I think he is more like Iniesta than Xavi because he is well capable of going past people, but he works better near the middle of the field rather than on the wing. I like him best in a 433 as the central most attacking member of the middle three but he can also work in a deeper position
Messi can win you games against even the best teams. It's a big ask but a fully fit Messi at his best can raise the whole team, clearly it's not happening tonight!
Against most teams, I'd agree. Against this Bayern side and being 4-0 down already, it was never going to happen, IMO.
Have yo ever seen such a dismantling of what was labelled the greatest team on the planet only a few months ago.
They've taken too many liberties and got too complacent because of their success. After Guardiola left they tried to keep what he had going but in hindsight they needed to work a different way, they should've looked at how they could improve their defence and how they could look to vary their play more. You can't keep pissing around with full backs that bomb forward and never look back, put any random player at centreback when Purol or Pique is out, even Pep was heading to get found out thinking like that. As for the attack they're all too often missing a thrust, it's all well and good having players who can pass, pass, pass but no player other than Messi is unsettling top teams regularly, sure it works against poorer sides as they'll make mistakes and let you in, or they'll tire, or they'll not carry any threat going forward. Bayern have played them as a team of near equally gifted footballers, with a better balanced side and Barca have been caught totally unawares that this was possible. Whilst I'm ranting about Barca, wasn't Sanchez like £30mill? ****ing Hell!
They weren't the greatest team on the planet a few months ago at all. Bayern were better than them last year but not by that much. Since winning the CL in 2011, Barca have been in decline and a lot of that is to do with resting on their laurels and refusing to address the CB issue, as well as signing substandard squad players like Fabregas, Sanchez and Song. The only genuine class player Barca have bought since winning that CL has been Jordi Alba. Lets not just lambast Barca, Bayern have improved significantly to the point where they have 3 world class players in every position. The players all compliment each other. Robben always cuts inside so Lahm selflessly provides an overlap on the outside to give the defending full back another problem. Same can be said of Alaba/Ribery on the other side. Javi Martinez and Schweinsteiger work in perfect cohesion. Make no mistake Bayern are as good as any recent Barca side in their prime
Darn it! 1940 all over again with all Germany threatening to invade us again.Bloody Channel Tunnel!!!!!!!
That post would be better on the Arsenal board. See whether they agree with your views on Fabregas and Song. Fabregas is a great player, but doesn't work with Xavi and Iniesta. It's probably time one of them moved on.
We saw again last night Bayern playing Barca at their own pressing game, that they used to be so good at. For me, they looked toothless without Messi - never really looked like even coming close to causing an upset. I think Xavi is not the player he used to be - age creeping up maybe. I would expect the axe is being sharpened now and will be used ruthlessly in the summer. Their defence, especially, needs a complete overhaul.
Fabregas is the long term replacement for Xavi I would have thought. Barcelona are still pretty good but don't have enough squad cover in defence or attack especially while Villa still seems to be nowhere near the player he was bfore he broke his leg. They are always going to be much worse without Messi - any team would be. They would probably still beat Bayern if at full strength but it would be close.
Like City in the PL, Barca have been found out, especially by the better teams. Good as they can be, they are one dimensional. Without the option to change their style of play and without pace out wide, teams have learned how to contain them- as Chelsea showed 12 months ago. They also rely too heavily on Messi.
