This video made me subscribe! Just perfect! By the way, Busquets is now killing it in the MLS with Inter Miami! I have watched every game since Messi arrived and the mix of Busquets, Messi and Alba with current team players and new EX Barcelona Coach has made very exciting Football!
@giwrgospetrou1159 Busquets is easily the best cdm of all time and one of the most vital players for all of Barca's trophies and r u mentally challenged or something the reason busquets didn't do well ALONG with messi especially in the 8-2 loss is cuz barca were absolute dogshit in 2020, 2021, and most of 2022 even 2019 , the only reason they Madde as far as they did was cuz of messi carrying the offensive load. He was good enough to bench Rodri despite his old age for Spain and good enough too bench the like of yaya toure when he was young
Do you think this is why Barça is not doing great right now? What player out there would you sign as the Busquets? Do you think there's any one player at Barça right now who could do this "pivot" role?
It's interesting how Cruyff is an attacker, yet he sees the game in the pivot perspective, and discovered Pep, and created an inheritance line of pivots.
Yeah true, Cruyff played similarly to a false 9 in Rinus Michel’s Ajax and Barcelona teams in the 60s and 70s, where he was responsible for dropping into midfield and linking the team together and conducting the tempo of the game. It’s quite interesting how his roles in both teams have shaped his philosophy and how that transferred over into Guardiola’s ideas, and even to Pep’s apprentices as well
Cruyff is underratted. I have him as top 5 all time. He carried his team to the WCup finals 2 yrs in a row. Got 2 silver medals and was the best player from 1971 to 1979
I think Busquets must be the next Barca B coach to figure out who can be the next Busquets (just like Pep identified Busquets and Johan identified Pep)
@@2edge23 stfu man. Let him rest for now. He's been playing for more than 17 years in a serious club like Barcelona where there's so much pressure of performing. Let the man rest now. And do you think being a manager is something very easy? Its not FIFA. There's a lot of work pressure.
Busquets is just ridiculous. Benched Yaya Toure when he was young at Barca and benched Rodri when he was old at the national team. Simply irreplaceable.
He bench yaya because of pp ,pp is Spanish and busquts is masia Spanish everything count i know busquts is good but yaya is another level, his phenomenal success in man ciy
it starts from Ajax. Rinus Michels to Cruyff, and Cruyff brought it to Barcelona. At or from Barcelona, it's only Pep who's been successful for years now. Xavi and Arteta - we will have to see.
It's a philosophy, there's a reason English football is so stodgy &industrial.. because the "philosophy" (or lack thereof) focuses on physicality & "putting in a shift" rather than positional play &technique
@@o-wolf True, except for Liverpool, who had that short passing possession style back in the 80s. 90s Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea were very capable of keeping possession, though. Gullit brought some sexy football. The Dutch have a knack
I listened a recent interview he made on the radio, saying that he wants to become a coach. Very interesting viewing of the game, he has got all the concepts clear and believe in order and technique. He will be a great coach for Barça one day.
- Also to add more into this , Busquets after his debut in Barcelona in 2008/09 , he become instantly a regular on the season 2009/10 - BUSQUETS became the PIVOT OF SPAIN in 2010 World CUP and he was a regular player from the GET GO - In addition to that , he also won Euro 2012 on the formation of 4-6-0 , yeah Spain played with 6 midfielders LMAO - HE WAS THE PIVOT ON THE 2009 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL since Guardiola lost both Dani Alvez and Abidal , Toure cover at the back with Puyol , Sylvinho and Pique - The guy from 2009 to 2012 have already won Champions League 2009 and 2011 , World Cup at 2010 and Euro at 2012. With a Treble and Sextuple and a Quintuple lmao
@@akwilson1676 And that was a Man United with CR7 on his dribbling mode , Rooney on his peak , Park who was the guy with 4 lungs , and have insane Veterans like Ryan Gigs.
As a Die-Hard Madridista, Busquets is a player I loved to watch. What a Player! Not enough credit is given to these players who don’t need to show stats. If only people understood football better, they’d know it’s not all about stats.
I've been a Busquets fan for many years now and I get so annoyed when noobs insult him and think he's a crap player. They don't see his influence in advancing the ball and retaining possession. When the play breaks down he's always the safety net and you can trust that he will be calm on the ball when he gets pressed. As far as advancing the ball, he breaks the press so easily because his one-touch pass is faster than the opponents can press.
In my opinion xavi’s era will be different. There is no way we can replace busquets like for like, it’s almost impossible, so what will happen instead is that there will be 2/3 players who fill in the role that busquets played for the last decade or so.
The only problem is that will lower the celling of this team if 2 players have to do the job of 1 then we are already short of 1 guy from the beginning.
Football has changed ( like everything else ) Everyone is faster and stronger, that style of football cannot work anymore Unless you have Messi of course, but they didn't want him back....
FC Barcelona fan here. I have watched many, many games of my team over the years. My grandfather would take to Camp Nou as a child. I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with Cruyff, Guardiola and several players along the years. I just want to congratulate you for the accurate insight and the depth of analisys in your video. It is excelent.
I love Busquets man, he just no need to be strong, fast, physical to be a DM. Fact that he just missed a few match/season for Barca just define how incredible he was.
Finally a video to do him a justice. Busi is king. And to let that "sink" in Barca had at one moment: - Busquets - Xavi - Iniesta and at the top of that.......the best player in history of the game, Leo. and all that got well rounded by master of coaches, Pep. Just no way that combo will ever happen again. No way. All stars were align perfectly. Pep's Barca is the best team I have ever watched.
@@abody499 But it takes a different type of person to shine like he and guardiola did. This thing trancends just having a teacher. You must have a keen eye picture and incorporate it into your vision successfully.
@@derrick1767 No, the rise in televised football made the difference. This so called total football philosophy goes back to the second half of the 19th century. Cruyff learned it from his English teachers, who learned it from the "Scotch professors" who invented it.
