Barcelona and the art of bad decision-making | Tactical Analysis

[@thepurist_]

I’m only scratching the surface here of a huge subject, but hopefully you enjoyed nonetheless! One thing I didn’t mention (but is present in a lot of these clips), is the overlapping/underlapping runs to support wingers. The timing of this run often dictates whether the player will pass or dribble, so look out for them :)

[@Itns1222]

Thanks for this wonderful video, keep it up!

[@ananthumuralidharan2659]

You should apply for barca coaching staff job and show them these videos

[@seehleD]

This was a very thought provoking unbiased analysis, giving pros and cons to every player/situation. Two things though that I think can be analyzed further, the first being La Pausa, it's great when you're equally good at releasing that 1st time pass when you've caught a low blocking stubborn defense up the field, and I don't think Pedri recognizes those as often as he should, he allowed Inter to regroup a lot of times, which forces the wingers to then constantly having to rely on 1v1s or pinpoint crosses to a lone Lewandowski. The polar opposite is De Jong, who's great at breaking in between the lines with his runs, but then fails to produce a line breaking pass in the final third after all the hard work, Dembele just looks clumsy when he fails but he succeeds more often than most, otherwise he wouldn't be La Liga's leading assist maker. The 2nd analysis I want to address is our failure to capitalize on those 45° passes that Messi capitalised on so much from Alves and Alba, Dembele and Fati have proven capable of that when they don't lose the ball, our midfielders need to make those late runs on the edge of the box and be able to take those first time shots as the defense rushes in facing their own posts, but we always seem to revert to "La Pausa" and lose the momentum. My biggest problem with our team though, is our lack of capability or motivation to switch gears as the game/opponent requires, it's just the same monotonous boring kickabout mode that we always seem to be on.

[@Ayo.Ajisafe]

Barca fans NEED you're channel. Reality. Spent the last week reading comments from Barca fans about how Dembele DESTROYED Alphonso Davies. Marcos Lopez a Spanish analyst pointed out how between Pedri Raphinha and Dembele completed ONE pass to Lewandowski in the three games prior to the clasico.

[@freshavocadew]

Funny how Xavi himself was the master of la pausa but now his team is struggling with it

[@Juangomezzz14]

Pedri does it, but thats about it

[@BarcaBasto]

wait *XAVI 2024*

[@BarcaBasto]

O.D struggles with > park the bus mostly not being in a stable team ?

[@BarcaBasto]

@Chodex just let him stick around. If he’s bad in 2025….start the conversation if we shouldn’t exit him agreed?

[@bleedbarca7741]

@Sefyan Abdalla facts

[@dh5363]

Even though we can praise on Pedri’s composure and IQ in waiting for the “best” moment, I do wish to see him playing more direct and utilizes his passing to play more through balls than just slowing down an attack to wait for numbers. Those balls for the Ansu and Gavi goal chances were beautiful and I wish we see more of those.

[@petarpetrovski658]

For me one of the most annoying thing is, even when Pedri make those chances our attackers apart from Lewa, are sending those balls to Mars or straight at the keeper, we need the other attackers to score more goals we cant just count on Lewa

[@pumelelabanca1442]

Thats what mekes kdb special. He does not care just makes the pass.

[@schaffelijk589]

True, however I think Xavi asks him to do so. None of our midfielders understand the 'la pausa' like Pedri (and Busquets) so I feel like he needs to do it to often to make up for that. How good Frenkie and Gavi may be, it is not something that they are born with like Pedri. Ideal would be that next season, without Busi, the structure changes and that Pedri can play higher and drop the burden of slowing down the play 90% of him having the ball. However I only see that happening if we would always play him/Gavi as a false winger, or buy someone who can make up for that in a double pivot with Frenkie.

[@jovo21]

@@pumelelabanca1442 don't compare a grown man to a kid fam😂 KDB was cosidered to be shit before he went to City

[@jdanje]

@@jovo21 because he was in a small club nobody really knew but he was always class

[@zacharyhickey3747]

A series on the evolution of Barca tactics from before Cruyff to now would be really interesting

[@JohanCruyff-the-Dutch-GOAT]

That would be very interesting!

[@_diji_]

Good shout 💯

[@ModernLove100]

There's been no evolution since Cruyff, all evolution has stopped since Cruyff died.

[@yo-bc5tg]

quick little 20 year analysis.

[@fr3847]

Why, it's always been a mid club

[@chadkeane8085]

I'm really glad you've highlighted this about pedri's game because for months now I have been struggling to put my finger on what makes him so special apart from his technique and finesse in every situation... but it's his decision making and subsequently his ability to make the best past for what the situation requires.... a truly elite midfielder.

