Obviously he should be allowed to attack but you're missing the point here. The main dip in Alves' play is that he simply doesn't do it intelligently anymore.
-His linkup and movement up the flank is very valuable for us and leads to a lot of possible chances.... until he starts spraying crosses for no reason that we're VERY unlikely to score given his inaccuracy and our players. We could very easily find a better path to goal with cutbacks, wall passes, etc. instead of hoofing it with almost no efficiency.
-Him being an extra option in attack to outnumber the opponent is great, until he keeps loitering up there even when the ball isn't on his flank instead of making well timed runs/movements forward.
-I admire the amount of effort he puts in attack.... but he has less than 1/2 that effort in defense. He needs to cover more ground and maintain a presence in defense rather than staying up there, jogging back, and then leaving Pique to drift wide and stretch our defense to be unbelievably open. Then Alves apologists say that "his teammates should've covered him more".
All of that, it's just a result of being a smarter player. He wouldn't lose any attacking potency (he'd actually shed some of his attacking uselessness) and he'd be less of a culprit in our defense even if he isn't the best defensive fullback. That was all great when he was in a disciplined tactical system under Pep, he'd have license to go forward but a disciplined duty/role to play as well as being covered by a 3 man backline with Abidal. Since then under Tito and now Tata, things are far less disciplined. He gets tactical instructions but he's much more of an individual than a supporting player of a unit, therefore bringing in a lot of raw bullshit as baggage to his usually amazing self.
1. His movement is not restricted to moving back and forth in the right flank. He also comes in the middle. So, to talk about Dani Alves as
just a RB means to talk about Messi as
just a striker. They both have many facets to their game. Just like Messi - who sometimes plays as a classic 9, sometimes as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a winger - Alves occupies positions that are associated with a defender, a wingman or even a playmaker.
2. To use Dani as just a RB who goes up only when it's 100% safe, means to own a Ferrari and drive it with no more than 100 km/h because you're afraid of accidents. In that case, sell the Ferrari and buy a Fiat. The Fiat is eco-friendly, safe and cheap. It's all about risks and rewards. Dani Alves takes risks, but they usually pay off and they transform in rewards. At. Madrid away, 1-1, Dani Alves assisted Neymar for the goal that brought us the first title this season. Real Madrid, 2-1, Dani Alves shut down Ronaldo and then embarassed him by putting the ball through his legs. City, both legs, he showed Zabaleta how a real world class player plays and made the ITV commentators praise him almost every time he touched the ball.
3. Dani Alves does not limit himself to just executing well-timed runs, because he is also involved in the build-up part of our game. He is one of those players who can make a difference with a moment of inspiration and who can provide great passing. Again, something no other RB except Lahm can do.
4. We have many players that do what they shouldn't be doing in their positions. That's why the media called Barca the greatest team ever. Because we don't play it safe and we do what others don't dare to do. Busquets should not try fancy dribbles in dangerous positions, but he does. Why? 'Cause he can. With Alves it's the same.
I think Alves is the best or second best RB in the world right now. We payed around 35 million euros for him in 2008. You don't pay that much money for a player that plays like a regular RB. You can find OK RBs for 15-20m. They'll play good football, but they won't ever manage to produce the magic Alves has produced over the years for Barcelona. Or some of the brilliant stuff HE STILL PRODUCES.
