That's bad, because we have no one making runs. Good luck Frenkie..
I see that in the last few Months, this phrase became a new scapegoat for everything.
Now everything sucks because we are not moving enough.
While that is true, my point is that there are probably 10 different aspects and different problems in our team like:
Lack of off the ball movement, slow players, old players, unmotivated old players, old Messi, old and tired central Cf (and if we sub him with someone else, maybe we'll get more movement, but we'll score even less goals since only Dembele, Messi and Suarez are able to score currently), no one able to head the ball into a net once when big teams will park the buses (unlike weaker teams like Getafe, who can't do that).
I won't even mention questionable defending in these new lineups.
Ayway, last season, we were reading similar posts like:
Our game sucks because we don't have a controller.
And once when we'll get a controller, everything will be awesome.
But, we have Arthur now, and while he has improved our game in some aspects, can you guys seriously say that our overal gameplay in 2019 in significantly better than in 2017/17 BEFORE Arthur?
I can't.
I am not saying though (anymore) that Arthur is not good, my point is that majority of you expected that EVERYTHING will magically improve once when we'll get a good, old controller, and yet, our team is more or less the same as in 2017/18, in fact, I would dare to say that we play even way worse, uglier and slower than in the last season.
Not because of Arthur, though.
But my point is: I guess that majority of you expected a 50% or 100% improvement in our game once when we'll get a controller, and yet our improvement with a controller is probably 0%, 5% or 10% (don't jump on these estimated numbers, I hope that you get what I am trying to say).
Anyway, I am trying to say that I guess that the same might happen with these new flavor of the might alibi/magical solution=we need players with more movement, with running into space and who are fast.
For the beginning, how on Earth will we achieve that?
Let's check our team in 2019/2020 season:
Busi, majority still rate him highly and Rakitic is the main scapegoat. Even though Busi is only slightly less horrible than Raki. So imo, if Raki has to go, Busi should follow him extremely soon. I know, I know, Busi has "good passes/vision and everything", but then, if you want a younger, more mobile and faster team, you can't build that team around the drained, unmotivated, old, slow turtle Busi.
So, Busi will be here as a starter in the next season surely.
Then, we have Arthur, who, even though he moves a lot OFF THE BALL, he is not actually fast and is not making any forward runs. He is moving off the ball somewhere in between pivot and RCM position.
So, Frenkie won't have too much help from Busi's and Arthur's forward movement and runs.
Also, Busi's and Arthur's natural instincts are to slow down the game, keep possession and wait until our team gets into a 433 shape, so that we can Tiki-Taka them from that position.
Busi can't relearn new tricks aged 30+, and Arthur will need also need to slightly change his natural (Xavi's controlling) instincts if you want a faster, more direct game and balls going faster to wings and attackers.
So, that's already 2 players on whom Frenkie won't be able to count.
Let's see a forward line.
Granny and even more older, slower and lazier Messi? Good luck with that.
Suarez? No need to comment at all.
So, basically, out of 6 players in midfield-forward line, Frenkie will be able to play forward passes only for Dembele and somewhat to Messi.
Now, let's go back to my original point: do you guys think that faster players will magically solve our problems?
And even worse, there is even no way to actually put some faster players on a field.
Our subs are turtle slow Coutinho and quite slowish winger Malcom.
So, if you want faster players, you'll need to get rid of Busi (which is impossible) and you'll need to bench Suarez.
And then, with benching Suarez, you'll get more off the ball movement, but there is a chance that we'll lose 30 goals per season, a strong player who is dragging 2 defenders in the box all the time, and that our game with any forward instead of Suarez will actually be way, way worse.
Remember that every single big winner of a CL and World cups after Pep's Barca had a strong central forward in 433 (Benzema, Suarez, Giroud, Mandzukic, Kane etc).
The only teams who play without a classic 9, are Pep's Barca from 7-10 years ago, and Pep's City.
And we are yet to see how Pep's City is actually capable of winning a CL with Pep's style.
All in all, I see a lot of talk about off the ball movement and faster players, and yet it seems that our only 2 options for the next season are:
1. Busi, Arthur, Frenkie - Dembele, Suarez, Messi=which is more or less the same or only slightly better than today in terms of runs and movement. Whom will Frenkie and Arthur pass in this lineup?
2. the other option is quite dangerous: Busi, Arthur, Frenkie - Dembele, Messi, Malcom/insert a different winger, with a 33 years old Messi as a false 9 dropping deep and walking around the pitch, where we'll get forward runs from wingers, we'll lose a man in the box and an option to cross or play a long ball from time to time. Plus, defenders who don't need to man mark Suarez will now man mark Messi at the edge of the box (2-3-4 of them), and since youngsters Dembele, Malcom, Arthur and Frenkie will pas every single ball to Messi at the edge of the box, our game will possibly be even more 33-years-old Messi dependant and quite easy to neutralize by any physically tougher CL team.
In general, the idea of a faster team is good.
But it will work ONLY when Busi, Messi, Suarez will retire/get sold.
There is absolutely no way to play faster with these 3 getting older and slower each season.
Frenkie will do better when the people around him are more mobile. He sees a lot of chances but needs people who are dynamic running into holes, if you start a run Frenkie will notice it and use it
So, guys, prepare for:
The same team, EV and Busi, Arthur, Frenkie - Dembele, Suarez, Messi.