[@Darduel]

I think this is something that if FDJ manages to master as well he can finally take busi's place

[@rohannalawade3227]

@@Darduel yeah. In case of busi its not just decision making atm but precogniation to some extent. He studies his options before recieving aligns himself and makes move in a couple of touches, FDJ starts the play after recieving the ball putting him at an disadvantage

[@luiscordero1072]

@@Darduel I think his problem is that he tends to make a lot runs with the ball to the opponents defense and he dribbles past 1 or 2 players and normally lose it to the 3rd which looks great on highlights but it doesn’t give much to the team, and sometimes he shows his vision with great pases but they are few and far in between and I feel he tends to lose his focus on the game quite often

[@milton2755]

He's fucking overrated

[@artsemilapitski8258]

I really liked this format when you discuss not only things that are going on with Barca’s play but also something that could make me understand some aspects of football better. Videos like this make me enjoy watching football more! Bringing up examples of players from other teams is also nice like with Vini. Maybe to give larger context to Barca’s problems you could discuss and give examples of some particular games/teams which are good at something?

[@Chadowgon5]

Yesss

[@mrbabyhugh]

7:03 because of Lewy positioning, once he touched the ball inside I said goal before he kicked it. He is an expert of his position, I have not seen anyone like him. Suarez, Haaland, and msny even before, Lewy technique is like he wrote the book on being a CF, his technique is very precise.

[@michamarkowski2204]

If you watch any goal compilation of Lewy, you will see, he's very precise, just like his idol Therry Henry was.

[@kairihd3521]

this was one of the best analysing videos i have ever seen, u need more viewers man, jus keep consistentent and u will be on top soon

[@thepurist_]

Appreciate the support :)

[@MotswanaTota-012]

Honestly, I have no idea how barca were not 2-0 up in the first half. Ansu fati was miles off it. 2020 ansu scores a hat trick from the chances he got. It's funny how there is a lack of "la pausa" from ansu. And others too. I was actually congratulating xavi for subbing dembele (he was becoming an untouchable). Edit: shit, @purist ends up talking about la pausa at the end. At least i know that I'm not speaking waffle. And if i am, I'm not alone😁

[@petarpetrovski658]

Yeah, finishing may cost us many games this season, like last game Pedri alone could have 3 assists (Torres,Ansu and Gavi i think), our wingers need to score more goals not just wait on Lewa to score, and also the wingers need to use their head a bit like they will do excellent work at taking the ball to the opponent 16 yard box only to lose it or make a bad decision

[@perleon_]

Ansu fati is fine. He's just having a bit of a shake off from the long term injury coupled with inconsistent minutes on the pitch. Once he gets more playing time and calm, scores back to back goals, ding ding, we see an even better version of Ansu fati from the 2020 version.

[@petarpetrovski658]

@@perleon_ Yeah I agree, right now Fati needs to get game time to get his confidence back up. Even this season he doesn't play bad but I think he plays a little safe to not get injured, so he needs time and and more games to get his confidence back up and if he stays healthy he can be one of the best in the world, we saw this season how dangerous he can be when he is not "holding back" like vs Real that sprint and low cross for Ferran and he almost scored for 2-2, he will get better with time we just need be patient with him

[@kelvinkamdani8905]

ansu pushing himself to perform to make sure he is selected for the world cup, before the injury he was running with clever timing but now he just running at every opportunity.

[@petarpetrovski658]

@@kelvinkamdani8905 Yeah I can agree with that as well, especially vs Valencia he was trying to shoot from every position even if he had better options to pass, he needs to take it slowly and relax a little, I know this is a world cup year but he should think for the future as well after all he is just 20 years he has like 3 or 4 world cups left if he perform good, so he should take it slowly and get back to his best

[@ethanpenaranda5518]

We won’t improve until our midfielders gain the confidence to shoot from distance, granted that pedri de jong gavi and Busquets aren’t great at shooting, it’s important to improve in that aspect or else we’ll remain predictable

[@azad738]

Wow atlast i have found some sensible comment. I have saying this from long time. In matches were we are behind in terms of goals.rather than making passing and passing and build ups..shoot at Target.. that's the most easiest way. Try for 4,5 shots

[@BIadelores]

Busquets is never improving in that, he is at the deathknell of his career. Pedri and De Jong probably will, Gavi so far is very unrefined player and is hard to tell where is his style going to end up.

[@LJMahomes]

I think the best way to understand xT is to watch a Kimmich highlight tape. The passes he plays are so great, especially those chip balls. I could die for those

[@oluseyioluwadamilare8211]

🤣

[@ragnarlothbrock1379]

Xavi's reliance on Dembele is affecting Pedri a lot. Pedri should be our creative hub

[@femiakande7125]

The team should be more creative collectively tbh

[@Permeatio]

Dembele should not play in big matches unless he’s in his Pele mood.

