Devils
Senior Member
Funny thing is, he's not even the best Spanish LB lol.
3 - Alejandro Balde
- Thread starter FC433
- Start date
Funny thing is, he's not even the best Spanish LB lol.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
He is not good in build up play either... just another one who isnt.
Unless can dribble out but he has not real ability to take ball under pressure and pass it calmly to any high level currently.
Will be a major reason Spain dont fancy him currently would think.
Unless can dribble out but he has not real ability to take ball under pressure and pass it calmly to any high level currently.
Will be a major reason Spain dont fancy him currently would think.
jamrock
Senior Member
A significant amount of how good Mendes and hakimi are, is down to coaching and I'm 100% sure if Enrique has our FBs today in his team, the talk would be about kounde and balde
Coaching and systems matter, as much as Barca forum loves to talk about individual players.
Which is not to say hakimi and Mendes aren't better than our two, but Enrique uses them in ways flick isn't even dreaming of.
Coaching and systems matter, as much as Barca forum loves to talk about individual players.
Which is not to say hakimi and Mendes aren't better than our two, but Enrique uses them in ways flick isn't even dreaming of.
iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
100%, This team would be 20 times better.
PSG would be 50 percent weaker wihtout him.
We would be the best team in EUROPE, and with CL win last season.
There’s a galaxy of difference between Hakimi/Mendes and Balde. The modern fullback role isn’t only about speed, football IQ is just as important (not one of Balde's quality). It’s no coincidence that Barcelona’s past dominance was partly built on having the best fullbacks of that era
jamrock
Senior Member
People said the same amount dembele while he was here, IQ whatever the hell that means, I can't stand that terminology in football.
Look at him now at PSG, what does that tell us? It's the coaching.
TheStig
Member
This team lacks technique, we have too many players who are not good enough with the ball. We could hide one or two if they offer different things (like Balde) but you can't play in Barca with so many technically inferior players like Kounde, Araujo, Balde, Fermin, Olmo, Ferran, Lewa, Rashford... Compare the technical level of those players with MSN or Pep's Barca, it's night and day.
Coaching is certainly important, but the quality of the players around him is just as crucialif if not more.
Like it or not, football intelligence played as big a role as raw talent in shaping Barcelona’s greatest era.
Off-the-ball movement, anticipation, and the ability to identify the best passing options are all vital skills and these are areas where Balde is still lacking
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Football iq can be improved with experience. Players like Alba, Dembele or Di Maria have all improved their decision making as they age. The last two used to outrun passes when they were at their early 20's.
But, there is also natural talent. Both Hakimi and Mendes has more of that than Balde. Speed, burst, quickness, strength, passing, vision etc. They are superior in almost every facet of the game. The game is just more natural to them.
They have their weaknesses btw, and if we had Raphinha (our best player) we could have exposed it more.
But, there is also natural talent. Both Hakimi and Mendes has more of that than Balde. Speed, burst, quickness, strength, passing, vision etc. They are superior in almost every facet of the game. The game is just more natural to them.
They have their weaknesses btw, and if we had Raphinha (our best player) we could have exposed it more.
jamrock
Senior Member
80% of dembele's improvement in decision making is down to coaching, he was still up to very recently making dumb decisions playing for France.
Once Xavi came and more importantly Enrique, there was a noticable improvement in his "IQ", it's certainly not coincidence.
Same with Alba, di maria you have a good point with though.
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JamDav1982
Senior Member
Trying to give Xavi credit for Dembele... mental gymnastics.
Same folk who moaned about the squad and likes of Dembele.
At Barca under Xavi he was closer to his worst level ever than his best level at PSG
Same folk who moaned about the squad and likes of Dembele.
At Barca under Xavi he was closer to his worst level ever than his best level at PSG
serghei
Senior Member
Good post. But to improve areas you are not very good at since a young age, this takes a certain kind of mentality. Few have it.
Agreed about Raphinha. The difference between Raphinha and our other top players is you can count on him all the time in every game to bring certain key qualities. With others, they can play great, but they can also go missing for the majority of a match.
But the issue is he is all alone. Nobody in our team has his tenacity and work ethic or even close. We badly need a midfielder and a fullback with those qualities. What we have in those areas is good, but on the soft side.
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
I would say Pedri is also fairly consistent, but this is where it ends in being absolutely consistently elite (as far as a footballer can be).
But the squad is generally good, top 5 in the World IMO.
Balde and Kounde aren't exactly weaknesses if you look at FB around the World. PSG is an exception in that regard.
My main issue will remain CB. But this is a discussion for another thread.
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