DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
Busquets, Pedro, Montoya, Alba and Mascherano were left out from the squad.
Munir El Haddadi
- Thread starter AlwaladAlBarsha
- Start date
Busquets, Pedro, Montoya, Alba and Mascherano were left out from the squad.
Ok what I like about Lucho is that he is not afraid to give youngsters chances.
Sumlit
San Claudio Bravo
Munir has plenty of talent. He has some exquisite and refined touches that you don't see on even some of the world's best forwards, and his movement is also off the chart.
He needs to bulk up and fill his teenage body though. He's getting pushed and moved around too much. But the kid is definitely quality.
He needs to bulk up and fill his teenage body though. He's getting pushed and moved around too much. But the kid is definitely quality.
Hellsangel
Member
There is a goal machine hidden somewhere in this kid and it's only a matter of time before we will see it. Every fiber of his body breathes class.
Romarivaldinho
New member
While Munir was mostly invisible in his CL debut game, it was largely not his fault. I re watched the game focusing on Munir and he was making good runs and finding pockets of space, yet Messi was ignoring him and giving an occupied Neymar instead. I think Messi was trying too hard to create chemistry with Neymar at Munir's expense. I guess Messi is thinking: why bother when Saurez is back this kid will be put back in the B team because sadly Pedro and Rafinha are ahead of him in the pecking order..
BerkeleyBernie
Senior Member
Yes, Munir was invisible because of "other players," yet, when Pedro is invisible, it is because "he sucks."
The truth mostly has to do with the tactical setups of Barça and their opponents in each game. Versus Bilbao, Pedro was "invisible" because he was the player instructed to play between the two centerbacks, mostly the target for mostly overhit long balls. Munir played more in the channels, and had more space, making him less covered and a better target. Versus APOEL, this time Munir was the center player inside a parked bus, with Messi playing more in the right channel and Neymar off on the left. And in previous years, Pedro, Alexis, et al have mostly been instructed to hug the touch lines to provide width; always making runs, but if not seen, or if attacking went mostly down the opposite side, they were "invisible." Sometimes a player is "invisible" because they are marked out of the game. I can't think of a Barça player recently who is "invisible" because of laziness or lack of game intelligence. The only one that comes to mind is Messi in the last couple of years, where he would start most games "invisibly" walking between the two centerbacks (rarely moving to become available for passes to feet or over the top) before dropping back into the midfield about 15-20 minutes into the game. No one really knows if that's just Messi doing what he wanted, or an instruction/game plan from Tito/Tata.
Main problem I saw in the first half vs APOEL was lack of speed in transition play, especially from Sergi Roberto and Alves, and to a slightly lesser extent Xavi. APOEL was playing compact 10 behind the ball, but leaving space in the left/right channels, as well as sometimes between the lines. Neymar, Munir and Messi were sometimes available between the lines before the bus tightened, but did not receive quick service. And Messi, Neymar and Adriano were often available with space on the touch lines before the bus could get back to their box. The ball should have been played into space along the touch behind the back line where the players could take-on 1v1. Instead, Alves and Roberto either held the ball too long before passing to feet, or ran the ball into the channels themselves- both actions resulting in the closing off of space.
I want to watch the second half again to see if Lucho instructed the players to change tactics at the half. I have some screenshots of APOEL's defensive shape from the first half that I'll post in the game thread when I have a moment to organize.
barca7788
Nepali Cule
which position or tactics do u think will pedro thrive in??Yes, Munir was invisible because of "other players," yet, when Pedro is invisible, it is because "he sucks."
BerkeleyBernie
Senior Member
If we are talking about scoring opportunities: I think you will see different points of attack for the team this season. As far as Pedro, most likely to score versus high line opponents than parked buses, or during transition play (which was for the most part too slow vs APOEL, not the fault of the forwards). His shots tend to come from 1) counters through the middle, 2) clever runs in behind the back line, 3) rushing the box to poach squares, mishit shots, deflections (like his shot vs Athletic Club), and 4) curlers near left top of box (a la Adriano, Tello). Had his teammates been more accurate with delivery vs Athletic Club, where the (unusual) primary tactic was to cross and long ball to the isolated forwards, he might have had more shot opportunities, but playing a solo #9 isn't how he is normally used- he usually operates more in the channels, like Munir did against Athletic Club. With Suarez playing, Pedro is more likely to be rotated in the channels with Neymar and Munir, rather than dead center between the centerbacks. Sandro has looked to me like a good option to play more of a holding center #9 when tactics call for it and Suarez is not available.
As far as non-scoring contributions: he's excellent at bring the ball up the pitch on the break, as we saw against Athletic Club, and very good at quick passing play in tight areas around the box- he's often part of a passing move that leads to a shot/goal, though not necessarily the final ball. Watching vs APOEL, Neymar seems to have improved a lot in that regard over last season- the difference between him and Pedro in that situation is that Neymar is far more likely to attempt take-ons from the side of a solid bus, where Pedro is more likely to pass the ball back to the midfielder at the top of the 18 yard box when facing more than one marker.
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dostoevskij
New member
he started the first four games of the season, the game was dead and we play again on wednesday. Give the kid a break!!!
I
instinct
Guest
It was the right decision to sub in Sandro today IMO. He proved Lucho right with the goal.
I was thinking as a sub for Pedro. But as said above he did start 4 games straight. Better resting him.
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