As a profile of player, intelligent, controlling midfielders will always be way more attractive than guys who are on the periphery of the game and just get in the box to finish.
It's actually disgusting when some football fans compare Gerrard to Xavi or Bellingham to Pedri. The audacity. There's a lot of crossover between those types and the types who think Ronaldo is better than Messi, counter-attack better than possession, Jose better than Pep. The Temptation thinking type of football fan, in other words.
They simply don't hold Barcelona style as the pinnacle of the sport. Which makes no sense as Barca has influenced everything in modern football. Even watching this amazing PSG side - managed by a Barca alumni and have Cruyff, Pep, Xavi and Messi's fingertips all over it in terms of style.
Now tell me who in modern football is wildly successful but modelled in Mourinho and Ronaldo, or Ferguson's United? Fucking noone. You can win trophies playing like that but it is an outdated way of playing best left in the 00s.