we push on Alvarez mega deal while also dealing to get Rodri money is not an excuse for the defense not getting upgraded. Zero excuses here.

 

[jamrock]

If we signed
Alvarez
Gordon.
Rodri

Thats a substantial improvement in the defensive structure of the team to honest.

Even with the Understanding that Gordon will primarily be a squad player

 

[serghei]

Keep Ferran. Ditch Alvarez since it turned into a football Salome, get Rodri, get a good CB and sign Cancelo. We can go with that and a plan B striker.

 

[jamrock]

If we had any coach but flick I would be pissed we aren't looking at a defender or moving pieces around in our current defense to get a better back 4.

But flick has routinely made highly competent defenders look like clowns so I'm not fussed.

 

[serghei]

If we had any coach but flick I would be pissed we aren't looking at a defender or moving pieces around in our current defense to get a better back 4.

But flick has routinely made highly competent defenders look like clowns so I'm not fussed.

Who, Araujo and Martin? These are your highly competent defenders? A bum and a player few even heard of before he found himself in a CL semifinal?

Please...

 

[jamrock]

Who, Araujo and Martin? These are your highly competent defenders?

Rudiger
Whatever is name is at durtmond
The Bayern defense when he was coach.

It's like folks didn't watch flick coache teams and just think he won the CL so he must be great

If it wasn't for manual they lose that final easily.

 

[serghei]

Rudiger
Whatever is name is at durtmond
The Bayern defense when he was coach.

It's like folks didn't watch flick coache teams and just think he won the CL so he must be break.

If it wasn't for manual they lose that final easily.

That Bayern defense was far superior and kept a clean sheet vs prime Neymar and Mbappe. Was levels above what we have.

That Bayern defense concedes maybe 2 instead of 7 vs Inter over two games.

Nobody expects Flick to 1-0 teams. He will always play risky. It's only natural though that better players do better in high risk situations. Martin wasn't even in the squad for Spain. Laporte started. Bilbao have a CB who started for Spain and we have one who didn't even make the squad. We are supposed to win CL with Martin leading the backline? Come on...

We get Rodri, a new CB who is experienced in big games, and if Flick fucks it up then yes, it's up there where you wanna take it, on his tactics mostly.

This is on Deco, not Flick. You want Alvarez? Here, take this CB. You want another winger? Here, take this fullback.

 

[serghei]

The root causes of our CL failures are DM, CB, fullback and naive tactics. Even if Flick remains naive, I'll take naive tactics with better defenders then naive tactics with defenders nobody rates, and are proven to be not good enough.

If Flick is a pyromaniac, let's bring more fire extinguishers. Even more recomended if you think he is not going to change. Unless you have a better name in mind to bring instead of Flick, cause I sure don't.

 

[jamrock]

That Bayern defense was far superior and kept a clean sheet vs prime Neymar and Mbappe. Was levels above what we have.

That Bayern defense concedes maybe 2 instead of 7 vs Inter over two games.

Nobody expects Flick to 1-0 teams. He will always play risky. It's only natural though that better players do better in high risk situations. Martin wasn't even in the squad for Spain. Laporte started. Bilbao have a CB who started for Spain and we have one who didn't even make the squad. We are supposed to win CL with Martin leading the backline? Come on...

We get Rodri, a new CB who is experienced in big games, and if Flick fucks it up then yes, it's up there where you wanna take it, on his tactics mostly.

This is on Deco, not Flick. You want Alvarez? Here, take this CB. You want another winger? Here, take this fullback.

Yea because the last hit is how any success club works, they just sign players and force the manager to play them.

Managers are the ones that guice the overall strategy of all big clubs not named Madrid.

Force players he doesn't won't he would just resign.

That Bayern defense conceded the exact same number of goals as we did in a weaker league and won a covid CL with neuer putting in a excellent performance in the final. Keepers are a part of the game so don't holding that against them. But that's what you need to win with flick ball. A keeper standing on his head.

They are shipping goals to inter just like we did the main difference would be they would have leaders on the pitch to would manage the game better.

Something like identified as what we need the most to win the CL, and he's right we need a leader on the field.

Miss me with all this laporte nonsense you were clowning him and cubarsi before the world cup.

If martin replaced laporte, Spain still win the world cup

Such was their dominance and what a functional tactical setup leads to.

