Barcelona fan @FriendlyNobody_ on Twitter illustrated why Ronald Koeman is wrong to snub Riqui Puig game after game in two great points.
"I’ve seen two predominant arguments that cules use to justify the lack of game time Puig has gotten under Ronald. In this thread, I’m going to debunk all of them.
"1. 'Riqui doesn’t fit into Koeman’s system. He’s not a defensive midfielder.'
"We’ve all heard this one, haven’t we? What a load of nonsense! Look, Koeman clearly values technically superiority from his two DMs, that’s why Busquets has been a prominent starter.
"Now, are you telling me, Puig couldn’t play in the pivot? Puig is technically sublime, his vision is brilliant, and his work rates are far superior to that of Busquets. A paring of Puig and Frenkie de Jong would complement each other perfectly, in my opinion.
"Let me explain. De Jong and Puig have different attributes. Frenkie is athletic, quick, and more defence-minded. Whereas, Puig is the dynamic one. He’ll break the lines, control the midfield, and dictate the game. One sits back, and one advances. Perfect, no?
"A huge problem that we’ve faced this season, is that Busquets has lost his touch. He isn’t press resistant anymore, his work rates aren’t up to the mark, and he simply can’t offer us much defensively. Puig can do all those things, and more.
"2. 'Puig isn’t physical enough'
"This one makes me chuckle every time. I mean, seriously? Puig isn’t physical enough, but Busquets is? Firstly, it doesn’t even matter. For a midfielder like Puig, he doesn’t need to be physical, nobody can get near him, in any case.
"As a reference to my point, we saw Puig absolutely boss the game against Atletico Madrid last season. He was adjudged the MOTM, and he was absolutely phenomenal. If Puig can boss Atleti, how can anyone have the nerve to push this physicality narrative?
"The fact of the matter is that Puig is more than ready to play. At the very least, he deserves frequent minutes. If Puig doesn’t fit into Koeman’s system, the question arises, does Koeman’s system fit Barca? I mean, Puig is as pure a Barca player as there can be!"
So far this season, Puig has made only one appearance for Barcelona as he was subbed in against Getafe with three minutes before full time. Koeman has recently told L'Esportiu that Riqui has to improve his rhythm, his physique and the way he competes for the ball if he wants to get playing time.
