Croatia had 3 workhorse midfielders and at least two were fast (Modric, Brozovic).
At least 2 could have scored goals and they can make an assist (Modric, Rakitic).
Who can shoot in Arthur-Alena-Roberto midfield? Maybe Alena.
Who can be a CAM/Playmaker in Arthur-Roberto-Alena? Nobody. Alena is young and meh. Arthur's forward game is on Dembele's IQ level. Roberto is just running around without any real purpose.
In attack, Croatia had 2 normal wingers.
Perisic as a LW. We have Griezmann. Griezmann is a better player but Perisic is a classical, fast (and strong) winger who can dribble, shoot and assist. Griezz is some silent playmaker who plays as a CAM-SS-false 9 from LW position.
Croatia in attack had 190+ cm tall Mandzukic. Wherever Croatia didn't know what to do: they just hoofed the ball forward to Mandzukic, he will control the ball and pass it to 2 true fast wingers, while Modric and Raki will run towards the box and lurk around the box in attempt to shoot and score.
Further, Croatia had motivation. Who was lazy in that team? All players played with 120%. Do you think that Busi, Suarez, Raki today, Alba, even Messi play with 120% in every match?
Also, what I am mentioning often, Croatia played in a 3-option attacking way:
1. if they can outplay an opponent in midfield=they will play with feet and try to create chance on the ground through teamplay, 1-2s, good passes or solo dribbles
2. they have an option to play on counters through 2 fast wingers in Perisic and Rebic (plus Vrsaljko)
3. or, if they struggle to control the match, or if can't break through the bus, they always have RM's option: cross, cross, cross since they have 3 tall targetmen in the box in:
Mandzukic 190cm
Perisic 186cm
Rebic 185cm
Now, I am asking you, what is Barca's gameplan and our options (not due to EV, but due to skillset of our players):
3 ways of attacking:
1. we can only play a possession game.
If it works=fine.
If now=we don't have any other option.
2. counterattacking game?
Well, we have not too fast Griezmann, slow Suarez, and fast Dembele.
But then, even if you give a ball to Dembele, he is too dumb and he will ruin every action.
So, our counterattacking game is=Dembele.
That means that this option doesn't exist. Because counting on Dumbele is not an option.
3. and the last option: if you struggle to break the opponent through the middle, possession, control, you can always turn to the ugliest style: cross the ball into the box, there will always be some havoc and lucky lose balls.
Can Barca do that? No.
Our only taller/stronger player is Suarez, and when he got injured, our 3 attackers were light Rafinha, light Griezz and super light Dembele (can he even jump and head the ball?).
So, Croatia had way weaker players than a current Barca.
But their team had sense.
All players played on their positions, more or less (they don't have Coutinho, Griezz, Roberto playing totally out of position).
Their attack can attack in 3 different ways.
Their midfield, even though technically weaker than Barca's, can still: create, run, cover, defend, jump, tackle but also, unlike Barca: assist, shoot and score.
Did you forget how Croatia, Liverpool, Real Madrid and France were scoring goals in semis and finals?
They would rarely tikitaka the opponent in 2018 in tight matches or outsmart them through the middle of the box.
Majority of goals came after counters, free kicks, corners and headers or from regular crosses and headers.
I mean, when Barca can't break the bus, what do we do?
Pass around the box till death and try to make 1-2s, solo dribbles or through balls even though all players are in the box (lol).
When it doesn't work, we just repeat the same over and over.
People will jump on me again with stupid replies: go watch Stoke.
But again, in maths way:
1. out of 3 ways for scoring, Barca uses only 1 way (possession)
2. and then, normal football teams have midfielders who can give an additional push in shooting and scoring
So, normal teams have 4 things:
1. chances from possession
2. chances from counters
3. chances from crosses+headers
4. midfielders who can create, shoot and score
What does Barca have?
1. chances from possession
What we don't have?
1. chances from counters
2. chances from crosses/headers
3. shots from midfielders
What is worse, we have Messi to mask our onedimensional attacking play.
When you remove Messi, like yesterday, what you have?
= a team which can create only through the ground, and even then we suck at it
2. counters, no
3. crosses, no
4. shots from midfielders, no
And then people tell me: we need a midfield Arthur-Frenkie which will do nothing in the attacking 3rd.
And then we will pass the ball to a bunch of attackers who again can do nothing against a parked bus, if Messi is not on a field.
And even if Messi IS on a field, we will again be able to score only from Messi's solo magic or from 1-2s and possession.
No wonder that any European team can neutralize us easily when we attack in such a onedimensional way.
Now remember:
Atletico 1:0
Atletico 2:0
Psg 4:0
Juve 3:0
Roma 3:0
Liverpool 4:0
Against Roma and Liverpool we didn't have midfield, fine.
But against Atletico, Psg and Juve, we DID have the midfield and still couldn't create real chances because we are creating chances only in one way: Through the ground, through the middle, where opponents have 5-6-7-8 players at the edge of a box in two rows of 4+4 players.
Since we talked about Croatia, now remember how they were creating chances if they struggled to dominate teams in the middle:
= Through counters and through crosses and headers where there is always some weird ricochet and lose balls just waiting to be hit into the net:
Croatia:England:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi_2GELMwfY
Croatia:Russia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjU8j2bj3RY
I don't see any resemblance between Croatia's and Barca's skillset.
Barca has better players, but can attack in only one way.
that's true
