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I’ve been positively surprised by Valverde’s new setup this season. Positional play, wide wingers, advanced interiors, youth & energy : I’m all for it!
The games vs Betis & Valencia felt like a breath of fresh air. And I think it’s only a matter of time (new players knowing each other better, building more belief in the new system through successive wins) before it starts working in the away games too.
Because I believe in this experiment and want to see it deepened & enhanced, I hope to see Messi back at his False 9 role (“F9”).
Now more than ever, structure is everything. It is what enables the interiors to play high between the lines & what makes it easier for the team to counter-press when dispossessed.
Within this context, you need wide wingers in order to free the half-spaces for the interiors, you need a combinative & mobile #9 if you want to enable the interiors to drop deep without losing associative play a few meters higher and still be able to exploit your wingers runs into the box.
Griezmann’s performances vs Betis & Valencia already showed us how fluidity & speed of ball circulation can be tremendously improved when the team plays with a mobile & combinative #9, making it easier not only to reach, but most importantly to create, free spaces.
I have never been a fan of Messi playing on the right, because of all the tactical imbalances it creates. Keeping him as “fake” winger would mean altering the structure & also wasting Frenkie De Jong’s talent by making him perform “the Rakitic job” (constantly adapting his moves to Messi’s).
Getting Messi back to F9 is also a good way to enable him to keep limiting his physical efforts without making the team pay the price for it defensively.
Now the major problem would be to bench Suárez. A player of that magnitude, who provides so much to the team, can’t be benched for simple structural reasons. If it happens, it will be because another player is performing way better on an individual level & making the team play better collectively. And it has to leave no doubts & be clear for everyone to see in order to make the transition non-dramatic (Pedro/Henry, Piqué/Márquez, Busquets/Touré).
This will be Dembélé’s role & main mission this season. Barça needs him to correct his flaws & be more consistent in order to be able to get Messi back at F9 & keep the necessary structure to take this positional play experiment to the next level.
CONCLUSION
I say enough with the asymmetrical thingy or having players performing different roles depending on their teammates positioning.
Enough with the search for balance and compromises. It’s time for clarity.
If positional play is really how Valverde wants to roll this season, then let’s do it in its purest form and accept all the consequences. If I was given one last ride/season as Barça coach, I know this is how I’d choose to leave.
(a follow up to this post can be found here)
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Captn ⚽ 
Yeah, I’ve been looking to see Messi back on F9 for the reasons you’ve already mentioned. We can see some changes, but they are not polished yet. I agree with everything you said, but you haven’t mentioned Busquets’ role.
I’m worried about Busquets’ role, cause’ it’s the most important position in 4-3-3 formation, it allows other players to move freely, holds the formation. And what I’m seeing atm is not looking good. Busquets is being too mobile, aggressive, and leaves a lot of spaces. Obviously, it’s not like it’s all Busquets’ fault. In my opinion, it is the tactic that doesn’t help him. Especially left and right backs and both midfielders. I’m interested, what you’ve got to say about this.
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Hi man.
I think it has more to do with Busquets on an individual level, he’s not as consistent as before. But that doesn’t mean he became average, just that he makes 2 or 3 errors per game, that he didn’t used to do.
On a collective level, I disagree with your point. I think Busquets may be the main beneficiary from having Arthur & Frenkie next to him in MF. We had a proof of that in the Betis & Valencia games. Those 2 help him tremendously in the build-up phase when they drop deep, in keeping ball possession (by constantly offering passing options, even when under pressure), in counter-pressing (specially De Jong whose defensive skills are underrated).
It’s just the beginning of the season though. Let’s wait & see how things evolve in midfield once they play more games together.
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Hi!
My point was mainly about Busquets’ defensive role, not in build-up. Of course, he’s not as good as he used to be, but still I think that Busquets’ role should be a little bit reorganized. To be clear, not exactly Busquets’ role, but his teammates to support him more.
There’s no other role in Barcelona’s style that needs so much support. Statistics and heatmaps show that since 2014-15 season, Busquets’ role has been becoming more and more aggressive. He has been running more, covering more space, which caused less tackles, chaos and errors.
I never underestimate and underrate the DM role in 4-3-3 formation. It’s the core, it’s something the team depends on a lot. If Busquets doesn’t get help from his teammates, he’ll play bad, oh boy, he’ll, but if he does get the support, he suddenly becomes the best.
Sorry for responding so late! 😀
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Dear captain guardiola, you are probably my favourite FCB tactical analyst. And once more you have written a very smart article regarding the team.
My question for you is, would Messi actually want to perform this role given how he likes to play of a centre forward? And could he physically be up to the task of playing this dynamic role(while attacking) the he played when he was younger?
I do believe we must move Messi permanently to the centre because of the imbalances you wrote about, but recent Messi as a F9 ventures(Argentina side or VS PSV) didnt seem to look that good for him as he seems to enjoy his leisurely walks during games.
A 4-2-4ish like in 09/10 or a new 3-4-1-2 might fit him and the rest of this squad a little better. Wht do you think? Cheers.
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Hi man. Thanks for your kind words.
I was mostly expressing a wish in this post : my hope is to see the positional play option strengthened, and playing Messi as F9 is the main change that may enable that.
I understand all the issues with Messi playing as F9. And no, I don’t think he still has the physical attributes to do it in the same way. But smart players know how to adapt and interpret new roles.
Unfortunately I also think Messi himself wouldn’t like that. He made an interview last season saying he was the one who asked Valverde to start from the right side.
Anyway, whether he’s a #9 or #10, the most important in terms of structure would be to get Messi out of the right side IF WE WANT TO PLAY PROPER POSITIONAL PLAY.
Wait & see.
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