How good is/was Sergio Busquets?

[Paxi]

How do you rate this guy whom is largely forgotten by the new crowd whom appropriate tenacity and higher octane football?

Does this guy make to the same pedestal as Iniesta and Xavi?

In my opinion he’s got to be one of the best midfielders to ever play the game. There is absolutely no way one can swerve their way into 3 CL’s and 3 major tournaments for your country.

 

[calodo2003]

How do you rate this guy whom is largely forgotten by the new crowd whom appropriate tenacity and higher octane football?

Does this guy make to the same pedestal as Iniesta and Xavi.

In my opinion he’s got to be one of the best midfielders to ever play the game. There is absolutely no way one can swerve their way into 3 CL’s and 3 major tournaments for your country.

He is quality, but he is a massive cnut (which may not help his stature).

 

[RooneyLegend]

Great player, world class in every sense. Wouldn't say he's one of the greatest ever midfielders but certainly world class.

 

[Paxi]

Great player, world class in every sense. Wouldn't say he's one of the greatest ever midfielders but certainly world class.

This is my thinking.. until I have to pick other 2 player. Surely it’s Xavi, Scholes. Then Zidane..?

 

[Red Stone]

One of the best ever in his position. He's underappreciated because he keeps it super simple and doesn't do anything particularly outlandish or noticeable, but if being at the right place and making the right pass all the time was easy everyone would do it. Xavi and Iniesta wouldn't have functioned nearly as well without Busquets consistently holding the fort behind them.

It took a long time for Carrick to be recognized, both by United fans and football fans in general, as a great midfielder, let alone one of the best in the league. He had a similarly unassuming way of playing the game that was easy to overlook unless you paid close attention, but for some reason or another we just seemed to be winning way more games when he was on the pitch. Darndest thing. Busquets is/was basically Carrick dialled up to 11.

 

[KD6-3.7]

He was world class easily. Not only was he one of the most important cogs in one of the best teams football has ever seen, I'd genuinely put him in top 3 defensive midfielders of his generation.

To my shock I had no idea he was still only 32 so I'm not sure what's happened to him the last few seasons whether his struggled with injuries or just massively declined like most of the Barcelona squad.

 

[Skills]

He's nowhere close to Xavi or Iniesta. I'd put him behind Xabi Alonso too.

But I'd say he was still world class in his prime.

 

[Shane88]

Still only 32. He's been around forever.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

He's a level or 2 below Iniesta who's a level below Xavi.

World class at his pomp though.

 

[Suedesi]

How do you rate this guy whom is largely forgotten by the new crowd whom appropriate tenacity and higher octane football?

Does this guy make to the same pedestal as Iniesta and Xavi?

In my opinion he’s got to be one of the best midfielders to ever play the game. There is absolutely no way one can swerve their way into 3 CL’s and 3 major tournaments for your country.

Nope

 

[Paxi]

Nope

You’re the last poster I’d listen to.I take solace in that.

 

[Suedesi]

You’re the last poster I’d listen to.I take solace in that.

 

[lawliet354]

One of the best in the position for sure, his composure when under pressure is unbelievable. Certainly better than Carrick, I personally think he's slightly better than Xabi, maybe on par with Pirlo.

 

[Wittmann45]

I think a couple of people are making comparisons between him and Xabi and I think it is an interesting discussion. Not a like for like comparison even if they played in similar positions - Xabi was more dynamic and Sergio more defensively sound. Neither was better than Gareth Barry though

One thing that stands out about the 2009 CL Final was seeing Busquets play like a veteran in a prime instead of a 20/21 year old in his first real season and the biggest game of his career at the time. It helped that he had Xavi and Inestia beside and Messi and Eto'o in front, but he seemed to have a lot of time on the ball and even when pressured, he always made the correct decision. It was almost pathetic seeing Anderson and a 40 year old Giggs struggle to get anywhere near him, even if he generally kept things simple and never tried anything too outlandish. It was a depressing final but he was impressive none the less.

 

[RooneyLegend]

This is my thinking.. until I have to pick other 2 player. Surely it’s Xavi, Scholes. Then Zidane..?

Leave Zidane out of this completely. However i'm not sure what's being picked.

 

[Invictus]

Arguably the best holding/screening midfielder of the last 15-ish years, methinks — only Makelélé and mature Fußballgott offer sincere competition, but they had disparate strengths and I'd take Busquets over either in a team with fine-tuned positional play, an emphasis on ball retention and a knack for condensing spaces as he was a paragon of that esoteric model of football.

