How Our 2011-12 Squad Is Shaping Up

cholla, nice illustration.

Wow, is afellay seriously the tallest midfield player?

Giggity5313 wrote:Wow, is afellay seriously the tallest midfield player?

1. Afellay is not midfielder, maybe he was, but not anymore, now he is winger.
2. Busi is 189cm.

ChollaVille wrote:

Giggity5313 wrote:Wow, is afellay seriously the tallest midfield player?

1. Afellay is not midfielder, maybe he was, but not anymore, now he is winger.
2. Busi is 189cm.

Yeah, forgot busquets

La Masia Starting 11

-------------- Valdes
Puyol - Busquets - Pique - Fontas
----- Xavi - Fabregas - Iniesta
------ Pedro - Messi - Thiago

I believe Cesc could play a holding midfield role against lesser La Liga / early Copa Del Rey opposition.

So...

kind of hate keita as a DM backup but i guess that will change to masch when both puyol and pique come back.

True I expect Mascherano to be the second DM option.
To be fair to Keita though, he was decent in both Villareal and Porto games

Well Pep loves both Keita and Mascherano so I wonder if he sees the Machete as a long term replacement for Puyol(explains why he doesn't want to buy a CB)

I think Masch and Pique complement each other greatly.
Keita is not a DM but a box to box midfielder. Which is why when Pep brings on Keita(to all our groans and moans) in matches where we are only 1-0 up in the 70th minute, we are not getting the defensive insurance that we expect from a normal DM.
In other words, I think we should either sell Keita at the end of this season and buy a new DM or keep Keita but not use him as a DM.

Neither of those two options seem realistic considering its Pep

How many of our army of loaned players have we succesfully sold in this transfer season?

BarrileteCosmico wrote:How many of our army of loaned players have we succesfully sold in this transfer season?

Only Henrique, Keirrison and Hleb are still with us, and probably their contracts run out soon anyway.



Interesting thoughts about Machete guys... I think I've finally accepted him as a Blaugrana. He is a true god at CB, no longer a makeshift defender. He'll play there as 3rd choice atm, he's outplaying Abidal.

Don't be so harsh on Keita too... I've already seen vast improvements in the space of a few games. He's actually adapting to the role alright. Tbh, there's not a huge difference with him and Mascherano at DM. I'd still prefer Masch, but it seems Masch's qualities are actually better suited to CB with us, we play so high up anyway its similar to where he's used to.

I expect Keita to leave next season though.

I made this post in another thread as well but it's probably even more relevant here. Here is what I would call our final squad break up.


False Number 9 - Messi ( IRREPLACEABLE )

Wing forwards - Villa, Pedro, A.Sanchez, Afellay

CM/AM - Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Thiago

DM - Busquets, Keita, Mascherano

RB - D.Alves, Adriano, Maxwell

LB - Abidal, Adriano, Maxwell

CB - Pique, Puyol, Abidal, Busquets, Mascherano, Fontas

GK - Valdes, Pinto


Hopefully not but if Messi is ever injured I expect Pep to play either A.Sanchez as the false number 9 which is less likely or Fabregas as a traditional number 10 in a 4-3-1-2 which is more likely. Messi is the only player in the squad who will probably never be rotated. Then comes Valdes but Pinto will play the cup games. D.Alves may be rotated perhaps only if there is a tactical change. Pique too will be rotated very rarely. Everyone else is probably totally subject to the merry go round for various possible reasons - age, injury proneness or simply to give game time to team mates.

I want to see afellay take pedros spot. For obvious reasons lol (looks at nationality flag)

I dont see Machete outplaying Abidal, not at all.

Abidal was extremly sharp and bright against Villareal, he reacted to every ball before Nilmar. He intercepted lot of ball and was very alert.

Mascherano lost Rossi and almost got punished for it, he was lucky Valdes saved his ass and it was half a yard offside.

Not to mentioned, Abidal is much better with the ball.

Suggestions of Cesc being Xavi 2.0 and him playing DM hurt my soul, I should add that.

He is playing well, no question, but I dont see him anything like Xavi, he is like a better version of Lampard with his off ball runs and final pass but not the most involved in terms of build up.

And DM.....I dont know why anyone thinks he has that in him.

The Franchise wrote:Suggestions of Cesc being Xavi 2.0 and him playing DM hurt my soul, I should add that.

He is playing well, no question, but I dont see him anything like Xavi, he is like a better version of Lampard with his off ball runs and final pass but not the most involved in terms of build up.

And DM.....I dont know why anyone thinks he has that in him.

Dani do you think it's possible we might change to 3-4-3 permanently in the future to make up for the retirement's of Xavi and Puyol and Alves will be in his 30s and probably less effective?.....


I think it's possible especially with the fact that neither Cesc or Thiago can replace Xavi like for like atleast a rethink in tactics will have to be done....

And it's pretty much impossible to replace Alves....

Not enough width Mole, I think while Pep has his fullbacks healthy and not suspended he will play 433 most likely.

Alves will play.

What if we played something like this

Cristiano Ronaldo best off the ball movement of all time? LOL

forget about 3-4-3
we will stay with our false 4-3-3

Immaculate_Mole wrote:

The Franchise wrote:Suggestions of Cesc being Xavi 2.0 and him playing DM hurt my soul, I should add that.

He is playing well, no question, but I dont see him anything like Xavi, he is like a better version of Lampard with his off ball runs and final pass but not the most involved in terms of build up.

And DM.....I dont know why anyone thinks he has that in him.

Dani do you think it's possible we might change to 3-4-3 permanently in the future to make up for the retirement's of Xavi and Puyol and Alves will be in his 30s and probably less effective?.....

Mascherano Pique NEW
Busquets
Thiago Iniesta
Cesc
Sanchez Messi NEW/Pedro

I think it's possible especially with the fact that neither Cesc or Thiago can replace Xavi like for like atleast a rethink in tactics will have to be done....

And it's pretty much impossible to replace Alves....

I thought about this myself. Dani Alves and Xavi wont be replaced, they are too great and whoever plays in their place wont have that same level. Some kind of 3 at the back system would be great because then you can play more midfielders which obviously would suit us.

I love 3 at the back systems because of the advantages it gives you in midfield, but these days there are many negative teams who play just 1 striker.

So, no, I dont think it can ever happen.

3 at the back only works against 2 strikers.

In La Liga, sides apart from maybe 2 or 3 teams, everyone is playing their own version of 4231.

All that will happen is we will have 3 defenders marking one player and because we dont have wingbacks either, wingers will stretch that backline out and ruin us. Possession of course will help us, but any counter attack would be crushing I fear.

It will be too easy to figure out and actually handicap us at times.

The Franchise wrote:Suggestions of Cesc being Xavi 2.0 and him playing DM hurt my soul, I should add that.

He is playing well, no question, but I dont see him anything like Xavi, he is like a better version of Lampard with his off ball runs and final pass but not the most involved in terms of build up.

And DM.....I dont know why anyone thinks he has that in him.

I couldn't agree more but let's add that Fabregas is a better final passer than Lampard.

Immaculate_Mole wrote:a rethink in tactics will have to be done....

I said it long back that post Xavi a rethink in tactics will have to happen. No one can really take the exact place of the God of the Midfield.