 

[serghei]

It's not only about Laporte or Martin. Cucurella and Porro are some of the best fullbacks in Europe. Better than ours as a pair by a long way, then Rodri also. The personnel Spain have from midfield down is superior to ours. They played, Rodri, Fabian, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, Porro. Out of the last 6 players, all the players with defensive duties basically, only 1 Barca starter.

Offensively is a different story. Pedri, Olmo, Lamine, Ferran, all featured a lot. Fermin I'm sure would have had minutes also. Raphinha would have started over Baena 100% if he was Spanish. Spain NT could have been our entire attacking structure 1 to 1 easily, but for the defensive end, De La Fuente opted for different players.

 

[jamrock]

It's not only about Laporte or Martin. Cucurella and Porro are some of the best fullbacks in Europe. Better than ours as a pair by a long way, then Rodri also. The personnel Spain have from midfield down is superior to ours. They played, Rodri, Fabian, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, Porro. Out of the last 6 players, all the players with defensive duties basically, only 1 Barca starter.

Offensively is a different story. Pedri, Olmo, Lamine, Ferran, all featured a lot. Fermin I'm sure would have had minutes also. Raphinha would have started over Baena 100% if he was Spanish. Spain NT could have been our entire attacking structure 1 to 1 easily, but for the defensive end, De La Fuente opted for different players.

When did Porro become better than kounde? I'm not even saying he is or isn't.

You are the leader of the hindsight club. Were you saying this before the world cup?. When spurs were almost relegated? Lol.

So we have porro would you certainly didn't think was better than kounde a few weeks ago.

Laporte and cubarsi who you routinely criticize.

Simon who most think is inferior to Garcia.

Fabian who even today after 3 summers of winning a handful will tell you is inferior to all Barca starting Midfielders. .
Not me though I've been saying we should have signed him for years. Same for cucu before he even left masia.

So why did all these players who you and most routinely criticize Concede only 1 goal in the WC.

Simple answer coaching, tactics.

This is you screaming from the top of the mountain how rudiger is what we need in defense after Madrid won the CL.

 

[Khaled_a_d]

In form Kounde is better than Porro, Cucurella is better defensively than either Balde or Cancelo, although he was the weakest link defensively for Spain until the last 2 games. You can make an argument that having Balde in top form could fix that.

However, last year we didn't have either in form Kounde or Balde, and it is pushing it to expect both to come back in form.

Martin might be hard worker, but you to wonder with teams having a full year of scouting report on him as CB, if they start exposing him more to his defecines rather than him taking next step. Also, CL teams are simply better built than NT, they are more prepared too. Spain's defense won't do as well in it.

On the flip side, there is a question of who? Other than Cucurella, there is no clear upgrade in fullback, although there is a couple of arguable ones.

In CB there was Bastoni, Schlotterbeck and Gvardiol. The first had sex scandel, the second has injury and the 3rd renewed. We were interested in Lucas Herrington as budget development player, and he went for almost treble our valuation.

Hopefully, there is something behind the scenes.

 

[jamrock]

In form Kounde is better than Porro, Cucurella is better defensively than either Balde or Cancelo, although he was the weakest link defensively for Spain until the last 2 games. You can make an argument that having Balde in top form could fix that.

However, last year we didn't have either in form Kounde or Balde, and it is pushing it to expect both to come back in form.

Martin might be hard worker, but you to wonder with teams having a full year of scouting report on him as CB, if they start exposing him more to his defecines rather than him taking next step. Also, CL teams are simply better built than NT, they are more prepared too. Spain's defense won't do as well in it.

On the flip side, there is a question of who? Other than Cucurella, there is no clear upgrade in fullback, although there is a couple of arguable ones.

In CB there was Bastoni, Schlotterbeck and Gvardiol. The first had sex scandel, the second has injury and the 3rd renewed. We were interested in Lucas Herrington as budget development player, and he went for almost treble our valuation.

Hopefully, there is something behind the scenes.

Agree with most of this but I think the only CB of that list we had any serious interest in was bastoni.

Gvardiol was just a pipe dream where the club was doing their due diligence but knew it wasn't happening.

Schlotterbeck I don't think is jumping at the thought of playing for flick again.

 

[Zenden]

i'm willing to bet on Cortes next to Cubarsi but what happens if either is injured or suspended? Christensen can't even be trusted to stay fit. Mosquera or HIncapie would be a good fit but i doubt Arteta would let them leave now.

 

[Barcaman]

Anyone knows why Cortes wasn't playing?

 

[Messi983]

Might be on his way out and don't want to risk an injury.

Which means Deco has a new CB wrapped up.