[@vikingsownpackers]

Lol just ask him before the game starts which Dembele showed up 😆 🤣

[@kaly8069]

Great video. The wingers decision making is very very poor. We rely so much on the wingers that we fail to progress the ball through the middle

[@mrm7362]

Since messi left we have nobody that can make good final passes

[@revengesparta2774]

I just found this channel today,first time watching a video on this channel,what's funny is that I'm a barca fan and I always say after every game that the players have to put more emphasis in the middle, meaning they should attack more through the middle,but these current barca players depend too much on the wingers and to be honest we don't have the best wingers in the world either which our attack boring and inefficient.All what you said was on point and I very much agree with them.

[@user-yv6uc3vv9k]

We have to stop overhyping Dembele & fueling his ego after 1 or 2 good games. Guy has always & forever been inconsistent for Barça

[@zor2014]

Lets blame dembele for everything. That helps solve the problem.

[@user-yv6uc3vv9k]

@@zor2014 he's part of the problem. Doesn't help to shove that to a side.

[@freshavocadew]

Dembele's fanboys incoming in three, two...

[@user-yv6uc3vv9k]

@@freshavocadew right? It's like, you blame Dembele & you're blaming him for everything.

[@giano2583]

O the dembele hate begins agian

[@K-xor]

This channel is going to blow up in the span of a year. It already looks like a big, professional channel.

[@adam-hp6qt]

Analysis of Guardiola's Barca would be great

[@mrbabyhugh]

0:34 I don't need to watch anymore. The most important signing Barca needed in the summer, was Bernardo Silva or simply, a PLAYMAKER for the final third. We love Pedri, but he is at that point yet. When Lewy was signed, I was concerned about him getting chances. Dembele has a psychological issue & Ansu is very direct (real reason he benches him so much I feel honestly), and Xavi went wrong in playing Ferran on left.... that's what team had at the time. In comes Raphinha who can create & score, but Xavi wants him to stay wide, he can't he has to have freedom of his own instinct to play wide or come inside. Yes, he has to play a Messi type role. No he is not Messi but he can do Messi things, this Valencia goal is one eg. Plus, he still needs time to adapt. However, there is no playmaker in the middle of the pitch.

[@bythecliff]

8:46 I see you described Dembele perfectly

[@petarpetrovski658]

In my opinon what Barca need its an experienced and consistent playmaker to play along side Pedri, because right now the only players that can create a chance with a through ball is Pedri and maybe Raphinha (dont play every game), the only other chances that Barca create are crosses from Alba (who don't start always) and Dembele (who is a hit or miss), also the wingers MUST score more goals, vs Valencia Pedri made 3 very good chances for Ansu,Ferran and Raphinha and they all missed, Barca cant always count on Lewa to score all the goals.

[@psychoced437]

Bernardo Silva would have been perfect for us

[@daniaaal]

I think that explains why Xavi was so desperate for Bernando Silva. The season, especially the CL, would’ve looked so different

[@leagolekganyane]

I've seen Xavi reprimanding Gavi for passing the ball through the middle to the striker, so i think this is their thought process because that's what the manager wants

[@delyanpanteleev2534]

One thing to mention which comes in my mind....since we have dembele, fati, ferran, raphina and depay...for two slots available they all are trying too hard to prove themselves all the time, which definitely affect their decision making....imo

[@fcb2463]

you nailed it man....i hv noticed this since xavi took over.....barca always attacks through wide areas ..and instead of picking a pass they try hopless crosses.... we need to mix it up.... bad decision making n not attacking through the middle make us predictable.,.bcz of that we fail to create chances against better opponents... .... against valencia we had lot of space..but it took almost 80+mnts to create a clear cut chance... i believe this is xavis inability to make our forwards better... for example look at the way city plays..their wingers know how to pick a pass.....how to make runs into the box nd find spaces.... this is where i believe this is not only individual but also a tactical and coaching problem... i think guardiola has better assistants and coaching staffs to help him....xavi needs to do the same

[@omarbabakarkhail]

Not even a Barca fan, but you can’t expect a new coach to be on the level of Guardiola with developing intricate play. Most people romanticise Pep’s Barca, but they also had certain limitations (for starters couldn’t counter even if there was a clear cut opportunity, whereas when Lucho came in they were ruthless). He also struggled to break down teams at times as Henry stated in the final third they were free to express themselves, but not before. Now I’m not saying Guardiola did bad, but just pointing out how he has now developed as a coach with time. Xavi will probably too.

[@alexx1910]

Great Analysis. this is exactly what i have noticed throughout so many games but it’s just difficult to explain. this video sums it up perfectly.

[@bhumigupta6830]

love your analysis videos man!! , just upload more consistently as I just can't get enough of them

[@bleedbarca7741]

You have the best tactical analysis. BY FAR.

