22/11/2025
There are reasons most Cules were very angry about the news of Casado leaving Barcelona. But I was very shocked when I saw some people saying it was OK and not a big deal.
Some said Barcelona fans were making it a big deal because they are emotionally attatched to La Masia graduates. Others said it was financially necessary for the club to let a player go.
So my question is,
Are Araujo, Lewandowski, Ter Stegen and Gerrard Martin not players that the club can let go for financial stability?
Or are Barcelona under a spell to always keep the most useless ones?
And if it is because the midfield is very crowded with players, I will gladly allow Gavi or even Frankie De Jong to leave instead of Marc Casado because he is a different profile to every single midfielder currently at Barcelona.
Let me break it down.
DEFENSIVE PROWESS:
Casado's defensive capabilities are undoubtedly one of his strongest assets. He ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles won per 90 in the attacking third and has a impressive 54% success rate in tackling players who try to dribble past him. His tenacity and relentless pursuit of the ball make him a valuable asset in breaking up opposition Attacks.
Casado being injured was the reason Barcelona highline collapsed at the business end of the season because he was the player who who harassed the opposition midfielders and give them no time on the ball to pick out a well timed pass to their attackers. So they either pass it too early and their attacker doesn't get the ball, or too late and their attacker is offside.
Go back and check the the big matches Barcelona played with Casado last season. Won 4 nil against Bayern, 4 nil against Madrid, 5 -2 against Madrid.
But immediately he go injured, all of a sudden we began to see scoreline like 5-4 & 3-2 and the highline became a problem because the guy who made it look easy was absent.
Would Inter have eliminated Barcelona with Casado on the pitch? Absolutely not. Because there is no way Barcelona is conceding up to 4 goals in two games with Casado on the pitch. But Barcelona conceded 7 goals against Inter. Let that sink in for a moment.
VISION & PASSING RANGE:
Casado is more than just a defensive midfielder. He also possesses exceptional vision and passing range, allowing him to control the tempo of the game and pick out his teammates with ease. His pass completion rate stands at an impressive 92%, and he averages 7.9 progressive passes per 90 minutes. People often overlook this aspect of his game but he assisted at least one goal in every single big game he started last season. 1 against Bayern and 2 in 2 games against Madrid. Although at this point we no longer consider Madrid as a big game.
POSITIONAL FLEXIBILITY :
Another key aspect of Casado's game is his positional flexibility. He's comfortable playing in a variety of roles, from a deep-lying playmaker to a more advanced box-to-box midfielder. This versatility makes him an invaluable asset to Barcelona, allowing him to adapt to different game situations and opponents.
Remember he played in a more advanced role in the early parts of last season before Marc Benal got injured. And he did absolutely well.
COMPARISON TO OTHER MIDFIELDERS:
So, how does Casado compare to other midfielders at Barcelona?
While players like Pedri Frankie and Dani Olmo offer creativity and flair, Casado's defensive prowess and positional flexibility set him apart. He's a more complete midfielder, capable of controlling and shutting out the game for his opponents in multiple facets.
And it showed in every big game Barcelona played without him. For all the flair and ball retention Pedri, Olmo and Frankie possessed, it was their inability to be destroyers off the ball that proved costly last season.
CONCLUSION :
In conclusion, Marc Casado is an exceptional midfielder who offers a unique combination of defensive skills, vision, and positional flexibility. His ability to control the game and adapt to different situations makes him an invaluable asset to Barcelona. As he continues to grow and develop, Casado has the potential to become one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
But Deco and Laporta rather keep Araujo so he can watch our opponents score goals.
