diegomessi
Anxiously waiting for the next match
Confessions of a writer
I have a confession. This is a subject I have been anxious to write about ever since the signing of Dmytro Chygrynskiy (’Chyggy’ henceforth in this article), and although I tried to wait until more appearances, I decided to write it now amidst the increasing criticism over the Ukrainian’s performances and transfer.
As you can presume by the title, I am not going to speak of Chyggy alone, but rather enquire about the back four combinations that include him, and the differences between them. The main focus, also hinted in the title, will be the partnership with Gerard Pique, who is arguably Barcelona’s first choice CB, taking into account the problems of benching Puyol.
Two Piques are better than one?
Again, the title says it all, Two towers ready to fend off any incoming ball, whether high or low, in order to keep the opposition away from the box. Only problem, so far, it is yet prove itself efficient. During Saturday’s game against Mallorca, one of the opposition’s corner almost ended up with the ball in Valdes’ net after Pique and Chyggy both missed a header to the rather easy lob (KO – to the rather easy lob?? what does that mean now?), with the Spaniard slightly deflecting the ball off its original course to meet the Ukrainian’s head.
In what might have been Pique’s worst performance since he returned to Catalunya, it was evident that neither he nor Chyggy truly knew their role on the pitch, and that Guardiola had failed to explain them their tasks. When Pique plays with Puyol, it is quite clear that Puyol is in charge of man marking and Pique is of clearance and relieving pressure.
This is due to the differences between the duo. Puyol is shorter, but stronger and faster, while Pique is tall, slow and yet posses great technical skills. This also allows Pique to play as the back four’s playmaker, assisting Xavi when he is under pressure. The problem with Chyggy is that he and Pique are too much alike, and that often causes mix-ups, as you lose the qualities Puyol and Marquez has to offer. It is unclear as to who goes forward and when, and where to position during set pieces, and finally when to switch positions. All of these are matters to be handled by Guardiola and Vilanova, with the help of both players.
The way I see it, Chyggy is physically stronger then Pique, and is better at air play, while Pique is a bit faster and technically superior, although Chyggy doesn’t lack in that department either. Based on that, I believe it is safe to say that between the two, Chyggy is the one to usually stays behind, but given the chance he should not hesitate going forward and deploy his killer passes, while Pique covers for him.
Puyol kissing the captain armband after scoring against Real Madrid at the Santiago Barnabeu
The Puyol Effect
Questions has been raised recently regarding El Captain’s future with Barca, mainly after Chyggy’s transfer. Regardless to his age, Puyol is one of the best defenders presently, and is Barca’s only cover for the right-back position (without taking youth players into account). And of course one must not forget Puyol’s leadership skills. This is where things get complicated. How do you choose who to field when you have the captain of the team, a revelation of center-back, and a 25 million euros signing? The answer is simple: Patience.
Chyggy turned 23 last week, and not once has Guardiola has mentioned that he is the one for the future. He needs to settle in, understand the tactics, the language, the Barca philosophy. He needs to understand his team mates, learn how to communicate and work with them. It is going to take time, whether it is a whole season, like Thierry Henry, or after ten games, like Daniel Alves. And yes, there is a possibility it might not happen at all. But the truth is Chyggy is a center-back just like the book says: strong, tall, can handle the ball, and if I may say, quite the opposite of a so called Barca ‘flop’ Martin Caceres. Perhaps Guardiola learned from his mistakes.
Expectations
As hard as it is to predict Guardiola, and even harder to predict player form, Chyggy is probably not going to play as much as Pique did last year. Unlike Alves or Ibrahimovic, who did not have the time to settle since they were first choice in their position right after their arrival, Chyggy is going to be eased into it. He will get more and more playing time, even if it takes next season as well, until Guardiola sees it fit to make him a starter. But one thing is certain: unless they are unfit, Puyol and Pique are going to start in the El Clasico.
Marquez is yet to find his best form, and Chyggy simply cannot convince Guardiola in one game (Athletic). Besides, can anyone forget Puyol’s super-jump that gave us the lead during the Clasico humiliation last year? This is where we need Puyol most. Chyggy cannot yet fully understand the meaning of the Clasico, while Puyol might just play against dinosaurs if Real’s starting line-up would consist of 11 T-Rexes. Still, Puyol is getting older and while he is progressing towards the last stages of his career, he will be there to ensure that all of the knowledge he acquired during his 14 year spell in Barcelona is not wasted. So that one day, in the near future, Pique and Chyggy could form the dream center-back partnership dubbed ‘The Two Towers’.