Not the quickest or strongest or the most tackle-happy player around obviously...and could struggle in open games or again rigorous counter-attacking teams where we was asked to double up as a marker/bulwark, but tactically immaculate as Barcelona and Spain's conveyor, technically consummate and precise on the ball, as press-resistant as any other historically great player performing a similar metronomic function, made 99 right choices out 100, and self-sacrificing to the max while mastering the art of effortless simplicity. Now, you could allege that he was a massive beneficiary of his coaches' schematic principles as well as the remarkable midfield cast around him, but by the same token, he was ingrained into the fabric of the teams he reigned supreme in, and very few players (before or since) boasted the poise or mentality to combine with a duo as quick-thinking and demanding as Xaviesta.

I mean, just think of how vital he was to peak Barcelona's framework — not only did the aforementioned duo have near-complete peace of mind with the trustworthy third wheel behind them, he was the base of the diamond/quartet, Alves could maraud up the flank, Piqué could methodically push into midfield, Messi could drop to receive a delectably weighted pass, Valdés had an ever-ready pressure release outlet, and so on and so forth.

Regarding his where-does-he-rank? comparison with Xavi and Iniesta, while Busquets was undoubtedly great from he isn't close to them in an inclusive All-Time conversation...

• Xavi is arguably the greatest central midfielder ever, and in the Top 10 or at least Top 20 (as that's the typical landing spot for Matthäus).
• Iniesta is up there with the Zidanes and the Laudrups, and in the Top 20—30 range.
• Busquets might sneak into the Top 100, but he also might not — as there are only so many midfield spots to go around, and he was wasn't as formidable from an individual standpoint as some others.

 

[Infordin]

I find it almost pointless to compare Busquets to Iniesta because their roles are so fundamentally different, it is like comparing Makelele to Zidane.

Busquets should be compared to those who (within some capacity) played a similar role or position to him, a list of players which can include:

- Fernando Redondo
- Didier Deschamps
- Claude Makelele
- Xabi Alonso
- Michael Carrick
- Danielle De Rossi
- Casemiro

Busquet's composure on the ball and ability to break defensive lines is iconic. His main weaknesses compared to most of the others on this list was a lack of athleticism and combativeness (although Busquets in his prime was a very clever tactical fouler, he was still vulnerable to being overrun by fast counterattacking players).

On the ball he is better than every player mentioned above apart from Redondo. Likewise, I also rate him higher than everyone on that list apart from Redondo. I have always rated Busquets slightly above Alonso, although Alonso was more suited to Real Madrid's direct and physical style of play.

 

[meamth]

Untouchable during his prime due to his superhuman awareness and you guessed it, cnut-ness.

 

[Suedesi]

Arguably the best holding/screening midfielder of the last 15-ish years, methinks — only Makelélé and mature Fußballgott offer sincere competition, but they had disparate strengths and I'd take Busquets over either in a team with fine-tuned positional play and a knack for condensing spaces as he was a paragon of that esoteric model of football.

Not the quickest or strongest or the most tackle-happy player around obviously...and could struggle in open games or again rigorous counter-attacking teams where we was asked to double up as a marker/bulwark, but tactically immaculate as Barcelona and Spain's conveyor, technically brilliant yet precise on the ball, as press-resistant as any other historically great player performing a similar metronomic function, and self-sacrificing to the max while mastering the art of effortless simplicity. Now, you could allege that he was a massive beneficiary of his coaches' schematic principles as well as the remarkable midfield cast around him, but by the same token, he was ingrained into the fabric of the teams he reigned supreme in, and very few players (before or since) boasted the poise or mentality to combine with a duo as quick-thinking and demanding as Xaviesta.

I mean, just think of how vital he was to peak Barcelona's framework — not only did the aforementioned duo have near-complete peace of mind with the trustworthy third wheel behind them, Alves could maraud up the flank, Piqué could methodically push into midfield, Messi could drop to receive a delectably weighted pass, Valdés had an ever-ready pressure release outlet, and so on and so forth.

Regarding his where-does-he-rank? comparison with Xavi and Iniesta, while Busquets was undoubtedly great he isn't close to them in an inclusive All-Time conversation...

