What is the difference between Thiago Motta and Sergio Busquets?

I have seen them a lot of times and i never understand why Motta is considered in general mediocre especially in Italy and Busquets a super DM. They are almost identical, both come from La Masia. Motta can do all the things that can do Busquets and was more complet player than him, better in shoting, final pass, long passing and scoring in general. A young Motta is very similar but also a more complet DM that Busquets has ever been. Busquets has had the advantage of having a healthy body, while Motta at the time of the Barcelona suffered an injury that has limited his growth. I think Busquets is a player essential in Barca and Spain, but in the same time i don't think that Busquets would be so essential in other contexts. Motta instead has proved himself in more contexts because he can do more things.

They have different moms and dads. Big difference.

Defensively Busquets is better. Motta is as good as him on all other aspects. Busquets was able to slot in as a CB when in emergency. Motta playing as a CB is unthinkable.

Killer wrote:I have seen them a lot of times and i never understand why Motta is considered in general mediocre especially in Italy and Busquets a super DM.

WAT

Who in Italy considers Motta mediocre? thats probably where he is rated highest. He was great for Genoa and Inter after all. Famously winning a trebble as a sure starter and key player. He represented the NT very well too, even got the 10 in his last stint although he is/was mostly past it.

He was such an Inter GOAT that he is even 50% responsible for AC Milan's decay. Milito and Motta going to Inter drove Galliani into a frenzy he never recovered from, he had to sign every half decent scrub coming out of Genoa after that. True story. @ES can confirm.

Adit wrote:Defensively Busquets is better. Motta is as good as him on all other aspects. Busquets was able to slot in as a CB when in emergency. Motta playing as a CB is unthinkable.

I don't think Busquets is better in defense, maybe a little better but i'm not convinced. I rember inter 3 Barca 1, and the last 2 goals come from two great tackles of Motta. Motta also has played some games as cb with Psg

rincon wrote:

Killer wrote:I have seen them a lot of times and i never understand why Motta is considered in general mediocre especially in Italy and Busquets a super DM.

WAT

Who in Italy considers Motta mediocre? thats probably where he is rated highest. He was great for Genoa and Inter after all. Famously winning a trebble as a sure starter and key player. He represented the NT very well too, even got the 10 in his last stint although he is/was mostly past it.

He was such an Inter GOAT that he is even 50% responsible for AC Milan's decay. Milito and Motta going to Inter drove Galliani into a frenzy he never recovered from, he had to sign every half decent scrub coming out of Genoa after that. True story. @ES can confirm.

NO, i live in Italia, Motta is considered a mediocre player Montolivo level obviously a great bullshit, but this is the story. Why? i don't know.
In the Nt he has not been good. because has been unlucky with injuries and even because he is a player perfect for possession football much less in a team who play in counter attack.

Nope, in the NT he was fine. The only particularly bad time he had was against Costa Rica in the WC and that was completely Prandelli's fault for starting him with Pirlo and De Rossi. Motta has only been considered Montolivo level after his decline (which even coincided with Montolivo's own decline since the injury). Before that he was always highly rated. Its only that Italy had too many great players in recent years that can play in front of the defense. Pirlo, De Rossi, Marchisio, Motta, Verratti, Montolivo.

The guy is 34 and past it. Doesn't mean he wasn't rated in his prime.

Motta even in his prime was never rated highly. He was one of those players who was considered as a above average player.

The difference is the ability to play under pressure from the opposition. Busquets can hold the ball like Iniesta or Xavi, while being a very good defender. Motta can't.

free_cat wrote:The difference is the ability to play under pressure from the opposition. Busquets could hold the ball like Iniesta or Xavi, while being a very good defender. Motta can't.

Not "can".

"Could"... but not anymore.

The way Busquets primarily, and quite successfully, deals with pressure is by falling down and getting a free kick.

Motta being Montolivo level

pls no one is Montolivo lvl atm, besides Monty's most succesful times for the NT was playing in the hole behind the strikers like Euro 2012 behind Cassano/Balo. Motta, is a great midfielder in his heyday, i will admit that i was sour when he went to Inter (not so much as Milito). Shame we let them go to Inter while we were scouting rubbish like Miguel Veloso, Lazzarri and whoever else that was mediocre back then. He was a great mdifielder in his own right, he was underrated imo, people were more aware and hyped about Cambiasso, Sneijder etc. While he flew a bit under the radar

free_cat wrote:The difference is the ability to play under pressure from the opposition. Busquets can hold the ball like Iniesta or Xavi, while being a very good defender. Motta can't.

you should watch Chelsea vs Psg 10 men in 2015. Motta can do that very well, and i have not seen Busquets under pressure so many times. Usually is Barca who put under pressure other teams.

Myesyats wrote:

free_cat wrote:The difference is the ability to play under pressure from the opposition. Busquets could hold the ball like Iniesta or Xavi, while being a very good defender. Motta can't.

Not "can".

"Could"... but not anymore.

He still can, he is just not in such a good form.

He is also miles better at passing the ball between the lines.

Motta is a very high level player. His strengths were never ever fully utilised till Blanc came in and changed PSG to be a more midfield oriented team. Motta is great under pressure under the right circumstances. I would say Busquets is better defensively but I would maybe take Motta as my #6. If I didn't have playmakers in front.

As for Busquets being in poor form, it's not that simple.

To paraphrase Cruijff, if you have to defend a whole room you will look like a teerily defender, but if you have to defend a tiny block you will look world class.

Essentially, Busquets is having to cover a lot of ball park because of the way Enriques Barcelona play. The team is geared towards the forwards so transitions are shorter and quicker. This means that the midfield release the ball quicker and if they lose it during the build up, the team is simply not optimally set up to counter press properly and is quite disorganised.

Add to the fact that the cms are almost a pitch width apart and that means Busquets is constantly being numerically outnumbered. He has less passing options when with the ball essentially, the position game of Barcelona has been subpar for almost a year now.

Busquets still overplays when he doesn't have to and tries to draw fouls when he is dispossessed but he is not in an optimal environment for his specific skill set. You can't ask a blind man to recreate the mona Lisa or a deaf man to compose like Mozart. Also, because there are less passing options, this forces Busquets to engage in one vs ones a lot more which obviosuly is not a strength of his.

Barcelona are suffering more of a coaching issue than personnel issue imo.

free_cat wrote:

Myesyats wrote:

free_cat wrote:The difference is the ability to play under pressure from the opposition. Busquets could hold the ball like Iniesta or Xavi, while being a very good defender. Motta can't.

Not "can".

"Could"... but not anymore.

He still can, he is just not in such a good form.

He is also miles better at passing the ball between the lines.

he is miles better in nothing... Motta can hold the ball under pressur and Busquets is not even close to Iniesta close control.
Busquets is very good DM but Barca fans overrated him too much.

free_cat wrote:The difference is the ability to play under pressure from the opposition. Busquets can hold the ball like Iniesta or Xavi, while being a very good defender. Motta can't.

Dat underrating of Xavi and Iniesta...