11 - Raphinha

[Andresito]

The lesser he's on the ball the better. I bet big teams will allow him to be on the ball as much as possible compared to Olmo, Yamal etc. He's not the one to create brilliance out of nothing as he's dependent on others.

It's not a bad thing if you have others capable of doing that. Sort of like Pedro and how you don't build a team around him but rather how he can support others and improve the team in general.

 

[draconifire]

Raphinha for RAC 1
"The minimum objective? The minimum objective is to win. The Champions League? Of course. It must be this one. Playing for Barça means the main objective is to win all the titles: the League, the Champions League, the Cup, the Super Cup... If you are in a club like this and you don't set yourself that objective, you are in the wrong place."

Araujo should learn.
Elite mentality.

 

[serghei]

The lesser he's on the ball the better. I bet big teams will allow him to be on the ball as much as possible compared to Olmo, Yamal etc. He's not the one to create brilliance out of nothing as he's dependent on others.

It's not a bad thing if you have others capable of doing that. Sort of like Pedro and how you don't build a team around him but rather how he can support others and improve the team in general.

Doubt it. He packs a serious power in his shot, and his crosses and delivery in general are among the best in the team. That's why he puts up good assists numbers.

So... even if his dribbling is not great, he can deliver a fine pass to others. You can't really allow him time on the ball in the last third.

 

[Horatio]

The lesser he's on the ball the better. I bet big teams will allow him to be on the ball as much as possible compared to Olmo, Yamal etc. He's not the one to create brilliance out of nothing as he's dependent on others.

It's not a bad thing if you have others capable of doing that. Sort of like Pedro and how you don't build a team around him but rather how he can support others and improve the team in general.

No. He’s fine on the ball. The thing about Raphinha is that he can’t have a close marker cause doesn’t do that well under pressure. With the time and space he gets now by finding the ball on mf he’s solid with production.

But he’s easy to contain once he has a direct marker. Unlike Lamine. Who is dangerous almost always.

Balde going up and down also helps Raphinha with getting space.

Raphinhas crosses were also very good from left flank when he started from mf.

 

[jamrock]

No. He’s fine on the ball. The thing about Raphinha is that he can’t have a close marker cause doesn’t do that well under pressure. With the time and space he gets now by finding the ball on mf he’s solid with production.

But he’s easy to contain once he has a direct marker. Unlike Lamine. Who is dangerous almost always.

Raphinha offers pace though. So Lamine can look for him on the break.

Good analysis.

 

[Horatio]

Good analysis.

He’s also become less predictable because he has received more freedom.

And Balde continuously making the runs supports him as well.

I do understand Andresito saying when he prefers Olmo and Lamine to be the ones doing the most creating. But how Raphinha has been playing and involved these games “wanting him
as little as possible on ball” is uncalled for.

 

[serghei]

No. He’s fine on the ball. The thing about Raphinha is that he can’t have a close marker cause doesn’t do that well under pressure. With the time and space he gets now by finding the ball on mf he’s solid with production.

But he’s easy to contain once he has a direct marker. Unlike Lamine. Who is dangerous almost always.

Balde going up and down also helps Raphinha with getting space.

Raphinhas crosses were also very good from left flank when he started from mf.

Very true. It's one of the reason Flick's system should work better for him. It's not as positional as Xavi's.

He's more dangerous when he receives the ball in speed, in the channels that he creates with his constant movement. If he has to stop, often stand in his spot and wait for the ball to get to him... he loses a lot of the advantages of his elite workrate.

 

[Horatio]

Very true. It's one of the reason Flick's system should work better for him. It's not as positional as Xavi's.

He's more dangerous when he receives the ball in speed, in the channels that he creates with his constant movement. If he has to stop, often stand in his spot and wait for the ball to get to him... he loses a lot of the advantages of his elite work-rate.

Yes. Those are the situations on the break. Raphinha has pace and that is one the ways it should be used.

But I was talking about his positioning. In the games before the last(Olmo got to start and played on mf) Raphinha could also be found on midfield with someone else wide. And would go on left and right flank to cross when it suited. But this allows Raphinha to get on ball sooner and will give him more options.

I might be in the wrong but I am just remembering the games under xavi where he was relentlessly trying to come inside from the wing and lose the ball.

We haven’t seen that game yet where raphinha keeps closing in on the defender on wing and lose the duel almost every time lol.

 

[mc_lovin]

He looks like one of our most important players right now, who would have thought.

I am also glad the battle between him and Dembele has a clear winner. Signs were already there in the Frenchmans last season here.

 

[serghei]

He should be used as a mobile left winger, allowing him to come inside very often. Him on the left and Yamal on the right is ideal in this sense, because on the left Balde can push up and eat space given if Raphinha's marker follows him around and leaves his position.

On the other side, Yamal has to do a lot more on the ball closer to the sideline, because Kounde is a defensive fullback mostly.

Often times managers play the wingers closer to the line in build-up also because it's a handy and easy option for the fullback to just pass it down the line if under pressure. Without this pressure release option, the job of the fullback becomes more complicated, which is why important to have one that is technically gifted. He has to play inside more, and this is obviously more risky. This is also why you need 2-3 players to drop constantly to provide passing options inside, not just one. Of course moving more, dropping more, making more actions to make yourself available is more taxing in terms of effort, and requires more physical training.

 

[Birdy]

Hey @Birdy, still simping for Dembele and hating Raphina?

Just saw this. Nice strawman.

Everyone knows that i hated Raphina AS A TOUCHLINE WINGER
Have said it time and time again that if played differently, he may be able to find a proper role. Look up my posts the last 2 years.

Of course, when you have an amateur dogmatic newbie as a coach, you can't expect him to find the correct positions for the profiles he has.

And OF COURSE Dembele as a touchline winger >>>>>> times the player Raphina is.

But, thankfully we now have a proper coach to begin with, and Raphina can reinvent himself.

 

[mc_lovin]

Raphina was better in his first season competing against Dembele here. Last year he was better than any season Dembele has had for us (not too difficult to be fair)... weird argument to pin it on position. This season he looks two classes apart (short time frame to be fair).

 

[ajnotkeith]

Raphina was better in his first season competing against Dembele here. Last year he was better than any season Dembele has had for us (not too difficult to be fair)... weird argument to pin it on position. This season he looks two classes apart (short time frame to be fair).

It's purely revisionist to suggest he was better last year than Dembele was under Xavi. Dembele under Xavi looked like a real superstar, I remember some games where he ran the opposition absolutely ragged.

Just because he had a poor injury record does not mean he was bad when he played, two unrelated things.

Raphinha's contribution is better mainly because his physical condition is much better, he's always available and has much more endurance.

 

[ajnotkeith]

He looks like one of our most important players right now, who would have thought.

I am also glad the battle between him and Dembele has a clear winner. Signs were already there in the Frenchmans last season here.

That's so wrong. Dembele's last season here was class, he didn't get to finish the season the way he'd like due to injury.

Dembele under Xavi in LaLiga : 6 goals and 20 assists in 2826 minutes.
Whatever you think of Raphinha, you can't bend reality to suggest Dembele was bad in his last season here just because you didn't like him, quite the contrary.

 

[mc_lovin]

I was arguing it to death back then. Dembele flattered to deceive while Raphina had actual output.