8 - Pedri

[FC433]

He does have some nice moments still, of course it is very obvious he's suffered a drop-off in energy and performance for quite a few weeks now.

+ the fact that we are playing without a LW to link up with. Fixed one side, ruined the other

 

[serghei]

He does have some nice moments still, of course it is very obvious he's suffered a drop-off in energy and performance for quite a few weeks now.

Yea, in the first part of the season, he had the brilliant bits, but was also a consistent creative force in our build-up with ingenious passes. Right now, he's mostly very slow and just passes along the ball without adding much.

 

[vuji_31]

This is his first season, in a bad team.

Imagine him in 2015. He would be great. Can't really on kid that he will bring points as midfielder in formation were our front 3, is compounded from Messi who plays in CM, Griezmann who plays as LB-CDM and Dumbele who just sits on the line.

 

[Joan]

Puig and Pedri have rather different roles in the team. Since Puig doesn't play alongside Busquets, he's usually the one progressing the ball. Pedri gets the ball in more advanced positions where it's harder to break lines as it's crowded.

Pedri's composure lets Barca attack for long periods of time. He and Busquets are the ones right behind the front trio restarting the play once they lose the ball and trying to break the lines.

 

[serghei]

Puig and Pedri have rather different roles in the team. Since Puig doesn't play alongside Busquets, he's usually the one progressing the ball. Pedri gets the ball in more advanced positions where it's harder to break lines as it's crowded.

Pedri's composure lets Barca attack for long periods of time. He and Busquets are the ones right behind the front trio restarting the play once they lose the ball and trying to break the lines.

That's because Koeman's midfield is not very fluid, and rather stiff and fragmented in its composition.

Normally, there needs to be a big overlapping and sharing of roles with the two interiors. They shouldn't play very different roles, especially since you always have Messi in the false 9 playing farther up. That's if we really want to form a midfield trio.

Right now, Pedri's role should be more prominent in deeper areas.

 

[Bobo32]

Puig and Pedri have rather different roles in the team. Since Puig doesn't play alongside Busquets, he's usually the one progressing the ball. Pedri gets the ball in more advanced positions where it's harder to break lines as it's crowded.

Pedri's composure lets Barca attack for long periods of time. He and Busquets are the ones right behind the front trio restarting the play once they lose the ball and trying to break the lines.

Puig is great at positioning himself, Pedri not so much. I so often see him either with his back to the goal, marked, or coming deep behind the press to get the ball.
Puig positions himself in between the lines, always available, and always ready to find the forward pass if it is available. He understands the angles much better than Pedri, who can do good things in isolated situations as he did twice towards Messi today.

Against PSG, Puig and Pedri were switched with ~15min left, Puig played almost as many passes as Pedri did that game...

 

[vuji_31]

Puig is playing is much safer area, combining with lord Bisquit.

Pedri is trying to get the ball between two lines.Much harder.

 

[serghei]

Puig is great at positioning himself, Pedri not so much. I so often see him either with his back to the goal, marked, or coming deep behind the press to get the ball.
Puig positions himself in between the lines, always available, and always ready to find the forward pass if it is available. He understands the angles much better than Pedri, who can do good things in isolated situations as he did twice towards Messi today.

Against PSG, Puig and Pedri were switched with ~15min left, Puig played almost as many passes as Pedri did that game...

It remains to be seen how much is due to Pedri, and how much is due to the instruction of the manager. Koeman is a bit too conservative imo. This is also why Puig is not getting the play time he deserves. His style and Koeman's style are not a great match.

 

[sikkboy]

He's one of the very few who has been a success. He's done very well imo, and in a dystfunctional team.

 

[Bobo32]

That's because Koeman's midfield is not very fluid, and rather stiff and fragmented in its composition.

Normally, there needs to be a big overlapping and sharing of roles with the two interiors. They shouldn't play very different roles, especially since you always have Messi in the false 9 playing farther up. That's if we really want to form a midfield trio.

Wew I'd say it is much, much too fluid, and needs to be a lot more stiff. Sometimes both interiors are on the same flank, often they both hide behind or both come deep to get the ball.
But these two players lack connection, I don't remember many passes between them.

Puig is playing is much safer area, combining with lord Bisquit.

Pedri is trying to get the ball between two lines.Much harder.

