There was a noticable change in attitude in Setien's first game. Players ran more for each other, pressed harder and played more courageous passes. They looked like they wanted something and had the balls to go for it, even if they didn't really know how. That positivity seems to have diminished already, making way for the return of the languid neutrality of Valverde's side already.
9 out of 10 actions we have (passes, on the ball movement, off the ball movement) are neutral. They add nothing. They are disinterested, disspirited, pessimistic, resigned to the status quo of the situation. Pique twice refusing to play Semedo against La Real who was making runs down the line perfectly exemplifies the dominating mood of our game.
Messidependencia has a lot of adverse effects, and one of them is that we rationalize from the fact that he is involved in all our goals the logic that we can't score goals without him. We explain that with the idea, that we need to do something genius to score a goal. That we need that extraterrestial touch for a real chance to be created. We don't believe that ordinary balls down the line will lead to anything. It can't be that simple, we need something special that apparently no other team needs. That which only Barca can do. If there's no scope for the extraordinary, then we don't play that pass. Every play must be flavoured with our secret ingredient. What's a simple line against the architecture of the master creator?
We overcomplicate, overthink, and under-act. We don't believe that our actions can lead to goals, because they aren't genius enough.