[@kelvinoseni3343]

Sometimes I feel players and coaches should watch these videos and see what and what can help them improve

[@mrbabyhugh]

8:52 this is definitely for Dembele, he doesn't have that high football IQ. He has all the physical tools. Ferran has a very high footballl IQ which is why Xavi, Lucho & Pep like him. Raphinha does tool but he is not the most skillful on the ball for a typical Brazilian, he has basic skills but he relies on his IQ and Xavi kills it by telling him to stay wide.

[@brighton1880]

If Dembele doesn’t have high football IQ please explain it to me why he’s the player with the highest assist in laliga this year (and season) by far, and until this weekend, only Messi assisted more than him, 4 more. Yet Messi plays with Mbappe and Neymar? How does he beat the best defenders or why is he the one with the most clear chances created in Barca, and the player with the most progressive passes if he stupid as you say? Can any one explain that?why does pedri have zero assists this season, or raphinha only 2, yet they one person with high assists and chances created is the one we are told has low IQ?

[@abrahamadoure-zehaim1575]

You do a great job of describing what makes a good play in soccer to people who have played it at an elite level. You should try coaching or consult with teams regarding tactical and positional play. I've used this with the players that I coach to get them to understand what is going on the pitch and how to threaten defenses.

[@Taurean_SAMA]

What I've seen time and time again, it seems like Barça waits for the opposition to get into position and then start passing aggressively and using the wings, when really they have to develop that skill of when to pick out that critical final pass, quick and deadly.

[@ModernLove100]

Only Frenkie does this really well, that's why the pace is higher whenever he plays.

[@peterjazii6925]

I’d like to see more out to in diagonal off ball runs from our wingers. Kinda like the run Ansu did where Pedri pass him the ball for the misssed chance. As a defender myself is hard to defend runs like that because the players is running across and the Full back and CB get confused on who tracks the runner, plus the have to look at the ball. Idk man that’s why I like ansu and Ferran cuz they’re only 2 capable of such on our team!

[@mrbabyhugh]

2:49 EXACTLY which is what I said earlier that my main concern from Lewy became first option in summer, was how will he get chances, Bayern creates them from middle & wide.

[@tanumoydas1782]

I don't know if there exist any better technical attacking breakdown than this... This video is perfect, covered every aspect, every attacking situations step by step, with technical knowhow and decision making...

[@Sibib6]

A rare analysis video but an important one. Great work 👏👏👏

[@totalfootball7879]

I trust in the quality we have upfront. Now Xavi should find a way to create a fluid attacking system at the final third.

[@BarcaBasto]

rumours have us thinking *Joao Felix* doesn’t wanna hang around his current club no more if so. i’m a believer if we just offer that bid and it’s 50-million & stand by it. it’ll come through *I’ll be mad happy that month*

[@jstos3675]

Yea, I hope Joao Felix comes or else I'll be calmly sad.

[@BarcaBasto]

@@jstos3675 that is hardcore nice of you

[@blu9168]

this is one of the most 'informative' videos I've seen in a long time, tysm

[@BarcaBasto]

busi coming in at min 70’ for his last season is *more than enough* most of the time #logic

[@cotyxd7112]

Idk, I love your videos man, i think you should keep it like this for now. I can recommend analyzing older barça games

[@Ben-ev5se]

Dembele is the best at showing low footballing iq and just instinctive playstyle

[@vikingsownpackers]

Dembele's skill set are honed in for a counter attacking team. Not a slow build up situation. Plus the whole team FEEDS HIM THE BALL TO CREATE CHANCES. Because no one else can. The team overall is predictable and Dembele gets insulted way too much. Guy is top 3 in assist in Europe in limited playing time. Plus he is too wide to be as effective.

[@pumelelabanca1442]

Its called tactics. Dembele plays better with an overlapping defenders who can drag players away.

[@Ben-ev5se]

@@vikingsownpackers I do think so too he has changed his ideal playstyle to suit Barcelona

[@Ben-ev5se]

I blame xavi bcos he still wants to play slow football when our plays would be better suited for counterattacks

[@faouzmechatte3169]

one thing barca is lacking is the quality of both left and right backs . At this time they are so important for the team look at the likes of robertson, arnold,cancelo james hakimi davies theo hernandez who are one of the main creators of the game. They also help wingers a lot so barca need a RB at least who will take dembele to another dimension

[@vikingsownpackers]

Should have kept Dest or the Portuguese guy before him. They were great attackers. Portuguese guy wasn't terrible at defending

[@shone7000]

Great work Purist🙌👏👏👏Hats of for u commitment and ur great videos...

