Comments on: The vindication of Sergio Busquets

By: Roberticus

Roberticus — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:57:49 +0000

Nonsense. Of course Busquets has good technique, better than that of most box-to-box players let alone other defensive mids. Otherwise Barcelona’s academy would not have invested so much time in him.

Guardiola himself justified his promoting of Busquets ahead of Yaya Toure within context of Ibrahimovic’s replacing of Etoo last summer. Pep saw that Ibra lacked movement off the ball, the whole front-line slowed down and therefore he asked his midfielders to compensate by speeding up the tempo of their passing. Busquets was more accomplished at this than Yaya, who let’s admit is hardly a donkey; so what does that tell you about Busquets technical ability?

By: Roberticus

Roberticus — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:51:38 +0000

But look at the nature of those 9-yard passes; when surrounded by three opponents Busquets can still pull off quick exchanges with Xavi-Iniesta; nevermind defensive midfielders, not even most box-to-box Premier League players can accomplish this.

By: Amamigo

Amamigo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:02:16 +0000

Busquetsis technically very good, although he rarely shows his skills, he prefers to play a simple game, he often does first -touch passes. But if you watch him play regularly, he sometimes reveals that he is a very skilful player and that he has an awesome ball-control.

By: Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:07:59 +0000

Busquets passing is rarely too adventurous, if at all more than nine or ten yards.

By: Varun

Varun — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:49:55 +0000

Busquets passing is not mediocre acc. to me, do watch LaLiga, he often provides the linking and through balls to the flanks to messi and on the left, Its just not his role so it appears he might be mediocre, if he decided to do so.
He was gradually pushed to a pure DM, early on he used to play a little higher up linking a bit more with forwards.

By: Mat

Mat — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:51:32 +0000

Surely the English undervalue these players because many sides play 4-4-2. Busquets would look average and his flaws become apparent in this system because it would mean his mediocre passing ability is exposed as it’d be less likely that he’d have someone next to him to play the simple ball to.

Tottenham fans ‘underappreciate’ Palacios because his passing’s hit and miss, and I believe that nigel reo-coker suffered similarly at Villa. This seemed to me to be because their teams (and many others) play a formation which, as it can’t really have just a pure ‘destroyer’ due to lack of numbers in the midfield, requires both midfielders to be able to pass creatively, or at least accurately, over longer distances, something neither can really do.

Busquets was good, but I’d argue no better than many other defensive midfielders who are hampered in the respect they get by having their weaknesses exposed by the system their teams play.

By: Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:52:12 +0000

Indeed, I’m not his biggest fan for his on-field antics – the imaginary card waving really blighted Spain’s performance in the final for example. And he’ll never be liked universally after the “peek-a-boo” incident.

But his job, he does it well.

By: Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:50:41 +0000

“Busquets doesn’t get the praise he deserves in England because as a nation we undervalue the position he plays.”

This couldn’t be more true.

Even though the league boasts some of the world’s best players in that position, Mascherano and De Jong, and to a lesser extent the likes of Alex Song and Wilson Palacios, they don’t get the recognition they deserve.

By: Deportivo

Deportivo — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:49:18 +0000

I cannot deny that Busquets is an excellent player, always seeming to be there when the opposition finally manage to squirt over the halfway line against Barca or Spain, but it would be interesting to see how he would perform in a lesser team, like England’s, where he would have a higher workload.

However, it must be said that he is the grubby epitome of all that stinks about the modern game. Full of tugs, scratches and snide, niggling fouls, yet the first to hit the deck when anyone gets near him. What aggravates me most is his consistent badgering of the referee; whenever a Spain/Barca player is fouled/dives he appears without fail to offer his opinion, no doubt that the opposition player should be booked. For me, this kind of play is what tarnishes the lovely football that is played by Spain and Barca.

By: Varun

Varun — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:51:19 +0000

I have always liked him and appreciated him
Alonso can’t play the traditional DM role, hes not that type of player so Sergio fits best.

it just amazes me how many fouls he wins for his team, sure he dives at times but overwhelming of them are fair,
he and Pedro were nowhere 2 years ago now they are World champ, Pep needs to be applauded here for first sticking with Sergio when even Barca faithful called for his axe to Yaya toure.