Last season that team was so open that the back line was pressured way to easily and all it took is a couple of moves to expose it. thankfully if there's one thing that I like what Valverde has done is he tightened the team tactically which helped minimized the problems we have had under Lucho.
The last season the defense was much worse, no doubt about that.
But if you carefully analyze the reasons, the most important two factors were:
- Ter Stegen's unreliable form and his astounding freezes
and
- Busquets's injury and horrible form in the beginning and at the end of the season.
Otherwise nothing much has changed back there, apart from Busquets playing really well and Ter Stegen's amazing change and form.
Valverde carries the team towards a safer, more defense-oriented play, and so far it works (with less goals taken and much less scored) as far as the results are concerned, but do not be carried away by the mere points, because on the long run, it can easily be counterproductive, specially when one looks at the rather predictable attacking formation, apart from Messi...