[@atharvanimje4003]

Such a good video! Keep 'em coming😁

[@keionadams01]

I think the knowledge that you present in this video is going to be a reason you take a HUGE step forward in analysis

[@zenitsu33-thunderlighteninh]

One subs added. You are soo underrated bro or might be undiscovered. Content is amazing❤❤

[@shrikunjbhuva7290]

Amazing video. Truly.!

[@unstoppableExodia]

I’m enjoying these tactical analysis videos. They’re bite sized and focused on a particular match or aspect of barca’s play. Could in request a video analyzing the importance of strong CBs to Barca’s play and why the team struggled so badly without Araujo and Kounde against Inter

[@olujuwonolawoyin3067]

thank you for helping me understand Barca and football better. with your analysis I'm less critical and more understanding of xavi. although, I still critic some of his decisions.

[@peterjazii6925]

I honestly don’t enjoy our current attacking actions. Idk man. Maybe it’s just me reminiscing on seeing Messi, iniesta, etc.. tiki taka ing through defenses. The way they moved, exploited space, wall passes, 1,2s , was just beautiful. That’s how I personally enjoy playing. I think the IQ of our players will improve in time! Visca Barca ❤💙

[@MatthewDLee09]

Exactly, they were brave enough to attack in the middle so they could create space behind and out wide. BUT, they also had world class wingbacks in their prime (Dani and Jordi) supporting them.

[@kgarodiya]

Purist you are the OP my man. I can't wait till you get to 100K subscribers cause that's atleast as much as you should be having (though with the upload frequency it's difficult - maybe think on some additional content around Barca's history and tactics evolution etc or other teams playing positional play or other kind of tactics too) You are way better than Football Made Simple though fr fr. You have a very good understanding and even better explanation of the game. I really hope Xavi makes Dembele watch this video😂😂

[@chananjamajiji5412]

Nah Xavi won't do that, he cant look like a kid who copies his homework

[@losblaugrana8241]

Thank u👍👍 God bless u🙏

[@ethanpenaranda5518]

Ferran Torres is our most effective winger who has a huge impact as a direct forward, but his finishing has been poor for a while. If Barca can’t sort their attack out, I don’t know who will be sold since ferran and raphina were recently bought for so much, and dembele and Fati are seen as the future. They better sort it out because we’re stuck with them

[@elvisofficial2005]

Absolutely correct ❤️❤️

[@PerfPL]

Nice analysis, there is a lot of locked potential in Barca.

[@tttran1984]

Watching Dembele is very frustrating to watch. Excellent dribbling but decision making is atrocious.

[@peoplelikeus123]

Absolutely amazing analysis. Great channel

[@--KWAY--]

I definitely agree on the decision making from our players

[@olaomoayomide6011]

Watched your videos first time today. Already on the sixth one...keep it up boss

[@hamzazmamri5027]

You are spot on mate!

[@kairo8155]

Every time Dembele has the ball, we are all thinking " When are you going to lose it?". He is by far the worst winger at Barça. Ansu and Ferran are much consistent and better than him.

[@blakecampbell5245]

It’s really to the point for me now that I’d take Raphinha over Dembele. He may not be as differential as Dembele can be at times, but he is so much more consistent. You know what to expect with Raphinha. I think selling Dembele to strengthen the rest of the team and bringing back Abde is a solid option. Dembele on his day is unplayable, but those days are just too few for my liking.

[@giano2583]

Wtf like wtf

[@blakecampbell5245]

@@giano2583 you’re welcome to disagree, but explain your reasoning

[@giano2583]

Selling dembele is dom yea dembele is not consistent but can Do a better job then Raphinha in my inpoin Raphinha was a singen what a think why. we had depay fati Ferran dembele auba.dembele en Raphinha are the same. En you wanna say abde is gunna do a better job then dembele 🤣🤦

[@vikingsownpackers]

Comments like these are borderline retarded. Dembele is top 5 in Europe in chances created and assist. People use Dembele as a scapegoat for overall poor team performance. WHAT HAS GAVI DONE OFFENSIVELY THIS SEASON AS A STARTING MIDFIELDER.? The team Depends on Dembele to create chances FROM the farthest most difficult starting position as an attacker. He wins some, he loses some but overall there isn't much movement when he makes his runs. I usually watch his runs and those passing outlets are not available....and Pedri/Gavi should be making runs into the box to create havoc and or open up space.

[@vikingsownpackers]

Raphina makes one good assist in 10+ games and people want to get on his pole. They forget Raphina missed an open goal in the same game and also missed an open chance a few weeks ago when dembele fed him a clear chance

[@Mitroiul]

This wide attacking of current Barca's killing me. This team used to rip defences apart from the center areas through smart and quick passes, that's what got me to love Barcelona in the first place, they always seemed to just be the most intelligent in the game. I remember I used to think just how crazy Barcelona was because they didn't even need to attack through the wide areas like the other teams because they were just so good they didn't care. Now it always seems like they're avoiding the central area in the final third. I swear if you would draw lines based on their final third passing, it would look like a pendulum swinging and always avoiding the the opposition box...

