serghei
Senior Member
Okay, so I've made a thread where we can discuss our tactical and planning problems especially in how we pass the ball and how we move without the ball. So we can all see more clearly what the issues are under our crap manager, and why exactly we create 1-2 decent chances per game with 75% possession. What we should do, but don't do, how we should set up, how some players are confused with current tactics, problems in moving off the ball, and problems with density, compactness, and extreme rigidity in our positional progression of the ball.
This first post is about problems in build-up vs Athletico Bilbao (0-1). How we lost the game while having very good possession numbers, and how we failed to create a single coherent attack from our possession game.
So we have picture 1 with a standard attack in possession from the central defenders up.
Foto 1:
a) First, notice how big the distance between the three midfielders is.
b) Here we have Raul Garcia applying pressure on Pique in the early stage of build-up, while another Bilbao player does not let De Jong receive from Pique. This was a common theme of the game. Not letting De Jong to get in possession with face forward in space. Ball is played wide, which is the simplest and most non-constructive way of building an attack. Teams leave spaces wide more often, so if you want to quickly get the ball forward, and don't care about the quality of the position you obtained, you pass the ball to fullback and advance.
c) Notice how Alena is going wide to receive the ball from Alba, because he is blocked by a Bilbao player from being passed to. Again, the movement is from inside, to wide. Common theme in Valverde boring football. Not enough central occupation and overplaying on the wings with no real payoff. Valverde's 2 midfielders almost play as if we have a 4-4-2 midfield and they are in fact wide midfielders, not central mids in a midfield trio which is supposed to be fluid and interconnected.
Foto 2:
a) You have Alba who does the right thing here. He goes a bit inside and he seems to be wanting to develop through the center. But Alena doesn't bring anything in the center since he continues to go wide.
b) We have De Jong who looks like he wants in, but Raul Garcia takes him again under marking. Raul Garcia role here is very important. So he basically leaves Pique all alone and goes towards De Jong to press him. The mesagge is clear for the Bilbao defense system: stop De Jong at all costs.
c) Roberto here is in a potentially dangerous position. There is a potential pass from Alba to Roberto (white dotted line), if Roberto moves off the ball and takes the position marked with a circle. Pass is not on if he doesn't move, because a Bilbao player blocks the channel.
Muniain sees this and, completely leaves Semedo free and takes on Roberto. Semedo and Pique are standing in so much pace it's unreal. They could easily push forward, and take on more aggressive positions to advance the build-up and exploit Bilbao's risky too right-side heavy shape. Also, notice how Alba's pass to positions 2 and 3 (white circles) is a basic simple pass. Nobody is blocking it.
We are here in this picture 1 or 2 easy steps away from having a very dangerous attack on Bilbao's left side, due to Bilbao's insistence to press us in numbers in the area where the ball is. 2 easy steps that only require a simple pass and players adjusting the positions to benefit from open holes in Bilbao's defensive system. Every time Bilbao players reinforce a position, they weaken another, like it happens here. But if our players stand around like mummies, nothing will happen and Bilbao players will fix their shape in a matter of seconds.
Suffice to say that Semedo and Pique don't move an inch. They stand still marking air.
Foto 3:
Because they didn't keep a correct shape and refused to adjust their positioning, they are stubmling against each other. Now suddenly both Pique and Semedo want to join in and participate in build-up. But it's too fucking late.
Whole Bilbao right side who where caught in a bad shape, are now readjusting and gravitating on the left. They have plenty of time to do it because Pique and Semedo are clowning around.
Semedo should already by 20-25m more advanced than he is. Pique should be 10-15m. more advanced. We have 4 (!!!!) players behind the ball marking nobody. Meanwhile Bilbao has a 5 vs 1 in the middle of the park. Roberto is surrounded by half of Bilbao's team almost.
There is not 1 good passing option now.
Foto 4:
Some important seconds are wasted, and Pique and Semedo are still unsure if they are straight or gay. Almost touching each other there.
As expected, an attack with superiority on our right side and on Bilbao's left has now turned into a 4 vs 2 in favor of Bilbao. Semedo should be placed where Dembele is, and Dembele should be farther up, providing passing options. Both Pique and Semedo, as shown in the above picture, have had an enormous amount of space to push up.
Again, there is no presence in the green area, which is the central area in the vicinity of the zone where the ball is. That is basically a key area where you should be looking to pass the ball, so key that the opponent has to block it at all costs. But because there is nobody from Barcelona that shows any intent to penetrate the green area, the Bilbao player that was in charge of that position has left it, and has double teamed Yeray Alvarez in his marking of Suarez. This has, in turn, allowed the LB of Bilbao, Berchiche to apply even more pressure in the wing (since Dembele is way back, nobody is attacking his side, and Suarez is well taken care of by two teammates).
