Beyond
the change from "Model" (The one which, according to the Board wasn't
questioned) and the fact unacceptable to me that the 1st team plays in a way
and at grassroots (Academy), they work and play in a different manner, fact is
this Barça of Luis Enrique has a
number of features quite marked. Let's see what this team stronger and, where
squeaks this way of playing the Asturian.
The
first thing that is clear is that this team has been made from verticality and not
horizontality. So far Barça was a team that slowly up the ball until all players
have placed in attacking positions and from there, start that dance of positions
and players which mesmerized the rival until it left a hole to penetrate with many
options to score. It was a team based on midfielders. To fill the midfield with
players and create the superiorities from there was the most important.
Now,
that does not exist. The team begins at the back to go quickly up, to find the
"Three Tenors" that, from these, come the plays. And basically
everything goes around Messi. Before, the game was organized from Xavi. He dictated
the "tempo" of the match. When to go fast and when to slow. Now,
quickly search of Messi, for him, from the position of dropped winger, to make
a diagonal to Neymar. This diagonal is what gives him time to get to the edge
of the area, which is where the Argentine star is lethal. Weeks ago, Messi
picked up the ball and began to dribble players up to the front. He had two
lines and 6-7 players to delete. Now no. He delates midfielders with this pass
and reaches the front where there will be 2-3 to "disturb" him.
Pretty easier.
If the
diagonal is not feasible, then Messi tries to dribble and go by the right side.
But here is closed for 2-3 opponents... and the sideline. When Messi played as
"False 9", could have opponents, but had no space limitations. Now he
has them and this makes it easier to lose balls.
And if
Messi is closed, turn to play ball back and start moving the ball. But this
team no longer has to Xavi and no one to play their role. Midfielders (Iniesta,
Rakitic, Rafinha...), are not players with the pause and sense of game as the
one of Terrassa. And, the team notices a lot. Too Much. And, as the positional
play has become an accessory, if the mechanisms and automatisms are not worked,
they are lost. As also football patience has been lost. Everything is vertigo
and speed. Back and forth.
And now
the team reaches attack positions far between the lines. This means that, if
there is turnover, the contrary has a lot more space to counterattack, just as
it has Barça. The games have become a coming and going, often nonsensical. And
this Barça gives many options for the adversary. Any team can put Barça's
defense in trouble, which has not all the blame, much less, of conceding goals.
It is
said that when a team receives goals, blamed for the defense or goalie. No. At least
not always, and in the case of Barça, perhaps less often than people think. If
the ball arrives easily to the rival forwards and they have clear choices to
overcome the defense is not, in principle, because the defenses are bad or not
in "form". Often in situations 2v2/1v2/1v1 where the opposite faces
goal while the defense runs back. Or, the defense must come down at full speed
from offensive positions, because the team structure does not allow for
adequate coverage and surveillance.
Luis Enrique, after a long time, seems to
have found its "starter team". This is formed by Bravo (Ter Stegen
for Cup and Champions), Alves and Alba as full-backs, Piqué and Mascherano as
central defenders, Busquets as central midfielder and Iniesta Rakitic as
attacking midfielders and, Messi, Neymar and Suarez as forwards.
Clearly,
the three at the front is pure dynamite. If not the best attack in the history
of football, it sure is among the best. There is goal, quality and magic. Each
player is different and each player brings to the game unique characteristics:
speed, movement off the ball, definition. When any of the three has the ball,
you know that anything can happen. And, this is not usually good for rivals.
The
midfield is the most suffering this new model of Luis
Enrique. Participation in the construction of the game is almost testimonial.
As already mentioned, the ball rolling at high speed from defense to the
forwards, midfielders only serve as companions. And as companions, have a
secondary role. Their work is more recovery than building up. And Xavi and
Iniesta are very uncomfortable with these very remote functions of their features.
And Busquets has to take care of hundreds of square meters, because the team is
no longer the team that was all together and had a player 10m. away of each other.
Now, that does not exist. If the ball arrives to the forwards, they try to do
something without expecting support. If it goes well, it's fantastic. But if
the play does not end, midfielders are far and spaces are very large. As it is
about running and not about have fluency in the game, many people prefer Mascherano
instead of Busquets in the middle. As I said a few days ago, before, to have the
matches under control we were using Xavi. Now we use Mascherano. Different
players, different football concept. And, of course, will give different
results. We have gone from make the ball run to make the players run. Concept.
And on
defense, after Douglas, Mathieu and Vermaelen
have come, Piqué and Mascherano continue to play, with testimonials roles for
Bartra and Montoya. It is true that we have recovered the best version of Piqué
and the team appreciates it. But Mascherano remains the "libero"
(Sorry, but I don't accept this of "central amender"; you know that I
do not like the inventions of names for existing things), and it seems that
there is no credible alternative by the coach in the major matches. In the
meantime, Alves still offering a lime and sand and Alba, in tight defensive
situations, shows that still have tactical deficiencies. Both are much more
comfortable in attack than in defense. Perhaps because even for so fast players
like them it isn't useful?
And
behind the defenses, there is the
goalkeeper. Bravo is however expected. Sober, without great fanfare. A goalie
to win games, but not to win Championships, in my opinion. You can tell me that
he is the less scored goalkeeper of the League and probably of the season. Barça
goalkeeper has to stop the very difficult balls... and some of the impossible.
Ter Stegen is proving the correctness of his signing. No complex, playing
quietly and is very young. And, this yes, he stops some of the impossible balls.
We're
talking about a Barça that makes a lot of goals, but also gives many options to
the contrary. A Barça built from the speed of the players and not from the
order of the ball. Basically, this was expected. Compare the players who were Luis Enrique and Guardiola, compare how their teams
are. And is not the same to play against a mid-table team in the league, that
to it do against Madrid, Chelsea or Bayern in the Champions League. If
we play like the first half against the City, everything is possible for this
team. If we do as the second one..
A team,
as Luis Enrique said in his press
conference of presentation, which is unpredictable. What happens is that often
it seems unpredictable for the players themselves.
Jordi
Pascual
You can
follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP
