THE END OF POSITIONAL PLAYING

Last Wednesday I watched Barça-City (U-19). Beyond confirming that the Barca youth also wants to play as the 1^st team (without wingers, a less constructive play in midfield, etc.), one of the things that caught my attention was the fact of watching many mistakes of tactical kind in our team.

Thursday, via twitter, sirocco_10 was telling us as that a scout of Villarreal was explaining him the change of mentality that there is in many big clubs with respect to youth football. For you to have an idea, those who do not know too much how this goes on, remember that, in general, grassroots football develops in 4 stages: iInitiation (up to 12 years approximately), Development (16 years), Performance (19 years), Competition (21). What is it happening? Very simple: the big clubs are focusing more on Performance and Competition (both, at training level and at scouting and recruitment level), than in Initiation and Development.

And that is bad. Very bad. For football in general, but particularly for Barça even more. By all the famous "model,  and its implementation, means.

I'll explain. The last 25 years (since the arrival of Cruyff to Barça’s bench, although this doesn’t like to many), Barça has developed a special model of training and playing. Not unique (at the end of the day, Cruyff took it from Ajax and mixed it with the things that Laureano Ruiz was doing), but so well implemented that it has led us where it had led us (League, Champions League, National Teams... ), and that it has deserved the unanimous recognition worldwide (football and non-football).

The problem is that the "model" was more than a form or style of playing football. The "model" contained all the Principles of Football (I wrote about it a few years ago on the magazine of Martí Perarnau). If there’s anything good at the Coaches Courses of the RFEF is that they establish Principles (Offensive and Defensive), that I have not seen in any other country. In fact, in many countries, according to who you talk, some will say that the Principles are one or the other.

This means that any boy who had gone through the Barca youth football knew the "game", the "what", but also the "how" or "why" of a given situation on the pitch Not now. And this "not now," includes the pause and the delay. The pressure, the possession, the width, the 1-4-3-3 can be used in many ways to play, however, pause and patience are linked unequivocally to positional play. And, pause and patience allow to have lines together, allow unmark support (the "3^rd man", " the free man"), allow to close the pitch correctly and allow much more.

All this, however, is no longer. And it is not that you don’t see it with the 1^st team. It is not seen at Barca B, neither at U-19. But it has its logic. Beyond that grassroots teams should play as “seniors" do, the fact is that the vast majority of players at B (17, I think they are), they have not played for U-19 and many of the U-19 are not trained at home. And, they do not know the positional play; however, it seems that many do not know neither the Principles we spoke earlier. And, the coaches (Gerard and Gabri), it seems that neither or, at least, it seems they do not care whether they are applied or not. And instead of teaching (Professional Formative Football, it’s called now B and U-19, but still "formative", right?), they want to win at any cost.

But there is more. Until now, they were looking for, particularly for grassroots, skilled players who could play the ball, able to run with it, pass, dribble ... Not now. Now bigger and stronger players are searched. And they tell us that Rakitic replaces Xavi, or Andre Gomes or Denis Suarez replacing Iniesta. Or, if Busquets is not playing, Mascherano can do it easily. And they are so calm. As if it was the same! As if there is any relation between a dribbling of Messi or Iniesta with one of Rakitic or André Gomes. No. No relation. The firsts dribble because their quality. The latters, because their strength. Make no mistake.

And it’s also said that, of course, you have to play with the players you have. The coach must adapt to the characteristics of their players. I think it's great, but, all these players have come because Luis Enrique, don’t’ they??? And those who have come for the B, to do something similar, is it a Gerard Lopez thing, right?? Or is there someone who believes that coaches have no say in making the squad??? And the respective Technical Secretaries (Robert Fernandez, Pep Segura) seek what they want or do they follow the ideas of the coach? And all this is done following the guidelines given by the Board, because, of course, do not forget that the boss is the Board. And they are the ones who decide what "model" the Club has to follow. They are, nobody else.

But, about the Board and I’ll talk another day, if that. Let’s go back to our "positional play". They tell us that grassroots (Amateur Formative Football, until 17 years, as said at the beginning with Initiation and Development), continues to work in the same way as before. I really doubt it. But it is that, besides hesitation, it is an inconsistency. That is, until 16-17 years we teach them one thing. From here on, a very different one. And all this, while we are taking kids from outside for the B and the U-19 who are not trained in positional playing.