@@abody499 you're not getting my point. Televised football or not, it is not a concept that every manager out here gets perfectly like some few famed ones like Pep and Cruyff. They see the game kinda differently and know how to make necessary tweaks to make it work. That is my point...there is really nothing new under the sun;but there will always be those one or two people who try to create some uniqueness using what already exists.
@@derrick1767 Yes, you are correct. That is the co-construction of meaning which is how teaching and learning works. My point is that Cruyff was heralded as the pioneer, but in fact it was just down to football being more televised and the wider exposure that came with it. He wasn't the pioneer - he carried on a tradition that was a hundred years in the making by the time he was taught.
@@kingbjorn1832 can't injure muscles, if u got none jokes aside he plays slow and doesn't sprint/shoot much, also dodges teckles so clever. I would also bet he has good work ethic about training/nutrition etc.
Update: It's 2024 October, Xavi was let go as the manager, Hansi Flick (German) is the man in charge. There's a new kid called Marc Bernal he's promising to be the next Busquets although he's injured, out for the whole season, returning late 2025. Cruyff philosophy is still well in place although it's not as before, especially with the introduction of German manager. And the current team is filled with exceptionally talented youngest from La Masia, La Masia is the back bone of Barcelona!!
I love your explanation using the video game in First Person View. Non-players (and even some players) don't understand how hard this is to execute within the limited time.
There's just something so poetic about how it was Cruyff who started it all - then he discovered Pep, brought him into the first team taught him everything. Cruyff was then instrumental in Pep being appointed manager years later. Then Pep taught the same Cruyff's ideals to Xavi as a player and who then went on to be the current manager of Barcelona.
@@badshifuIf you choose to be an ignoramus, that's up to you. But you really should look at who Cruyff's boss was (Michels) and who motivated/inspired him.
Barcelona's engine room ran on his positional brilliance and tactical genius, ensuring dominance. His relentless tenacity in winning back possession was awe-inspiring. Busquets was an invaluable asset, an irreplaceable cog in the Barcelona machine, controlling matches with his skills and leaving opponents in awe. Watching compilations of his skills is extremely mesmerising. Who'll replace someone of his calibre?
Exactly tactical genius ,he is controling the tempo of the play ,football start from the back and he is conductor on the pitch ,he got very high footballing IQ ,never rushing or forcing the play ,very special player !
This video will be another masterpiece 🔥. My opinion before watching the video: Get Romeu for the middle term and either Fabricio Diaz, Arthur Vermeeren, Federico Redondo or Alan Varela for the long term. Kimmich and Zubimendi aren't realistic at this point Edit: I had Brozovic as middle term but Barça never sent an offer to him so he joined al nassr. Also in Laporta's words in La Masia there are Marc Casadó, Pau Prim, Gerard Hernández and Marc Bernal who should get a chance or playing time
@@gastonsitiothere is no Busquets style player itw. Closest is Rodri but even Rodri struggles when pressed correctly and he isn't a deep number 10 like Busquets. Although Rodri has goals in him. Their positioning is almost identical
Pau prim from the B team is excellent, heis positioning, awareness, anticipation and defensive awareness and he is a 2 footed passer but he just turned 17 and although he has a good height of 6ft, he is still physically a 17 yr old, we need someone who is physically mature enough to play in the 1st team.
Rodri is showing a glimpse of it and we're seeing how it makes City a difficult team to beat. Barca should get someone that will finally be able to let Frankie lose in attack. I really think Barca future depends n how well Xavi adapts to challenges and how he gets the best out of Frankie .
in the last 5 years, european football has seen a large shift towards double pivots. Barcelona are among a small group of elite clubs that have not given in to that idea, but it may be time for that to change. I really believe that frenkie alongside some other elite pivot could define barcelona's philosophy for the next decade if xavi gets it right.
Barca don't use it cuz Cruyff didn't like the box midfield. He believed it block passing lanes. This is why Xavi still prefers a single pivot, even though the double pivot has been very successful.
@@arkochattopadhyay8875it didn't work mate, that's why the lads had so many 1-0 victories. A box midfield really doesn't suit barca, even if it makes the game more fluid.
this is my favorite video ever on youtube, I don't know how many times I have watched this one. this one doesn't show as many tricks and skills of Busquets as other videos, but it explains how he plays bettet than any other. thank you so much for such a quality work!
Rodri is a long shot and i see him staying at city as long as Pep is there. As for zubimendi, he will always stay in Rodri's shadow when it comes to playing for Spain. Him being reluctant to leave Sociadad will also play a major role because the quality of players he'll players with won't improve improve him.
he is answering all the questions ive been having lately without asking, great understanding/presentation. Im a 60 year old football addict. This is the BEST football analysis show-TV or you tube I have seen. lucky i just found it by chance, many thanks.
Imagine my shock when I heard that Basquet was the most important player back then when Xavi,Iniesta and Messi were all around. I couldn't understand that statement until now. Thanks for yhis post.
We have a few pivots in La Masia currently that look to have great potential: Pau Prim, Marc Casado, Gerard Hernandez, and Marc Bernal being some of the standouts, with the first 2 looking to be the most likely to come through within the coming seasons. FIngers crossed that they can continue developing and be promoted to help the team.
I was happy when Xavi brought in Marc Casado recently against AC Milan. He was good, hope to see more of him in the coming LaLiga season. Visca Barca ❤️💙
This is what I have been telling my son for a few year, probably not as clear as you put it but the same message. I will be watching it with him today, thank you great work!
I have never been more turned on and scared at the same time..... The importance of a proper pivot has never been more needed at his club .This choice could make or break our football club.Get it right and we will enjoy the glory days but get it wrong and we are finished...Loved the video as always..Keep up the good work brother.❤
We literally have a teen in our neighbourhood team who plays like this, absolute treat to watch and play with, what I found is that it’s just natural and beautiful.❤
One of the hardest parts of that role is you are underappreciated by fans a lot of the time and want you to run around especially if losing. To just stand still and do your job takes a special mindset.
