Tactics
Raphinha & the annihilation of the offside line
Raphinha is the master of the parallel run and we’ve already seen him reap the benefits of its (almost) unstoppable nature.
tactical analysis
Tactics
All that glitters is not gold: Xavi Hernández and the optimisation of the Barca project
Xavi has now had the worst start of any Barcelona coach with 50+ games since as early as 2001. 50 games, 28 wins, 11 draws and 11 defeats amount to a 56% win rate. Quite clearly, for a club of Barcelona’s aspirations, it is severely lacking.
Tactics
Xavi's wide conundrum & the Raphinha-Dembélé experiment
The Frenchman is far more effective on the right while Raphinha turns into a creator on the left, but maybe there is a case for him to be a more central player
Tactics
Verticality, intensity and defensive awareness are destroying Xavi's progress at Barcelona
Xavi's vertical approach sacrificed control and short-passing for quicker transitions. For a young team this led to rushed decisions, and disjointed buildup.
Profile
The Modern Pivot: 5 players who could replace Sergio Busquets at Barcelona
Replacing Busquets like-for-like will be an almost impossible job. Adjusting his role would probably be the way forward