La Liga Round 2: Real Sociedad - FC Barcelona 1-4

Birdy said:

Thinking about Sunday's game from a tactical POV:

Let's say that somehow we manage to register Kounde before the game. Given also the leaks about Balde starting, Pjanic starting, and Kounde starting,
I think Xavi should tweak a bit the formation during the build-up (attacking phase) to make it closer to a 3-5-2,
with the RB (Kounde or Araujo) tucking in, while the LB (Balde) released up the pitch:

That would suit Dembele at RW who is better hugging the touchline, than playing in half-space.
I would also bench Raphina for Ansu, as Raphinia is good at the same role as Dembele and only at RW (but Dembele is a better player, so he plays),
while Ansu can be lethal tucked in closer to the box, and next to a striker like Lewa ...
(When defending, this would morph into the standard 4-3-3, Ansu marking the RB and Alba the RW)

Compare it to the attacking formation against Rayo:

which was super rigid, and the advanced full backs on both flanks were almost clashing with the wingers, w/o giving numerical superiorities in the middle.
The problem as especially evident in the problems the 2 CBs and Busi had in finding the interiors further up the pitch

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JohnN said:

I believe we should find a way to incorporate FDJ. He is really good in a system that suits him and very helpful in breaking the first press. Pjanic for me is a lost cause.

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mdenci said:

The fans are turning... no, actually they have already turned into a paranoid mass of instant success-seekers who live off of insulting players, believing everything from the media (shocking given the proven Bartomeu media manipulation incident) and constantly comparing the Club with every other top club on the planet.

People, please be realistic... I know this is the social media period where every person can say what they want and everybody will have someone to agree with them, but we're talking millions of different opinions on how to reach the one goal we all seek, that being for Barca to return to it's glory days.

In fact, if you remember (if you're not too young), those glory days actually started with a 0-1 loss vs. Numancia! Yes, the Pep Guardiola era started with a loss vs. NUMANCIA! Why? Because the team was only getting started to know each other and some new mechanisms were introduced. You can't expect to buy excellent INDIVIDUALS and see them instantly fitting in with the squad. The team needs time to show what they can do, the coach needs time to introduce his idea to his team (which by itself is as hard as it is, and with all the commotion with not knowing if you will be able to even register players (!!!!!!), being in a financially poor state, selling players he is counting on is actually a must, etc., it is multiple times harder).

While I agree that Xavi seems like a non-flexible, stubborn coach who will impose his will and idea no matter what - Pep was also like that, but he learned over the years. Not one person is the same and every person has their learning pace. Given everything Xavi has given us as a player and how he adopted to certain changes in formation and roles in the squad, I believe he will learn to get the best out of this team, but he may require a bit more time than Pep (I've read a story about Pep's willingness to learn even while he was a player: Barca played against Real Oviedo in 1996., won that game 4:2, but after the game, Pep entered into opposition locker room and demanded to speak with their coach. The coach's name was Juan Manuel Lillo, and he is a student of the juego de posicion play-style. Pep was fascinated what he saw from his team, especially the way the opposition players closed down him and his teammates in defence, and how they could spread the play all across the field in order to spread the defence and have the ball in the halfspace area.), and I think that he is entitled to that time.

From my point of view, we have taken a more-risky, non-Barca approach to our poor financial situation, making short-term investments in the squad, but sacrificeing a lot in the long-term. I don't like it, I think this was the ideal opportunity to bring Barca back to it's mes que un club roots by playing La Masia players and slowly rebuilding towards former glory. Of course, every plan has chances to backfire, and since Laporta is the ship's captain now, we should all support his way of thinking and hoping his plan will produce good things for the Club.

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Skalman said:

Tough game but we really need to win this one. Any chance we can use anyone else for lb instead of Alba? He was completely missing last game and we really cant have that

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Horatio said:

People want to see Balde.

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