Barca doesn't even really play with true wingers. We buy forwards and play them out wide to suit our "system". Ironically our "wingers" are our wing-backs Alves and Alba. Villa, Henry, Eto etc were never really outside forwards but played there. I will say that Alexis may have been played out of position. The difference is that Alexis has not adapted as quickly as those players. He will most likely play again next season so he will have another opportunity to adapt.
Alexis is partily a sign of what is wrong with Barca right now i.e. putting players in their unnatural positions, not adapting our "system" to the players we have and simply not rotating the players properly. The "system" we have is based on Messi playing most matches. Nobody else in Barca can play the false 9. We are basically getting away with fact that Messi is an extraordinary player. When he doesn't start we just look plain impotent e.g the CL semi-final against Bayern Munich. Villa and Pedro are CFs. Against the "lesser" opposition we should've experimented with Pedro or Villa as the CF (not false 9) and let Alexis, Tello or even Iniesta play out wide. Even Messi started his career on the outside and could play there some times so that other players can play their natural positions. Messi just has to be on the pitch and can score from anywhere.
Maybe Alexis probably could be a second striker or even a winger but Barca's "system" doesn't use these type of players. We need a FORWARD that could play wide.
Alexis is partily a sign of what is wrong with Barca right now i.e. putting players in their unnatural positions, not adapting our "system" to the players we have and simply not rotating the players properly. The "system" we have is based on Messi playing most matches. Nobody else in Barca can play the false 9. We are basically getting away with fact that Messi is an extraordinary player. When he doesn't start we just look plain impotent e.g the CL semi-final against Bayern Munich. Villa and Pedro are CFs. Against the "lesser" opposition we should've experimented with Pedro or Villa as the CF (not false 9) and let Alexis, Tello or even Iniesta play out wide. Even Messi started his career on the outside and could play there some times so that other players can play their natural positions. Messi just has to be on the pitch and can score from anywhere.
Maybe Alexis probably could be a second striker or even a winger but Barca's "system" doesn't use these type of players. We need a FORWARD that could play wide.
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