Barcelona knew they had to replace busquet (most important player of the club's culture) but never had long term plans for that. Imo I think xavi should adopt an agile mindset that will evolve that style of play instead of forcing tradition. Pep has done that despite being in a less challenging situation than xavi who doesn't have all the financial backing.
I think it would be false to claim Barcelona never tried. I think the issue with Busquets position was the same as Alba's; they were so good that anyone who came in could not display them. Barcelona tried with different players; Yaya Toure left because of Busquet, Mascherano was converted to a defender because of him, and Song never had a chance. Samper and Romeu also had to leave because they saw no route to the first team with Busquet there.
I love your videos man, can you do an analysis of our pivot targets this summer, especially Zubimendi, Fabricio Diaz can't find much about them, think people would love that video.
I still remember i was watching a Barca match and busquets misplaced few passes and commentator said busquets is not as good as before then other commentators immediately said busquets has performed so well in his lifetime that few misplaced passes and we are taking about how he's not as good as before.
Realistic options right now? There are a couple like: 1) FDJ could try and learn the position and role but i think he is class at ball carrying so would like to keep him in that role. 2) Eric Garcia, Xavi has used him a couple of times as a CDM and he is best atribute is his passing capability. 3) Nico Gonzales, has plaged as a CDM in Barça B but he lacks that awarness and often has a bada defensive attitude. 4) Amrabat, It would imply changing the role but he is good option (I still have some doubts about his performance on high block) 5) Brozovich, I would consider him the best option but he had a great season so idk if it would be a cheap one.
Coming from someone who’s constantly seen how cold busquets is against my personal favorite team, he’s easily THE greatest CDM of all time. No one can come close how calm and composed he is on the ball. He’s one of the most complete footballers and has been heavily underrated due to him always playing with xavi and iniesta
The appearance of Pep and his apprentice Busquets raises the demands of a pivot player immensely. And that's why MU still haven't found one this transfer market.... :((((
Cruyff is the one who brought forth the system Guardiola has used throughout his entire career. He is the one who set things up for Barcelona to what they came to be.
I personally think for the time being, we should get Brozovic, maybe as a swap deal for Kessie. Which would be great, because let's face it, we are still in deep financial trouble, so getting a good player for cheap is amazing. He can sufficiently play in that role for ~3 seasons and in the meantime we can properly develop a youngster - I personally think Pau Prim from the youngster team will fully develop and take on the CDM role in the future. Or maybe Nico Gonzalez will surprise us all and step up his game, but I don't really see that happening tbh (but maybe he'll prove me wrong)
Or Eric García steps up and becomes a good CDM. We have seen him a few times play in that role and he wasn't that bad honestly. Far from perfect, lot to improve, but a good base nonetheless. Combined with the fact he is quite bad as a CB, it could be the only possibility for him to continue at Barca, meaning it would motivate him to learn the position...
Share the same opinion, Brozovic is the best bet at the moment. Can give us a window of 2-3 years during which either Prim or Casado can break into the team or the club will be in a better financial position to buy an excellent pivot in 2025.
If you watch the game u won't see busquet but if you watch busquet you see the entire game that how much important of a player he is to the system ❤lovely player
I really feel like Nico should be given a chance at the pivot role. He's been good whenever he's played at Valencia. Could you please do an analysis on him and other CDM's linked to Barça soon?
This is the best video about busquets i've seen in RUclips, all the other videos just show their passes or skills with the ball. What makes Busquets special is his way of defending, he's not strong and fast like Casemiro, he predicts the destiny of the ball and intercep with position or his long legs.
hi, i would be interested to see you opinion on who should replace Busquets. I think you made a video some time ago where you suggested some people. Since then some things changed on the marked and maybe new options appeared. I personaly think a pivot is our top priority by far because it is, like in the video mentioned, maybe the most crucial position in the system. So should Barca spend more money on it and spend less money on other problems (f.e. a new right back and winger)?
True. Playing against tall with long legs and smartly positioned midfielder is very tough as they always showed up somewhere to block off or "steal off" the ball.
I am so glad that I stumbled upon one of the best & underrated football analysis channel. I am a cricket fan. But I am recently started having an interest in football. I always found football boring up until I started understanding the rules, roles and the attributes of different players on the pitch. Now I am in love with the sport & youtube channel like yours is blessing for me.
I would've been interested to see what Nico Gonzalez could do in the 'Busquets role', he came into the first team 2 seasons ago and looked promising, but was then loaned out to Valenica, and his stats aren't that impressive from this season (although could be that he's playing in a worse team/different system) Did anyone else think he looked promising in his Barca cameos in 21-22?
I don’t know how likely it is that you’ll see this at the moment, but that thing you did at 5:50, please do more similar to that in your videos and documentaries; it’s really funny😂
You could of added « player who covered the most distance on the pitch of all players of la liga, in one season » nearly every year. I heard people say busquets doesn’t move enough on the pitch, seriously. 😂😂…
I think Pau Prim is more like Busi than anyone else in terms of his football iq... he might just be the one if he doesn't stagnate like the rest of them
Awesome video! I am really nervous about filling these big shoes! It will take us time and a serious scouting system to spot out a right profile for this pivot place.
Hi, I recently subscribed to your channel and I like your content, you expose very interesting topics. Hey, at this time when the issue of the defensive pivot is still unresolved at Barça, could you comment on some video about what has happened to Julian Weigl's career? I tell you this because at the time it was considered that he was a player who could be a valid replacement for when Busquets retired, a player with good reading of the game, positionally organized, with good feet to associate inside and with good long movement. At Dortmund he was a key player under Tuchel and looked like a star, but he got injured and gradually faded away. He was recently bought by Mönchengladbach for 15 million.
Now Barça have the mammoth task of getting this role sorted for the future now that Busquets has moved on. Fabrizio just gave the here we go green light for Gundogan to Barça. They are trying their best to change the role and still make it work. Because lets be real there is no replacement for Busquests.
