Article: Could we play the Barcelona formation and would it affect where we need to strengthen? | Football, Tottenham

But then we can only play one out of Sandro and Huddlestone, which means Modric is driven too deep - there are always trade offs.

Bale would score a lot of goals in my formation and I think would develop into a lot more than a winger. Lennon might too

 

This love of all things Barca is a cul de sac we would do well to stay out of. The way that Spanish club sides and the national team play is dictated by:

1. The quality of player their academies produces.
2. The weather; It is hard to play at a mediterranean pace at the Reebok in January.
3. The supreme fitness of Barcelona players. They chase the ball down for 90
minutes non stop. Their nutrition and abstinance from alcohol, as well as their training methods, seem way ahead of ours right now.
4.That is when they have lost posession which is rarely. English teams have nothing approaching their ability to keep the ball.
5. Barcelona have maybe a half of the team that are amongst the best if not the best in their position.
6. Barcelonas ability to attract, buy and pay any player in world football.

Let the press hail what is undoubtedly a very good football team, but if we as a club and a national side have things to learn, I suggest we look more at the German model. It is much easier for our football culture to take on lessons from there than sunny Espana.

 

I can't see us playing like Barca, for the simple reason that we don't have many players that can keep posession and pass the opponents to death. Modric and VDV can, but after that Huddlestone is the only other player who can use the ball anywhere near as effectively as their midfield can, but he isn't particularly mobile when it's at his feet.

 

3-4-3 works best with Spurs on Fifa for me


Gomes

Dawson King Gallas
VDV Sandro/ THudd Modric Pienaar
Lennon Pav Bale

Sometimes I go for Crouch or Defoe instead of Pav tho.

 

I too have watched a lot of football with teams useing the 'Barcelona system' and you are right it does get boring. The PL variety is far more interesting and exciting. They have the best team in the world atm but I hope we don't all try to copy them.

 

Watching Barca is rarely boring,imo. Yes Spain where a bit tedious in the world cup but that is simply down to not having a certain Leo Messi play as a false 9. Also Dani Alves is a hell of a player to watch and Spain never had him. The only time you can say Barca where not good to watch was against Real Madrid and that was because Madrid refused to keep the ball and just let Barca have all of the play so they can get ready for the counter. So Barca never went all out attack like they normally. There are so many apsects to watch and learn when watching Barcelona. From defence to attack its unique and special. People should savour this team as they will not be one like them for a long time.

 

Not often I find myself agreeing with a Gooner, but yes, this is a very special team, with very special players. Barca will obviously try hard to replace people like Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa, etc. Most likely, they will fall short. So yes, I agree, this is a once in a generation team,, where all the right elements have come together at the same time.

 

It is a special team, but Barcelona have had every advantage in creating it.
They're also massively overprotected in a lot of games and Alves should spend roughly half the season suspended for his "simulation" at every opportunity.
He's not the only one that does it, either.

 

Urgh, I'm fed up of people not being able to talk about Messi without using the term "false no. 9". Also Dani Alves is a long way short of the standard of the rest of the team, there are tonnes of players who would do as well, if not better with the space that is created for him.

They're certainly a special team but unless they're playing a good team then it's very tedious but I wouldn't expect a Gooner to understand that

 

Lol,watching Barcelona every week is a pleasure to behold. This is a team that press and destroy teams from Real Madrid to Almería. Maybe for some its 'tedious' to watch them destroy the lesser teams but for most its special. From the passing to the pressing its out and out entertaiment. Dani Alves is not a long way short of the other players. His one on one skills are surreal and his passing and link up play with the rest of the team is perfect. As a Real Madrid player said its like the guy has three lungs the way he bombs up and down the pitch. He is more often then not an outlet for Barca and you need to be pretty damn good to play that role for Barcelona. How anyone can call watching Andres Iniesta,Messi,Xavi,Villa,Pedro,Alves and Pique play week in week out tedious is beyond me.

