Gerard Pique

Snow

Somewhere down the lane, a licky boom boom down
Joined
Jul 10, 2007
Messages
33,225
Location
Lousy Smarch weather
6 year old thread that just now scraped onto page 2 despite having been bumped in 3 different years.
 

FC Ronaldo

Posts stuff that's been said before in tweet form
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Messages
12,043
The 28-year-old, who spent four years at Old Trafford before becoming a key member of Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona, said on Periscope: “My love for Manchester United is too great for me to sign for City, even though Pep is a great coach.”

“I’m very happy in Barcelona. United are my second club, but my future is at Barça. I’m very proud to play at Barcelona. I think it’s the best club in the world.

“I would like to try a different league when I’ve got a few years to go before retiring. I don’t know if it will be Colombia, I’d like that for [his wife] Shakira, but nobody can predict the future.”

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/football...que-manchester-united-barcelona-pep-guardiola

Swoon. :drool:
 

mariachi-19

Full Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
18,595
Location
I may be the devil, but i'm not a monster
I love pique but that stupid sport bible on Facebook said on those comments, only "sir Alex could tell you why he never had a consistent run". The reason was rio Ferdinand and Nemenja Vidic....

I love pique but he's not a patch on those two in their prime
 

Bob Loblaw

New Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
8,979
Supports
Liverpool
I love pique but that stupid sport bible on Facebook said on those comments, only "sir Alex could tell you why he never had a consistent run". The reason was rio Ferdinand and Nemenja Vidic....

I love pique but he's not a patch on those two in their prime
He is now. Wasn't at the time though, so agree with your reasoning.

To expand, I think peak Piqué is better than a peak Vidić, but behind Rio, though I think Rio and Vidić complemented each other perfectly.
 

Hellboy

Full Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Messages
17,494
Location
Heaven on earth
He is now. Wasn't at the time though, so agree with your reasoning.

To expand, I think peak Piqué is better than a peak Vidić, but behind Rio, though I think Rio and Vidić complemented each other perfectly.
Maybe in a world where he played Liverpool every week. Vidic is on another planet defensively.
 

FCBarca

Mes que un Rag
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
14,246
Location
La Côte, Suisse
Supports
Peace
Vidic at his peak was probably a better all round defender but the Serb would've never be able to play in this or Pep's Barcelona side. The modern central defender has to both be a good defender but just as good on the ball as well
 

Brophs

The One and Only
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Messages
50,275
Much better footballer than Vidic, but not a patch on him as a defender. Vidic wouldn't have been as good in that Barca side and Pique's better off playing in a league that suits him down to the ground.
 

Hellboy

Full Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Messages
17,494
Location
Heaven on earth
Vidic at his peak was probably a better all round defender but the Serb would've never be able to play in this or Pep's Barcelona side. The modern central defender has to both be a good defender but just as good on the ball as well
Why not ? He could have played anywhere. He was decent with the ball nothing more nothing less, and his strengths lie elsewhere anyway. And it's not like Barcelona only played flawless ball playing defenders over the years. But it's true they flourished as much as they did because they played their best football in a league which suited them.
 

mariachi-19

Full Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
18,595
Location
I may be the devil, but i'm not a monster
Vidic at his peak was probably a better all round defender but the Serb would've never be able to play in this or Pep's Barcelona side. The modern central defender has to both be a good defender but just as good on the ball as well
The solution as Fergie established was to play a ball playing centre back next to him. Rio and Vida in that guardiola side would have won 3 trebles on the trot.
 

Classical Mechanic

Full Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
35,216
Location
xG Zombie Nation
He is now. Wasn't at the time though, so agree with your reasoning.

To expand, I think peak Piqué is better than a peak Vidić, but behind Rio, though I think Rio and Vidić complemented each other perfectly.
I agree with Bob here. Pique is quite underrated on here. He is among the greatest centre backs of all time IMO.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

'Liverpool are a proper club'
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
10,663
I'm sorry but he's really not a patch on vidic, barca don't have to defend and when they do they have always shipped goals. Vidic would have been just as good in any team in the world in his peak. Stick Pique in this Utd team and I don't think he'd be that great.
 

Theonas

Full Member
Scout
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
4,756
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
He is now. Wasn't at the time though, so agree with your reasoning.

To expand, I think peak Piqué is better than a peak Vidić, but behind Rio, though I think Rio and Vidić complemented each other perfectly.
If you are going to play with a deep traditional defence, I am afraid you are talking nonsense. Piqué is not even close to those two, nor is he to Terry or the Italian masters. If we are talking for that specific Barcelona style; high line, possession based, positional game; Piqué is as good as anyone in world football over the past 10 years or so. So he would never have gotten ahead of Vida for us but Vida would never have been able to do the job Piqué does for Spain and Barcelona. A bit like comparing Busquets and Keane if you will.
 

