Reflections on Barça into Round 6

To watch Barcelona is to see a side that is almost firing on all cylinders ... but not quite. The squad still appears to be lacking that predatory instinct in front of goal, and even Guardiola is having a time trying to unleash that beast from the Catalan lair. The defense is not really inspiring much in the way of confidence either, and this might be exacerbated from the difficulty in scoring. What is looking rather nifty is the passing game when in possession and the pressing game when not. While fitness is an absolute must when employing pressing, a solid possession game does wonders to reducing the necessity of its employment. Always better to let the other side burn themselves out pressing anyway, since it'll open up some space for a crafty substitute late in the match. Pep is already trying his hand at alternate formations, which is fine by me. Matches are all unique with at least 11 (if not 22) characteristics to consider, so it makes sense that one formation might not fit all situations. All I ask is that if Guardiola does use a rare formation (such as 3-5-2) that it not fit right into the opposition's plans--like it possibly did against Shakhtar Donestk.

One thing about the modern game is that it's requiring an increasing amount of fluidity in the attack. Organization is still a must in defense, but in the attack a player of universal skill (playmaker + finisher + runner) is becoming highly valuable. As Jonathan Wilson points out in his book, Inverting the Pyramid, 4-6-0 looks to be the formation of the future. With this in mind how does Barça's squad hold up to this standard? Well, Keita is probably preferred to Toure, given the Malian's wider skill set in both attack and defense, but whether he's in form at the moment is another story. Iniesta, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Hleb, Busquets, Messi, Bojan and Eto'o are all good in attack as well as closing down an opponent, and all are willing to run the distance to do that. Henry is somewhat problematic in that while he does track back to a degree, I don't think it's frequent enough. Also, his ability to attack is weighted heavily from the middle, per the traditional No.9 route, and Thierry's difficulty on the left wing is well documented. So, FCB's attacking complement of the squad is overall not too shabby as far as fluidity and creativity go with only one or two concerns of a minor nature. Then again, there's that nasty problem with scoring, or at least getting a quality scoring chance. The problem might not be that Barça lack finishers, but more that they need players able to pierce the human equivalent of a can of sardines. Passing only works so far in that sort of teeming mass of flailing legs and colliding bodies. Dribblers may be what's needed in this situation. With that in mind, hopefully Hleb will see a rapid return to the squad (and with his Spanish vastly improved). His ball skills, along with Iniesta, Messi, and Bojan, could be crucial.

Taking the dribbling idea a step further, here's a tactical idea for Barça. For sides that play deep and work the counterattack, start the first half with a squad light on the dribbling talent and more with a pace-aggressive theme. Work on forcing the opposition to respond to an intense possession game, even to 'milking' the opposition to press as much as possible. Scoring is not the focus per se so much as wearing the other side down. After the restart, introduce three offensive dribblers into the game, maybe at the 60 minute mark. At that point, the opposition should be fatigued enough to allow for more space in the attacking third. Pep may have already figured this out from his introduction of Messi and Bojan late into the match with Shakhtar Donetsk. Here's hoping he has anyway.

For all Frank Rijkaard's success with Barcelona in his first three years there, the Dutchman seemed to be partially basing his instruction, and even his vision, on flawed or dated thinking. For one, the side seemed to live and die on the performance of Ronaldinho. Fluidity in attack cannot be predicated upon any one person, and in Pep's Barça there doesn't appear to be that limitation. Another thing Frank would not address was that modern footballers must be prepared to play quite literally anywhere on the field. This especially applies to attackers tracking back. Pressing was rarely seen in Rijkaard's Barcelona, and when it was seen almost looked like something instituted on a personal basis rather than as a system. With Guardiola this changed, and it's effect on Barcelona's defensive ability actually improved, since the Blaugrana are maintaining possession at even higher margins than before in many cases. And as we all know, if you have the ball, the opposition can't score.

Guardiola still has questions that need answering, but from what I'm seeing he's heading in the right direction with no small creativity and insight of his own in evidence. I do think the changes the team are undergoing under Pep are necessary for its long term success. They're painful shifts in some cases that have yet to yield the desired results, but that's the way of things sometimes especially when it's an unfamiliar direction. We still have a ways to go, but the season is young. I think it's going to be okay in the end.