The "web of triangles" was something i could clearly see as a child watching that 2008-2010, it was like a living web, at some points the whole team looked like a 1 entity cause the extreme precision and fluidity of their movements
This explains why Barcelona don't want to play around with this position, and players like Frenkie and Nico can't fulfill the role even after being quality players. They want the likes of Kimmich, Zubimendi. And if they can't afford them, they will even sacrifice a younger capable player like Kessie to get a old Brozovic, who despite his age, may fit the bill.
That was 1988, and no one knew how to combat that. 2023 is far more different and 8 - 0 Liverpool is a hint. Pepe himself doesn't play single pivot, and Rodri is physically solid. Those La Masia players, Rodri included, were hammered by Morocco in the world cup. Anyway, continue leaving in 2013.
I think, especially in the Barca fan base, many culers are wanting to see Eric Garcia in that role or at least tried out there for a bit to see how he develops in it, he has a lot of the same attributes
Well Cruyff, your question is being answered right now.... Busquets has Retired from Barça and we're struggling to the Core without Busi Your question seemed pointless when you asked it but now we are realising how great it was and I think Barca won't find Guardiola/Busquets type of player anytime until maybe if Busquets himself becomes the Coach
i see a list of midfielders with a few "defensive holding" players. The best DM in history was Rijkaard. I probably agree with your point though. Most people dont really see what they do.
@bergkamp101 they're not all strictly pure defensive midfielders, but they've played there at some point in their careers. I could've mentioned Mascherano, Fletcher, Kante, Makelele, Nicky Butt, Fred and Lucas. The likes of Gerrard, Gascoigne, Rivaldo, Lampard, Zidane, Totti, Park Ji-Sung, Iniesta, Sneijder, van der Vaart are attacking midfielders in my eyes
Please excuse any weird skips in the video. Copyright holders want to take me down for 0.2 seconds of footage.
that's ridiculous. you did an amazing job
This video made me subscribe! Just perfect! By the way, Busquets is now killing it in the MLS with Inter Miami! I have watched every game since Messi arrived and the mix of Busquets, Messi and Alba with current team players and new EX Barcelona Coach has made very exciting Football!
@giwrgospetrou1159 Busquets is easily the best cdm of all time and one of the most vital players for all of Barca's trophies and r u mentally challenged or something the reason busquets didn't do well ALONG with messi especially in the 8-2 loss is cuz barca were absolute dogshit in 2020, 2021, and most of 2022 even 2019 , the only reason they Madde as far as they did was cuz of messi carrying the offensive load. He was good enough to bench Rodri despite his old age for Spain and good enough too bench the like of yaya toure when he was young
@@MarekMarciniak how is it ridiculous? if you'd own content you wouldn't want it to be used, too
Do you think this is why Barça is not doing great right now? What player out there would you sign as the Busquets? Do you think there's any one player at Barça right now who could do this "pivot" role?
It's interesting how Cruyff is an attacker, yet he sees the game in the pivot perspective, and discovered Pep, and created an inheritance line of pivots.
Yeah true, Cruyff played similarly to a false 9 in Rinus Michel’s Ajax and Barcelona teams in the 60s and 70s, where he was responsible for dropping into midfield and linking the team together and conducting the tempo of the game. It’s quite interesting how his roles in both teams have shaped his philosophy and how that transferred over into Guardiola’s ideas, and even to Pep’s apprentices as well
@@jericho3294 Eww is that the p3d0 anime Evangelion
Pure quality..
@@fotrjwtf
Cruyff is underratted. I have him as top 5 all time. He carried his team to the WCup finals 2 yrs in a row. Got 2 silver medals and was the best player from 1971 to 1979
I think Busquets must be the next Barca B coach to figure out who can be the next Busquets (just like Pep identified Busquets and Johan identified Pep)
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
The cycle should continue
Marquez is currently coaching that team and to be fair he had the same style of play though he was a cb for the most time
Nah, He is busy being loyal to Messi. Serious barca fan here
@@2edge23 stfu man. Let him rest for now. He's been playing for more than 17 years in a serious club like Barcelona where there's so much pressure of performing. Let the man rest now. And do you think being a manager is something very easy? Its not FIFA. There's a lot of work pressure.
Busquets is just ridiculous. Benched Yaya Toure when he was young at Barca and benched Rodri when he was old at the national team. Simply irreplaceable.
He really made Rodri play cb despite knowing how good Rodri under pep , and at the age of 34 too , he really is special
About benching Rodri , it was coach madness n achieve nothing. Busquets was special during his tym
@@trustobey2834 Rodri played like cb in the las world cup
Also moved javier mascherano out of position (originally CDM) into CB
He bench yaya because of pp ,pp is Spanish and busquts is masia Spanish everything count i know busquts is good but yaya is another level, his phenomenal success in man ciy
Barcelona’s legacy of tactical coaches and a stellar midfield is pretty insane to be honest.
it starts from Ajax. Rinus Michels to Cruyff, and Cruyff brought it to Barcelona. At or from Barcelona, it's only Pep who's been successful for years now.
Xavi and Arteta - we will have to see.
@@shahzadirani Luis Enrique’s been successful too
@@shahzadiranimourinho
It's a philosophy, there's a reason English football is so stodgy &industrial.. because the "philosophy" (or lack thereof) focuses on physicality & "putting in a shift" rather than positional play &technique
@@o-wolf True, except for Liverpool, who had that short passing possession style back in the 80s.
90s Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea were very capable of keeping possession, though. Gullit brought some sexy football. The Dutch have a knack
Busquets will come back to barcelona as a coach one day. And he will be one hell of a coach. I have no doubt.
True Busi was never physical. He always played with his mind. This will translate well in coaching
I listened a recent interview he made on the radio, saying that he wants to become a coach. Very interesting viewing of the game, he has got all the concepts clear and believe in order and technique. He will be a great coach for Barça one day.
not working out to well for xavi tho
@@achillesglacia7700 Xavi literally won the La liga, after years of drought, so I think that we will see more of Xavi after all he is just starting.