Just the opposite, Puig is receiving a lot more in between the lines, and being able to advance.
Today he played in the chaotic last minutes, without Busquets, though. You get more out of Puig if you play him together with Busquets, as Busquets can find him between the lines.

 

[Joan]

That's because Koeman's midfield is not very fluid, and rather stiff and fragmented in its composition.

Normally, there needs to be a big overlapping and sharing of roles with the two interiors. They shouldn't play very different roles, especially since you always have Messi in the false 9 playing farther up. That's if we really want to form a midfield trio.

Right now, Pedri's role should be more prominent in deeper areas.

Yes, I agree. But Koeman's setup (allowing De Jong to basically wait for chances to run upfront with little involvement) changes drastically when Busquets is out. Busquets is the one progressing the ball and thus Pedri receives it in advances positions compared to Puig. Puig does position himself well, but it's way easier to do around the centre than where Pedri's doing it. It doesn't suit Pedri either, as he looked much better with more space in the beginning of the season.

In my opinion, it's no wonder we look more shaky at the back with Puig on the field because even though his actions look nicer, they allow the opponent more time on the ball. And the setup with Pique and Lenglet at the back can't have it.

 

[fergus90]

Puig is playing is much safer area, combining with lord Bisquit.

Pedri is trying to get the ball between two lines.Much harder.

I disagree with that, Riqui is good at is playing between lines.

 

[Bobo32]

Yes, I agree. But Koeman's setup (allowing De Jong to basically wait for chances to run upfront with little involvement) changes drastically when Busquets is out. Busquets is the one progressing the ball and thus Pedri receives it in advances positions compared to Puig. Puig does position himself well, but it's way easier to do around the centre than where Pedri's doing it. It doesn't suit Pedri either, as he looked much better with more space in the beginning of the season.

In my opinion, it's no wonder we look more shaky at the back with Puig on the field because even though his actions look nicer, they allow the opponent more time on the ball. And the setup with Pique and Lenglet at the back can't have it.

Puig lost the ball once today and I think he intercepted/tackled 4 or 5 times...
Apart from that he moved all over the pitch playing safe passes in order to secure the possession and opening play for easy progression
Ah maybe you are speaking generally, I still don't agree or understand how you'd think that.

 

[Joan]

Puig lost the ball once today and I think he intercepted/tackled 4 or 5 times...
Apart from that he moved all over the pitch playing safe passes in order to secure the possession and opening play for easy progression
Ah maybe you are speaking generally, I still don't agree or understand how you'd think that.

I don't mean he loses the ball more. But once he's gotten the ball forward, quick to release it and with no Busquets and Pedri there, we often fail to recycle possession. Hurts us a lot.

That said, he does well to progress the ball, plays a lot of passes in the middle to keep the ball. Has nice qualities, but to get the most out of it, Koeman needs to come up with a setup. Hasn't done that yet.

 

[serghei]

Yes, I agree. But Koeman's setup (allowing De Jong to basically wait for chances to run upfront with little involvement) changes drastically when Busquets is out. Busquets is the one progressing the ball and thus Pedri receives it in advances positions compared to Puig. Puig does position himself well, but it's way easier to do around the centre than where Pedri's doing it. It doesn't suit Pedri either, as he looked much better with more space in the beginning of the season.

In my opinion, it's no wonder we look more shaky at the back with Puig on the field because even though his actions look nicer, they allow the opponent more time on the ball. And the setup with Pique and Lenglet at the back can't have it.

Of course, a faster build-up will generate more chances for you, but also more errors. That's the tradeoff. But I'd rather have that. The alternative is having the same slow-ass boring build-up like before, hoping that maybe the CBs won't have to deal with a higher tempo. The reality is Koeman is slowly messing up and going back to the same old football we saw in previous years. Step by step the idea of a rebuild is being lost.

Busquets moving the ball is a no-go. Way too slow. Only technique, at a snail's pace, doesn't cut it anymore. Just take him out and replace him with De Jong. See how we do. Have someone cover his spot when he goes go up.

Take an example from how Casemiro joins the offense at Madrid in many moments. Some Madrid player will cover that area temporarily. Either a fullback, either one of the two interiors, depending on the situation. It's a myth that a DM can't join offense at moments. You just have to make a plan for it to happen in a controlled manner.

At Barca in most home games from La Liga, the high-line CBs are the ones who should stand in the DM position anyway. That's what happens at most big teams when playing vs much inferior sides.