Hans-Dieter Flick

[Barcaman]

Flick lost the defense general in the final days of pre-season an no wonder we are struggling. Kounde, Balde, Martin, Cuba, all need to be yelled at. Apparently noone knew it would happen. But it's all good. Deco said it's fine.

 

[Raketa10]

The only strange thing to me is, that the team looks physically weaker than last season, despite having the long and perfect pre-season preparation. Flick's tactic stands and falls depending on the legs of the players.
Only if you press like mad, control the ball most of the game, you can play that highline, otherwise it's suicide. The pressing and control is worse in this season. This isn't a tactical problem, but a physical one and it feels strange because most of the team are young players after a long rest in the summer.
Flick has until December/January time to find the form back, if we want to win a major trophy this season. So around 2-2.5 months. Until then, we can't lose much either as well obviously, or Madrid will get too far ahead in the league to catch up again.

I agree. However, there is also a psychological aspect of this story. Before Flick took over we had a horrible season and players were down to earth. In contrast, before this season they all thought that they are the best team in the world. If you take this into a consideration it's questionable how they approached the preparation for this season.

Additionally, in time, teams learn how to play against the system and if you don't change it at all it becomes obsolete.

 

[iniestaGOAT]

Can't say nothing about FLICK.
FLICK Can do no wrong.
Its the players fault.
Laporta's fault.
Deco's fault.
Fans fault.

Flick fanboys are a cult. We are fuckedddddd.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

People say we shouldn't press that high but can this team pick up new tactics quickly?
How high do you want them to press? Halfway line, mid half???
I'm just curious because it's the high press that made us such a free scoring team last season.
If we change our tactics I'm sure we will end up looking like Xavis haramball. Some sort of park the bus, tiki taka hybrid.
Alot of people said our highline would be exposed last season but that didn't happen until very late in the season.
We had alot of rest, a decent pre season and here we are looking confused and with a long injury list.

No line will work with this pressing

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Give us Pique, Puyol, Alves, Alba and we would kill with the high line

 

[Messi983]

Can't say nothing about FLICK.
FLICK Can do no wrong.
Its the players fault.
Laporta's fault.
Deco's fault.
Fans fault.

Flick fanboys are a cult. We are fuckedddddd.

This.

When in reality Lamine is the most responsible for last season. Without him we are just a bore team.

 

[Raketa10]

Flick lost the defense general in the final days of pre-season an no wonder we are struggling. Kounde, Balde, Martin, Cuba, all need to be yelled at. Apparently noone knew it would happen. But it's all good. Deco said it's fine.

I don't think that losing Inigo is the sole problem. It's not like we lost Pique or Puyol in their prime. Inigo was very good last season but he is far from a perfect CB. Our problem is much bigger than that. At the moment we lack our two best attackers Yamal and Raphinha. Lewa is much worse than last season and he is probably finished. Olmo is unrecognizable and Balde merely played. Furthermore, Gavi got injured and Casado is useless so we can't rotate Pedri and FDJ. If we continue to play them every single game we will burn them to the ground before December.

 

[serghei]

People say we shouldn't press that high but can this team pick up new tactics quickly?
How high do you want them to press? Halfway line, mid half???
I'm just curious because it's the high press that made us such a free scoring team last season.
If we change our tactics I'm sure we will end up looking like Xavis haramball. Some sort of park the bus, tiki taka hybrid.
Alot of people said our highline would be exposed last season but that didn't happen until very late in the season.
We had alot of rest, a decent pre season and here we are looking confused and with a long injury list.

For me, the key is to know when we can trigger it effectively, and when we can't.

If Ferran Torres wants to press the keeper but Rashford is not able to cut the easy passing option to the fullback, or our midfielders are not closing the opposing midfielder from receiving in the central axis, it's stupid to press. It's energy consumtion with zero return, and on top of that it causes bad gaps in our defensive structure.

Pressing from the front either forces the backline to occupy very high positions to keep the team short and compact, or it makes the team long, stretched out, and easy to exploit between the lines. Either way, pressing causes several problems and should be triggered only when it's at its most effective, and hard to pass through it. And this is when you are able to cut the passing options very quickly, when players are within reach, close to their markers, ready to pounce. We constantly trigger it while not being ready. Somebody presses, others keep position, it's all rather unsynchronized and chaotic at the moment.

If you look at PSG, they alternate moments of very hard cohesive pressing, when they press as a synchronized block, with moments of positional defending. They either press in full from all lines, in a synchronized way, or they conserve energy. They don't waste energy with mindless solo pressing that is easy to overcome.

PSG's pressing is synchronized. Ours often isn't. That's the big issue.

 

[jamrock]

Give us Pique, Puyol, Alves, Alba and we would kill with the high line

We would concede about 5 less goals lol and everyone would be saying they are shit and we need new CBs to make flick ball work lol

 

[jamrock]

Can't say nothing about FLICK.
FLICK Can do no wrong.
Its the players fault.
Laporta's fault.
Deco's fault.
Fans fault.

Flick fanboys are a cult. We are fuckedddddd.

Goated

 

[serghei]

Here, at their first goal, why in the hell would you press Pacho there when it's obvious he has ample time and space to just execute a simple to Mendes, knowing that this is Mendes' biggest weapon, building up speed using his pace to break lines?

First, you don't press here because you don't have access to players you need to press, Mendes all alone. This is clear situation of positional defense, until you gain better access to press.

2nd error, if you absolutely are adamant about pressing, it's Ferran that needs to do it, and Lamine cuts the pass to Mendes. You don't have both Ferran and rashford near the same player, and Lamine in 1 vs 2.

3rd error, if Lamine does press here, he has to first move to his right and press Pacho from the direction of Mendes. So called curbed pressing path to both press the CB and try to have the fullback in your cover shadow, trying to take out the option of Pacho to simply play Mendes.

But no, Lamine goes straight, pass is not cut, Mendes has ample time to receive, he accelerates using his pace unbothered, blitzes through our stretched lines, pass and goal.

 

[jamrock]

It has to be demoralizing for the team to lose the advantage over Madrid, one week after picking it up and giving a performance that's equally as bad as what they did against Atleti, maybe even worse considering the opposition.

The PSG game had an effect, it seems. They have never been totally outplayed before; it was a new experience for them.

We have to try and shake it off before the clasico, because of we lose that the title is 60% Madrid.

 

[Horatio]

Here, at their first goal, why in the hell would you press Pacho there when it's obvious he has ample time and space to just execute a simple to Mendes, knowing that this is Mendes' biggest weapon, building up speed using his pace to break lines?

Cause if Lamine doesn't anything, Pacho will just wait to release the ball.

Same reason why keepers getting pressed even when they have ample time to shoot it long or do whatever.

 

[Horatio]

The PSG game had an effect, it seems. They have never been totally outplayed before; it was a new experience for them.

it might. Or just the first game where suffered from injuries playing and happen to play a topside.
Then go into Sevilla with even more injuries and is not unthinkable that Barca continues to struggle.

 

[serghei]

Compare it to this. Barcola looks at Kounde, sees he's open, and even though Garcia is gaining ground and moves on the ball, in a far more advanced positon than Pacho above, facing the game, Barcola still holds position and doesn't press here.

Because he knows the pass to Kounde is a simple one. It is likely gonna be made, and Kounde can pose problems considering this is Yamal's flank.

By comparison, Barca didn't judge it like that.

These situations I'd like to see resolved. Better judgment at combining instances of positional defense and pressing.