Mavericky Puig

[frostdude1]

Iniesta played a godlike Champion league final game at 22. How dare you compare the Don to Puig???

I love how this is the samething happened to many youngster. Always next Ini, next Xavi... Tell me what happened later.

I am not saying Puig or Pedri will become those guys. They probably will not.
But we need to give them a chance.
We need to hand over the team like we did in 08-09 and if we don’t win the league, that’s fine.

 

[JamDav1982]

I am not saying Puig or Pedri will become those guys. They probably will not.
But we need to give them a chance.
We need to hand over the team like we did in 08-09 and if we don’t win the league, that’s fine.

Players are never given that level of chance when not earned. It wont happen.

The 08/09 team was not handed over to anyone. Pep built the tactics to suit Barca midfielders that were already amongst the best in the world.

Cant compare at all.

 

[vegitot]

I am not saying Puig or Pedri will become those guys. They probably will not.
But we need to give them a chance.
We need to hand over the team like we did in 08-09 and if we don?t win the league, that?s fine.

Pedri and De Jong are core players this season. Only Puig is bench warmer and it is not the first time.
Pre 08-09, Xavi best player of Euro 2008, Iniesta already world class, Messi top 3 Ballon dor...
Compare to current players.

 

[Bobo32]

I didn't watch todays match, but from knowing his game I think we will be great in possession but carved through like a knife through better off the ball. With Puig as a central midfielder that is. I can't imagine playing a high pressure CL game with Puig starting in central midfield versus EPL teams, PSG, Bayern. For most LaLiga games would be fine, but that is the story of our current squad all around.

Having him higher up the pitch can have has take advantage of what he brings in possession while giving defensive coverage. But again, he will have to prove he provides output in assists. Otherwise he will be that 20-30 Sensi type player who comes on to try and increase the tempo.

When did you start to imagine Iniesta playing the same position in a high pressure CL game?
I think every compromise in style only hold Barcelona back, they need to rely more on "taking a step forward to press" as they say, and in going all out for controling the only ball.
For me one of Puigs potential strengths is his quickness and eagerness to press, it just needs to be better synchronised in the team as a whole.
I didn't follow his youth carreer, so maybe he showed some weaknesses there that I'm not aware of, but so far in A I like his defensive movement very much.

 

[Rory]

He's just not as good as admirers think. He's got pitiful minutes in the worst barca side since when? 15 years? That's not a good sign he's of the level required for barca. He'd be a killer 5-a-side player. But too much of football, especially modern day football is about running, knowing when to run, where to run. Those things are the bare minimum to succeed at the top level. Then you need to have the techincal skills etc. Puig is great at short passing and breaking forward from the cdm position to cm position. Offers little going forward and little defensively.

 

[serghei]

When did you start to imagine Iniesta playing the same position in a high pressure CL game?
I think every compromise in style only hold Barcelona back, they need to rely more on "taking a step forward to press" as they say, and in going all out for controling the only ball.
For me one of Puigs potential strengths is his quickness and eagerness to press, it just needs to be better synchronised in the team as a whole.
I didn't follow his youth carreer, so maybe he showed some weaknesses there that I'm not aware of, but so far in A I like his defensive movement very much.

Normally, in a modern team, you don't need the CM to vacate the position to press, not because pressing is bad, or ill-advised. But purely because it is down to the forwards to do it. So if the team is set up well, the forwards press the CBs when 1-1 and need to win.

You don't stick to positions and drop deep and defend, but you press the backline of Celta in order to recover the ball as high as possible.

Of course, if you don't use pressing, then stick to positions and let Celta on the ball in peace.

 

[Bobo32]

Normally, in a modern team, you don't need the CM to vacate the position to press, not because pressing is bad, or ill-advised. But purely because it is down to the forwards to do it. So if the team is set up well, the forwards press the CBs when 1-1 and need to win.

You don't stick to positions and drop deep and defend, but you press the backline of Celta in order to recover the ball as high as possible.

Yes, and Puig for example can cover behind, and be very quick to win loose balls
He won one ball in about that way today.

