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ajnotkeith
Senior Member
(Alert: Rant incoming)
I am angry AF now after having watched that shitshow for 90 min.
And there is only 1 responsible for this, it's not the international break, not bad performances from certain players. It's Xavi...
1) You play against a damn low block of 5-4-1, one which many shitty LL teams use or will use against you, and the whole threat of the team is nullified from min0 to min 93. No big chance created, 1 big chance conceded, Mallorca having MORE SHOTS than you,
and make no mistake: if they had better players they could embarrass us with some 3-1 win or more
2) The simple thing that was evident form min.0' Xavi either couldn't see or was seeing but not reacting to:
we can't get in or through them, our possession was sterile AF, and the only way we could see a chance was a moment of brilliance from certain individuals.
This is NOT the way to go if you wanna win lesser opposition consistently. Valverde-esque to say the least
3) Why couldn't we break them?
Look at the positioning here:
That was our game the whole night. A rigid 4-3-3 with the wingers unable to cope with being double marked, with interiors lost and never touching the ball in between the lines, and with fullbacks and CBs practically wasted -> occupying zones where the oppositions was NOT
No way in a million years such rigidity breaks a good low block
4) Compare it with a possible system with 2 attackers (Lewa and an SS like Ansu or Ferran) wingbacks and 3atb:
See the difference?
In this one, we don't try to play AROUND them anymore, but THROUGH them: our players simple populate AREAS of the pitch that need presence, and were left empty with the rigid 4-3-3.
It also pins Mallorca backline, as they have to worry about 2 people running behind their back, it gives leeway to our wingbacks to play 1v1 since their RM and LM will hesitate to double down and leave interiors free to attack directly their backline
5) You can't fail to see all that and allow the game to simply go on with so many pathogenies in our tactical approach.
But even if you fail to do that:
WHY ON EARTH are you making FIXED subs all the time?
They are SET and STONE no matter the game, not matter the tactics. It's always Pedri or GAvi in for the md that has started instead of them, always RAphinia in for the LW that has started instead of him, and something similar at the back when we play full force.
That's just sad.
A coach should be able to pick the underperforming player EACH and EVERY time, and sub him no matter where he is in the pecking order.
PS: I still have great doubts if Xavi is the man for the new Barca project.
Great in being a leader and an idol for players, great in talking about our philosophy, great in calling in transfer targets and convincing them to join.
But all that could have been done by an SD and not the team's coach. The most important thing is being an astute tactician, and I have serious doubts Xavi is one right now...
Agree with you on everything and voiced this exact same concern last year about 5 ATB against Xavi's system but one disagreement :
Not many LaLiga teams will use a 5-4-1 block like that because a lot of the managers in Spain are stupid idealists who want to play nice football and pass around the back regardless of what opponent they face e.g Sociedad. The managers that are tactically competent in this league are few, so Xavi is lucky in that sense that he can run over most teams with the 4-3-3.
In Europe however it is a different story as we've already seen, the opponents are scouting much more in depth and they definitely will use 5 ATB like Frankfurt did. Xavi's 433 might be good enough to run over most league fodder but once teams start twigging on, especially in Europe, he is going to need to make a different tactic.
JohnN
Senior Member
We usually do shit after international breaks, and this time we had multiple players injured. Still got an away win after a crap football display. These wins are important for a league run and we probably shouldn't be so harsh on Xavi. EV made a career with wins like this.
iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
I bet bracilliant still wants fool ten haag in here
Proper clowns. Both of them.
Proper clowns. Both of them.
serghei
Senior Member
Xavi just needs to stop using wingers as dribbling weapons and service men for Lewa, and allow them to cut more inside and act as wide forwards. Check the goals Raphinha scores for Brazil, all are from near the box. He is not allowed to do this at Barca nearly as much.
You can't create and score goals if you get the ball near the sideline all the time. That's also on the midfield, they are not creating enough. Most of the chance creating is done by fullbacks and forwards.
You can't create and score goals if you get the ball near the sideline all the time. That's also on the midfield, they are not creating enough. Most of the chance creating is done by fullbacks and forwards.
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BusiTheKing
Senior Member
Agree. As seen from the Bayern game and just yesterday with Mallorca as well, we make it pretty easy for the oppo to isolate the winger with double or triple marking. With our pool of offensive talent, we really aren't yielding the combination play we should be. Need to let the wingers drift freely in the final third to unlock things.
serghei
Senior Member
We lack a world class playmaker though. De Jong is a disappointment, it is getting clear now, and Pedri + Gavi are kids with no experience really. We need someone like Bernardo, now it makes sense we were after him. He is the one to string those vertical passes right now not in 2-3 years when Pedri and Gavi will be more ready.
Birdy
Senior Member
It's not true that he expects all creation from wingers. He also expects creation from his interiors, but the only one currently who can create is Pedri.
That's why this team needs Bernardo badly.
As for the rest:
1) No, not all teams should play with wide/inside forwards. Some teams have done it with great success (Pep with Villa Pedro in 2011, Klopp with Mane Salah recently, etc) and that has led to the mistaken idea that it's the only way to go.
This team had a glaring hole for 6 or more years, that no one was holding the width and is was so easy to defend against if you congest the middle.
Xavi solved this by playing with wingers who hug the touchline.
There is no way back here, or it will be a step in regression
2) there is no 'natural progression' pattern for all coaches that goes through the same formations.
Alas, it's 2022 and Xavi was witnessed the evolution of the sport himself.
The problem lies elsewhere, not in the formation per se, but how you implement it.
Xavi, so far, shows some flaws in understanding very RIGIDLY the positioning of his players in the 4-3-3: not the wingers, but the interiors, the fullbacks, or even the pivot.
The other problem is he doesn't tweak formation at all. Mallorca game was crying for an other setup, as the Inter game is crying already before it begins.
He has to become less dogmatic with the 4-3-3
fergus90
Senior Member
I was absolutely baffled when people said we don't need Bernardo.
serghei
Senior Member
Yeah, overrating Pedri's current level probably. He is not close to the level of a De Bruyne, Modric, Bernardo. Years away. He will get there, but not fast enough to benefit from the last prime years of Lewandowski.
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Messi983
Senior Member
Read that he broke Zidane's record of away streak games unbeaten in La Liga , going for 18 games without a loss.
Unreal manager.
serghei
Senior Member
I know you're bantering. So far he seems good, not great. He has to grow, just like the players.
Personally I still have some hope Pep will have another go at Barcelona in the future. We fucked that up big time.
CatalinR10
Senior Member
big if true
Horatio
You're welcome
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