Daniel Alves
- Thread starter Evil
- Start date
Myrmecophile
Mr. Japes
So Dani isn't as good as one of the 2 or 3 best right-backs of the last 20 years?
Whatever will we do.
impeh
Hi, its me..
I agree, but.. this could happen every match if teams managed to keep the ball and attack down the left side well. Wouldnt surprise me if other teams learned from this. He stayed back alot more after being caught out of position loads of times in the first half.. but yeh, not one to remember for him.
I think he's only partly to blame. pep underestimated Valencia's wing play and fielded Dani further up the pitch than he should.
That Mathieu had a wonderful game.
Barcafan 2304
New member
Alves has to temper his attacking instincts when up against better opposition. The problems came from his flank and Valencia taking advantage of the space his forays had created. I'm not having a go at him, he is a class player, important to us and his attacking instinct is to be admired but Pep and the player himself has to realise that it is something that good opposition can take advantage of. On a positive note, much improved in the 2nd half
gingerless
Active member
he was poor in his decision making/passing and such, but i don't think you can blame him for the defense, that's pep's fault entirely. alves was emery's main victim, son got double teamed both sides of the field... nothing he could've done
you are right!! it was not his fault ... he was fielded further up the pitch as a winger... 3-4-3 just doesnt work against teams like Valencia!!
B
barcelonista
Guest
It does. In fact, we dominated the game in the second half with a midfield diamond of Busquets-Xavi-Thiago-Cesc and a back-three of Abidal-Mascherano-Alves. Pique and Iniesta need to come back and there might be need for a few more optimisations but it will be 3-4-3 this season. Pep is trying it every game now. It's too obvious. He won't bench Fabregas.
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LaMessiah
New member
I think it would've worked just fine if the personnel was different. Puyol and Mascherano should've been switched with Puyol playing the RB.. while Mascherano had a pretty decent game, he was getting abused on that right flank in the first half. He's better in the middle and Puyol is used to playing as a fullback. Also, Thiago in place of Keita would've allowed the team to maintain better possession and tire out Valencia earlier.
After 60th minute or so, Barca were playing with a back three of Dani-Mascherano-Abidal and that was their best time in the game, when they started to dominate possession and chances. The 3-4-3 will work but Pep just has to work out the kinks and get his decisions right at the beginning, not after the half. But, hindsight is always 20/20.
B
barcelonista
Guest
It's obvious how the midfield diamond will look.
-------Fabregas------
Iniesta-----------Xavi
-------Busquets------
I just wonder who'll play in the defense:
Abidal-----Pique-----Alves
with the 2 hard workers Sanchez and Pedro on the flanks I guess. Alves has to adapt to a new static role without crossing the midfield line then (like in the second half yesterday) and the Messi-Alves partnership will be inherited by the Messi-Cesc partnership.
-------Fabregas------
Iniesta-----------Xavi
-------Busquets------
I just wonder who'll play in the defense:
Abidal-----Pique-----Alves
with the 2 hard workers Sanchez and Pedro on the flanks I guess. Alves has to adapt to a new static role without crossing the midfield line then (like in the second half yesterday) and the Messi-Alves partnership will be inherited by the Messi-Cesc partnership.
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Barcafan 2304
New member
Yip, i'll bow to people on this one. Said a lot in the 2nd half that when asked to stay back and defend, the problems down that flank were largely remedied. What happened in the first half was more a tactical error than the player's own performance etc.
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