FC Barcelona: Why Sergi Roberto Will Not Replace Thiago

With Thiago having rejoined Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, Barcelona fans want to know just who will be replacing the star midfielder. Recent performances by Sergi Roberto have fans very excited about his future at the club, but he is not the man to take over for Thiago.

In Barcelona’s recent 7-0 thrashing of Valerenga, Roberto gave Barcelona fans much to be excited about.

Not only did the 21-year-old orchestrate the midfield in a dominant fashion, but he also contributed heavily to the Blaugrana attack. The La Masia graduate has many fans hopeful, but sadly for the wrong reasons.

Every eye is now on Roberto who will be looked upon as the player to replace Thiago. However, it is unfair to give such a title to the Catalan midfielder.

To begin with, Thiago is the type of midfielder who plays with flair and maturity beyond his years. Though Roberto is extremely efficient, his style of play is much different than that of Thiago.

Thiago not only provided the ability to pull the strings for Barcelona, he was also a goal-scoring threat. Roberto may be a terrific facilitator, but his eye for goal leaves much to be desired.

In the last three years, Roberto has never scored more than four goals in one season which further proves that he is not the type of midfielder to provide a real threat in front of goal.

Roberto is also far behind Thiago in his player development.

The 21-year-old Catalan is not as mature of a player as Thiago and is not as dynamic when on the pitch. He may be a fantastically promising talent at this point, but there is a reason that Thiago attracted massive attention while Roberto has not.

But all of this is being said for a very important reason.

Sergi Roberto is a wonderful young midfielder with a lot of promising qualities. His ability to pass the ball is certainly on par with Barcelona requirements, and his work rate is nearly unrivaled in the Blaugrana squad.

But despite the promise that Roberto shows, he cannot be seen as Thiago’s replacement.

The Catalan midfielder is not Thiago or Xavi or Iniesta. Sergi Roberto is Sergi Roberto. Adding the pressure of replacing Thiago will only put a load on his shoulders that he, in no way, should be required to carry.

If fans can allow Roberto to be himself and develop as a player, then the Barcelona midfield will benefit greatly, and Cules everywhere will be able to enjoy the making of a star.

But if every move made by Roberto is put under a microscope, then the midfielder will suffer. It should be remembered that he is still very young, and this will be his first season in Barcelona’s first team.

Thiago was a very special talent who will now grow at Bayern Munich. Roberto has the same chance now to earn his place at Barcelona, but fans and pundits alike must let him be his own person.

So for now, we must sit back and watch the progression of the latest La Masia star to dazzle viewers everywhere. Put aside titles and pressure and enjoy Sergi Roberto for the player he is and the player whom he can become.

What does the future hold for Sergi Roberto? Are the Thiago comparisons unfair or completely warranted? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

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