But, what about the coaches?? Until recently, the majority of coaches in grassroots football were people who had spent many years in the house or were former players who knew the model. For one reason or another, many of these are no longer and those who have returned have done with other ideas. It is somewhat sad that coaches trained in the club go around explaining the model and, when they come back, they do not apply it. It is what it is. It is said that, in the not too distant future, Xavi could be the ideal coach for Barça. I do not doubt it. Now, I doubt that he comes with this Board and I doubt, even more, if he can apply positional playing with everything I have said so far. And if not, look at the difficulties of Guardiola to apply it, first at Bayern and, now at City.

I have no doubt that Barça will continue to win competitions, even when Messi leaves. We will play in a different way, with players that will be different and, with a majority of outside players. But we will win, for sure. At the end of the day, the vast majority of “socis” and supporters only care about winning at any cost.

Now, "that" that dazzled the world and many have not yet learned that it is NOT called "tiki-taka" and it is called "positional play", take off the illusion. It will take years to see it again. If we see it again.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

BARÇA B AND OTHER STUFF

Sunday ended the regular season in 2nd B Division. From this weekend we will have the playoffs for promotion to 2nd A Division. Barca B will not be there. And, when things have a bad starting, it’s normal to end badly.

The elections to the Presidency of Barça took two very significant changes at the level of the sport structure that affects B team. On one hand, García Pimienta, who had done all the planning together with Roura, found that, overnight, they put Gerard Lopez above him, as 1st coach. On the other hand, the sports organization changed: the club was splitted into 3 parts (4 with Women's Football): Professional Football (1st team), Formative Professional Football (Barça B, Juvenil A (U-19) and B (U-18)), and Amateur Formative Football (Cadete A (U-16) to Prebenjamines (U-8)). The EscolesFCB are outside and are part of Marketing Area (what do you want I say?).

Each of these parts has a Technical Secretary and still we have the ​​Scouting Area and the Methodology Area (which in principle are transverse)

Is this you see here above.

The first problem is that each Technical Secretary seems to do what he wants. They call it Technical Secretary, but it seems rather a Technical Director. That is, marking the lines to follow in terms of the way of working, playing, etc. With all that it has as consequences. Roura does one thing, say classic "model". Robert Fernandez is only for the first team, looking for players around the world to enable keep winning, increasingly "as is."

We have the Formative Professional Football. The Technical Secretary is Pep Segura. They sold it as the intermediate step between "grassroots" and "professional football" as it was neither one nor the other. And indeed, when you're in no man's land, you end up not knowing where you are and the results are what they are. Juveni B is the only one, with one game to finish the league, can win. The Juvenil A has finished 4th at 19!! points behind the 1^st, with no option to play the Champions League (both, Spanish and European), or the Cup. And, the B...

Barca B. After the disappointing season 2014-15 where the team dropped from 2ªA to 2ªB (although for some Directors that was not problematic or bad) with coaching change in mid-season (Vinyals instead of Eusebio) and, speeches here or there saying if players this or that (incidentally, quite players had been in the Juvenil A with Vinyals, so if not adequate behaviours were detected and nothing was done to correct it...), the 2016 season began with a coach appeared at the last minute with some players signed who could not play for the famous "FIFA Case" and the desire to come back to 2ªA quickly. The reality was very different. At the end of the year the team was in position for the relegation to 3^rd Division. Excuses were everywhere ("they are very young," "no experience", "the FIFA case"...) and when the winter market came there was a revolution. A lot of new players (7?, 8?, 9?... I do not remember), which also meant a lot of players released.

In summer they had gone some as Adama; others, like Deulofeu, still running around Europe and it seems with no return. The latter case seems pretty clear: Quality, indisputable. The character, too. And I wonder, with so many coaches, assistants, psychologists, etc. that we have in the club, no one has sat a couple of hours with this kid to see what happens? And I ask the question from complete ignorance. I have no idea if this has happened or not.

