How do you rate Dani Alves?

sometimes 2nd best player for the team, sometimes 3rd, 4th. it depends
Apart from crosses he has excellent brain, thats what makes him top player. sometimes he does passes that xavi can not do. sometimes he keeps ball so perfectly that busquets would take lessons. and alw.ays intelligent moves very less mistakes, perfect RB for barcelona. barca also has perfect midfielder, perfect striker,,only areas that are not perfect is LB and defence

The Franchise wrote:Montoya in a big game...that would be fine and we wouldnt notice Alves is missing.

Free, this is outragous.

I said that in a big game the normal would be to play Puyol as a right back. Anyway, that's what would happen, we wouldnt' miss Alves much, compared to how we miss Iniesta, Messi, Xavi, Busquets Valdes and arguably Pique.

The Franchise wrote:Maicon cant defend and hasnt been consistly good for 2 seasons, so no.

Adit wrote:Surprised with Alves a terrible crosser comment.

I actually find his crossing skills World class.

Best RB in the world,but still cant understand why he always performs bad for NT and getting benched by Maicon.

Well he was top class for Inter when they won the treble and for a few years b4 that. I know after the treble he lost form along with most of Inter and got injured, only recently getting back to his best... but obviously Im talking about the 2 players at their best. Surely Maicon is better. Now I dont watch him all the time, I must have always seen him in the bigger games or in his better performing games then, becos firstly, he is physically bigger and stronger than Alves, more direct, faster, better crosser, better finisher, etc... I just feel in most departments he is better, and Brazil were right to have him above Alves. I myself didnt watch Brazil until the WC, and being a Barca and Alves fan, I couldnt believe a better RB exist, since I didnt watch Maicon much b4 But after watching I agreed with it.

I guess everyone has their preference but I try to be as objective as possible... not bragging

As for the argument about player importance, I think Pique's ball playing ability offers so much to the side hes just vital. Puyol isnt that but Puyol is vital for another reason - his presence and last ditch tackles, etc, whereas Pique is a bit weaker in that department, so they compliment each other so well. Whenever we lost Alves Puyol covered very well for RB, but obviously Alves offers us a dimension that makes us much stronger going foward and balanced in defense... I think its more important depending on what cover we have at the moment as backup...

Okay Free but I dont agree none the less.

Without Dani Alves, ZERO width and Puyol struggles bad going forward down that side.

Maybe Dani Alves being there all the time, we forget what its like without him.