More to come depending on the available time.
This first post is about problems in build-up vs Athletico Bilbao (0-1). How we lost the game while having very good possession numbers, and how we failed to create a single coherent attack from our possession game.
So we have picture 1 with a standard attack in possession from the central defenders up.
Foto 1:
a) First, notice how big the distance between the three midfielders is.
b) Here we have Raul Garcia applying pressure on Pique in the early stage of build-up, while another Bilbao player does not let De Jong receive from Pique. This was a common theme of the game. Not letting De Jong to get in possession with face forward in space. Ball is played wide, which is the simplest and most non-constructive way of building an attack. Teams leave spaces wide more often, so if you want to quickly get the ball forward, and don't care about the quality of the position you obtained, you pass the ball to fullback and advance.
c) Notice how Alena is going wide to receive the ball from Alba, because he is blocked by a Bilbao player from being passed to. Again, the movement is from inside, to wide. Common theme in Valverde boring football. Not enough central occupation and overplaying on the wings with no real payoff. Valverde's 2 midfielders almost play as if we have a 4-4-2 midfield and they are in fact wide midfielders, not central mids in a midfield trio which is supposed to be fluid and interconnected.
Foto 2:
a) You have Alba who does the right thing here. He goes a bit inside and he seems to be wanting to develop through the center. But Alena doesn't bring anything in the center since he continues to go wide.
b) We have De Jong who looks like he wants in, but Raul Garcia takes him again under marking. Raul Garcia role here is very important. So he basically leaves Pique all alone and goes towards De Jong to press him. The mesagge is clear for the Bilbao defense system: stop De Jong at all costs.
c) Roberto here is in a potentially dangerous position. There is a potential pass from Alba to Roberto (white dotted line), if Roberto moves off the ball and takes the position marked with a circle. Pass is not on if he doesn't move, because a Bilbao player blocks the channel.
Muniain sees this and, completely leaves Semedo free and takes on Roberto. Semedo and Pique are standing in so much pace it's unreal. They could easily push forward, and take on more aggressive positions to advance the build-up and exploit Bilbao's risky too right-side heavy shape. Also, notice how Alba's pass to positions 2 and 3 (white circles) is a basic simple pass. Nobody is blocking it.
We are here in this picture 1 or 2 easy steps away from having a very dangerous attack on Bilbao's left side, due to Bilbao's insistence to press us in numbers in the area where the ball is. 2 easy steps that only require a simple pass and players adjusting the positions to benefit from open holes in Bilbao's defensive system. Every time Bilbao players reinforce a position, they weaken another, like it happens here. But if our players stand around like mummies, nothing will happen and Bilbao players will fix their shape in a matter of seconds.
Suffice to say that Semedo and Pique don't move an inch. They stand still marking air.
Foto 3:
Because they didn't keep a correct shape and refused to adjust their positioning, they are stubmling against each other. Now suddenly both Pique and Semedo want to join in and participate in build-up. But it's too fucking late.
Whole Bilbao right side who where caught in a bad shape, are now readjusting and gravitating on the left. They have plenty of time to do it because Pique and Semedo are clowning around.
Semedo should already by 20-25m more advanced than he is. Pique should be 10-15m. more advanced. We have 4 (!!!!) players behind the ball marking nobody. Meanwhile Bilbao has a 5 vs 1 in the middle of the park. Roberto is surrounded by half of Bilbao's team almost.
There is not 1 good passing option now.
Foto 4:
Some important seconds are wasted, and Pique and Semedo are still unsure if they are straight or gay. Almost touching each other there.
As expected, an attack with superiority on our right side and on Bilbao's left has now turned into a 4 vs 2 in favor of Bilbao. Semedo should be placed where Dembele is, and Dembele should be farther up, providing passing options. Both Pique and Semedo, as shown in the above picture, have had an enormous amount of space to push up.
Again, there is no presence in the green area, which is the central area in the vicinity of the zone where the ball is. That is basically a key area where you should be looking to pass the ball, so key that the opponent has to block it at all costs. But because there is nobody from Barcelona that shows any intent to penetrate the green area, the Bilbao player that was in charge of that position has left it, and has double teamed Yeray Alvarez in his marking of Suarez. This has, in turn, allowed the LB of Bilbao, Berchiche to apply even more pressure in the wing (since Dembele is way back, nobody is attacking his side, and Suarez is well taken care of by two teammates).
More to come depending on the available time.
Last edited:
point taken.
