Gerard Pique

So apparently when Pique complained about the foul on Keita the ref, Verdasco, told him "You shut up! I will expel you!", according to Ona FM.

Wow, if a ref said that to me, I would be sure he had ill intentions.

Pique

But literally if Mourinho gets nothing and Pique faces punishment...

This guy has been looking very shaky lately. Slow in mind. Slow on the feet. Terrible decision making. Bad positioning. I'm starting to think Mascherano is actually a better CB than him, a suggestion I would have laughed at if you asked me last year. Hell, even Koscielny is a better defender than Piqué.

I always thought concentration, leadership and consistency is what you choose your captain on.

Mascherano has been our best CB this season<----Fact. If you've followed his performances closely, he has done his job solidly and we have never had to complain about him.

Covered alot for Pique today. Pique needs to up his game significantly to get back to his 2008-2010 levels

He's just out of form. I'm not sure what the reason might be for this, but all Barça fans know how awesome he can be.

He's head is not 100 percent on the game but 70 percent. The other 30 percent is on Shakira's boesem

He was excellent, then got a yellow card (for no reason whatsoever, as always) and then looked terrible ever since that moment.

I am not sure exactly why it impacted him so great, perhaps it was just coincidence, but the first 25 minutes was vintage Pique.

After that, it was horrible.

Were you by chance leading lol?

Pep really doesn't like it when Pique gets cards, it's something I've noticed.I dunno if it's cards on the whole or him alone but he seriously seems to hate it.

Is the Puyol-Pique era officially over, has Mascherano cemented that spot?Puyol puts him in his place in situations like the one you outlined above.

For me Ramos should partner Puyol in Euro 2012 instead of Piqué. Looking at both of these players' performances, Piqué doesn't deserve to be in the national team. Ramos wins hands down in pretty much every single criteria. Better tackler, better header and more tactically aware. What else do you want?

If I was del Bosque, I'd take Domínguez or San José over Piqué to Ukraine/Poland. Any day.

What in gods name......

Puyol lol

He has been just as bad, if not worse than Pique.

And no, Ramos is not better..calm down.

He has had a better season, but watch there performances in big games and you will learn all you need to about them.

I assume you missed the World Cup.

Spoiler:

Exactly... Pique is good every time there is a big game. He's just a culprit of complacency. Pique + Puyol is a tested combination, Del Bosque would be a fool to change it. Ramos is an animal at right-back for Spain too.

It's a predicament.

Iraola is a whole other beast.

What happened at the WC?

Ramos got protected by 70% possession at rightback?

That and he was the best defender by some distance. Possession pushes people to the wings as outlets.......

Also i ain't gonna fight it down but there is some degree of irony in that justification.

There were wingers at the WC?

Just so im clear, I was just having some fun. Ramos was very good at the WC and is very good for Spain at rightback generally speaking.

However, as always, people go too far and based on what, 25 La Liga games, somehow Pique has been surpassed by Ramos.

Yet we are ignoring, in big games, it has been Ramos who has made the errors and looked anything but the solid CB he has been in other games.

Whereas Pique, who foolishly plays down to the level of his opponant now he has earnt "untouchable status", puts on great performances in those big games.

I aint happy with Pique's season and I am sure Madrid fans are happy with Ramos season, however, people need to hold the phone and start thinking about the biggest picture before making bold claims.

I think he's improved....wasn't really at fault for any of Messi's play's or goals....(maybe the first in the (3-1), I don't particularly fault him for those anyway, it's Messi after all.

Against other big team...depending on what you consider a big team he's been fine.Against Valencia he was facepalm worthy but that's positioning thing is the single most clear error in his vanguard and Soldado exploited it well.Messi does it too..(2nd goal in CL is classic Ramos wait for ball instead of pursuing a low cross)

It's a problem that luckily hasn't really manifested itself since then.

I like Ramos more, I don't particularly think he's a better CB in the general scheme of things just yet but I still wouldn't trade him for Pique.

I understand why people from Madrid are hyping him.It's because he has been unbelievably good this season, and there are still people out there who want to call Gary Cahill and all these other idiots better than him with no justification whatsoever.

On Pique untouchability thing, I don't even think it's that.I think it's reached the point where he dosen't see the point anymore, you see it in his statements and reactions on twiter, he dosen't believe he can win the league anymore and he thinks that to some degree it's the refs fault.

And he hasn't taken it well.

I get it, it's fine, in games that matter he'll play well.

Lastly, i probably need to stop caring what people do or don't say about Ramos...it always drags me off topic

You can play a midget in a bikini as the CB if you have Busquets to patrol in front of them

Le Samourai wrote:
Also i ain't gonna fight it down but there is some degree of irony in that justification.

That wasnt an accident.

Spooony wrote:You can play a midget in a bikini as the CB if you have Busquets to patrol in front of them

One of the best lines I have read on here.
Midget in a bikini as a CB.Just hilarious.
And yes I agree.Busquets is that damn good.

Piqué better in big games? Maybe that's why Barcelona are so far behind Madrid.

In the league, where consistency matters Ramos wins hands down. He gives his all every match defensively, not to mention he is a big asset when it comes to set pieces as he is one of the best headers of the ball in Spain. Piqué on the other hand has been too arrogant for my liking. He doesn't give his best every match. A lot of crucial goals Barcelona conceded have simply been due to Piqué not playing at high intensity.

Now, on to bigger matches. I agree that Ramos gets raped my Messi almost every match. But he has improved this year under Mourinho. And frankly Piqué loses ball far more often in big occasions. Watch last clásico, Benzema's goal.

These are the videos I'd show Piqué if I was a coach:

• Piqué brings the ball out from defence, suddenly stops in the middle of the pitch and either 1) Passes back 2) Passes to the wrong person and puts the receiver in pressure 3) Wastes posession
  
• Communication errors
  
• Piqúe getting far too relaxed. He needs a shout sometimes
  
• Piqué doing a silly mistake and tops it off with fouling and receiving a card

danyjr wrote:Piqué better in big games? Maybe that's why Barcelona are so far behind Madrid.

In the league, where consistency matters Ramos wins hands down. He gives his all every match defensively, not to mention he is a big asset when it comes to set pieces as he is one of the best headers of the ball in Spain. Piqué on the other hand has been too arrogant for my liking. He doesn't give his best every match. A lot of crucial goals Barcelona conceded have simply been due to Piqué not playing at high intensity.

Now, on to bigger matches. I agree that Ramos gets raped my Messi almost every match. But he has improved this year under Mourinho. And frankly Piqué loses ball far more often in big occasions. Watch last clásico, Benzema's goal.

These are the videos I'd show Piqué if I was a coach:

• Piqué brings the ball out from defence, suddenly stops in the middle of the pitch and either 1) Passes back 2) Passes to the wrong person and puts the receiver in pressure 3) Wastes posession
  
• Communication errors
  
• Piqúe getting far too relaxed. He needs a shout sometimes
  
• Piqué doing a silly mistake and tops it off with fouling and receiving a card

No. Madrid have a bigger squad that is why they are so far ahead. You need your players 100 percent for every game not 95 percent or 97 percent. Only way to achieve that is with squad rotation and a big squad. Look at what Madrid got on the bench to what Barcelona have. Experienced world class footballers vs inexperience up and coming footballers