8 - Pedri

How good

Iniesta
Xavi
Messi
Busquets
Alves

Were at their best doesn't fully dawn on a few people; most are aware, but a minority don't fully understand.

There is a reason why Madrid grew after the decline of Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, and Dani Alves. They all declined at slightly different times but almost back to back.

90% of football to this day is, in some way, a reaction to that Barcelona. Teams either tried to copy it or do the opposite of it to prove there were other ways to win.

There is a reason Madrid went for Alonso, Modrić, Kroos, and even they couldn't stand up to Iniesta and Xavi, and only started to win after their decline & Barto being fucking retarded.

The internet is just getting flooded with kids who didn't even watch Pep's Barca and are now underestimating the legends.

Xavi&Iniesta dominated league,CL,EURO,WC and in all finals they were unplayable. Until Pedri does the same he is clearly not on their level. Pedri and Kdb are probably the best after them in this generation

Porque said:

We haven't seen Pedri's peak yet. But we know that Iniesta for a short period, and Xavi for a slightly longer period, were the best midfielders in the world when they reached theirs.

And I mean by that, leading club and country to World Cup, Euros and Champions League. Yes it is not all about trophy count, but that is the measure that they achieved.

Now, the more interesting discussion is where do Xavi and Iniesta fit in, in modern football. Football where today we have moved past the midfield three horizontally aligned (well, except PSG) and to a more vertically positioned midfield with double pivots in the 4231.

Would Xavi-Iniesta function as a modern day double pivot?
Would Iniesta have to be the AMC? And if he was, is he naturally productive enough being consistently positioned more advanced? A bit like Pedri.

So yeah, interesting in terms of Flicks system. Obviously (to me) in LEs system then Xavi easily ousts Vitinha as he does everything he does but better. While Iniesta goes in for Ruiz even if you lose a bit of athletism.

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it would function like it did for Spain in 2008. That's the blueprint. Xavi and Iniesta would not be able to dominate as much in midfield without a false 9 like peak Messi takingcare of everything offensive in the last third. Both would go up more often, and this means you'd need a DM who is stronger in duels, like a Marcos Senna. Actually 2009 is a good shout also, with Yaya as the physically dominant midfielder. Xavi was an assist machine in that season with more freedome to move up.

TheStig said:

The internet is just getting flooded with kids who didn't even watch Pep's Barca and are now underestimating the legends.

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No one is underestimating anyone other than people are underestimating current Pedri.

He is consistently playing near flawless football, never cheating in defence and consistently playing the ball into areas where his teammates are capable of creating something. You can't do much more as a midfielder when playing for a team who has spent less in half a decade than some teams in one summer. There is no dancing around the fact how much better team Pep's Barca was compared to Barca teams Pedri has been in.

I don't know, maybe some of you have your nostalgia glasses on when remembering Xavi and Iniesta but they weren't some god like entities which no mere mortal can touch. They had massive help from teammates to become as dominant in their position as they became.

Once everything is said and done for Pedri, he will be remembered in similar way than those two above. He is 22. He will get his World Cups, his UCLs and constant votes in the top-10 in b'Dor voting. He will continue to get his name chanted and he will standing ovations when he is subbed off. People will mourn when his time is up in Barcelona.

At that point it's just pitiful and pure stubborness to act like he hasn't done enough to be spoken in same sentence than some other football legends before him.

He quite literally hasn't. He wins some CLs and a World Cup as a midfield general, he will.

How about he proves himself vs Vitinha first and leave the Xavi comparisons for later eh?

Vitinha is affirming himself as the no1 midfielder of his generation in the last 18 months. First Pedri must cement himself as the best of his peers. Getting dominated by a crippled PSG at home is not a great sign.

He's not won as much nor he Is as talented as those two, period end of discussion.

He's 22 ffs & being compared to Iniesta & Xavi 😂😂.

At least wait until he's 28.

GloryHunter 007 said:

Iniesta won man of match in WC, Euros and CL final.

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👏👏

serghei said:

How about he proves himself vs Vitinha first and leave the Xavi comparisons for later eh?

Vitinha is affirming himself as the no1 midfielder of his generation in the last 18 months. First Pedri must cement himself as the best of his peers. Getting dominated by a crippled PSG at home is not a great sign.

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Pretty much this.

Well to be fair to Pedri, it was 1 against 3, because de jong & olmo were useless.

Nations league was a much better context & it was about equal for both.

Folk love to just make things up.

Pedri was poor v PSG.

Gave away ball badly and sloppily too many times and was far too slow trying to close them down.

None of the midfielders played well.

Vitinha was better than all of them and he didnt have much great beside him either that game.

This season he is getting dribbled past far too easily.

Teams are also man marking him and FDJ and showing ball out to Barcas full backs. They are pressuring the midfield with space and targetting likes of Kounde and Gerard.

Comparing him to Iniesta is ridiculous
Even Iniesta at 22 was bossing it in the 2006 UCL final btw ppl…

He has suffered as teams are man marking him and FDJ.

They can do this when Scez is in goals.. as he is shit on ball and when the likes of Kounde, Araujo and Gerard are poor on ball and being targetted.

Also when there are statues like Lewa up top who is not threat in behind and teams can press high much more easily.

While the front line among them all been taking a lot of risks and next to never holding ball up or bringing game up park.

When have better GK on ball, Balde fit, Cubarsi at RCB, Raphinha making runs in behind and more of a threat with that perceived threat it should make it more difficult for teams to focus on Barcas midfield as much as doing at moment.

Comparing him to Xavi is even more insane. Back in the days I used to browse through football geek forums where people were collecting all sorts of historic OPTA data of historic key footballers. Xavi in the 2010 World Cup came up as the player who created the most chances in a single World Cup only after Maradona 1986 if I remember correctly.

In 2008/2009 season Xavi had 31 assists for Barca as a central midfielder who collected the ball from the centerbacks and controlled the game. Anyone else with that final ball characteristic is usually a CAM like Özil, KdB, Fabregas etc. whose only purpose is to play the final ball without the burden of controlling the entire midfield.


He was a unique midfielder who could play final and through balls at Messi level without being a pure CAM. Modric, as a comparison, never managed more than 12 assists in a single season in his entire career.

Just watch on Youtube Xavi's throughball assists in the Euro Cup 2008 final, Euro Cup 2012 final, 2010 CL final or the 09/10 away Clasico. I don't know of any other central midfielder like him. Game controlling CMs usually don't have final balls like that.

He isnt even close to peak Xavi currently.. but he is also 22 and folk are comparing him to a peak Xavi in far better teams.

One thing that folk ignore that sets Xavi apart.. he was an absolute athlete. Had engine of a long distance runner and would be as fresh from minute 1 to minute 90 and never stopped.

Was always fresh and fully alert.