 

[frostdude1]

You guys are missing the point.
What I am trying to say is, these players should be OUT:
Roberto
Alba
Griezzman
Braithwaite
Pjanic
Umtiti
Lenglet
Dembele

And the midfield needs to be handed over to
Frenki, Pedri, Puig and Ilaix
It’s time to go through some growing pains for the betterment of our future.

 

[JamDav1982]

Normally, in a modern team, you don't need the CM to vacate the position to press, not because pressing is bad, or ill-advised. But purely because it is down to the forwards to do it. So if the team is set up well, the forwards press the CBs when 1-1 and need to win.

You don't stick to positions and drop deep and defend, but you press the backline of Celta in order to recover the ball as high as possible.

That is not what Puig is doing.

He follows ball too often and leaves gaps. Irrespective of what the forwards are doing.

Trying to hard to blame Messi when other mids dont do it as much. Puig is leaving gaps even when it is a 5m run in midfield to close down another midfielder he never should be.

Messi not pressing makes it hard to press in a unit but that is not what the issue is with some of the ridiculous runs Puig is making. He looks like a player that has never learned how to press in midfield.

 

[serghei]

He's just not as good as admirers think. He's got pitiful minutes in the worst barca side since when? 15 years? That's not a good sign he's of the level required for barca. He'd be a killer 5-a-side player. But too much of football, especially modern day football is about running, knowing when to run, where to run. Those things are the bare minimum to succeed at the top level. Then you need to have the techincal skills etc. Puig is great at short passing and breaking forward from the cdm position to cm position. Offers little going forward and little defensively.

That's the whole problem. For the time being, most of his admirers think he deserves more minutes than some finished veterans like Umtiti.

 

[JamDav1982]

That's the whole problem. For the time being, most of his admirers think he deserves more minutes than some finished veterans like Umtiti.

Umtiti is completely irrelevant to minutes of Puig unless in same position and even then the argument is what a player brings to team and again others irrelevant.

 

[Rory]

You guys are missing the point.
What I am trying to say is, these players should be OUT:
Roberto
Alba
Griezzman
Braithwaite
Pjanic
Umtiti
Lenglet
Dembele

And the midfield needs to be handed over to
Frenki, Pedri, Puig and Ilaix
It’s time to go through some growing pains for the betterment of our future.

Only one of those players are midfielders. And he's sat on the bench all season. How does getting rid of them suddenly hand things over to that midfield? Unless they're 2 separate points. 1) get rid of these lot. 2) start that midfield.

 

[serghei]

That is not what Puig is doing.

He follows ball too often and leaves gaps. Irrespective of what the forwards are doing.

Trying to hard to blame Messi when other mids dont do it and he Puig is leaving gaps even when it is a 5m run in midfield to close down another midfielder he never should be.

Messi not pressing makes it hard to press in a unit but that is not what the issue is with some of the ridiculous runs Puig is making. He looks like a player that has never learned how to press in midfield.

Ideally, you don't want to press in midfield, but higher up. Not let Celta's CBs dwell on the ball. That's what Puig is doing (whether instructed precisely, or not "instructed" per se). Breaking formation to press high. Unfortunately, the rest of the team is a combination of slow and old players who aren't very fast or very energetic, so that's how these big holes are formed.

You have a point in that rather than doing this solo aggressive pressing that is easily beaten if not matched with more men, it's better to not do it at all, keep position and wait Celta in midfield, even if it's odd to be doing that when you are Barca and play Celta at home and the score is 1-1. What we need is to have forwards with fresh legs doing what Puig did. Not letting the other teams' CBs to sit on the ball.

 

[BBZ8800]

Yes let?s go waste more money on midfielders rather than nourishing
Frenki, Pedri and Puig to be our next Busi, Iniesta and Xavi.

Frenkie is questionable in defensive positioning.
Pedri can defend, but only against weak/softer La Liga teams.
Puig has a body of a kid and runs like a headless chicken.

Add Dest into a combo and we might break the negative 2:8 record in a CL.

Something like 1:12 against stronger European teams sounds fairly achievable with that starting quartet.

HOPE

 

[JamDav1982]

Ideally you don't want to press in midfield. You want to press higher up.

Midfielders need to know how and when to press and Puig doesnt seem to.