How would you use Mascherano with busquets in the line ups ?

[mike2334a]

If You were the Manager of FCB how would you use busquets and Javi and by given the some fair minutes like they deserve ? and the rest of the team ofcourse?

thats mine for CL games or tough opponents

----------------------VV
Alves-------Puyol--------Pique------Abidal
----------Busquets--------------------------
----------------------Mascherano----------
Xavi----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Iniesta
-------------Messi-------------------------
-----------------------Villa----------------

Subs
- Pinto
- Milito
- Maxwell > Iniesta
- Adriano
- Keita
- Bojan
- Pedro>Busquets ( Switch to a basic 4-3-3 )

And against weak teams or Spanish Cup or just resting players before big games .

------------------Pinto---------------------
Adriano-------Milito-----Abidal-----Maxwell
-------------------Romeu-----------------
------------------------------------Keita---
Iniesta------------------------------------
---------Jeffren-------------------Pedro
---------------------Bojan--------------

Subs
VV
Pique
Fontas>Abidal
Busquets>Romeu
Thiago>Iniesta
JDS
Messi
Villa

 

[Barcafan 2304]

When we come up against Real, Inter or Chelsea, id just feed Macherano raw meat in the week before the game and tell him to kill!

 

[nebeer]

A lot depends on whether Ibra is staying or not.

 

[Pajo]

iniesta is much bettet as CM/AM and imo on the wing his talent is a bit wasted..

so, it is easy question, Mascherano DM, iniesta and xavi CMs, Buscuits on the bench

thats my opinion though

 

[.blitzer]

I wouldn't use. This is Barça, not Mourinho's Inter.

Jesus Christ, you are all blind about Biscuits! Just put him as capitain as it's all done!! duhh
He did a few good games at he WC, but he didn't do good games the entire last season. Some of you prefer Biscuit than the 2nd best DM of the world!

 

[el tren]

Busi and Masch on the same side is indeed tough to implement when you want to include Xavi as well. The most likely should be

-------------- Villa-------------
---Iniesta-------------Messi---
---------------Xavi-------------
--------Busi-------Masch------

This however will turn up the same prob as in the spanish NT with Busi and Alonso on the pitch: Xavi will be forced to play between the opponents lines and will have less of the pitch ahead of him. He seem to didnt like or at least used to that during the WC, which is why spain always looked better with Alonso off the field and Xavi then able to drop deeper. Besides that, Messi would have to play less central than lately again perhaps - unless you use Dani to cover the right wing, but you would still have Messi and Xavi to collide on the pitch. It just doesnt look synergetic having the players characters and properties in mind, so i really wonder how Pep will sort it out. The biggest bonus however might be having Masch to cover for Danis holes.

This however is another reason why Cesc would have been a much more synergetic buy b/c Xavi on Maschs position and Cesc in Xavis (in the above figure) just looks much more natural.

 

[Poor_Sunyol]

He'll play Busquets higher up than Mascherano when they start together or will play el tren's formation for the tough away CL games. People seem to forget that Busquets was actually a striker/forward in the B teams and was only converted to midfield by Pep in the last couple of seasons.

 

[Cal-FCB]

Busi and Masch on the same side is indeed tough to implement when you want to include Xavi as well. The most likely should be

-------------- Villa-------------
---Iniesta-------------Messi---
---------------Xavi-------------
--------Busi-------Masch------

This however will turn up the same prob as in the spanish NT with Busi and Alonso on the pitch: Xavi will be forced to play between the opponents lines and will have less of the pitch ahead of him. He seem to didnt like or at least used to that during the WC, which is why spain always looked better with Alonso off the field and Xavi then able to drop deeper. Besides that, Messi would have to play less central than lately again perhaps - unless you use Dani to cover the right wing, but you would still have Messi and Xavi to collide on the pitch. It just doesnt look synergetic having the players characters and properties in mind, so i really wonder how Pep will sort it out. The biggest bonus however might be having Masch to cover for Danis holes.

This however is another reason why Cesc would have been a much more synergetic buy b/c Xavi on Maschs position and Cesc in Xavis (in the above figure) just looks much more natural.

+1

Exactly, playing both of them is unlikely to get the best out of Xavi, which should always be a priority. It also means shoving Iniesta to LW, obviously he's still very good there but you'd rather have him in his best position. Busi offers more going forward than Masch for sure, but he's still not hugely creative and so the likes of Messi would have to do a lot more.

Tough away trips however may be helped with Masch and Busi on the pitch. We'll have a better idea once the season has started.

