Alexis Role Next Season at Barca

[Pepe Silvia]

This is a highly controversial subject that has sparked tons of debate over the years, so I want to know, how do you see Alexis role next season should he stay and play for Barcelona?

 

[Sumlit]

I still don't think he is ideal for the wing-forward role that Barca need. IMO he is simply not enough of a scoring threat on the field. For me he is always much more likely to assist than he is to score.

With that in mind, keeping business as usual is to continue to misuse his talents. However I also think you're never going to get Chile Alexis as Barca can't really accommodate a free role player and Barca are never going to run their offensive game through him like Chile does.

So for me, I choose the "other" option. Play him a little deeper and more centrally, get him away from that right corner where he struggles and is wasted. Get him on the ball a little sooner so that his workrate and creativity creates problems for the opponents. Allow him to make sudden and quick runs into the box from deep to create confusion in the defense. Allow his workrate to help out in the middle a bit more.

For me, 4-5-1 with Alexis deeper and more centrally as a very offensive RW-AM, Neymar also a bit deeper and more centrally.

 

[Flavia]

He is not Barça's best player, to have the team build around him.
However, Lucho can try something different, that would allow him a bit more freedom.

 

[antonnn]

He'll be the new Cesc.

 

[Semi-Neutral]

This formation would rely a ton on our players being fit, the fullbacks in particular, but given Lucho's history I feel he could make it work. Basically, Dani and Alba would bomb up and down the touchlines offering width, while Alexis, Messi, Neymar and Iniesta would interchange in the middle, creating triangles, moving around, making space, and just in general causing havoc. Busquets would sit extremely deep, often forming a back 3, and Rafinha would provide pressure in the midfield to hopefully give Dani and Alba time to track back. If needed, Alexis can track back and clog the middle even more, helping Rafinha pressure and evening out the odds in the defense. Basically, Alexis would be part of a 4-man creative tandem in the middle, with him being the most defensive out of all of them due to his relatively best defensive abilities.

 

[evilhita666]

He is not Barça's best player, to have the team build around him.
However, Lucho can try something different, that would allow him a bit more freedom.

I agree...

For me it's a bit of both answers... Tactics have to be adjusted to get the best of Alexis but not at the expense of other players, and those same tactics should also address how to get the best of team both individually and collectively...

So in a way it would be business as usual, but with changes that allow him to have a bigger impact...

 

[Sumlit]

This formation would rely a ton on our players being fit, the fullbacks in particular, but given Lucho's history I feel he could make it work. Basically, Dani and Alba would bomb up and down the touchlines offering width, while Alexis, Messi, Neymar and Iniesta would interchange in the middle, creating triangles, moving around, making space, and just in general causing havoc. Busquets would sit extremely deep, often forming a back 3, and Rafinha would provide pressure in the midfield to hopefully give Dani and Alba time to track back. If needed, Alexis can track back and clog the middle even more, helping Rafinha pressure and evening out the odds in the defense. Basically, Alexis would be part of a 4-man creative tandem in the middle, with him being the most defensive out of all of them due to his relatively best defensive abilities.

That's intriguing. It is almost like the one I posted when Messi drops deeper to create, except you have the fullbacks more offensively and in mine they are more conservative. They'd have to drill the fullbacks to bomb and come back with discipline to not leave the sides exposed. It could work.

 

[Semi-Neutral]

I felt they needed to be more offensive to make up for the front three all naturally tending to drift toward the middle to get the ball, but that would be something that would likely depend on the opponents and on how exactly the Nemesis chemistry panned out, as well as how much defensive work Lucho is able to squeeze out of the midfield.

 

[Sumlit]

We're on the same idea though. Your formation is how I imagined mine would look when it is in attacking formation, and Messi is in the dropping back part of his false 9 role. I imagined the fullbacks taking turns to bomb depending on which side the play is developing, but I see the idea you're trying to draw. It is intriguing.
And yeah you're right that it would be conditioned to situation and opponents.

Rakitic also brings a nice wrinkle to it. Replace Iniesta with Rakitic and now you have a formation more solid defensively and perhaps more direct offensively.

 

[Semi-Neutral]

Not sure how I feel about Rakitic yet, still believe that Cesc would have offered more variety and quality, but we'll have to wait and see as to how that particular development pans out. Song may also be an interesting option as a box-to-box player when we want a bit more physicality, for some reason I don't think Lucho will like him that much though.

 

[Sumlit]

Yeah I think Song's days at Barca might be numbered. I wonder if Lucho has any plans for Roberto though, and if so, how much will he feature in the team. I had hopes for him but he truly did not show anything exceptional.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

This formation would rely a ton on our players being fit, the fullbacks in particular, but given Lucho's history I feel he could make it work. Basically, Dani and Alba would bomb up and down the touchlines offering width, while Alexis, Messi, Neymar and Iniesta would interchange in the middle, creating triangles, moving around, making space, and just in general causing havoc. Busquets would sit extremely deep, often forming a back 3, and Rafinha would provide pressure in the midfield to hopefully give Dani and Alba time to track back. If needed, Alexis can track back and clog the middle even more, helping Rafinha pressure and evening out the odds in the defense. Basically, Alexis would be part of a 4-man creative tandem in the middle, with him being the most defensive out of all of them due to his relatively best defensive abilities.

Good thinking dude. I like the idea and the draw up helped me to visualize it.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

I still don't think he is ideal for the wing-forward role that Barca need. IMO he is simply not enough of a scoring threat on the field. For me he is always much more likely to assist than he is to score.

With that in mind, keeping business as usual is to continue to misuse his talents. However I also think you're never going to get Chile Alexis as Barca can't really accommodate a free role player and Barca are never going to run their offensive game through him like Chile does.

So for me, I choose the "other" option. Play him a little deeper and more centrally, get him away from that right corner where he struggles and is wasted. Get him on the ball a little sooner so that his workrate and creativity creates problems for the opponents. Allow him to make sudden and quick runs into the box from deep to create confusion in the defense. Allow his workrate to help out in the middle a bit more.

For me, 4-5-1 with Alexis deeper and more centrally as a very offensive RW-AM, Neymar also a bit deeper and more centrally.

I like this draw up too! Nice thinking man!

 

[Catorce]

A more free flowing style would suits Alexis, Neymar, Messi and Iniesta. Our play has become incredibly static at times, we should allow the wingers to roam around and pursue combination play with these guys just freewheeling it. And even if it doesn't make us win trophies right away, at least it's entertaining.

 

[serghei]

I still don't think he is ideal for the wing-forward role that Barca need. IMO he is simply not enough of a scoring threat on the field. For me he is always much more likely to assist than he is to score.

Barcelona doesn't need a winger to hug the line. That has been the most problematic tactic for us this season, the idea that having two wingers very close to the sidelines might actually help us unlock teams. Id didn't help us and will not helps us in the future, because from the wing, the most realistical thing to do is to cross. And crossing to 1.70m guys isn't particularly helpful, is it? We are the most dangerous in the center, not on the wings. What I would do is instruct both Neymar and Alexis to play closer to Messi, leaving the wings to be covered by the fullbacks, and only when those fullbacks have plenty of space to use.