I have a confession. This is a subject I have been anxious to write about ever since the signing of Dmytro Chygrynskiy (’Chyggy’ henceforth in this article), and although I tried to wait until more appearances, I decided to write it now amidst the increasing criticism over the Ukrainian’s performances and transfer.
As you can presume by the title, I am not going to speak of Chyggy alone, but rather enquire about the back four combinations that include him, and the differences between them. The main focus, also hinted in the title, will be the partnership with Gerard Pique, who is arguably Barcelona’s first choice CB, taking into account the problems of benching Puyol.
Two Piques are better than one?
Again, the title says it all, Two towers ready to fend off any incoming ball, whether high or low, in order to keep the opposition away from the box. Only problem, so far, it is yet prove itself efficient. During Saturday’s game against Mallorca, one of the opposition’s corner almost ended up with the ball in Valdes’ net after Pique and Chyggy both missed a header to the rather easy lob (KO – to the rather easy lob?? what does that mean now?), with the Spaniard slightly deflecting the ball off its original course to meet the Ukrainian’s head.
In what might have been Pique’s worst performance since he returned to Catalunya, it was evident that neither he nor Chyggy truly knew their role on the pitch, and that Guardiola had failed to explain them their tasks. When Pique plays with Puyol, it is quite clear that Puyol is in charge of man marking and Pique is of clearance and relieving pressure.
This is due to the differences between the duo. Puyol is shorter, but stronger and faster, while Pique is tall, slow and yet posses great technical skills. This also allows Pique to play as the back four’s playmaker, assisting Xavi when he is under pressure. The problem with Chyggy is that he and Pique are too much alike, and that often causes mix-ups, as you lose the qualities Puyol and Marquez has to offer. It is unclear as to who goes forward and when, and where to position during set pieces, and finally when to switch positions. All of these are matters to be handled by Guardiola and Vilanova, with the help of both players.
The way I see it, Chyggy is physically stronger then Pique, and is better at air play, while Pique is a bit faster and technically superior, although Chyggy doesn’t lack in that department either. Based on that, I believe it is safe to say that between the two, Chyggy is the one to usually stays behind, but given the chance he should not hesitate going forward and deploy his killer passes, while Pique covers for him.
Puyol kissing the captain armband after scoring against Real Madrid at the Santiago Barnabeu
The Puyol Effect
Questions has been raised recently regarding El Captain’s future with Barca, mainly after Chyggy’s transfer. Regardless to his age, Puyol is one of the best defenders presently, and is Barca’s only cover for the right-back position (without taking youth players into account). And of course one must not forget Puyol’s leadership skills. This is where things get complicated. How do you choose who to field when you have the captain of the team, a revelation of center-back, and a 25 million euros signing? The answer is simple: Patience.
Chyggy turned 23 last week, and not once has Guardiola has mentioned that he is the one for the future. He needs to settle in, understand the tactics, the language, the Barca philosophy. He needs to understand his team mates, learn how to communicate and work with them. It is going to take time, whether it is a whole season, like Thierry Henry, or after ten games, like Daniel Alves. And yes, there is a possibility it might not happen at all. But the truth is Chyggy is a center-back just like the book says: strong, tall, can handle the ball, and if I may say, quite the opposite of a so called Barca ‘flop’ Martin Caceres. Perhaps Guardiola learned from his mistakes.
Expectations
As hard as it is to predict Guardiola, and even harder to predict player form, Chyggy is probably not going to play as much as Pique did last year. Unlike Alves or Ibrahimovic, who did not have the time to settle since they were first choice in their position right after their arrival, Chyggy is going to be eased into it. He will get more and more playing time, even if it takes next season as well, until Guardiola sees it fit to make him a starter. But one thing is certain: unless they are unfit, Puyol and Pique are going to start in the El Clasico.
Marquez is yet to find his best form, and Chyggy simply cannot convince Guardiola in one game (Athletic). Besides, can anyone forget Puyol’s super-jump that gave us the lead during the Clasico humiliation last year? This is where we need Puyol most. Chyggy cannot yet fully understand the meaning of the Clasico, while Puyol might just play against dinosaurs if Real’s starting line-up would consist of 11 T-Rexes. Still, Puyol is getting older and while he is progressing towards the last stages of his career, he will be there to ensure that all of the knowledge he acquired during his 14 year spell in Barcelona is not wasted. So that one day, in the near future, Pique and Chyggy could form the dream center-back partnership dubbed ‘The Two Towers’.
![[FCB]Messi[10](/data/avatars/m/1/1964.jpg?1681148121){kind=avatar}
