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

http://defensiveminded.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/the-“false-nine”-and-the-centerbacks-dilema/

Another great analysis on the role of Messi.

 

There examples of Messi "moving into midfield" appear to suggest that they're reffering to midfield as the area of the pitch, yet one of the conundrums for the centre backs is that if they stand off he can shoot. Messi's a great player but I would rather he took a shot than leaving a 40 yard gap behind for him to run into.

You watched Barcelona's games last season, are they a kick and rush team? Is that how they play, get the defence to push up, kick the ball over them then use their faster players to get a one on one with the keeper?

 

Night, night x

 

You also ignored the bit where they said the CB's have no player to mark because the guy that is meant to be playing there (Messi) is not because he is a false 9 hence him dropping deep into midfield and then doing the damage. That is the killer about the false 9, CB's have no idea what to do. You saw that in the CL final,Vidic came flying out to deal with Messi and ended up near the half-way line and got pulled out of position.

 

Jeez! You guys stayed up late to argue this one out. False No.9, or not, it's enough to say that Messi is a very special talent.
At my age, I've been lucky enough to see several extraordinary players. With Messi, like those before him - Maradona, Cruyff, Best, Pele, etc, to name some of them, there are numerous theories of how he plays, and how to stop him etc. As with the aforementioned players, many have tried - very few have succeeded.
In short, these are unique talents - once in a generation players. In most cases, there is no legal way of stopping them. That's why they are so special.

 

Wow - didn't know that mention of Barcelona would be so controversial

My point would have been better put as:

We have three excellent and one good attacking players who are not 'strikers' but who are all able to pass well, get past defenders and score goals. These are Bale, Van der Vaart, Modric and Lennon. How do we use them in a way where they will perform at their best. Suggestion: play a back four and two holding midfielders and let these four play in a flexible attacking formation.

I thought there was a parallel with Iniesta, Messi, Villa and Pedro, but perhaps that just muddied the waters

 

Except when they knock your lot out of the CL each year?

 

Surely he doesn't play enough to know?

 

Seriously? Seriously???

Consider yourself ignored.

 

I think the OP under-rates Villa immensely.

He's much, much more than just a striker, he can play anywhere along the front line and quite often does.

 

If we're arguing about football terminology, Totti's role is called the 'trequartista' in Italy.

 

Do you know what trequartista means in English?
Playmaker.

 

Hmm

From Wiki

"In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals[1].
In English football the term overlaps somewhat with attacking midfielder, but the 2 types of mifielders are not necessarily the same.
In Italian football there are actually 2 types of playmakers, the trequartista (playmaker in the central attacking midfield position) and the regista (deep-lying playmaker).
The trequartista, jersey number 10, will sit between midfield and the forwards and make incisive passes to the wingers or forwards, seeing them through on goal or to deliver killer crosses.
The registas or deep-lying playmakers, jersey number 8, 6 or 5 (in south-american football), operate from a deep position - in or even behind the main midfield line, where they can use space and time on the ball to orchestrate the moves of the whole team, not just attacks on goal.
In Argentinian football a playmaker is known as an enganche, literally meaning hook. In Brazilian football the deep-lying playmaker is called meia-armador, while the attacking midfield playmaker is called meia-de-ligação.
The most complete playmakers are known as advanced playmakers, or free role playmakers, as they can operate both in central and attacking midfield and in wide positions.
Playmakers are not necessarily constrained to a single position - creativity, tactical awareness and good passing ability are the true requirements.
Because many midfielders have these attributes, they tend to be the playmakers of a team. The attacking playmakers are sometimes called the "number 10" of the team, as they often wear the number 10 jersey."

Hope that makes it clear

I suppose that means that I want Modric to play as our Trequartista rather than our Regista who is Thudd.

 

Why would I use a word if I didn't know what it meant in English?

It's slightly different in its application to the English definition of a playmaker, who sits in midfield. The archetypical example would probably be Totti at Roma, sitting behind the striker in the 4-3-1-2 formation.

 

I believe, in Goonerland, they are known as False No. 9's

 

The role that Sheringham, Bergkamp and numerous others have played in the past.
Now with new, updated name in another language, for no apparent reason.

 

I reiterate what this perceptive user said.

 

trequartista literally means "three quarter-ist". In other words not an out and out striker but someone in the Roberto Baggio, Del Piero, Zola or Totti mould that almost plays at the top of the field but not quite, hence, three quarters

 

I love how a few WUM's have ruined an otherwise good article and debate.

 

Indeed. I hope they are pleased.