Guardiola 2.0
This is why I’m a Barca fan. It’s the philosophy and idea of football that I find fascinating. Not just kick and run.
and not to buy the most expensive players
@@sergeshakhov8582coutinho said hi 👀👀
@@sergeshakhov8582 😂😂😂 If you look up the top 10 most expensive transfers Barcelona alone has 2 spots.
@@sergeshakhov8582 Their wage bill says otherwise.
@@sergeshakhov8582 ehhh thats just because we have 0 moneh lmfao
- Also to add more into this , Busquets after his debut in Barcelona in 2008/09 , he become instantly a regular on the season 2009/10
- BUSQUETS became the PIVOT OF SPAIN in 2010 World CUP and he was a regular player from the GET GO
- In addition to that , he also won Euro 2012 on the formation of 4-6-0 , yeah Spain played with 6 midfielders LMAO
- HE WAS THE PIVOT ON THE 2009 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL since Guardiola lost both Dani Alvez and Abidal , Toure cover at the back with Puyol , Sylvinho and Pique
- The guy from 2009 to 2012 have already won Champions League 2009 and 2011 , World Cup at 2010 and Euro at 2012. With a Treble and Sextuple and a Quintuple lmao
And Now Gavi
Barca lost 2 defenders and still bossed Man Utd.
@@akwilson1676 And that was a Man United with CR7 on his dribbling mode , Rooney on his peak , Park who was the guy with 4 lungs , and have insane Veterans like Ryan Gigs.
94% pass completion in 2012
@@kibuhluciene y gavi also gets overrated like busquets but is in generall way worse as a player.
As a Die-Hard Madridista, Busquets is a player I loved to watch. What a Player! Not enough credit is given to these players who don’t need to show stats. If only people understood football better, they’d know it’s not all about stats.
I've been a Busquets fan for many years now and I get so annoyed when noobs insult him and think he's a crap player. They don't see his influence in advancing the ball and retaining possession. When the play breaks down he's always the safety net and you can trust that he will be calm on the ball when he gets pressed. As far as advancing the ball, he breaks the press so easily because his one-touch pass is faster than the opponents can press.
In my opinion xavi’s era will be different. There is no way we can replace busquets like for like, it’s almost impossible, so what will happen instead is that there will be 2/3 players who fill in the role that busquets played for the last decade or so.
The only problem is that will lower the celling of this team if 2 players have to do the job of 1 then we are already short of 1 guy from the beginning.
Amrabat
Joshua kimmich was named by busquets himself to be his successor
I wasn't sure of it before but I think Brozovic would be an excellent short term replacement for Busquets
Football has changed ( like everything else )
Everyone is faster and stronger, that style of football cannot work anymore
Unless you have Messi of course, but they didn't want him back....
FC Barcelona fan here. I have watched many, many games of my team over the years. My grandfather would take to Camp Nou as a child. I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with Cruyff, Guardiola and several players along the years. I just want to congratulate you for the accurate insight and the depth of analisys in your video. It is excelent.
I love Busquets man, he just no need to be strong, fast, physical to be a DM.
Fact that he just missed a few match/season for Barca just define how incredible he was.
Finally a video to do him a justice. Busi is king. And to let that "sink" in Barca had at one moment:
- Busquets
- Xavi
- Iniesta
and at the top of that.......the best player in history of the game, Leo.
and all that got well rounded by master of coaches, Pep.
Just no way that combo will ever happen again. No way. All stars were align perfectly. Pep's Barca is the best team I have ever watched.
Truly ridiculous when you think about it!
And the whole combo cost them a whooping zero dollars.
@@apostle9209so who is?
@@gaara4667the goat would be hary maguire
@@apostle9209 Sellout..? He could have made a lot more going elsewhere, what on Earth are you even talking about?
As always, Cruyff is always ahead of his time
cruyff had a teacher, and so did his teacher
@@abody499 But it takes a different type of person to shine like he and guardiola did. This thing trancends just having a teacher. You must have a keen eye picture and incorporate it into your vision successfully.
@@derrick1767 No, the rise in televised football made the difference. This so called total football philosophy goes back to the second half of the 19th century. Cruyff learned it from his English teachers, who learned it from the "Scotch professors" who invented it.
@@abody499 you're not getting my point. Televised football or not, it is not a concept that every manager out here gets perfectly like some few famed ones like Pep and Cruyff. They see the game kinda differently and know how to make necessary tweaks to make it work. That is my point...there is really nothing new under the sun;but there will always be those one or two people who try to create some uniqueness using what already exists.
@@derrick1767 Yes, you are correct. That is the co-construction of meaning which is how teaching and learning works. My point is that Cruyff was heralded as the pioneer, but in fact it was just down to football being more televised and the wider exposure that came with it. He wasn't the pioneer - he carried on a tradition that was a hundred years in the making by the time he was taught.
One of the best midfielders I’ve ever seen. Always makes it look easy
From Pep, to Busquets, now Rodri....that position just keeps evolving and becoming better as football era's keeps pasing....Wonderful!!!!
I believe you forgot to mention Busquets' availability. He is basically available for every single game.
I think he injured like 2 times in a entire decade
And plays basic
@@kingbjorn1832 can't injure muscles, if u got none
jokes aside he plays slow and doesn't sprint/shoot much, also dodges teckles so clever. I would also bet he has good work ethic about training/nutrition etc.
Oh Johan you were so right, now Barcelona is a mess without busi
Busi, one of a kind football player, good luck everywhere you go Capi!
Update: It's 2024 October, Xavi was let go as the manager, Hansi Flick (German) is the man in charge. There's a new kid called Marc Bernal he's promising to be the next Busquets although he's injured, out for the whole season, returning late 2025.
Cruyff philosophy is still well in place although it's not as before, especially with the introduction of German manager. And the current team is filled with exceptionally talented youngest from La Masia, La Masia is the back bone of Barcelona!!
