Martin Braithwaite

[jairzinho]

Braithwaite is way off the standard.

Nice guy that works hard but Barca need to sell if possible. Or loan out to cover costs for this season.

We should sell only if we plan on getting another CF. He is not an elite player by any means but he is the only player closest to a genuine striker in the team right now. That's why i would keep him and besides his wages are probably among the lowest.

Also playing Greizmann, Depay or even Messi as the sole CF would only work on a console game. Greizmann played there a couple times and flopped pretty bad. He doesn't have the movement and instinct to function there at all, his first intention is always to drop deep. Btw Deschamps still uses the 'useless' Giroud for France as a ST, he would never put Greizmann in that role.

 

[raedkuwait]

Should keep him, least of our problems
And he could score many goals, and fast.

 

[JamDav1982]

We should sell only if we plan on getting another CF. He is not an elite player by any means but he is the only player closest to a genuine striker in the team right now. That's why i would keep him and besides his wages are probably among the lowest.

Also playing Greizmann, Depay or even Messi as the sole CF would only work on a console game. Greizmann played there a couple times and flopped pretty bad. He doesn't have the movement and instinct to function there at all, his first intention is always to drop deep. Btw Deschamps still uses the 'useless' Giroud for France as a ST, he would never put Greizmann in that role.

Messi, Depay and Griezmann would be a different level to Braithwaite at CF.

He is not good enough and this idea he is a better CF than any of those three is miles off.

Will leave or barely play

 

[Slevinn]

Braithwaite is way off the standard.

Nice guy that works hard but Barca need to sell if possible. Or loan out to cover costs for this season.

This. Keeping him if we can get rid of him would be madness.
He is a very bad player for Barcelona standards.

 

[fergus90]

Buying Martin Braithwaite who could only muster 8 goals in the Championship for Boro is the most Bartomeu thing to do. I remember when we signed him, they were parading him around social media like we'd just signed the second coming of Brazilian Ronaldo.

 

[jairzinho]

Messi, Depay and Griezmann would be a different level to Braithwaite at CF.

He is not good enough and this idea he is a better CF than any of those three is miles off.

Will leave or barely play

Football doesn't exactly work like that mate. It's not a video game. There's a reason France won a World Cup with Giroud as a CF. Skill is a good attribute but its also about roles and having players that can fit the system and play in their preferred role.

Barca loves to fit square pegs in round holes. You buy a player like Greizmann for over 120 million only to realize when he gets here he can't even play in his preferred position. That doesn't make any sense. He is not a traditional winger or a CF. Same goes for Depay or Messi. For years he payed in one specific area with Deschamps and Simeone but all of a sudden we want him to play as a 9. That's crazy.

Messi played false 9 previously but asking him to function there at this stage of his career is dumb. Besides right now he is better at playing deeper in a free role. IMO now that Messi is staying i would cash in on both Greizmann and Coutinho. There's no place for them here with those wages.

We have to replace Suarez with a CF. Simple as that. No more experiments. All the big clubs use a traditional 9 but at Barca we want to play wingers and second strikers there. If we don't have the money for an elite striker i would start Braithwaite up front and then see what happens in January. Besides there's tons of alternative on the market right now. Sorry to write such a long post.

 

[fergus90]

Football doesn't exactly work like that mate. It's not a video game. There's a reason France won a World Cup with Giroud as a CF. Skill is a good attribute but its also about roles and having players that can fit the system and play in their preferred role.

Barca loves to fit square pegs in round holes. You buy a player like Greizmann for over 120 million only to realize when he gets here he can't even play in his preferred position. That doesn't make any sense. He is not a traditional winger or a CF. Same goes for Depay or Messi. For years he payed in one specific area with Deschamps and Simeone but all of a sudden we want him to play as a 9. That's crazy.

Messi played false 9 previously but asking him to function there at this stage of his career is dumb. Besides right now he is better at playing deeper in a free role. IMO now that Messi is staying i would cash in on both Greizmann and Coutinho. There's no place for them here with those wages.

We have to replace Suarez with a CF. Simple as that. No more experiments. All the big clubs use a traditional 9 but at Barca we want to play wingers and second strikers there. If we don't have the money for an elite striker i would start Braithwaite up front and then see what happens in January. Besides there's tons of alternative on the market right now. Sorry to write such a long post.

Oliver Giroud has 86 premier league goals for Chelsea and Arsenal mate. Braithwaite couldn't cut the mustard in the second tier of English football. He may be the only natural CF here but he is not anywhere near up to the level required for Barcelona.

 

[JamDav1982]

Football doesn't exactly work like that mate. It's not a video game. There's a reason France won a World Cup with Giroud as a CF. Skill is a good attribute but its also about roles and having players that can fit the system and play in their preferred role.

Barca loves to fit square pegs in round holes. You buy a player like Greizmann for over 120 million only to realize when he gets here he can't even play in his preferred position. That doesn't make any sense. He is not a traditional winger or a CF. Same goes for Depay or Messi. For years he payed in one specific area with Deschamps and Simeone but all of a sudden we want him to play as a 9. That's crazy.

Messi played false 9 previously but asking him to function there at this stage of his career is dumb. Besides right now he is better at playing deeper in a free role. IMO now that Messi is staying i would cash in on both Greizmann and Coutinho. There's no place for them here with those wages.

We have to replace Suarez with a CF. Simple as that. No more experiments. All the big clubs use a traditional 9 but at Barca we want to play wingers and second strikers there. If we don't have the money for an elite striker i would start Braithwaite up front and then see what happens in January. Besides there's tons of alternative on the market right now. Sorry to write such a long post.

Braithwaite is worst CF option behind any of Griezmann, Messi and Depay and by long way.