[@psychoced437]

It's because of Dembele. Take a look in the match vs villareal where Xavi played Fati and Ferran who both get inside.

[@joycentloeakhumo4079]

A true barca fans cry indeed

[@mrbabyhugh]

2:07 omg thank you, thought I was only one who noticed this, great run but he hesitated on the decision, which for me was clearly to Dembele then continue to run to provide options for Dembele. He still inexperienced so I didn't & won't crucify him for it. This the type of hesitant & wrong decision making Dembele makes.

[@homithehomie6474]

Man, I wish other KZbinrs, that are into Barca stuff, that I subscribe to would watch your videos. I'm actually thinking about sending them one of your posts lol

[@dh5363]

It’s sort of obvious from watching the match but these freeze frames really blatantly show how many quality open opportunities we do have that we rarely take. And a lot of the time things break down because we are over complicating things or just sloppy. Quite frustrating.

[@charles8353]

Lol I can't wait a week to see your video so please keep up the good work. I would like to see some arsenal, or man city as well cause both of them as a lot of similarities as Barcelona.

[@BarcaBasto]

maybe xavi needs some right-hands he could have *Rijkaard* around him for 20 months, mentor, advisor, thinker what-not. after *VanGaal* doing the same. lastly *Hiddink* being supportive altogether (sharing some burden)

[@BarcaBasto]

*if we get stable i think Jordi Cruijff should be president first a one year trial*

[@raphaelmartorella1018]

Really great content! Congratulations

[@kelvinkamdani8905]

barca lacks maturity in terms of decision-making from every single player. When they could direct pass they dribble, when they could shoot they cross or pass to other players wasting the opportunity then when they should cross they cut inside or forcing shoot. However, it's not only cus of maturity but also because their chemistry is still not there, they still think about where their teammates are, not blaming them entirely but some of them already play with each other for a year but they still don't understand each other that's weird. I think xavi still needs time to adjust his perfect XI, we rotate too many players as well there is no fixed position especially Pedri, he plays LW, MF, right interior, left interior

[@footballman10]

And know i understand even more why even with so many talented players in attack we are lacking since that man left... Correct me if im wrong but it seems to me Messi is a master of what we are talking in this video.. he looks like he always knows when to dribble and wich way to go, he is a master of making his opponent not know whats coming... plus he makes this unbelivable passes that break defences time and time again at the best time... i mean what a magician he is... Despite his age and his minimal defensive contribution im certain now that what he brings offensivly is so hard to find that he still is the missing part of greatness for this team

[@daniaaal]

Spot on. He is any manager’s dream because Messi makes almost the right decisions offensively each time

[@joshlamingo1145]

Which is exactly why our players are bad at it cause for years all they did was pass the ball to Messi so he can make something happen. That's why he had to leave in fact he left a season too late in my opinion.

[@daniaaal]

@@joshlamingo1145 to some extent I agree. The less quality players would definitely rely on Messi more to do the thinking on the field when it comes to the attack. However, I disagree with you that Messi needed to leave the team. Instead, I would argue that the previous board's mistake was thinking that they could rely on Messi's brilliance and be careless in their planning of the team. Ie. allow mediocre players to stay or be signed, both on huge wages, all while Messi was papering the cracks for them. All Messi's departure did was expose the Bartomeu's boards mess on the field (I guess in that sense I do agree with you that Messi needed to leave for us to truly see the extent of Barca's issues). An example of another team that is better planned even after departures of great players would be Real Madrid. Many quality players left the team, but the squad that remains were still of high quality. Madrid's midfield, while having been dominated by Kroos, Modric and Casemiro, were introduced with fresh legs of Valverde, Camavinga and now Tchoumeni. Granted, they didn't have to face the financial mess that Bartomeu left for Barca, but that just goes back to my point about Barca board not planning properly. Messi wasn't the problem imo. He was merely doing what he did best, carrying the burden of the team with his brilliance. The players around him either did not step up or was not good enough for Barca to remain dominant after he left. Even Pedri and Ansu Fati played brilliantly while Messi was around. Additionally, we can see at PSG, the whole team is playing brilliantly with Messi around, but they aren't solely relying on him. The Barca management of Bartomeu was responsible to ensure that the team was not over-reliant on him, and they failed.

[@joshlamingo1145]

@@daniaaal You act like Messi is the only player we had. We had three coaches in a row who relied on him even with decent players and quality around him. Yes management was atrocious but they are not responsible for the coaches tactics. Koeman is the only coach who gets a break cause he surrounded him with young players. Given how Xavi is treating Busi right now I swear nothing would've changed so yes Messi did have to leave. If we'd hired a headstrong coach like ETH I would agree that he didn't have to leave.

