Sergio Busquets: Tiki Taka Or Nada? Different Opinions On a Controversial Player

22-year-old Sergio Busquets Burgos has become a talking point in world football because of his role in Spain and FC Barcelona's recent success. Many hail Busquets as a pioneer in the role of defensive midfielder, while others see him as a sheep in wolf's clothing. This article will try to address the controversy concerning his value to both club and country. Analyst Yousuf Hafuda and I will present a debate containing both sides of the argument.

Does Sergio Busquets deserve his starting spot in the World Champions starting XI, despite the presence of other options?

Ibrahim Gsibat: Sergio Busquets does deserve his spot on the Spanish national team, and I'll tell you why. The simple answer is that there is no alternative. Senna and Albelda are half-decent and can fill the spot, but they are simply too old and are going nowhere. Also, Busquets does the job better than anyone else can. At times he exudes the aura of a natural and accomplished player, his touch and calm temperament holding him in good stead with the famous Barca style.

He holds the ball pretty well and can find a good pass when given time, and for someone playing in what should be a combative, holding midfield position he gets forward well and links-up the attacking play with ease. I think many fans would agree that when he has a good game he really does seem like a great prospect.

Yousuf Hafuda: Sergio Busquets is the kind of player that screams mediocracy. He reminds me of Micheal Carrick. While Micheal Carrick is a decent player, one must ask whether he is good enough to make the Spain line up and surely when asked, most soccer fans would most likely answer no. The same goes for Busquets. I feel he may be good enough to make the Greek national team (with all due respect to Greece) but there are simply too many alternatives on the Spanish national team. 

Marcos Senna, while Ibrahim just recently argued is too old, definately was good enough to lead his team to winning the euro. Another alternative may be David Albelda, Xabi Alonso, or even Xavi or Fabregas who could both play in that position if called upon. The other question to ask is whether Spain needs two,if any defensive mids. What I believe is that Spain should deploy either one or even no defensive mids to free up space for some of Spain's more promising center/attacking mids with Fabregas, Silva, Iniesta, Xavi, Canales and Thiago Alcantara all able to fill in if needed. Therefore I conclude that Spain does not need a defensive mid and consequently Busquets should not be in the starting line up. 

Does Busquets deserve to bench Javier Mascherano?

IG: Yes, for a number of reasons. The first being that Javier is an import, while Sergio Busquets is home grown. Barca have so much more to gain by playing Sergio, because the want him develop into something in case they would sell him. Also Busquets was brought up through Barcelona's youth academy, so he fits into Barca's system better, which is reflected in his good performance with the team.

YH: Busquets does not deserve to bench Mascherano. Mascherano is a solid defensive mid with experience who has reached many heights with Liverpool. If Barca did not intend to play Mascherano than why buy a player who already starting just to bench him for a youngster. If anything Busquets should be Mascherano's apprentice and sub in if Mascherano gets injured or needs a rest.

Did Busqets play any significant role in Spain's World Cup success?

IG: Definitely. He started the majority of the matches and played a vast number of minutes. He was seldom subbed off due to his fantastic stamina and also because of the lack of a player who could fill in his role. He dictated play from the deep and was an integral part of he support structure of the team.

YH: I think the question should be whether Busquets played any role in Spain's success as I feel like he caused more damage to the team than anything. Busquets plays deep and is supposed to distribute the ball yet with such a gifted team like Spain almost any player who knows how to pass a soccer ball could have performed that job. Not only does Busquets have an easy job but he loses the ball much too often and forgets his defensive responsibilities when his team is being attacked.

How does Busquets compare to other players in his position around the world?

IG: I believe that Sergio Busquets is definitely one to watch for the future. As for today, I believe that he has already far surpassed some players that are widely regarded as elite. Sergio Busquets is more defensivley sound than Sami Khedira, and he is stronger offensivley than Alex Song.

YH: Sergio Busquets cannot be fairly compared to his competetitors because he plays in a system that virtually any defensive mid would thrive in. Nevertheless, analyzing Busquet's skillset against that of Lassana Diarra's, one will find that Busquets is far inferior when it comes to ball control and technique. It is for this reason that he ranks very lowly in my eyes.

Thank You for spending the time to read this article. Our wish is that you the reader will contribute your thoughts in order for us to reach a consensus on whether Sergio Busquets is worthy of his place on the two best teams in the world.