 

It's not entertaining to watch a team dominate possession for 10 minutes without making an attempt on goal, despite what you may have been told at The Emirates.
Skilful and extremely difficult yes, but not entertaining.

Their total lack of sportsmanship doesn't make it any easier to watch, either.

 

You are confusing Arsenal and Barcelona. Its us that holds the ball for 10 minutes and do not create especially last season. If Barca have the ball for 10 minutes then they will create. Iniesta espcially is very direct at times with his passing and when Messi is on the ball something will happen. The only time last season where you can call Barca boring was the Madrid games. And that was because Madrid refused to keep the ball and even attempt to throw more then 4 players foward. Barca just kept the ball so they can try and somehow make Madrid come out. Other than those games, tell me a game where Barca played boring football?

 

I think the problem for Barca, is that a lot of teams are just ****-scared of them. They set out not to lose. As we all know, it can be very difficult to break down even a poor side if their only intention is to stop you scoring, and they are well drilled & organised.
All of which, of course, can be pretty tedious to watch.

 

Are you honestly telling me that you've never seen Barca play possession football, bar the odd exception, SSN8?
Even in the Champions League final there were large chunks of the game where they were just making Man Utd run about.
They're an excellent side, though they appear to have some holes in their first team squad, but at times they can be extremely dull to watch.

It probably doesn't help that match commentators are frequently gushing about everything that they do, to be honest.
It's nearly as off-putting as their gamesmanship.

 

Possession football is not boring. Especially the Barcelona version. They made United run around with stunning one touch play. It was surely one of the greatest performance in a European final? I watch nearly all of their games last season and apart from the Madrid games in the CL i can't tell you about another game where they where boring. Possession football if played around your back 4 is not good to watch but Barca ping into the midfield then make triangles to keep the ball. And to do that you need super one touch play. Also all the attacking Barca players can dribble with ball. Messi being the king at that. Barca play possession football in midfield with Xavi and Iniesta which means they are always that one pass away from a creating a chance. Hence its not boring.

The main reason Arsenal where boring last season was because too many of our players kept the ball for too long and never released it early to get the game moving. Barca never do that. Its 2 touches max in midfield.

 

Barcelona are on a different level to anyone else at the moment, Yes they may not be as direct as some people like and sometimes keep the ball for long periods of the time (since when was a lot of possession a negative? )but I suggest if you don't find watching the best side since 1994 play football enjoyable then you find a new sport to watch .

 

I'm sorry, but watching a superior team keeping the ball simply is boring.
It's like watching one of the Klitschko brothers using their jab to keep an opponent at range for a whole fight, while never even attempting to knock them out.

Chelsea kept the ball a lot when in the lead, when Mourinho was their manager.
That was ****ing dull, too.

 

I don't think that anybody's questioned Barcelona's ability, Lidls.
Chelsea were the best team in England under Mourinho, but they were still boring to watch a lot of the time.

Man Utd made it easy for them by picking a crap team, though.
Mascherano was virtually untested for the whole game.

 

Cheers, Ensil.
I did think, "Oh god, here we go again", when I read Lidls' first comment!

 

Barca do not just keep the ball they create chances after chances most of the time. This is why they are special. They attack you from all sides. If you are comparing them to a boxer then Manny Paquiao will a better comparison. Chelsea where good to watch in the first season under Jose but afterwards they scored one goal and just called it a day. Barca never do that. They score so many goals its unreal. I lost count of the amount times they won by a 3 or more goal margin last season.

As i said before Barca keep the ball with one touch passing which means they keep the game moving at a pace and Barca can create at will because their tempo is always high due to their pressing and slick one touch passing. Xavi and Iniesta are the hub which means they always create and never attempt not score. That goes against everything Barca stand for. If your hub is Xavi and Iniesta then saying they do not attempt to score is absurd.

Barca under Pep have never been boring because they play at a tempo which means they can't be boring. That tempo which is set with their pressing which then leads to the speed of their passing makes them one of the greatest sides to have ever played this game.