Bang average player at everything and never shown anything at a decent level.

Braithwaite has done absolutely nothing as a CF at any level in his career while all those have.

Him at CF is the lowest quality square peg in a round hole and Koeman will know that.

 

[jairzinho]

Oliver Giroud has 86 premier league goals for Chelsea and Arsenal mate. Braithwaite couldn't cut the mustard in the second tier of English football. He may be the only natural CF here but he is not anywhere near up to the level required for Barcelona.

Most of Giroud goals have come with Arsenal. He hasn't scored much for Chelsea at all. He had zero goals at the world cup. Actually he hasn't been prolific in the last 3 years or so. But, he is a system player for Deschamps. He plays a specific role for France and is a starter.

My main point is we need a 9 to replace Suarez. There are alternatives on the market. But the solution shoulnd't be Greizmann or Depay or Messi. If we don't get a striker in before the window closes i would put Braithwaite there. That's what i'm saying. I don't like this idea of playing players in positions that doesn't suit them. Preferably, we should ship out Greizmann and Cou and then we'll have lots of money to throw at a striker.

 

[JamDav1982]

Most of Giroud goals have come with Arsenal. He hasn't scored much for Chelsea at all. He had zero goals at the world cup. Actually he hasn't been prolific in the last 3 years or so. But, he is a system player for Deschamps. He plays a specific role for France and is a starter.

My main point is we need a 9 to replace Suarez. There are alternatives on the market. But the solution shoulnd't be Greizmann or Depay or Messi. If we don't get a striker in before the window closes i would put Braithwaite there. That's what i'm saying. I don't like this idea of playing players in positions that doesn't suit them. Preferably, we should ship out Greizmann and Cou and then we'll have lots of money to throw at a striker.

When are you claiming Braithwaite has ever done anything as a 9? Let alone a striker up top himself.

He hasnt and is far and away worst option of those players.

 

[jairzinho]

Braithwaite is worst CF option behind any of Griezmann, Messi and Depay and by long way.

Bang average player at everything and never shown anything at a decent level.

Braithwaite has done absolutely nothing as a CF at any level in his career while all those have.

Him at CF is the lowest quality square peg in a round hole and Koeman will know that.

Braithwaite is by no means an elite striker and should't even be a starter for a club like Barca at all. But in the current circumstances it shows how poorly this club is run when your options for CF are Messi, Depay and Greizmann.

All of them are great individual players in their respective roles. Elite players. But none are actual strikers and would never function effectively as a CF. To think otherwise is a huge misconception. Honestly it's a point not arguing too much about. It all depends on how you see and interpret the game.

 

[JamDav1982]

Braithwaite is by no means an elite striker and should't even be a starter for a club like Barca at all. But in the current circumstances it shows how poorly this club is run when your options for CF are Messi, Depay and Greizmann.

All of them are great individual players in their respective roles. Elite players. But none are actual strikers and would never function effectively as a CF. To think otherwise is a huge misconception. Honestly it's a point not arguing too much about. It all depends on how you see and interpret the game.

Braithwaite has never had a period in his career where has looked like a no.9 of any level.

He is a championship level player and not a centre forward.

All three of them would be in a different class to Braithwaite at CF on his own even if not the answer.

 

[jairzinho]

When are you claiming Braithwaite has ever done anything as a 9? Let alone a striker up top himself.

He hasnt and is far and away worst option of those players.

I'm not claiming anything JamDav. What i'm saying is, Currently, he is the only player IMO than can function effectively as a 9 in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. I wouldn't play Greizmann as a 9 in either of those systems because he doesn't posses the necessary characteristics. I wouldn't put Messi there either. That would just be a waste of his ability. We have 2 choices. If Suarez leaves we buy a replacement striker AND sell Cou and Antoine. If we don't buy a striker i would put the closest player that can funtion there which is Braithwaite. Greizmann, Depay Lautaro are elite players but playing them as a CF in a 4-3-3 or a diamond would be a huge fail.

 

[JamDav1982]

I'm not claiming anything JamDav. What i'm saying is, Currently, he is the only player IMO than can function effectively as a 9 in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. I wouldn't play Greizmann as a 9 in either of those systems because he doesn't posses the necessary characteristics. I wouldn't put Messi there either. That would just be a waste of his ability. We have 2 choices. If Suarez leaves we buy a replacement striker AND sell Cou and Antoine. If we don't buy a striker i would put the closest player that can funtion there which is Braithwaite. Greizmann, Depay Lautaro are elite players but playing them as a CF in a 4-3-3 or a diamond would be a huge fail.

When has he functioned as a 9 on his own at any point in his career? Or a forward at any decent level?

Braithwaite is less of a CF than any of those three even if CF is not their best positions.

Griezmann while it may not be his strongest positions has battered Barca as a 9 in CL and has been MOTM in performances like at home to Betis last season.

That is levels Braithwaite has never and will never get close to.

 

[jairzinho]

Greizmann nicked some goals playing as ST in a couple of matches but I still wouldnt play him there over the course of an entire season especially when he turn 30 in some months time.

Even in those games where he played there his positioning was frustration because his first instinct is to always drop deep in the same space Messi operates in. His positioning, lack of physique and aggression is not good enough. He is a powder puff. A flower.

Ive seen enough from Braithwaite to convince me he could work as the sole 9, not that I want him to be a starter here but compared to Greizmann I would start him right now. He at least has the athleticism, pace, aggression to function effectively there and Im sure he could score goals with more playing time.

But like I said, We MUST sell Cou and Griezmann. Whatever system Koeman uses 4-3-3 4-2-3-1 or worse a 4-4-2, there is no place for either of them because Messi will start for sure along with an actual striker, which is the final piece that is missing.