• Xavi is arguably the greatest central midfielder ever, and in the Top 10 or at least Top 20.
• Iniesta is up there with the Zidanes and the Laudrups, and in the Top 20—30 range.
• Busquets might sneak into the Top 100, but he also might not — as there are only so many midfield spots available.

I like Busquets, I've seen him live and he was clearly an extremely intelligent player in terms of movement, positions he took, passes and keeping it simple. Very, very tidy player.... but, in a team with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Alves, Villa and whatever other ridiculous talent Barca / Spain had, any competent holder would excel. Barca at their pomp would dominate possession and when they lost the ball they'd press like maniacs, so his job was easy. You say press resistant, but I'd bet any opponent would be more concerned with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta than pressing Busquets. Again, keeping it simple is a very underrated skill, but the OP compared him to Xavi / Iniesta and that's just ridiculous.

 

[giorno]

Look to his post-Xavi prime years(14-15 to 17-18), when he effectively had to take over Xavi's role as the team's metronome and midfield orchestrator

Pure prime grade cnut, but yeah, one of the best midfielders ever. Likely better than Xabi Alonso. I'd put him up there with Makelele and Redondo

Also agree with invictus(as always great post) re: Xavi

 

[11101]

One of the best of his generation in his position. World class, but I dont think hes the only player who could have done that role in a team stacked with the likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. They made him look better still, just as they did Pique, Puyol, Valdes and others.

Whatever his legacy, it will always be tainted by his cheating.

 

[Gopher Brown]

Quite good

 

[Berbasbullet]

His performance against us at Wembley was out of this world, Cnut but absolute quality.

 

[Gavinb33]

The best #6 of all time

 

[Paxi]

Quite good

@Invictus in a nutshell.
Seriously.

 

[DWelbz19]

The best #6 of all time

Of his generation, definitely. Not sure about all time, but he’s in the right conversations.

 

[Rocksy]

He was class. Thing that surprised me though was that he massively dropped off quite early. Only 32 now but he’s not been world class for at least 5 years. He seemed the type who would just keep going as his basic technique was about perfect.

I don’t think he’s as good as Modric, Scholes or Keane though (all different players, I know, but positionally similar).

 

[giorno]

He was class. Thing that surprised me though was that he massively dropped off quite early. Only 32 now but he’s not been world class for at least 5 years. He seemed the type who would just keep going as his basic technique was about perfect.

I don’t think he’s as good as Modric, Scholes or Keane though (all different players, I know, but positionally similar).

He's dropped off in 18/19, what 5 years

 

[harms]

He’s obviously world class and he’s an all-time positional great, although there are still a few players ahead of him — like Rijkaard and Redondo (and possibly a few others). It’s almost impossible to find a better replacement for him if you’re going all-in on possession though.

As per the Xavi/Iniesta comparison, no, he isn’t on the same level as them. He’s probably a tier (or, more likely, two) below them, which is hardly an insult, seeing as Xavi is arguably the greatest central midfielder of all-time and Iniesta isn’t far off in his quite unique role/position.

He’s also the most style-reliant player out of those three, he was still world-class/borderline world-class holding midfielder even after the decline of Xaviniesta, but he certainly looked way less comfortable as he was forced to cover more ground and play more vertically.

 

[elmo]

He's brilliant and a prime Busquet would be perfect for our midfield.

 

[Gio]

For any team looking to dominate the ball irrespective of the opposition he'd be right at the top of an all-time list for the holding midfield role. And for such a set-up I'd take him ahead of almost all the great DMs of yesteryear just because the quality of his one-touch game is almost unparalleled in that position. If you can build a team around him then his attributes can have a multiplying effect on those around him, giving you this absolute control over the nerve centre of the pitch.

But at the same time, I don't think his skills transfer that well into other teams who have less of the ball or play in a more vertical game. There are numerous players in his position who could be thrown into other teams over the course of history where it would be a fairly seamless transition, whereas Busquets would be a fish out of water in the wrong set-up.

Not the quickest or strongest or the most tackle-happy player around obviously...and could struggle in open games or again rigorous counter-attacking teams where we was asked to double up as a marker/bulwark, but tactically immaculate as Barcelona and Spain's conveyor, technically consummate and precise on the ball, as press-resistant as any other historically great player performing a similar metronomic function, made 99 right choices out 100, and self-sacrificing to the max while mastering the art of effortless simplicity. Now, you could allege that he was a massive beneficiary of his coaches' schematic principles as well as the remarkable midfield cast around him, but by the same token, he was ingrained into the fabric of the teams he reigned supreme in, and very few players (before or since) boasted the poise or mentality to combine with a duo as quick-thinking and demanding as Xaviesta.