Other players left because, by contract, should be promoted to the first team. Amazing!!! The top of incompetence. Having in a formation team players that are promoted by contract and not because the quality. And, of course, there wasn’t room for them at the 1^st team. And therefore...

We continue. Two names: Grimaldo and Robert Gonçalves. The first seems not very "friend" of Luis Enrique and this does not want it for the 1^st team. Until here, it’s perfect. Now, if the club believes it is a player with a future, why not to loan him and we'll see in a while? Well, no. Sold. No option for buy-back. The second, a player who came on loan from Fluminense of Brazil and sold to us as the new... Neymar! He came to "cost 0" (this was told to us), with a buying option this summer for 7M€. First, if he was overweight; then we know nothing more. The truth is that it has played in the league, exactly the same as its price: 0 minutes. And what is worse, without any explanation.

Now, it seems that for next year, a new revolution for B is prepared, with the aim of being promoted to 2ªA. It sounds good to me... or maybe not. The aim of B is to prepare players to be promoted to the 1st team. The higher the B is, more competitive and therefore better for the players. So far, the theory is fantastic. The problem is putting it into practice. There have been games where only 2 B players were coming from La Masia. 2!! Is this Barca B?????? Is this a formation team ???? If I was told that next year there will be 4 or 5 of these "new" in the 1st team, although I could understand, however, it seems that this will not be the case.

This revolution also seems to be aimed to find/sign other kind of players: now we have to look more "physical" players. This is, Roura continues working, as we have said, "the model" but when they reach 17, only the bigger and the stronger will continue. Is that, isn’t it? That is, as I said before three "Technical Secretaries", each one making the war on their own, with no one, at Executive Technical level, marking the line of the Club. We go like this.

Why do we want a "Formative Amateur Football" full of quality players if, when they reach the Juvenil B, w will not want them for being small? Why do we want Juveniles and a B if, hardly, they will not contribute with player for the first team? And, to contribute means players who can compete with those who are playing. Having 20 minutes in a cup game against 2ªB team...

Zubizarreta said one day, when he was still the Technical Director: "If we don’t find out what we want, we will have to look for it at home." Translation: the priority of B is NOT the formation for the first team. The priority of B is... I cannot see it.

By the way, it seems that Samper is one of those players who, as he has no "physical aspect", it is quite difficult for him to stay at the 1^st team. Nothing more to say.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

SOME NOTES

Some notes and comments about the Blaugrana present:

1. Messi is the best. No doubt. He can play walking, he can run or he can do whatever he wants to. When he has to be, he is. And, while he is, we will win titles. Then... we'll see.

2. The way to play Luis Enrique seems increasingly "it". Interestingly, the more we resemble "that", the more important have become players like Busquets who some wanted to send to the bench and put in his place Mascherano. As if they were the same. As if a change of stamps.

3. In this line, the model was changed (it was not evolution, it was change, for sure) to come back, now, as close as possible to the model. The worst thing is we do not know if the model is for the Club or for the team.

4. Iniesta (84), Pique (87), Messi (87) and Busquets (88), were already when the FIFA Club World Cup 2009. Thiago (91) and Sergi Roberto (92), should be next. The first is gone. The second, is not yet consolidated. Danger.

5. If in January we should bring 5 or 6 players to save the "B" (playing in 2nd B, do not forget, after relegation last year), it means that something is being done badly. B's mission is to serve to prepare the players for the 1st team.

6. So many players coming and going from the "B" also means that something is not well done at the level of planning and scouting. The "B" players should get there to go to the 1st team, not for commercial transactions.

7. It is great that the Technical Secretariat goes up and down and tries to have as much information about players worldwide. The problem is that we have gone from "What we do not find at home, we’ll go to look for it out" to "What we do not find out, we're going to look for it at home."

8. The Club is in "excellent economic situation", but we can not sign in January, because we would not be on-line with EBITDA and new elections should be called. In other words, maybe we are not so well.

9. It seems that the only way for the club's new revenues is through agreements with sponsors. Agreements that we do not know what they really mean for the soci. What do we give in return? We're not told. They talk about "confidentiality clauses". Given that everything had to be done with "transparency"...