I love your explanation using the video game in First Person View. Non-players (and even some players) don't understand how hard this is to execute within the limited time.
Busquets is my favorite player of all time, and I love how you explained the way his game works. Amazing video
This is the beat analysis I have seen regarding Busquets. Thank you
There's just something so poetic about how it was Cruyff who started it all - then he discovered Pep, brought him into the first team taught him everything. Cruyff was then instrumental in Pep being appointed manager years later. Then Pep taught the same Cruyff's ideals to Xavi as a player and who then went on to be the current manager of Barcelona.
No. Cruyff didn't start it all. Read my comment above. He is huge, sure. But even he needs to be seen in the wider historical context.
@@glasgowgrad6277 Im not reading your comment above dude.
@@badshifuIf you choose to be an ignoramus, that's up to you. But you really should look at who Cruyff's boss was (Michels) and who motivated/inspired him.
@@glasgowgrad6277 ok my condolences
I think Busquets will make a very good manager and it will be him who will find the next Busquets
Thanks for sticking to Barcelona videos even tho your channel grow so much!
4:17
4:17 4:17
4:17 @@anthonybesah1265
You see the game, you don't see Busquets. You see Busquets, you see the whole game.
- Einstein 2003
Lol
you dont see Sergio Busquets, but Sergio Busquets sees you
Thank you Vicente del Bosque.
John Cena enters...
Barcelona's engine room ran on his positional brilliance and tactical genius, ensuring dominance. His relentless tenacity in winning back possession was awe-inspiring. Busquets was an invaluable asset, an irreplaceable cog in the Barcelona machine, controlling matches with his skills and leaving opponents in awe. Watching compilations of his skills is extremely mesmerising. Who'll replace someone of his calibre?
Exactly tactical genius ,he is controling the tempo of the play ,football start from the back and he is conductor on the pitch ,he got very high footballing IQ ,never rushing or forcing the play ,very special player !
This video will be another masterpiece 🔥.
My opinion before watching the video:
Get Romeu for the middle term and either Fabricio Diaz, Arthur Vermeeren, Federico Redondo or Alan Varela for the long term.
Kimmich and Zubimendi aren't realistic at this point
Edit: I had Brozovic as middle term but Barça never sent an offer to him so he joined al nassr.
Also in Laporta's words in La Masia there are Marc Casadó, Pau Prim, Gerard Hernández and Marc Bernal who should get a chance or playing time
Also Alan Varela
Fabricio Díaz is good but isn't a Busquets style player
@@gastonsitiothere is no Busquets style player itw. Closest is Rodri but even Rodri struggles when pressed correctly and he isn't a deep number 10 like Busquets. Although Rodri has goals in him. Their positioning is almost identical
@@mhtv5959 Yeah I agree. Just saying Díaz is more a box to box than a positional player
@@mhtv5959 Also, Rodrigo Bentancur could be a good replacement, although he is a bit different, he has that calm style
Pau prim from the B team is excellent, heis positioning, awareness, anticipation and defensive awareness and he is a 2 footed passer but he just turned 17 and although he has a good height of 6ft, he is still physically a 17 yr old, we need someone who is physically mature enough to play in the 1st team.
Translating the clips into VR is such a good idea. Makes me appreciate his awareness so much more.
This video just make me more and more in love with barca and hungry for the new season to start, long live barca ❤💙
Rodri is showing a glimpse of it and we're seeing how it makes City a difficult team to beat. Barca should get someone that will finally be able to let Frankie lose in attack. I really think Barca future depends n how well Xavi adapts to challenges and how he gets the best out of Frankie .
You can also see how headless Man City seems without Rodri. Lost back to back matches without him, won the moment he came back.
in the last 5 years, european football has seen a large shift towards double pivots. Barcelona are among a small group of elite clubs that have not given in to that idea, but it may be time for that to change. I really believe that frenkie alongside some other elite pivot could define barcelona's philosophy for the next decade if xavi gets it right.
Yeah and from the mid season xavi played busi with de Jong as double pivot and that actually worked ... Fascinating isn't it?
Barca don't use it cuz Cruyff didn't like the box midfield. He believed it block passing lanes. This is why Xavi still prefers a single pivot, even though the double pivot has been very successful.
@@arkochattopadhyay8875it didn't work mate, that's why the lads had so many 1-0 victories. A box midfield really doesn't suit barca, even if it makes the game more fluid.
hahahaha we've been playing a box midfield with De Jong and Busquets most of the season!
this is my favorite video ever on youtube, I don't know how many times I have watched this one. this one doesn't show as many tricks and skills of Busquets as other videos, but it explains how he plays bettet than any other. thank you so much for such a quality work!
Rodri is a long shot and i see him staying at city as long as Pep is there. As for zubimendi, he will always stay in Rodri's shadow when it comes to playing for Spain. Him being reluctant to leave Sociadad will also play a major role because the quality of players he'll players with won't improve improve him.
he is answering all the questions ive been having lately without asking, great understanding/presentation. Im a 60 year old football addict. This is the BEST football analysis show-TV or you tube I have seen. lucky i just found it by chance, many thanks.
Imagine my shock when I heard that Basquet was the most important player back then when Xavi,Iniesta and Messi were all around. I couldn't understand that statement until now. Thanks for yhis post.
Busquets as a coach for Barca is my dream, i would kill to see him as a coach.
He recently said he wants to become a coach. Be sure he will get an opportunity in the future.
We have a few pivots in La Masia currently that look to have great potential: Pau Prim, Marc Casado, Gerard Hernandez, and Marc Bernal being some of the standouts, with the first 2 looking to be the most likely to come through within the coming seasons. FIngers crossed that they can continue developing and be promoted to help the team.
how old are these perspective players?
I was happy when Xavi brought in Marc Casado recently against AC Milan. He was good, hope to see more of him in the coming LaLiga season. Visca Barca ❤️💙
casado looks the part
This is what I have been telling my son for a few year, probably not as clear as you put it but the same message. I will be watching it with him today, thank you great work!
