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  1. DonAndres

    Frenkie de Jong

    4-2-3-1 is not outdated it is just more flexible and evolved and somewhat blends with a 4-3-3. It used to be a setup where one or both CDM's were static players like Xabi Alonso/Javi Martinez/Essien/Carrick/Mascherano who had a fixed position. Nowadays they are made up by more dynamic players...
  2. DonAndres

    Arthur

    Malcom said it, Abidal said it, Setien said it. Might not have been 40 minutes but it is beyond clear that a major theme around the problems within Valverde's team were that he was completely lackadaisical in terms of keeping the team sharp and physically conditioned. It is up to the coach to...
  3. DonAndres

    Arthur

    Malcom recently came out and said trainings were way too short and relaxed as well. It has been reported from so many different sources within and around the club and Setien pretty much came in explicitly saying that is one thing he wanted to fix. The distance covered stats prove it, the...
  4. DonAndres

    Funny how Barcelona 2014/15 wasn't the best Barcelona ever, but had the best UCL run

    14/15 team and 08/09 team are more suited for 2020 type of football. It's no doubt that Pep's Barca broke the game with total football and tiki taka. It became much more common in the 2010's for EPL for example to import players from other leagues who had more versatility and technical ability...
  5. DonAndres

    Arthur

    As of now, I said Vidal was better suited to the double pivot next to FDJ instead of Arthur. High defensive workrate, covers a lot of ground, and is a good runner to link with FDJ/Messi/Griezmann. As for the other concerns, they exist no matter what. Even under the current 4-3-3, most people...
  6. DonAndres

    Arthur

    The idea that a double pivot crumbles under transition is based on the old iterations where the 2 pivots were defensive statues with limited mobility. This consisted of older mold players like Xabi Alonso, Javi Martinez, Busquets (when he played in a pseudo double-pivot for Spain), Rakitic...
  7. DonAndres

    Arthur

    I've said it before, but I think we need to visit the idea of Griezmann playing in midfield. Almost every other team gives way to build their team around the strengths of new signings except for us. We insist on handcuffing them in roles they are historically the least comfortable. Griezmann at...
  8. DonAndres

    Thiago Translantara

    Give him some credit. At his peak, Thiago was playing like a top 10 player in the world let alone midfielder. Back in 16/17 he was putting up defensive ball winning numbers like Arturo Vidal while also being a creative powerhouse on the ball and running Bayern's entire midfield. He was surely...
  9. DonAndres

    Lautaro Martinez

    Are you daft? Lol Spaniards are most definitely Hispanic. You tried to pull some more high and mighty shit and came away looking like a fool. Well done.
  10. DonAndres

    Ansu Fati (loaned to Monaco)

    There's a chance he could find a new level, but at his current one Lautaro wouldn't be worth the money or even close to it. Can't even outscore Lukaku in a league where the likes of 40 year old Quagliarella and Immobile look like gods. Might be simplifying it but I'm very tired of these 120m+...
  11. DonAndres

    Frenkie de Jong

    Very dumbfounding that Amigos like Rakitic/Vidal/Busquets and the likes get to have favorable, sympathetic reviews of their performances where they get to play in their natural positions and have a proven track record of shitting the bed in the biggest games. While new players like FDJ and...
  12. DonAndres

    Lionel Messi - v7

    He's historically been poor around January-February, I think he'll pick it back up. He was killing it before the winter break, just needs to get into shape and over any nagging injuries. Also needs to put in some effort in training to build a real understanding with Griezmann. If they can't...
  13. DonAndres

    Quique Setien

    To dispel the largely unnecessary drama that's boiled up in recent days, we need a good win today with the players setting aside differences and showing unity/teamwork. Regardless of the outcome, Messi has to speak after the match to calm things down and maybe even apologize/clarify about Abidal...
  14. DonAndres

    Lionel Messi - v7

    Messi was definitely in the wrong. I did not see Abidal throwing the players under the bus but rather commenting on how poorly Valverde prepared them, and how some players had expressed those opinions about training not being sufficient. Messi threw a fit because he wanted to distance himself...
  15. DonAndres

    Ousmane Dembélé

    Rakitic is the literal embodiment of a fat, unemployed leech collecting his welfare check every week at the expense of everyone else. There isn't a single player in the squad that has demonstrated as much of an unyielding willingness to put himself and his needs completely above the club time...
  16. DonAndres

    Ansu Fati (loaned to Monaco)

    This season will be Ansu's baptism by fire Hopefully the pressure doesn't outright break him, and from the ashes he could rise as a future franchise player.
  17. DonAndres

    Quique Setien

    In the 2 games we've played with 4-3-3, Setien has managed to get more out of Semedo than I ever saw him play under Valverde. Actually made passes in every direction, combined well with Leo, took advantage of his athleticism. If we can build on that, it's possible to build up a formidable right...
  18. DonAndres

    Lionel Messi - v7

    Having Vidal out there instead of Rakitic would've given Messi someone extra for him to connect with. He also suffers a bit without Suarez since his chemistry with Griezmann isn't nearly as good. Semedo was feeding him really well though and this game was the best I've ever seen the...
  19. DonAndres

    Ansu Fati (loaned to Monaco)

    How can you knock on his killer instinct when the kid has literally been a game winner vs Granada, Inter, and Levante at 16/17 years old? That is killer instinct, he has managed to make a real impact in games in impressive ways and not just statpadding goals at 4-0/5-0 vs shit teams. I just...
  20. DonAndres

    Quique Setien

    It was only Leganes, but I'm convinced that had we played the 3-4-3 even that game would've looked difficult to win. Every game we played with 3 at the back made it look like an impossible task to create a goal. 4-3-3 at least showed fluidity and we had spaces to create several chances. The...

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