Guardiola, talking back in October 2011: ‘Cuenca has left and returned three times, and that says a lot about him. He’s very brave and disciplined. I saw him play really well with the reserves against Guadalajara. I’m very happy with him, he has something really important and that’s his mental strength’
Guardiola, talking back in October 2011: ‘Cuenca has left and returned three times, and that says a lot about him. He’s very brave and disciplined. I saw him play really well with the reserves against Guadalajara. I’m very happy with him, he has something really important and that’s his mental strength’
The 20-year-old Isaac Cuenca has recently broken into the FC Barcelona first-team squad, and has notched three goals in the eight appearances he’s made this season. He’s played most of his games on the right wing, from where he’s taken on defenders, and got in some great crosses, both of which have helped to break down the oppositions’ defensive systems.
Cuenca is currently tied to Barca until 2012, and the Spanish giants are believed to have offered him a two-year extension as a reward for his good form. His form is such that Arsenal and Manchester United are paying close to the attacker’s contract negotiations, which some media report are being held up over wages.
– The power of La Masia never ceases to amaze me. It seems as if a new promising player breaks into the Pep team every year: Busquets, Pedro, Thiago, Cuenca… The list is endless!
Many years ago, it looked as if La Masia could only successfully produce central midfielders, what in Catalan football we call ‘El Cuatro’ (The number 4): Guardiola, Amor, Milla, Xavi or Arteta are all clear examples of that, always based on Cruyff’s traditional 3-4-3 formation.
But things changed in the late 1990s. As a young kid, Iniesta was destined to be the same type of player, but his La Masia mentors focused on developing his explosive dribble, giving him a much more offensive mentality. Nowadays, La Masia players aren’t there just to assist the ‘foreign star striker’ (Romario, Kluivert, Eto’o…) – They ARE the strikers themselves!
It remains to be seen whether Isaac ‘The Skinny Flamingo’ Cuenca will consolidate his place as a regular starter, but it can’t be denied that he’s already made a remarkable difference to the BEST team in football history.
ISAAC CUENCA: THE LATEST LA MASIA GRADUATE, LONG LIVE THE SKINNY FLAMINGO!!!!!!