10. All this, with a reform of the Stadium that still we do not know if we have permission from City Hall and the Generalitat or, either, how it will be funded. Remember that 200M€ were coming from downgrading the debt from 400 to 200M€ to borrow again. Today, the debt is more than 300M €. Complicated. Very complicated.

11. The Club continues at the courts (and losing lawsuits). The latter, with bills paid for a work not done. In any normal place this should make those responsible resign. Here...

12. We all know that guilty ones are Jordi Casas and the "black hand". Interestingly, judges (both civil and sports), say the opposite. Why is that way.

13. Do not turn around more. The team holds the Club. The day the team stops winning (and we've seen this year after Anoeta), the situation will be untenable. Those who know me know that I do not want the team to lose never. Neither the team, nor the Club, deserve the officials we have. I know there have been elections and Bartomeu won clearl. No doubt. But, that there are many socis who vote based on whether the ball goes in or not, it is also very clear. And, the same that voted Bartomeu now, will ask for his resignation as soon the team loses two games in a row. And back to point 1. Will be able Neymar (beyond the 57,1M€ or whatever), to do what has made the Argentine when this one is gone? And, it is not about a couple of months, as he did recently because the injury of Messi. It is doing so one year, yes, and next year, also.

And 14. The "repoker" this year has only one point of comparison with the sextet or the Champions League in Paris. And it is that we have been for 10 years at the top of world football. No one had ever been so long up there. And it has to continue, because otherwise...

Anyway, only to wish Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

SPACE + TIME = XAVI

Everything points that, at the end of the season, Xavi Hernández will leave Barça. "It's okay to leave. It's old" or "He is not useful for this modern game" are some of the things we've heard in recent times. I will not make any assessment on them. It's wasting time. It's that simple.

It is true that no one will remember Xavi as the player who ran faster than anyone, who jumped more than anyone, who recovered balls, who put the foot making a huge effort to prevent the ball went into the goal after the goalkeeper was overcame, that... nothing. From all this, nothing.

Nor he won't remembered for three "nutmegs" on the same play or, dribbling one player after another or, for his records as a scorer. Not Either.

About football it has always said that it was a matter of space and time. The one who dominates this, dominates football. And this is SIR XAVI (Yes, in capital letters, as the "Master" Puyal named him). Xavi is football. It is the "fucking boss" of space and time. Always with the GPS in position, scanning all the possibilities before receiving the ball. "What he does is very easy," said some. Easy? You mean it's easy to play 1-2 touches almost always choosing the best option? No. Not a chance. What Xavi does is very complicated. If it was that easy, the world would be full of Xavis. And it is not. For some reason it will be.

Now turn to play short. Now, long. Now, to the right. Now, to the left. Now, forward. Now back. Now, we accelerate. Now, we stop. Now, I approach. Now, I go away. Space and time. Always, at all times. Reading the match and the play as few players in football history. Always knowing what it is most interested for the team.

"The false 9" is not understood without Xavi. "When you see Leo in this  position between the lines, pass him the ball," said Pep to Xavi the day of 2-6 at the Bernabéu. And Xavi,  searching for Messi. And when he saw him where he had been told, PAM! Because, of course, for much intelligence you have, if you can not play it ... and Xavi, plus intelligence, has quality. Tons of quality that many people have never seen or understood.

"Move the ball to move the opposition," says the manual of positional playing. And Xavi got tired of playing the ball. Towards hither and thither. Always with the idea of ​​disrupting the contrary, to find the spaces between the lines, to find the place inside pass and then again, PAM! Take, Leo, finish. And, Leo, if he gets the ball on the edge of box, he finishes. That's why he is the best in the world.

"Do not touch if they don't come" also the manual says. And Xavi was running with the ball, until an opponent was coming to look for him and, then, a soft touch and an opponent less. And a line overpassed. And, closer to the opponent's box. Space and time. Every Time.

Xavi, besides breaking many lines too, with Iniesta and Messi broke another football "myth". The small and technical players. Especially among the "6" and "8" showed that, for playing in midfield, you did not need to have 1,80m. nor weigh 80kg. And, when they linked with the "10"... Those 3v2 near the opponent's box dizzy everyone until, PAM!, once again. Take, Leo, finish

"The ball does not get tired, let's make run the ball," also the manual says. And Xavi made the ball run at a crazy speed. So much that one day, which Barça won 4-0 Bayern in the Champions League, Van Bommel (former Barça and Bayern at the time), when asked after the game why they had not made almost no fouls, he replied "Is that nobody was there. When we arrived, there was no ball or otherwise. It was like chasing ghosts".

