No it isn't.
Ronald Koeman
- Thread starter barSELOna
- Start date
No it isn't.
jairzinho
Senior Member
The technical ability is good but the football just isn't dynamic enough. Simple as that. We're too soft. I hate that word but it's the only adjective i can think of to describe this team. Soft,slow, weak, sterile etc.
In la liga, we would probably survive most games with this style but in Europe, the intensity and athleticism of the top teams is another level. Thats the main reason we get exposed every year. PSG kept overunning our midfield. Just like Juve did some months prior. Players like Busi and Pique, Pedri, Frenkie couldn't do shit. They couldn't keep up with the pace.
In la liga, we would probably survive most games with this style but in Europe, the intensity and athleticism of the top teams is another level. Thats the main reason we get exposed every year. PSG kept overunning our midfield. Just like Juve did some months prior. Players like Busi and Pique, Pedri, Frenkie couldn't do shit. They couldn't keep up with the pace.
Bobo32
Senior Member
Skimmed through it and it didn't strike me as a very good or thorough analysis, but some things were well found.
He had a picture of Busquets "pressing" Paredes - this was not a one-off but a recurrent theme. He was most likely told to do that - I think it's insane
Just like I have said many times before, Pedri and De Jong are often positioned too deep, and too close to opponents.
Our defensive core (CBs+Busquets) is terrible, but our attack is a dysfunctional mess as well. They create no space for our midfield or defense. Says it all that our best penalty box runner is de Jong. Compare that to PSG
Maybe not as talented individually (apart from Mbappe obviously), but they all have a physical presence. Whoever thought Griezmann-Messi-Dembele (insert Coutinho, Trincao etc pp) was a good idea deserves to be fired. Even on paper I cant spot any synergies.Well, they need to because our attack doesnt do it.
Bobo32
Senior Member
The opposite, Griezmann and Messi are also coming deep too often.
Potroh
New member
Each and every coach tries to adapt the solutions to the players available. Those, who say they are doing it for the foggy future aren't telling the truth.
Koeman hasn't actually touched the defense, the structure (apart from trying three defenders for one and a half game).
It's still the same in the middle, sort of similar to the Piquet-Mascherano pair, with the difference that Masche used to be a midfielder and hence much more versatile than an average CB.
Pique was static, tall, slow and well suited to the tiki-taka while building up, whereas Masche was almost the same with both feet, constantly moving and trying to intercept, unlike what the slow Lenglet is capable of. Even back then the defense was vulnerable with Alba weak in defense but Dani Alves's versatility helped a lot.
This structure did not change and the problem is somewhere there.
Pique and Alba aged, no useful RB for a long time (god forbid to name Roberto as a real defender) and everything remained the same.
Umtiti - even before his problems - was slow, but exceptionally good with his head, so even if he played like he did 3 years ago, structurally it wouldn't change anything.
The whole dynamics of the defense needs to be changed, but it is simply impossible if the team still lives in the past, thinking that mere possession means anything useful.
Neither Koeman nor anyone else can change that, until you gather the entire team and force them to watch or imbibe what contemporary football stands for.
What would have been the best starting 11 with Araujo and Fati injured?
We just don't have good enough players.
Should FDJ play CB instead of Lenglet?
Should Pjanic and
Puig then play in midfield instead of Busquets and FDJ?
What upset me is how Kurzawa did whatever he wanted moving forward, with Demb?l? watching.
He created a lot of space for Mbapp?.
Messi was triple-teamed whereas Mbapp? was mostly unmarked.
Finally, MAtS had another bad day. He looks scared whenever a cross is played. Freekicks are always extremely dangerous because he is frozen on his goal line, does not try to pick up balls in the air.
Even 1on1's are no longer a strength, he tends to forget the short corner, at least in 'big' games.
We just don't have good enough players.
Should FDJ play CB instead of Lenglet?
Should Pjanic and
Puig then play in midfield instead of Busquets and FDJ?
What upset me is how Kurzawa did whatever he wanted moving forward, with Demb?l? watching.
He created a lot of space for Mbapp?.
Messi was triple-teamed whereas Mbapp? was mostly unmarked.
Finally, MAtS had another bad day. He looks scared whenever a cross is played. Freekicks are always extremely dangerous because he is frozen on his goal line, does not try to pick up balls in the air.
Even 1on1's are no longer a strength, he tends to forget the short corner, at least in 'big' games.
Messigician
Senior Member
Wow
🗣 [ @FabrizioRomano 🥇] | If Barca are knocked out by PSG, Koeman will not continue next season. ( via: @podcastherewego ) 🚨🚨
Right before elections ballsy
🗣 [ @FabrizioRomano 🥇] | If Barca are knocked out by PSG, Koeman will not continue next season. ( via: @podcastherewego ) 🚨🚨
Right before elections ballsy
fergus90
Senior Member
Just losing 2-0 away in Europe is almost worthy of an open-top bus such is the levels.
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Well-known member
Holy shit, were we terrific at home but without fans its like playing away.
serghei
Senior Member
Yea, major asterisk playing at home when there are no fans.
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