4 tactical changes which would enable FC Barcelona to improve 

FC Barcelona have undergone some changes as a team in the recent past as some of their key players have retired/gone to other clubs in the last few years. The void left by the departure of Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Dani Alves and Neymar cannot be filled in easily and therefore, Barca are finding it difficult to cope with the changes.

They have managed to win the UEFA Champions’ League only once in the last 7 years and although they continue to be the most impressive team in the La Liga, it does not quite make up for their relatively unimpressive showing in Europe.

However, Barca have signed some new players in the last few years as well and still boast of a very good squad. Currently, they are at the 2nd position in the La Liga table with 15 points from 8 matches. They also beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 in a UCL group league match recently.

They are going to face Real Madrid on 28th October at the Camp Nou and the El Clasico is always a stiff test for both the teams. We would like to look at some strategies which might enable Barca to perform even better in the upcoming matches:

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1. Playing a double pivot in the midfield:

Tottenham Hotspur v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League

Barca have been mostly playing with a 4-3-3 formation for the last 12-13 years but it’s probably time now to adopt a different formation. Luis Enrique dabbled with a 3-4-3 temporarily but it did not quite work. Xavi and Iniesta, who dictated terms in the midfield with their brilliant passing and possession-play, are no longer there and Barca would have to change their formation accordingly.

Arthur Melo, Barca’s new no. 8, has a great work rate and is a good passer but is still not quite in Xavi’s league in terms of controlling the tempo of the game.

Therefore, the Brazilian and veteran Sergio Busquets should play together as a double pivot in Barca’s midfield.

Busquets plays as a 3rd Centre-Back at times but has become slower with age. He is not a great tackler either and prefers to sweep balls and create attacks from his own half. Therefore, Arthur would have to play box-to-box and also help Busquets in his defensive duties. That would enable Barca to be stable and secure at the back and their attacking players would also be able to play more freely.

2. Playing Coutinho as a playmaker:

Ernesto Valverde should find a new role for the Brazilian

Barca signed Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool and he has replaced fellow Brazilian Neymar in their line-up. However, he is not a typical goal-scorer and has scored only 13 goals in 33 matches for Barca.

Therefore, instead of playing as a winger in a 4-3-3, he should play in the midfield and act as a playmaker for Barca. It would make sense to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Coutinho playing as a left-midfielder, Messi as the Central Attacking midfielder, Ivan Rakitic as the right-midfielder and Luis Suarez playing as the lone striker.

Coutinho should fall back to his own half at times to retrieve balls and create play from there. He should also interchange positions with Messi by switching to the centre of the pitch occasionally to make things difficult for the opposition defenders.

The Brazilian has a good shot on him and therefore, should be encouraged to have more attempts at goal from the edge of the opposition penalty box.

With Arthur playing box-to-box and Coutinho making his moves from the left flank to the central midfield, Barca would tend to have the much-needed numerical advantage in the middle third which is so crucial for their style of play.

3. Stretching the Opposition defence wide:

Alba's speed is an essential part of Barcelona's attack

The proposed 4-2-3-1 formation is going to be an asymmetrical one as Coutinho would frequently switch to the central midfield from the left flank and thereby create space in the left wing.

Jordi Alba, Barcelona’s left back, would have to make his overlapping runs through the left wing and interchange passes with Coutinho. Lionel Messi and Dani Alves used to combine very successfully through the right wing by interchanging passes and creating space in the glory days of Barca. Alba and Coutinho would have to replicate that particular strategy.

Rakitic would have to stay on the right flank more often and provide the necessary width through the right side of the pitch. Barcelona’s right-back options are relatively inexperienced and can not be trusted to make overlapping runs very frequently. Therefore, Rakitic would have to stay on the right flank more often and deliver passes to the opposition penalty box from there.

Alba should deliver the much-needed crosses from the left flank. Coutinho should use the inside-left channel and Messi should attack through the inside-right channel at times.

4. Giving Messi a free role:

Messi's goalscoring capabilities remain fantastic

The aforementioned strategy would enable Barca to stretch the opposing defence and create holes at the centre of it. It would also allow Messi to have a free role at the centre of Barca attack as he would be able to combine with Suarez to trouble the opposition centre-backs.

Messi has scored 11 goals in 11 matches so far in this season and remains one of the most potent goal-scorers in world football. Therefore, arguably the best player in the world should be given a free role that would allow being more lethal.

A few years ago, Xavi and Iniesta used to dominate possession in the midfield for Barca and played through passes or dribbled past opposition defenders to create openings. Also, a younger Messi could switch his position more frequently and Neymar used to provide width through the left wing.

Messi is ageing now and cannot be trusted to switch his position as effortlessly as he used to do a few years ago. Therefore, he should predominantly stay in the middle and allowed to make switches to the flanks as per his own convenience.