It will take years to see one like him. Not at Barça, no. In the world. No players like him appear every day. There is no plenty of Architects and Engineers with this style. No people have mastered spatial concepts like the one of Terrassa. A player does not have 7 Leagues, 3 Champions, 2 World Club Cups, 2 European Championships and 1 World Club, playing as a starter, if you don't have something special.

Ladies and gentlemen, stand up and hats off. With all of you, the "Lord of space and time": SIR XAVI!

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS

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

THE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Since 1988 Johan Cruyff joined Barça, the Club has developed an unique model of working and playing. This model, where all trained and played in a particular way, had its zenith with Guardiola as coach and remained with Tito Vilanova. With Tata Martino last year and now with Luis Enrique, this has changed. The first team plays and trains in one way and the rest of the Club doesn't know what to do.

All this, when President Bartomeu said yesterday in a newspaper that the profile he was looking for to replace Zubizarreta was closer to a Technical Secretary like "Txiki" Begiristain than a Technical Director as Zubi was doing until now.

See, I'm lost. Who do you think should be the executive officer of sports policy at Barça? The President? The sports Vice-President? The Official of the Club responsible of Grassroots? No. None of them. This must be the Technical Director (as in any other club, don't you think we're doing strange inventions). And as such, it must be a technician. A few days ago, I read that people are proposing a non-technical person for this place. With all due respect, what does this guy know about football? ¿About positional playing? About training methodologies? About recruiting structures? About coach education? What do you think, that the Technical Director has only to negotiate the contracts of players?

We have arrived. Because this is the work of the Technical Director. And, more, in a place like Barca. He must know all this. Like everywhere, he'll know more of some things than others. But he must master these basic points.

He must know that what Luis Enrique is playing now has nothing to do with "Barça model." That there is no wingers neither positional game. Now of course if you are going to sign a coach without knowing if he fulfills what we need...

He must know that Barca B is a formation team that should be as high as possible. That is not the same 2nd or 3rd Division and, if the case, the players have to leave on loan to take these experiences, and that they can not sign every year in 4 or 5 players for this team... because this means the job of those coming from behind is not good.

He must know what the training models are and decide that all will have the same training (with the obvious differences of age, of course). I insist: the first team, too. Therefore, we must go find those coaches, for any of the teams in the Club, who know how our way of working or that are able to adapt. And therefore, just as there must be a recruitment of players also we must have with the coaches.

He must know how to organize the Technical Secretariat (Recruitment), to reach as many places as possible, starting Catalunya, continuing in Spain and then Europe and the rest of world. The presence of scouts of Barça is much lower than that of other clubs and also many boys are missed by not knowing their existence, that is, not to go to places where they should go.

Therefore, the role of the Technical Director is basic. He's not only someone who manages a group of people. Here's more. Is someone who, apart from managing all this group, must know what they are doing, technically. And besides, considering that there are areas or departments that are transverse (as it is supposed to be the famous "Area of Methodology" managed by Seirul·lo). Or the famous "COR" program, the vast database that has the club, but that when it's time to use it, it seems that it's not useful or do not know how to use it.

Therefore, two things are necessary. The first, an Official who knows the world of sport, and that knows, at least roughly, what type of functional organization should be created to achieve this. The second is that the person who is Technical Director, in addition to the capabilities mentioned above, has the ability to modify this structure or organization to make it better and be able to find a team that can do better.

Moreover, the Club must create a structure that allows that changes, whenever there is new Board, are minimal. That is, a stable and permanent structure which is not subject to constant change. And this, as I also said once, involves establishing a clear and concrete "model", the "philosophy" to follow and that it is permanent or, in the worst case, need for consensus very broad to be changed.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

WE'VE LOST THE 2v1. AND THE BEST MESSI

Since always there has been talks about the importance of playing on the wings, giving width. To make open the opposing defense, either bringing the wingers to the flanks and leaving the center free, either taking advantage of the own full-backs going up.