I have never been more turned on and scared at the same time..... The importance of a proper pivot has never been more needed at his club .This choice could make or break our football club.Get it right and we will enjoy the glory days but get it wrong and we are finished...Loved the video as always..Keep up the good work brother.❤
One of the best content atm.
Keep up the good work.
Wow just wow, this may be your best video and that says a lot because the quality that you put out is always on another level.
We literally have a teen in our neighbourhood team who plays like this, absolute treat to watch and play with, what I found is that it’s just natural and beautiful.❤
At first glance, it would be easy to just use De Jong as the pivot, but the problem is De Jong is more of a box to box midfielder than a pure pivot
One of the hardest parts of that role is you are underappreciated by fans a lot of the time and want you to run around especially if losing.
To just stand still and do your job takes a special mindset.
Barcelona knew they had to replace busquet (most important player of the club's culture) but never had long term plans for that.
Imo I think xavi should adopt an agile mindset that will evolve that style of play instead of forcing tradition.
Pep has done that despite being in a less challenging situation than xavi who doesn't have all the financial backing.
I think it would be false to claim Barcelona never tried. I think the issue with Busquets position was the same as Alba's; they were so good that anyone who came in could not display them.
Barcelona tried with different players; Yaya Toure left because of Busquet, Mascherano was converted to a defender because of him, and Song never had a chance. Samper and Romeu also had to leave because they saw no route to the first team with Busquet there.
@nelsonokafor3110 that was busquet's prime. Only player we got was Dejong to replace him. Failed attempt
Barca did try (made several signings) but Busquets was so into his prime you have to keep playing.
ingenious way to show how complicated it is with the in-game video game demonstration!
I love your videos man, can you do an analysis of our pivot targets this summer, especially Zubimendi, Fabricio Diaz can't find much about them, think people would love that video.
I still remember i was watching a Barca match and busquets misplaced few passes and commentator said busquets is not as good as before then other commentators immediately said busquets has performed so well in his lifetime that few misplaced passes and we are taking about how he's not as good as before.
Realistic options right now? There are a couple like:
1) FDJ could try and learn the position and role but i think he is class at ball carrying so would like to keep him in that role.
2) Eric Garcia, Xavi has used him a couple of times as a CDM and he is best atribute is his passing capability.
3) Nico Gonzales, has plaged as a CDM in Barça B but he lacks that awarness and often has a bada defensive attitude.
4) Amrabat, It would imply changing the role but he is good option (I still have some doubts about his performance on high block)
5) Brozovich, I would consider him the best option but he had a great season so idk if it would be a cheap one.
More videos about Busi's genius coming forth is nice to see. People need to be educated.
A holding midfielder who can defend by only eyes
Only Sergio busquets can do that
He is special
Coming from someone who’s constantly seen how cold busquets is against my personal favorite team, he’s easily THE greatest CDM of all time. No one can come close how calm and composed he is on the ball. He’s one of the most complete footballers and has been heavily underrated due to him always playing with xavi and iniesta
The appearance of Pep and his apprentice Busquets raises the demands of a pivot player immensely. And that's why MU still haven't found one this transfer market.... :((((
you've still got mcSauce to keep u going
"You watch the game, you don't see Busquets. You watch Busquets, you see the whole game." - Vicente del Bosque, formal Spanish head coach.
One of my faviourite players of the game . watching those barca games in 2010 onward was the best football ive ever seen .
Cruyff is the one who brought forth the system Guardiola has used throughout his entire career. He is the one who set things up for Barcelona to what they came to be.
been waiting for such a coherent description of what made Busquets the best midfielder of his era, thx for this!
I personally think for the time being, we should get Brozovic, maybe as a swap deal for Kessie. Which would be great, because let's face it, we are still in deep financial trouble, so getting a good player for cheap is amazing. He can sufficiently play in that role for ~3 seasons and in the meantime we can properly develop a youngster - I personally think Pau Prim from the youngster team will fully develop and take on the CDM role in the future. Or maybe Nico Gonzalez will surprise us all and step up his game, but I don't really see that happening tbh (but maybe he'll prove me wrong)
Or Eric García steps up and becomes a good CDM. We have seen him a few times play in that role and he wasn't that bad honestly. Far from perfect, lot to improve, but a good base nonetheless. Combined with the fact he is quite bad as a CB, it could be the only possibility for him to continue at Barca, meaning it would motivate him to learn the position...
Share the same opinion, Brozovic is the best bet at the moment. Can give us a window of 2-3 years during which either Prim or Casado can break into the team or the club will be in a better financial position to buy an excellent pivot in 2025.
Guess they took him (":
If you watch the game u won't see busquet but if you watch busquet you see the entire game that how much important of a player he is to the system ❤lovely player
Busquets will be a fantastic manager if he wishes to become one.
I really feel like Nico should be given a chance at the pivot role. He's been good whenever he's played at Valencia. Could you please do an analysis on him and other CDM's linked to Barça soon?
Love the video. I especially love the vr footage really helped putting things in perspective
Given barcelona's struggles this season, you see how much Busquets is missed.
This is the best video about busquets i've seen in RUclips, all the other videos just show their passes or skills with the ball. What makes Busquets special is his way of defending, he's not strong and fast like Casemiro, he predicts the destiny of the ball and intercep with position or his long legs.
hi, i would be interested to see you opinion on who should replace Busquets. I think you made a video some time ago where you suggested some people. Since then some things changed on the marked and maybe new options appeared. I personaly think a pivot is our top priority by far because it is, like in the video mentioned, maybe the most crucial position in the system. So should Barca spend more money on it and spend less money on other problems (f.e. a new right back and winger)?
we have it all sorted now ahhaha, romeu is good in dm cancelo on rb and joao as a winger 3,5M xD
True. Playing against tall with long legs and smartly positioned midfielder is very tough as they always showed up somewhere to block off or "steal off" the ball.
