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Today I’m continuing my analysis of Hansi Flick, and the tactics he could implement at Barcelona. How is he likely to set up in possession? And can he solve the biggest tactical problem at the heart of the team?
Tune in next time for a look at the defensive side of the analysis!
Watch part 1 of the series here: https://youtu.be/YC_o-HHT2d4
Sections:
0:00 Why verticality matters
2:18 Xavi-Flick football
3:16 The crucial role
5:04 A surprise inclusion?
7:20 Can you spot the difference?
7:40 Brilliant
24 Comments
This is so stupid
What I'll be interested in seeing is how Flick gets around the physicality issue. Gavi and Pedri are very good, but they're also a bit size challenged. Frenkie is pretty good but he's not exactly powerfully built either. And having that trio of gifted midfielders, how exactly do you then not play all three somehow? But if you play all three, what exactly do you do with Gundogan?
I could see a 4-3-2-1 happening, just to fit everybody in. Attacking fullbacks for width, Gundogan as a roaming attacking mid, Raphinha as second striker, and Lewandowski up top.
Well, I could see that based on the players but I'm not sure it has quite the physical punch and pace that Flick would likely prefer. Bayern 19-21 had people like Kimmich, Pavard, Alaba, Davies, Muller, Boateng, and of course Goretzka to the extent his fitness allowed. Decent enough technique in that bunch but also people that could simply muscle their way through, which was why Bayern was so dangerous. They could finesse a game or they could just punch you in the face, and often enough they'd do both.
Looking at the Barca team, there's a huge amount of technical proficiency, but there's not a lot of blunt force to fall back on when the finesse approach fails.
It's not like Barca was clueless under Xavi. We were making chances, we did figure out defensive shape late in the season with form again. But main issue with Xavi was he failed to fix the fitness/intensity/mentality issue at Barcanwhich also affected finishing, made many chances but didn't score. Barca just started messing the key passes. Fitness lacked too. Tactics are one thing but only players can execute them. In big matches team stopped playing in this way at all.
I can imagine that Joao Felix and Raphinha were much wider, than Perisic/Coman and Gnabry. They played in the half-spaces much more often than Felix and Raphinha. And the full backs pushed a little higher.
I think defensively Flick is much more of an Upgrade, I don't think the pressing was any good under Xavi
1. Flicks front 4 is always fluid and interchanging whilst Xavi always tasked Lamal and Raphinha to hug the touchline and maximise on width
2. Flicks bayern generated their chances more from crossed and putting more bodies in the box whilst xavi believed in playing in half spaces for cut backs, i think these are major differences that makes these guys very different in how similar they tend to look.
A subtle difference? Maybe you mean the wingers. Xavi keeps them well wide and likes to exploit the space between the CD and the fullbacks, while under Flick they drop inside and the fullbacks attack the sides.
The pressing will be way better
It's so hard to like this system because even though we can get away with it in la liga as teams sit back, we know we cannot do this in the ucl! Pedri and de jong simply do not cover enough ground to protect against transitions.
Looking forward for next video about barca or flik
Please make Enzo maresca new Chelsea coach video
Please make Enzo maresca new Chelsea coach video
Please make Enzo maresca new Chelsea coach video
Please make Enzo maresca new Chelsea coach video
I still believe Gavi and FDJ are the perfect combination when it comes to the 8 and 6 while Gundogan/Fermin and Pedri are more the Muller position. I really do hope Nico Williams can come into the team and help with the attack
miss those days of barca's tiki taka
The difference is that netiher de jong or pedri have the deffensive abilty you need in a pivot
Xavi had some horrible games last season. We barely do shooting practice and it's affecting us in games. Flick's Bayern was extraordinary in 2020 scoring from different kind of play; counter attack, direct and passing. If only Flick can transform Barca to play like his former Bayern side we would have a great season
The difference between Xavi and Flick’s system is how the ball is moved quickly into the final third and how quickly it must be.
Under Xavi the objective was to get the ball in the final third by using quick passing sequences with the players interchanging positions to bypass the press. The ball doing the hard work and the players guiding it into the final third and the box
Under Flick, it is all about the players running into the spaces left in behind the defenders by using long passes from the midfield pivots and centre backs to the dynamic wingers,fullbacks and the 10 and from there providing crosses from half space into the box for the striker and the 10 making runs. The 10 is also responsible for drawing in the defenders with the unpredictable movements by dropping deep occasionally and making runs, providing the striker to have a one on one opportunity with the other CB if playing against a back four.
Does Gavi have a place in this system? His intensity seems better suited for the double pivot, but that would leave a lot of creativity on the other pivot, since you will take away either pedri or de jong.
Anyone else notice how weak all European international teams have gotten? What happened to the star players and teams? Teams are relying on aging star players, players who are playing in Saudi Arabia or players who can’t even get into their club teams! For. Instance Netherlands with Depay, Italy Scamacca, Spain Morata and Ayoze, Portugal Ronaldo and Pepe, Germany Gündoğan and Kroos, France Kante and Griezmann these are just a few examples and clearly the standards have dropped drastically! What happened to the real power house teams and players that we remember?
Yeah when you have FDJ, gundo and pedri, midfield is solved anyway
I wish we sign Nico Williams
I dont like Pedri AND De Jong in the pivot roles. Pedri has poor stamina and work rate, lacks physical presence. Id rather have a Goretzka or Kante type alongside De Jong.