The football of Barça in recent years (and, we can say that almost always since I can remember) had wingers. Either playing with "right leg" to go to the goal line and crossing or either with "switched leg" to go from the outside to the inside of the box.

Now, with Luis Enrique, we don't have this. I will not speak about if mode, if evolution... No. I just want to mention what, for me, are the tactical consequences.

On one hand we have that, the fact that there are no wingers, makes that the full-backs are the ones that have to go to the goal line and cross. As the winger is not there to cover him, it is the job of the Attacking Midfielder to do it. This means that in the middle, where once we had Xavi and Iniesta (to go to the best known and nearby), now there is no one. But not only that. Busquets not only drops between the center-backs to take the ball out, but also he stays there in a lot of plays; this means that there are 3 at the back and none of them is the full-back of the other side where we have the action. That is, the Barça midfield has many distances among players. And it costs a lot to recover the ball, because the players are very far from it. If this recovery is not done immediately after loss, it's time to go back to defensive positions. And sometimes very quickly, too quickly, because the opponent has had time and space to organize the counterattack.

1. WITH LUIS ENRIQUE

And so we say Busquets is not useful when the problem (in principle, beyond that he is better or worse fit), is that he is placed 20 meters away from the AM's when before he was just 10. And of course, he can't arrive to all. Before it was all triangles between players. Now, they are not. And the foundation of any organization are the triangles that allow to give constant support to the companions.

We turn now to the offensive situation when we have wingers. We have the full-back going up by the flank and, a few meters away, we have the winger. On one side or the other. The opposing defense goes to intercept the full-back, who passes to the winger that give the ball back. 2v1 situation, impossible to stop if well executed. Classic scenario in football. And if the 2v1 is at the flank, it is still more impossible to stop. No more.

But we have more. Before, when the AM was going up by the middle of the pitch, accompanied by the full-back, we had the same 2v1 situation. Yours-mine and a player "deleted". And the AM or the FB continued carrying the ball and created again this 2v1 with the opposing center-back when Messi (with that "false 9"), was going two steps back.

2. WITH GUARDIOLA

Now, no. Now there are no wingers. As much as someone says "narrow-wingers". This does not exist in football. Wingers, by definition, are open. If not, they are anything else, but they are not wingers. We continue. No wingers and the forwards are too close to the defenders to create these spaces and 2v1 situations. It's that simple. And when the FBs go, the forwards are fixed. As he is fixed, we know where he is and therefore there's no 2v1.

And this, that seems so simple, is one of the things the actual Barça has lost. The 2v1 aims to eliminate opposing players and lines. If we have a team mate (who some call "the third man", which is free), we have a passing line. And, as we have passing lines if the move is continued (Pass and go), that is what we have to do, we have a returning line. We have 2v1. The issue is that the player with the ball always follow the play, so, the opposite player coming not know where to go. If he goes to the one that has the ball, the one that does not have it is free. If he goes to the one that does not have it, the carrier has space.

Before, Messi, with this of the "false 9", had the wingers 20-25 meters away. Space. Plenty of room and also with Leo very close to the box. Now, if Messi wants this distance with Neymar and Suarez he has to play 10-15 meters behind them. That is, 10 to 15 meters away from the box. And Messi, as closer to the box he is, as more dangerous he is. Before, Messi was running parallel to the line of the box to shoot; now, he runs towards the area to pass. Now, when he does a 2v1 is 15 meters away from box. Before, he was at the edge of the box. It was much easier to shoot and score. Also, Xavi and Iniesta were 10 meters away of him; 2v1 and 3v2 were continued, and the space was easily found. Now, Xavi, Iniesta, Rakitic, are 30 meters away of the Argentine star. Or he does all it by himself or he fails to 2v1 he can do with Neymar or Suarez, because he is not on the edge of the box. Note that, the goals he's scoring now is when he "lives" on the edge of the box. The same as he did before.

Therefore, today we speak of Messi-Neymar-Suárez connection, but we forget that the one that was lethal was the Messi-Xavi-Iniesta connection with Busquets playing the role of "Big Brother" and controlling everything from behind. Now, this connection is virtually nonexistent. The distances are much bigger. And all this is very noticeable.