FCBarca

Mes que un Rag
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
14,246
Location
La Côte, Suisse
Supports
Peace
The solution as Fergie established was to play a ball playing centre back next to him. Rio and Vida in that guardiola side would have won 3 trebles on the trot.
In a parallel universe I would've liked to have seen Pep's Barca with either T.Silva or Rio...for that matter Maldini

Of course, we had Puyol :drool:
 

Bob Loblaw

New Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
8,979
Supports
Liverpool
If you are going to play with a deep traditional defence, I am afraid you are talking nonsense. Piqué is not even close to those two, nor is he to Terry or the Italian masters. If we are talking for that specific Barcelona style; high line, possession based, positional game; Piqué is as good as anyone in world football over the past 10 years or so. So he would never have gotten ahead of Vida for us but Vida would never have been able to do the job Piqué does for Spain and Barcelona. A bit like comparing Busquets and Keane if you will.
Wasn't really talking about a specific role, but I'd agree with that. I think Piqué's defensive ability is very underrated though - he's not as good at defending as Vidić but he's not a scrub, he's been (for me) the best centre back in the world since the beginning of 2015.

For example, what @TrustInJanuzai said above is complete crap.
 

prarek

Full Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
8,636
I'm sorry but he's really not a patch on vidic, barca don't have to defend and when they do they have always shipped goals. Vidic would have been just as good in any team in the world in his peak. Stick Pique in this Utd team and I don't think he'd be that great.
They don't even need a keeper. Am i doing this right?
 

Theonas

Full Member
Scout
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
4,756
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Wasn't really talking about a specific role, but I'd agree with that. I think Piqué's defensive ability is very underrated though - he's not as good at defending as Vidić but he's not a scrub, he's been (for me) the best centre back in the world since the beginning of 2015.

For example, what @TrustInJanuzai said above is complete crap.
I agree that he is underrated. It's a bit like when they had Valdes who is not Buffon or Schmeichel but he still was not the clueless he was made out to be. The thing for me is that with the exception of skillful attacking players who can carry the ball and go past people, I really think it's impossible to judge any player outside of the role they are required to play. They are all reliant on their teammates, system, formation and so on which is why I think just as much as the best defenders and midfielders make the best teams, the best teams provide a perfct platform for those players to look even better than they are. Look at Busquets who I think is an outstanding individual and among the best midfielders in the history of the game, but put him in a team with two midfielders, two wingers, a deep defence and two up top. A team that is built on spreading the ball to the wingers and bypassing the middle like ours between 2007 and 2009 and I am not so sure he would do better than Carrick did for us. That's not to say of course that Carrick is better than him, it's just that the defenders and midfielders who stand out are nearly always helped or hampered by the way their team is set up. Piqué is a perfect example for that. For Bacelona, he is probably 9/10 defender, for a Chelsea side with Terry and Mourinho, I am not sure he would be more than a 6 or 7. So saying who is the best always boils down to asking "in which context".
 

Silverman

Full Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
6,471
Vidic at his peak was probably a better all round defender but the Serb would've never be able to play in this or Pep's Barcelona side. The modern central defender has to both be a good defender but just as good on the ball as well
Anyone could play in Barca's defense.
 

criticalanalysis

Full Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Messages
6,034
There really needs to be a thread about 'judging'/rating a players abilities in comparison to other players in their respective teams and periods of transitions. Well I'm sure there is somewhere.

Like how much 'better' is Iniesta compared to Silva, if he is at all? See the obvious answer would be Iniesta but how much of his ability and technique is afforded and nurtured by playing amongst the greatest players ever (and in the same team)?

The same can be said of Pique/Boateng in comparisons to your Vidics/Stams/Maldinis etc.
 

prarek

Full Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
8,636
We don't need a coach too, from what people have been saying. FFS.
Anyone's grandma can manage Barcelona.
Anyone can play in goal for Barcelona.
Anyone can play in defense for Barcelona.
Anyone can score goals for Barcelona with the like of Xavi/Iniesta feeding them.
Anyone can play besides Messi.

I can't believe Barca pay so much money to buy players. Anyone can play for them!
 

RussellWilson

2020 NFC Fantasy League winner
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
1,302
Remember when we sold him to bring through Johnny fecking Evans...
 

Ekeke

Full Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
53,080
Location
Hope, We Lose
Yep one of his better seasons. Showed some pace to deal with Rashford's kick and run attempt too
 

Paranoid Android

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
304
Remember when we sold him to bring through Johnny fecking Evans...
No. He was sold because he deserved to be playing first team football for a great team, and there's no way he would have had that at United because we had the best defensive partnership in the world in Rio and Vidic at that time.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
68,412
Location
Brizzle
Supports
Big Days
Remember when we sold him to bring through Johnny fecking Evans...
Yeah wasn’t long after that we sold Ronaldo to make room for Valencia and then pressured Fergie to quit so we could get Moyes in.