Hiku said:
Goatseye said:
Hold on! You guys think that Barcelona of Pep at their highest had a bad defense?
With Puyol killing it, Pique less erratic, Dani Alves the best RB with Maycon at the time and a solid LB on Abidal a suspect defense?
Additionally, with a Swiss clock as a Defensive Midfielder, no one in their serious state of sanity can call Barcas defensive ability dubious at the time. |
Puyol killing it in the rehab center, yeah. He spent more time there than on the pitch during his last few seasons, and instead we saw the horrible Mascherano in CD instead, and some times Busquets.
During 2010-11, Puyol just made it back after a long time injury for one of the Madrid clashes in the CL semi finals, only to instantly get injured again during the very same match, and gone again for months. And Abidal was, as you may recall, out for a long time during this season due to cancer treatment.
Before Pique joined, Puyol was much less injury prone, but was teamed up with the likes of Sylvinho and Milito... Ugh Milito, still gives me nightmares.
Alves was definitely the best RB, but more for his offensive capabilities. The way he played often created problems for the defense if they lost the ball. And you really don't want to get caught in the counter attack with Milito or Mascherano in center defense.
Guardiola said it as well that their defense was never good, but they made up for it with their offense and possession play.
Barcelona's defense has been notoriously lacking for quite a while, especially compared to other top clubs. They didn't even sign a single center defender ever since Pique until this season. They bought Mascerano and Song, who are naturally defensive midfielders, and tried to re-school them into becoming CD's instead, which didn't work.
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Are sure it wasn't Marquez? Sylvinho was a left back and Milito barely played. Counter-Attack is an issue to any team that press high on pitch; Barca, Porto, Bayern, etc...
Mascherano in as a CD plays better than a lot of actual CD.
Dmytro Chygrynskiy was a center defender. Post Pep Barcelona doesn't acquire any CD, it has to fulfill their soccer phylosophy.
Barca did not buy Song and Mascherano to play CD. Mascherano just happened to be a phenomenal multi-talented player in at atime when Puyol was debilitated.