 

[Birdy]

It is simple what Pep has in mind:

Normal games:

---------------VV-------------------
-Alvez--Pique--Puyol-Adriano/Abidal/Max-
-----------SB/Masch---------------
------Xavi---------Iniesta----------
--Messi-----Villa-----Pedro--------

With boyan, jeffren, and two of adriano,abidal, max always featuring on rotation (and keita maybe)


'Special' games:

---------------VV-------------------
-Alvez--Pique--Puyol-Adriano/Abidal/Max-
-----------SB---Masch------------
--------------Xavi-----------------
--Iniesta-----Messi-----Villa-----

With iniesta and Villa cutting in and PEdro on the bench ready to come as a sub and make an impact..

PS1: Now with mach available i am pretty sure Keita will be finally benched...

Ps2: Messi, this year, will play most games as the last diagram shows.. And as he featured with sevilla.. Remember me! The guy will emerge as the most leathal 'false nine' of the next 3 (at least) years ....


PS3: @eltren and Cal-FCB : the analysis is partly correct because barcelona plays a more all-around the penalty area game than spain.. When the opponents would be gathered in their box, for us xavi would be outside in his preferable position.. Inside would be some of the front three and the wing backs overlapping...

 

[nebeer]

iniesta is much bettet as CM/AM and imo on the wing his talent is a bit wasted..

so, it is easy question, Mascherano DM, iniesta and xavi CMs, Buscuits on the bench

thats my opinion though

I also think Iniesta plays best as a CM, so playing Sergi and Masch together may not happen that often. Or if it happens Iniesta might have to adapt. But I would prefer him in midfield and Pedro or Villa on the left flank.

 

[Aryagorn]

---------------Masch
--------Busi--------------Iniesta

Occasionally when Xavi needs rest. After all his flirts with Fabregas he will deserve a nice spanking if he again says he wants to play each and every match. take some rest man!!

 

[Barcaman]

I fear that Casper will be out injured for half of the season (as he usually is) and that Pep won't have the dilemma. And evenmore so should we lose Ibra and sign noone. As in that case Iniesta will be both midfielder and a winger.
As a result I think that Mascherano and Busqets will often play together.

 

[el tren]

It is simple what Pep has in mind:

Normal games:

---------------VV-------------------
-Alvez--Pique--Puyol-Adriano/Abidal/Max-
-----------SB/Masch---------------
------Xavi---------Iniesta----------
--Messi-----Villa-----Pedro--------

With boyan, jeffren, and two of adriano,abidal, max always featuring on rotation (and keita maybe)


'Special' games:

---------------VV-------------------
-Alvez--Pique--Puyol-Adriano/Abidal/Max-
-----------SB---Masch------------
--------------Xavi-----------------
--Iniesta-----Messi-----Villa-----

With iniesta and Villa cutting in and PEdro on the bench ready to come as a sub and make an impact..

PS1: Now with mach available i am pretty sure Keita will be finally benched...

Ps2: Messi, this year, will play most games as the last diagram shows.. And as he featured with sevilla.. Remember me! The guy will emerge as the most leathal 'false nine' of the next 3 (at least) years ....


PS3: @eltren and Cal-FCB : the analysis is partly correct because barcelona plays a more all-around the penalty area game than spain.. When the opponents would be gathered in their box, for us xavi would be outside in his preferable position.. Inside would be some of the front three and the wing backs overlapping...

Thats not wrong, but the one problem is that Xavi would have one less forward passing outlet when two midfielders are behind him (perhaps even 2 counting in the who prolly wouldnt be ahead of him anymore), which gives him less options and makes less use of his overview and decision making, reducing his influence on the game.

2nd prob is still Messi, who (as you correctly said plays more centrally) would naturally be forced away from the center. I dont see how your 2nd figure would work in practice, even though Barcas positioning is very floating. But Messi tends to drop deep and in your diagram find himself basically in the same spot as Xavi to demand the ball. And that would be rather ineffective and kinda easy to defend against. To make it work, either of the two would have to drift to the side. Maybe thats the plan, but i dont know.

Sth like that

-------------Masch------------
--------Xavi-----Busi------------
--Iniesta-----Messi-----Villa-----

could however be working, with Busi playing a box-to-box role and being available for Xavi passes in the offense and Xavi thus dropping deeper.

 

[diegomessi]

Sth like that

-------------Masch------------
--------Xavi-----Busi------------
--Iniesta-----Messi-----Villa-----

could however be working, with Busi playing a box-to-box role and being available for Xavi passes in the offense and Xavi thus dropping deeper.

I like this but put villa at CF iniesta left messi right

 

[VivaBarca]

Drop Busquets for easy matches.