Valverde Is Stuck Halfway

A little follow up to the previous post about structure and positional play. Stressing the same idea now after the Dortmund & Granada games. It looks like Valverde is stuck halfway. 👇🏽

Some of the main requirements in terms of leadership & group management are clarity of vision/ideas, persuasion skills & consistency of choices.

Valverde isn’t showing these skills so far. It’s like he wants to make a change, but doesn’t go all in. And that hesitation has consequences.

2 elements I keep wondering about :

1 – Why would you bet on wide wingers & give a key role to your interiors during ALL friendlies & LaLiga games… then suddenly hint at going back to last year’s model (Messi as fake RW & a sacrificed RCM) ?

2 – Why would you show your lack of belief in a player (Rakitic) in those same games (an adjustment that, whether we like it or not, symbolizes the change of model)… then suddenly give him a key role in what you described as a key position in your new system ?

I explained in the end of last season why IMHO Valverde’s cycle at Barça came to an end.

Not because he’s a bad coach, but because the events he and this group of players went through made his profile inadequate to propel the necessary change.

Tough situations call for radical choices. In order to recover the leadership & send a clear message by showcasing an unwavering commitment & belief in the change you want to make, maybe key players have to be dropped. Cruyff called it “sacrificing the sacred cows” (“vacas sagradas”).

Sometimes you need to take risks & shake things up. Clarity & radicality of ideas is needed now. You can’t afford to get stuck halfway. You’re either all in or soon out.

In terms of system & line-ups, IMHO 3 changes would be productive :

1 – Sergi Roberto at right back.

2 – Messi back at the False 9 role (and keep the wide wingers). Suárez can still play a key role, start every 2-3 games & help when coming off the bench.

3 – Don’t start a game without at least 2 of your 3 main midfielders (Busquets Frenkie Arthur). Only play Rakitic as pivot, since he can’t perform the new role asked from the interiors.

It wouldn’t solve everything. But at least it would reinforce the model and, as said, shake things up.

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