Does that mean we're not gonna get another generational Pivot until Busquets comes back to become our manager in the future?
Yea
I am so glad that I stumbled upon one of the best & underrated football analysis channel. I am a cricket fan. But I am recently started having an interest in football. I always found football boring up until I started understanding the rules, roles and the attributes of different players on the pitch. Now I am in love with the sport & youtube channel like yours is blessing for me.
I would've been interested to see what Nico Gonzalez could do in the 'Busquets role', he came into the first team 2 seasons ago and looked promising, but was then loaned out to Valenica, and his stats aren't that impressive from this season (although could be that he's playing in a worse team/different system) Did anyone else think he looked promising in his Barca cameos in 21-22?
I don’t know how likely it is that you’ll see this at the moment, but that thing you did at 5:50, please do more similar to that in your videos and documentaries; it’s really funny😂
You could of added « player who covered the most distance on the pitch of all players of la liga, in one season » nearly every year.
I heard people say busquets doesn’t move enough on the pitch, seriously. 😂😂…
Not just about positioning and timing. His skills on the ball were immaculate. Roulettes, nutmegs, feints… and all calm.
I think Pau Prim is more like Busi than anyone else in terms of his football iq... he might just be the one if he doesn't stagnate like the rest of them
The animations you’ve made are so brilliant, seeing the game from the perspective of the player is so innovative, would love to see more!!!!❤
Pau Prim is the best option barca has at replacing Busi. La Masia is the only answer for the CDM position
he might not be a starter right away but give him 2-3 season and he's well on his way
Yessss 🤞
Saw the kid against Kobe and I definitely saw some glimpses of Busi
6:30 So good to hear that brought up, tired of new fans saying he's poor defensively because he's old now.
Obvious successor to Busi rn is Rodri. But even with him I'd prefer a double pivot.
I don't even remember his voice all I remember is him on the pitch performaning doing wonders ! Silent magician !
Joshua Kimmich is very good Defensive midfielder. He’s tactically intelligent too.
Awesome video! I am really nervous about filling these big shoes! It will take us time and a serious scouting system to spot out a right profile for this pivot place.
Hi, I recently subscribed to your channel and I like your content, you expose very interesting topics. Hey, at this time when the issue of the defensive pivot is still unresolved at Barça, could you comment on some video about what has happened to Julian Weigl's career? I tell you this because at the time it was considered that he was a player who could be a valid replacement for when Busquets retired, a player with good reading of the game, positionally organized, with good feet to associate inside and with good long movement. At Dortmund he was a key player under Tuchel and looked like a star, but he got injured and gradually faded away. He was recently bought by Mönchengladbach for 15 million.
Busquets is criminaly underrated dude was perfect in his role in early days and after its no joke when they say u can't press busquets
Now Barça have the mammoth task of getting this role sorted for the future now that Busquets has moved on. Fabrizio just gave the here we go green light for Gundogan to Barça. They are trying their best to change the role and still make it work. Because lets be real there is no replacement for Busquests.
Gundogan is for increasing squad depth, not replacing Busquets. Barca is still trying to buy Busquets replacement.
You should do a follow up video to see/show how well Romeu looks filling in that role. He's looked really good so far!
Marc Bernal is the guy. I think
The "web of triangles" was something i could clearly see as a child watching that 2008-2010, it was like a living web, at some points the whole team looked like a 1 entity cause the extreme precision and fluidity of their movements
This explains why Barcelona don't want to play around with this position, and players like Frenkie and Nico can't fulfill the role even after being quality players. They want the likes of Kimmich, Zubimendi. And if they can't afford them, they will even sacrifice a younger capable player like Kessie to get a old Brozovic, who despite his age, may fit the bill.
SBB was very difficult to dribble, man was always thinking ahead of his opponents.
I love Sergio Busquets ❤
That was 1988, and no one knew how to combat that. 2023 is far more different and 8 - 0 Liverpool is a hint. Pepe himself doesn't play single pivot, and Rodri is physically solid.
Those La Masia players, Rodri included, were hammered by Morocco in the world cup. Anyway, continue leaving in 2013.
Rodri isnt a La Masia player. And your other comments show you need Mental help.
If you don't care then why are you here?
I think, especially in the Barca fan base, many culers are wanting to see Eric Garcia in that role or at least tried out there for a bit to see how he develops in it, he has a lot of the same attributes
De Jonh, Gavi and Pedri...I don't know if one of them fits the Busquet shaped hole but I believe this trio is deadly
One of the best Barca videos I’ve seen.. amazing
one of the most interesting and well researched analysis videos on here ❤
This episode has aged like fine wine
that's so interesting i never saw the aspect of passing on the legacy in this way
Love this guy play silent General in the midfield . Top, top distribution n tackles
Well Cruyff, your question is being answered right now.... Busquets has Retired from Barça and we're struggling to the Core without Busi
Your question seemed pointless when you asked it but now we are realising how great it was and I think Barca won't find Guardiola/Busquets type of player anytime until maybe if Busquets himself becomes the Coach
Defensive holding midfielders are always the most underrated players. Scholes, Carrick, Hargreaves, Pirlo, Verratti, Xavi, Busquets, Seedorf, Guardiola, Kroos, Casemiro, Veron, Jorginho, Brozovic, Kovacic, Beckham (Real Madrid), Modric, Rakitic, Hamann, Berger, Nedved, Davids...
i see a list of midfielders with a few "defensive holding" players. The best DM in history was Rijkaard. I probably agree with your point though. Most people dont really see what they do.
😂 that’s a list of every midfielder position possible.
@bergkamp101 they're not all strictly pure defensive midfielders, but they've played there at some point in their careers. I could've mentioned Mascherano, Fletcher, Kante, Makelele, Nicky Butt, Fred and Lucas. The likes of Gerrard, Gascoigne, Rivaldo, Lampard, Zidane, Totti, Park Ji-Sung, Iniesta, Sneijder, van der Vaart are attacking midfielders in my eyes