[@daniaaal]

@@joshlamingo1145 Messi was NOT the only player we had. He was the BEST player Barca had in the squad, so it doesn't make sense to say that it was time to let go of Messi, because there were many other players in the squad who the management should've offload way before Messi. PSG playing brilliantly with Messi is an example of that. They're already a good team, but with Messi they're even better. Again, I view Messi as not the problem that Barca had sporting-wise. Of course financially his salary was an issue, coupled with La Liga tightening the wage cap for teams, but Messi was clearly the most important player in the team in terms of both playing well and winning games. The question has always been whether the management was able to adequately improve the team regardless of whether Messi plays or not. Thus, that's why I said that the issue is mismanagement of player recruitment and retention of existing players who weren't good enough or were no longer good enough. To me, Busquets is only a problem if there is no adequate cover for his defensive flaws. We can see that before the international break, Barca were playing brilliantly and were on an unbeaten run. Busquets played most of the time then. The difference now is that without players like Araujo, Christensen and Kounde, Barca are exposed. I do agree with you that Barca needs to let go of relying Busquets, but to me the issue has always been whether they can find a suitable CDM. I think De Jong is growing in the role very well and in my observation, Xavi is already slowly phasing out Busquets in recent games. However, I do think Barca need a proper CDM like Rodri or a similar profile to Tchoumeni, because De Jong's ability to move the ball forward benefits playing De Jong further up the pitch as well. I also agree with you that Barca board should've considered getting Ten Hag, but I don't think Xavi is a poor choice at the same time. I've always known since his appointment that Barca need time for Xavi to implement his ideas with the young team. A brilliant example of patience paying off is Arsenal at the moment. Arteta still had the backing of the club despite finishing 7th in his first full season, then spending 150m in his second summer only to finish 5th place at the end of last season. And now they're 1st in the league. That's almost three years of Arsenal board backing a manager with no experience. At least wait for the end of the season to see how well Xavi has fared. The team is 2nd in the league with the the joint most goals scored, fewest goals conceded and the most clean sheets.

[@ken-14san94]

You doing amazing work man your analysis are amazing like always I like deep diving videos so much

[@131parthapratimsaha6]

And thus comes the reason,y Xavi was ,in his playing days,one of the GOAT midfielders...la pausa... his assist to Pedro in the 2011 final is an epitome of La pausa

[@danielmayhuasca3833]

This video is a gem. 🔵🔴

[@emmanuelnsiah8036]

That’s why xavi should play through the middle and play one or pass two passing through the middle

[@Joostered]

Good vid, just one more thing to add that I keep seeing. A lack of consideration for the outcome of attempted crosses. Very often it feels as though they're being paid by the attempted cross regardless of outcome. Likelihood of cross getting past the defender doesn't matter. Whether there's anybody capable of receiving the ball in the box (or heck, even anybody at all inside the box) also doesn't seem to matter. Long as a cross is attempted, job done. Reason I'm mentioning it is that it's the kind of thing players wouldn't typically do unless there's some poorly thought inside metric encouraging it.

[@BarcaBasto]

no doubt our electrifying ~ most beloved faces at the front are : AnsuFati - Endrick - Moukoko

[@BarcaBasto]

…i don’t know what to do. if this does not come to fruition

[@ZoogaZig]

I thought you were Seb from Tifo. Keep it up Jaleel!

[@subhradipsaha9518]

I could have been ignorant, and just argue with your analysis. But all of these are true. Most of the players lack basic understanding of the game especially Dembele. I think it was the game against Athletic, when the commentator said, of the all players playing on the field for Barca, Xavi still has the best first touch. We have more possession most games, but not decisive enough. Still need a lot of work!

[@zor2014]

We force our wingers to stay wide. This make us very predictable. Thats why dembele and raphinha cant be consistent because its all based on how the opposition deal with the wide areas

[@vikingsownpackers]

Finally, someone who gets it. Messi was RW but had a free role. DEMBELE OR Raphina should have freedom to drop deep or get closer to Lewandowski. Make it unpredictable and mix it up

[@ajith6198]

I think the team needs to improve shooting on first touch. A lot of the times, they're trying to take a touch and then shoot, which is allowing the defender to block the shot or close down the space to have a clear shot of the goal. And sometimes they are making one pass too many. I remember a couple of occasions against Valencia where Pedri could've taken a shot but instead chose to pass.

[@mrbabyhugh]

11:08 thank you very much. Problem with it is, AI will analyze it and defend against it, so may not work a lot of times. But I've said many times, Raphinha knows how to find Lewy.

[@00302998]

Thank you for the insight. It was eye opening.

