DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
Messi and Suarez playing too close and it seems there was no connection between Raki and Messi. We should improve that but otherwise looking good.
Look at this.
I think these graphs are not accurate representations in a lot of ways.
When the team moves to a defensive transition, Messi doesn't run back. He instead takes up a spot pressing on the highest line with or even ahead of Suarez and (sometimes) Neymar. That way, if Barca want to play a counter attack he can be a quick/high outlet to get it to. However, if they want to develop the possession slowly, Messi can just receive the ball and hold it up or slow the tempo to let everyone move ahead of him and assume their positions in the opponent half. In those scenarios (slow buildup attacks) he's often not only behind Suarez and Neymar, but even Rakitic sometimes. He often takes the same line as Iniesta and/or near Busquets to start those plays and moves forward as they advance. He's the farthest forward in a defensive phase, and among the furthest back in an attacking/possession phase. That also means he can conserve energy by not having to run up and down traveling pitch-long distances to keep the same position.
However, on these graphs it shows Messi and Suarez playing on the same line because almost half the game Messi is further forward than Suarez. It also doesn't do a good job at accurately portraying the shape of a team at different points in their transition. Lucho's tactics were pretty fucked but this doesn't tell a very correct story of why.
