There is no way on earth 4-3-3 can function with our current squad. We should move away from that idea ASAP! We are conceding goals like crazy and this needs to stop! We should go back to 4-4-2 or try 4-2-3-1 but 4-3-3 is something impossible right now! To be fair that 4-4-2 can easily be transformed to 4-2-3-1 and you can't do that with 4-3-3 formation.
Some of you are blind if you believe 4-3-3 is the way to go! If conceding 18 times in 12 games is not enough for you than I honestly don't know what is?! I don't know where to start with 4-3-3 problems but let's emphasize some major problems in that formation:
- We don't have a RW in 4-3-3 since Messi is basically playing free-role so it's like playing asymmetrical 4-3-1-2 system where right side is empty!
- Coutinho is not a classical left winger he is more AM/LM so he can not perform well in that position.
- Malcom is better on the right side while he can ONLY play on the left in 4-3-3 formation since Messi is playing on the right (although he isn't).
- Dembele is still losing too many balls and is still too week in defense.
- We don't have a proper RB for 4-3-3 since Roberto is bad in defense and Semede is ineffective in attack not to mention Pique is also too old and too reckless for 4-3-3 these days.
- Our midfielders are to slow with and without the ball, maybe Arthur isn't but he is still to inexperienced to take the main role this season.
- None of our midfielders apart from Busi is suitable for 4-3-3. So should we stick to 4-3-3 ONLY because it suits Busi more than others??? To be fair he is the only player from our starting 11 together with Alba who is suitable for 4-3-3.
Some of you should also stop with that stupid idea to bench Suarez and put Messi in the middle since Messi is definitely not a CF and we would be totally ineffective against stronger teams. Barca needs Suarez whether you like it or not. We have played our best football this year against Real, Inter and Tottenham where we didn't play our usual 4-3-3. So It's not about Dembele or Malcom or Messi or Busi it's about the system which is not suitable for our current squad! YOU SHOULD CHOOSE FORMATION BASED ON THE PLAYERS YOU HAVE AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!
I am sure that Pep or any other world class manager wouldn't play classical 4-3-3 formation with our current squad. No way in hell!
Some points:
I agree with you about the weaknesses of the 4-3-3. It's a messy situation.
But the shape is not the only reason we suck at defending.
Individually in 1v1s and collectively in a zone we cannot defend. I said before we have problems dealing with the movement of the opponent,
especially when runners burst through our lines and attack the box in open play or on the counter.
You yourself pointed out some of the reasons aswell.
Bob cannot defend for shit. I tried finding a heat map for the last game but i'm sure it would show how much Betis targeted out right side to take advantage of that.
Another of your points: "Our midfielders are to slow with and without the ball". This just makes it worse, especially when we are caught high up the pitch
and expect turtles like Bob and Raki to attempt to stop a rapid counter.
Busi is also turtle slow and has problems covering the empty spaces, not to mention Pique. So you see how bad we are on the right side.
Raki and Busi are getting older, slower and the mileage they've had so far, we're going to be in deep shit come February/March.
So again i would say, the shape can only fix so much, when we are slow, clumsy and have guys like Bob who are just really bad at defending against anyone.
Ernie has to take alot of the blame in all of this.
If you love Bob so much, teach him to defend properly for f's sake.
His handling of Raki's and Busquets mileage is going to haunt us in the latter stages of the season. He's spinting in a marathon and Madrid is only four points behind. Lol.
