Why the Barca tactics aren't working for us

[marty mcfly]

No

What I'm saying is that if we are going to knock it long, like we were against Lille, we should do it quicker as opposed to waiting and giving the opposition a chance to prepare, like we were doing against Lille

But that doesn't make sense. We play the ball long only whenever we're being pressed so that means that their team is further up the pitch leaving more room anyway. Teams don't both press and get players behind the ball.

As I've said passing for passing sake is boring and tedious but what we try to do which is the same as every passing team which is to pass to open spaces in other parts of the pitch. e.g. We regularly draw them over to the left to then switch it to the right where we can punish them or we draw them in to press us and then hit it long.

When it doesn't work it's normally because the passing isn't crisp or fast enough or players aren't able to do it under pressure (not looking at you McGeady). Against Lille the pitch made a big difference plus it's hard if teams don't come out of their shape and simply defend in and around their box. All passing teams struggle with that.

I'm not saying we shouldn't move it up the pitch faster, we definitely should but look how Real do it. Along the ground using the pace of their players and not the ball.

We have Mirallas, Atsu, McGeady, Lukaku and Barkley. Maybe not quite as quick as Deulofeu but that's some serious pace.

 

[marty mcfly]

Thins is though, Mikey, that we don't employ "Barca tactics", simple as.

We want to keep the ball, that doesn't mean we're employing or trying to emulate them, it just means we want to keep the ball a bit more. Believe it or not it's not just Barcelona that play possession football.
And I can think of about 2 games when we've been "sussed out", and both were due to injuries/resting/the odd bad game you're bound to have.

The difference between Barca's tactic and everyone else was Messi playing the false 9. No other team does that the same because no other team has Messi.

 

[marty mcfly]

I actually like it that teams like West Ham can have such a turnaround from one season playing dire football to the next playing well as overall I think it unhealthy that a few teams have such a stranglehold on the top places.

It will probably still work out that way this season as squad depth tends to tell over the course of 38 games but I'm enough of a romantic to like the early surprise inclusion in the top 4 especially when they have a manager like Big Sam who the previous year looked like he was going to be sacked.

I thought West Ham would beat City. They're really good this season. Song is a beast. I can't believe Arsenal passed on him and Fabregas.

 

[BlueToff]

Just getting back to Mikey's OP, we don't really play the Barca style anyway. Barca are one dimensional, as brilliant as they are - the game last night showed this. Look at Pep at Bayern - he's now evolved the Tica Taca style and instead of a load of people under 5'10 - he's doing it with players that have the power and the size to mix it up a bit when they need to. I think this what we're aiming for, and when we have a fuly fit squad it'll happen.

 

[Mogwai]

The difference between Barca's tactic and everyone else was Messi playing the false 9. No other team does that the same because no other team has Messi.

But we have Ross

 

[Caolam]

I agree with BlueToff, stick at the style we have and wait to get everyone back. The more we play the passing game the better we will get at it. We will quicken up as we get the players more at home with it and we can bring in better players. Most teams have been worked out by the opposition, that is the easy bit, stopping them is the difficult bit. It is more difficult to stop a footballing side than it is to stop a long ball team. Someone said passing for passing sake was boring, banging 50 50 balls up the field is boring but if your passing in order to lol for weaknesses in the opposition that is football. We do need to quicken up our play but my opinion is that will come if we keep trying it won't come if we buy Crouch and turn into Stoke.

 

[ROBERTOMARTINEZ]

Maybe it's not working because:

1) We dont have the same calibre of players
2) The spanish league is less intense (i.e.) more time on the ball)
3) Maybe we don't use barca tactics.

 

[steken1]

Barcelona didn't invent passing. Ask @BrianSwan

 

[Zatara]

I was really hopng we would get song in the summer.

I thought West Ham would beat City. They're really good this season. Song is a beast. I can't believe Arsenal passed on him and Fabregas.

 

[Zatara]

When all players are fit,

Goalkeeper and centre back areas need improvement.

The key though is really what would scare the opposition. For me, Barkley, Eto'o and Lukaku in central positions are all players who keep the opposition on the back foot.

I think similar to the lukaku signing we need to get a top winger to ensure the opposition needs to have their eyes in the back of their heads when it comes to all our attacking players.

 

[dead_soft]

Because Everton aren't using Barcelona's tactics.

 

[marty mcfly]

I was really hopng we would get song in the summer.

It said on the Sunday Supplement that we where offered him too.

Can you imagine if we had him instead of Barry not just for this season but for the next 2 after this one.

 

[dave abrahams]

It's not head in the sand Mikey, it's just you're in the minority by some margin.

Elong

The majority are not always right!!!!!

 

[Brennan]

Well, Burnley have certainly sussed us out.

 

[johnnyW]

I think everyone should lay off Mikey here. I mean he may be right playing like blackburn might work I mean look how it worked for them...oh wait.

well its not like this style of play got us the highest points total in the PL...oh wait.

well its not like there are more differences to our style of play then similarity to barca...oh wai...you know what as you where lads, boys had a mere here.