It?s hard to predict the proper shape with Messi when he drifts all over the pitch. One thing for sure is he won?t spend much time on the wing. And the you have Coutinho, Pedri and Greizmann who all want to play centrally.
Yea, it's fine to have a very good central coverage, because with proper movement you can build a nice network of passes (preferably with a good passing speed) which in theory should be able to lead to overloads and numerical superiorities. Which would then draw defenders in and create space for the fullbacks to exploit. Basically how Madrid played in their best 2017 season, with Marcelo and Carvajal being top 5 performers for them.
The thing is that if the passes are not fast enough and the release to the attacking fullbacks is not quick enough, it can look crowded and muddled in a bad way, with little to no wing play. A lot is down to the speed of passing and triangle creations in the center, and to the fullbacks inspiration and end product when in space (crosses, cutbacks, takeons etc.). Also down to the 3 up front (2 forwards and the CAM) to ensure a good presence in the box.
Looks like 4-3-3 with De Jong, Pedri and Coutinho in the midfield.
THat could be our best midfield setup currently. It can deliver if let to run the plays. I like this line-up very much. Probably Koeman's most appealing line-up so far. Probably purely dictated by the injuries we have, but I take it anyway
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