[@ignatiusagyemang1170]

I now believe what you said about Dembele being twins

[@juanestebankruhsanmguel1960]

That's why Xavi needs Messi, he is the missing piece Barca lacks. He can create chances by himself.

[@vikingsownpackers]

If your team needs the GOAT to succeed them your team is terrible. That's like saying all this team needs is Michael Jordan to win

[@jacksondolly3248]

This doesn't just happen to Barca though. Decision making is one of the most important aspects of the game, and i see so many teams make poor to very poor decisions. Being a Bayern fan since Ballack, i've seen a LOT of ups and downs from different squads and managers, and they are one of the best when it comes to making good choices on and off the ball. It's coached into them so well that it's like if you were playing fifa with them, they're making the exact same choices you would to get a goal. But as you pointed out, many teams, including Barca now, aren't making good decisions on and off the ball, resulting in missed opportunities and otherwise lazy play. It's exceedingly rare for Bayern players to waste chances, just shooting to shoot, as they pass around the box, trying to free up chances, and when they get them, only then do they shoot. Also, as seen in the video, Barca don't put enough players in the box to offset the defenders. When you watch Bayern, they flood the box with players and sometimes have more offensive players in there than defenders. And then when they lose the ball, they are absolutely sprinting to get the ball back an into their possession. Also also, Choupo has been a much better hold up player than Lewa ever was at Bayern, almost never just waiting for the ball and making true striker runs. He comes back and checks to, gets it, then passes it back, then makes a run, and if it's not there, he'll come back and do it again, trying to take a defender with him. Lewa didn't really do that for Bayern and doesn't do that for Barca. Sure, he's not as lethal in front of goal as Lewa, but Choupo gels with the team more than just, "hey, let's get it into Lewa and hope he can score". The fact that Bayern have sooooo many different goal scorers in a game is phenomenal and shows how much they didn't really need Lewa and how focusing a team on one single player is a bad thing.

[@لمعان-ض9ع]

Being selective about your uploads is a totally noble option, eventhough I enjoy every single video you put out.

[@PerfumesMarte]

loved the channel, keep it up!

[@mad9777]

Im obsessed with Arsenal but they try so much to dribble into the middle through Saka or Martinelli to get into a position to take a shot in the middle rather than crossing. Pep didnt like crossing.

[@mrbabyhugh]

3:19 which is the SHOCKING thing about Xavi, this wing play when he was a master of the center of the field in his playing days.

[@masuphamaitin4294]

You need to remember to create from CM you need to have la pausa and only Pedri has that. That's why xavi wanted two interior that have La pausa( silva and pedri)

[@lbrtvlldr]

Great video. Keep it up!

[@nakdickson]

I think the inexperience in the team is hurting barca more than anything. Xavi should look for an experienced interior.

[@petarpetrovski658]

I think that was why Xavi wanted Bernardo Silva in the summer to pair him up with Pedri as the 2 interiors

[@nakdickson]

@@petarpetrovski658 that guy could solve most of our problems in attack tho.

[@petarpetrovski658]

@@nakdickson Yeah, we need someone like him and experienced and consistent playmaker, and he also can score goals, since apart from Pedri (even he does is it rarely) our other midfielders rarely shoot on goal, so all shooting on goal its from Lewa

[@etzjunior_]

We could have at least utilised the quality of Pjanic this szn.

[@nakdickson]

@@etzjunior_ I agree, but I think the financial issues played part in Barça letting him go.

[@ZRahm9352]

Thnx for the analysis, but something to consider whether Barca's classic possessional football works anymore. Bayern, Inter both hammered them with long clinical passes. When you don't have maestros like Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Alves you don't get much from 100s of useless passes and wasting pressure buildup opportunity.

[@Lokolokongo]

Wow amazing more of this just makes obe understand tge game better

[@KurdishYoutubeKSAS]

I really wish and hope Xavi and Barca players to watch this

[@etzjunior_]

I got mad as well when Balde went sideways. Quality players look to create chances. Average players look to play safe. Balde is promising tho… but man these group of players have to be more attack minded

[@pradeltchombe5937]

Ferran misses the impossible to miss sitter 😂😂😂

[@arjunsuresh6154]

What a video man 🔥 wish Xavi sees this video 😅

[@TTThedarkknight]

Fantastic content!

[@ramziyanez4278]

this video is exactly what i've been trying to explain to people. these barca attacking players cant finish and pick bad options. Xavi's job is to get the ball into good areas and its the players job to finish. and xavi is holding up his end of the deal. and guess what. the players are not. besides pedri and lewa, theres no one else who can consistently find and exploit space for either an assist or a goal. no one. to a degree you cant fault them bc a lot of them like ansu or gavi are like still in their teens. but dembele, raphina, ferran, all these attacking talents. they have no excuse. do better.