Nicely put.

 

[Lay]

Didn’t he win everything in his first season?

Always thought he would be a liability because of how slow he was but he wasn’t. Brilliant in his prime

 

[roonster09]

Brilliant player, wouldn't say one of the best ever but arguably best holding player in last 15-20 years. His passing is so crisp, remember watching one interview (forgot which player), he said how Busquets communicates with his passes. If he passes to your right or left, it says you can turn and you have space, if he passes the ball to you then it means man on you, so give it back. Something like that. Forgot which player said that.

Must be a dream player to play alongside.

 

[Raredaredevil]

He was like Michael Carrick in SAF last season but 5x the level.

 

[Paxi]

Arguably the best holding/screening midfielder of the last 15-ish years, methinks — only Makelélé and mature Fußballgott offer sincere competition, but they had disparate strengths and I'd take Busquets over either in a team with fine-tuned positional play, an emphasis on ball retention and a knack for condensing spaces as he was a paragon of that esoteric model of football.

Not the quickest or strongest or the most tackle-happy player around obviously...and could struggle in open games or again rigorous counter-attacking teams where we was asked to double up as a marker/bulwark, but tactically immaculate as Barcelona and Spain's conveyor, technically consummate and precise on the ball, as press-resistant as any other historically great player performing a similar metronomic function, made 99 right choices out 100, and self-sacrificing to the max while mastering the art of effortless simplicity. Now, you could allege that he was a massive beneficiary of his coaches' schematic principles as well as the remarkable midfield cast around him, but by the same token, he was ingrained into the fabric of the teams he reigned supreme in, and very few players (before or since) boasted the poise or mentality to combine with a duo as quick-thinking and demanding as Xaviesta.

I mean, just think of how vital he was to peak Barcelona's framework — not only did the aforementioned duo have near-complete peace of mind with the trustworthy third wheel behind them, he was the base of the diamond/quartet, Alves could maraud up the flank, Piqué could methodically push into midfield, Messi could drop to receive a delectably weighted pass, Valdés had an ever-ready pressure release outlet, and so on and so forth.

Regarding his where-does-he-rank? comparison with Xavi and Iniesta, while Busquets was undoubtedly great from he isn't close to them in an inclusive All-Time conversation...

• Xavi is arguably the greatest central midfielder ever, and in the Top 10 or at least Top 20 (as that's the typical landing spot for Matthäus).
• Iniesta is up there with the Zidanes and the Laudrups, and in the Top 20—30 range.
• Busquets might sneak into the Top 100, but he also might not — as there are only so many midfield spots to go around, and he was wasn't as formidable from an individual standpoint as some others.

I’m not going to feckin’ refute all this stuff.

I’ve seen Busi over a decade and I think... could could Carrick not do the job?

Explain it to me like I’m 5.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

I’m not going to feckin’ refute all this stuff.

I’ve seen Busi over a decade and I think... could could Carrick not do the job?

Explain it to me like I’m 5.

Doubt it. Carrick wasn't anywhere near as comfortable in tight spaces and against pressing, which has only become more prevalent and sophisticated since he retired. Don't think Carrick would have contributed as much as Busquets does against deep-lying teams either - Busquets at his peak was vital for Barca's buildup play and he was integral in helping find his teammates pockets of space. Here's a good example:

 

[Adam-Utd]

he was the perfect player in the tiki taka era of Barcelona and Spain, but it's shown since they have less control over games he isn't as effective.

Maybe injuries have played a part but his mobility is quite poor for a CDM. Spain even start Rodri over him now so I think that says everything.

 

[Oranges038]

Excellent, probably the best in his position over the last ten years.

Also a horrible, diving, cheating cnut.

 

[SilentStrike]

Very good for a few years but will not be remembered as one of the best in a few years.

Quite a few midfielders were better than him during his generation.

 

[LovelyLittlePanda]

His cnutness and his supremacy in that position go hand in hand. In his prime he was better than Carrick in that position. He's was on Pirlo's level but not Xavi's. He's still top 5 and underrated imo.