I want the returning of the wingers. They will return us the 2v1 and they will return us the best Messi.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

TINKER, TAYLOR, SOLDIER, SPY

My colleague Matttew Whitehouse (@The_W_Adress) has asked me to do a review of his latest book: "Universality/The Blueprint for Soccer 's New Era". This has taken me almost 40 years ago when I received as a gift "Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy" by John Le Carré. It was the first book I read by this author and I enjoyed it. So much so that I've read it maybe 20 times and it made that I bought almost every book by this author.

Beyond the story told by Le Carré (fascinating), which I liked and still like what is his way of linking the past with the present circumstances ​​and possible future events. This is what Matt has done. He explains what was, what is and where we are going.

Curiously, or maybe not, is that, coming from cultures (both general and football) as different as the Anglo-Saxon and Latin, I agree almost entirely what Matt says. While it is true that the paths followed are not the same, so perhaps cultures, which makes the arguments employed are different, I subscribe the conclusions he reaches.

As Le Carré makes in the book there is a main protagonist George Smiley-Pep Guardiola. But, in the same way, there are plenty of supporting actors to help understand what is, and what happens: Ferguson, Mourinho, Queiroz, Benitez, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Beckham, Scholes, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets Alonso, Drogba, Laporta, Florentino Pérez ... all play some more or less important roles to help understand what happened in football in the last 15 years and, what it seems to come.

But there are more similarities: Smiley is not the classic spy, nor is a classic coach Guardiola. Both are looking for something that does not exist: perfection. And, this means innovating and daring. And of course, sometimes you're wrong and, when done, is very sound way.

Matt, as Le Carré, makes us an analysis that starts in the past, in the late 90's. Based on his knowledge of English football, he explains why the English dominate European football, at club's levle, appearing again and again in the Champions League finals, until, suddenly, it's over. What happened? Well, very simple and very complicated at the same time. The players have changed, because the game and so requests, and England has not seen it.

Today's players are (should be) much more universal (polyvalent). No longer are useful the wingers who can only focus on running and crossing or center backs that only reject the ball or central midfielders that only stop balls. Now, the wingers have to cross, open field and finish. The center backs must know how to go out with the ball under control and the central midfielder has to cut, keep the ball and distribute the play.

And while there are players which by their nature will never be play some roles, the fact is that the more "records" are mastered, more options to play. If today I don't play here, I play there. Simple.

Matt also puts in evidence, clearly, one of the "myths" of football: the systems (formations). As said by I do not remember who, 1-4-3-3, 1-4-4-2, 1-3-5-2, etc. they are nothing more than "Telephone Numbers". What matters today are the movements of the players, but especially of the ball. This is who sets everything. And players need to adapt and change position constantly. Universality. Mobility.

The book makes an exhaustive review of English football and its "evolution?" in recent years, but, as Le Carré does, he tells us what Brazilian, German or Spanish have done. All environments must be understood to know what to do with yours. New ideas, new concepts, new ways of understanding football. Everyone appears because everyone has a contribution to make. The pressing, the zonal marking, superiority in midfield, keeper-players ... all things bring something. And everything becomes more universal, more functional, more versatile. And the word "team" dominates. Teams work for the stars, but the stars work for the teams. Before, no.

It is explained the importance of the wingers with "wrong-footed leg". Robben or Messi playing from right to left. Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, from left to right. Of a wingers that are non-wingers in the sense of making crosses to be finished. But wingers that give a lot of width to the team. And a center forwards who are not static expecting a cross to finish, that come to midfield to create superiority, scoring goals, but also assisting. And the "box-to-box" midfielders, that were a players which only used to run. Now, a "box-to-box" has to do many things. If not, you are lost.

As John Le Carré, Matt Whitehouse teaches us that you can only anticipate or think about what will be in the future if you know and analyze what happened in the past and what is happening today. As I said before, different cultures lead to different interpretations, but at very similar conclusions. And football is universal. Everywhere you play with a ball. The want who knows what to do with it has many (all, probably) chance of winning.

Buy the book. You'll love it.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP