Hans-Dieter Flick
- Thread starter Fati_Future_BallonDor
- Start date
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
I'll try to find it again, but I saw that statistically both Ferran and Lewandowski are bottom 10 strikers in top european leagues in pressing.
With Rashford we're more likely to have all three of them in that stat, but I want to see him as the striker with Raphinha and Lamine on the wings regardless.
jamrock
Senior Member
Really wouldn't have thought that with Torres, that's interesting.
I want to see raphinha at 9, that's been my dream for this season, but if rashford starts as 9 and they rotate that could also work
serghei
Senior Member
Wingers have to be responsible with cutting the passes to the other teams' fullbacks. Not midfielders and certainly not fullbacks.
If you're not positioned to do that, then don't bother pressing and keep shape, while having the backline drop 15-20m. That's how the best teams who use pressing play.
Of course I don't have to mention that pressing the keeper as much as we do is unheard of. Pressing for the sake of pressing is just bad vs good teams, potentially disastrous vs great ones.
The stupidest thing this team does is press when you are not in a situation to cut off simple passes. The entire purpose of pressing is voided, putting pressure on the ball carrier and force him to take more risk. If he has simple passes open, you should not press. You waste energy for nothing and this is how you end up gassed after min. 65-70.
If you're not positioned to do that, then don't bother pressing and keep shape, while having the backline drop 15-20m. That's how the best teams who use pressing play.
Of course I don't have to mention that pressing the keeper as much as we do is unheard of. Pressing for the sake of pressing is just bad vs good teams, potentially disastrous vs great ones.
The stupidest thing this team does is press when you are not in a situation to cut off simple passes. The entire purpose of pressing is voided, putting pressure on the ball carrier and force him to take more risk. If he has simple passes open, you should not press. You waste energy for nothing and this is how you end up gassed after min. 65-70.
Last edited:
Maradona37
Well-known member
Rashford failed every time he played 9 for United, though it could work in a different environnment, but I doubt it. The constant comments that come up on this site about 'playing him as a 9' are a bit silly, and show plenty here didn't watch him extensively at United. Same goes for the Raphinha at false 9 claims. This idea that you can take any winger and try to play them as a makeshift 9 just becuase they press a bit and to get more natural wide players into the team needs to die. You need a VERY specific type of winger to be successful as a false 9 - it takes a lot more than just pressing - and Rashford and Raphinha aren't it. They don't have anywhere near the technical ability or cuteness in tight spaces and link up play, and to play as a more traditional 9 they'd be fish out of water with back to goal.
If that report is true it adds to the doubts I have over Flick's ability to win the Champions League and retain la Liga now that Real Madrid look a credible threat again (I am not as much of a critic as the likes of Messi983 or IniestaGoat, but think Temptation, Fati, Birdy, delancey etc go over the top about his abilities, so I am somewhere in the middle, I did vote neutral after all). No top manager would try to play Rashford as a 9. His skillset is so obviously geared to playing out wide. He doesn't even press that well, and then you think about all the other things a number 9 does that he's poor at (back to goal, hold up play, flick ons). Might as well just stick with the corpse of Lewandowski there as at least he can sniff out chances in the box.
Barca will just have to accept they have no very good natural strikers (Lewa is finished and Torres is average by top level standards, let's be honest) and no Messis who can fill in as a false 9. That's the club's fault for bending over too much for Robert. It will likely cost them later in the season but that's life.
What do you think @Messi983
If that report is true it adds to the doubts I have over Flick's ability to win the Champions League and retain la Liga now that Real Madrid look a credible threat again (I am not as much of a critic as the likes of Messi983 or IniestaGoat, but think Temptation, Fati, Birdy, delancey etc go over the top about his abilities, so I am somewhere in the middle, I did vote neutral after all). No top manager would try to play Rashford as a 9. His skillset is so obviously geared to playing out wide. He doesn't even press that well, and then you think about all the other things a number 9 does that he's poor at (back to goal, hold up play, flick ons). Might as well just stick with the corpse of Lewandowski there as at least he can sniff out chances in the box.
Barca will just have to accept they have no very good natural strikers (Lewa is finished and Torres is average by top level standards, let's be honest) and no Messis who can fill in as a false 9. That's the club's fault for bending over too much for Robert. It will likely cost them later in the season but that's life.
What do you think @Messi983
Last edited:
Maradona37
Well-known member
Exactly. It's not just the pressing either, it's all the ability in tight spaces too - the central areas tend to be more congested than the wide areas, and that is bad news for a player like Rashford who needs space and is better facing goal fronting defenders up. So many attacks would break down if he played there. If Flick is seriously considering that just because he thinks Rashford 'presses well', then Flick is going down in my estimation. But the reports could be nonsense.
I still think Barca can win one or both of the big trophies, but there's no doubt it is harder without a top number 9 in the team, or even an excellent false 9. You don't need to be Messi but maybe a David Silva or a Fabregas who could have filled that role.
As it is Barca don't have any adequate 9s or fake 9s.
MonteCuler
Well-known member
Rashford at 9 will probably suck. But considering Ferran and Lewandowski suck as well, he could possibly make the position his
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Humble guy
Hojlund failed at 9 too at Manu, now look how he destroys Serie A
Maradona37
Well-known member
Tiny sample size.
Also, Hojlund is still playing as a traditional 9 (though Napoli are playing to his strengths more with de Bruyne balls in behind for him to run on to).
It's still very early in the season and too early to make full judgements. Something many people on this site love to do is make big judgements and proclamations based on one game or a few games.
Maradona37
Well-known member
That's not true, plenty of their players have left and still been rubbish. It's just the ones who did well are talked about more because it's funny to rub in how bad United are as a club.
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Humble guy
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Humble guy
Szech about Hansi's system:
”Last season, there are things we didn’t do perfectly and that we need to improve. If we have a very high defensive line and don’t have control of the game and the ball, it’s a huge risk, because you lose the ball and are exposed. I don’t think we need to change our tactics. One of the aspects we need to improve is ball control, otherwise, our defenders will be in trouble. It’s not easy, no, to sprint 50 meters back every time because, at some point, you lose energy and, at an important moment, you don’t make it. Therefore, what we need to do is try to build on what we did last season and improve it. “I think we proved last season what our system can offer us. Yes, it is risky, but when we play at our highest level, there aren’t many teams that can compete with us, but we have to be at our highest level. That’s why, although losing the game against Sevilla is painful, it’s a good lesson because you have to understand that it can become embarrassing if you don’t do things right. So I don’t think that’s the problem. I would never criticize the system. I would criticize the way we played in that system in a given game. And those two games this season where we didn’t do well enough. One was the Rayo Vallecano game and the other was in Sevilla, and it’s a clear message that we have to do better. The system isn’t the problem. Usually, it’s how you act within the system.”
”Last season, there are things we didn’t do perfectly and that we need to improve. If we have a very high defensive line and don’t have control of the game and the ball, it’s a huge risk, because you lose the ball and are exposed. I don’t think we need to change our tactics. One of the aspects we need to improve is ball control, otherwise, our defenders will be in trouble. It’s not easy, no, to sprint 50 meters back every time because, at some point, you lose energy and, at an important moment, you don’t make it. Therefore, what we need to do is try to build on what we did last season and improve it. “I think we proved last season what our system can offer us. Yes, it is risky, but when we play at our highest level, there aren’t many teams that can compete with us, but we have to be at our highest level. That’s why, although losing the game against Sevilla is painful, it’s a good lesson because you have to understand that it can become embarrassing if you don’t do things right. So I don’t think that’s the problem. I would never criticize the system. I would criticize the way we played in that system in a given game. And those two games this season where we didn’t do well enough. One was the Rayo Vallecano game and the other was in Sevilla, and it’s a clear message that we have to do better. The system isn’t the problem. Usually, it’s how you act within the system.”
Maradona37
Well-known member
Less talk, more action, imo.
Too many people in football are extremely good at talking about what they should do in theory, but never carry it out in practice.
Temptation
Well-known member
So true.
This is why Flick doesn't work in International Football.
International Football is completely different for managers. That's why Southgate is a good international manager but terrible club manager.
Also Nesta is the greatest CB I have ever seen alongside one other CB. I'm too young for Baresi.
This is why Flick doesn't work in International Football.
International Football is completely different for managers. That's why Southgate is a good international manager but terrible club manager.
Also Nesta is the greatest CB I have ever seen alongside one other CB. I'm too young for Baresi.
Home of Barca Fans
