Ernesto Valverde arrived at FC Barcelona in the summer as coach. In his previous coaching
jobs, he has lifted the Greek Superleague on three occasions with Olympiacos. In his
native Spain, aside from winning the Spanish Super Cup with Athletic Bilbao in 2015, trophies
as a coach have thus far evaded him, though he did manage to help Athletic qualify for
the Europa League on four consecutive occasions.
While tiki-taka thrust Barcelona to great heights under Pep Guardiola, Valverde’s
ideas are much more reserved and balanced. This season, he has even admitted to refraining
to make substitutions in a game due to favouring how his starting eleven could compete while
defending set pieces. He is very conscious of being balanced, solid and not offering
any weaknesses to opponents. Valverde is both pro-active before games and reactive during.
Against Real Betis, for example, Barca employed a very high press, but they do not approach
each game in the same manner.
Despite being afforded far greater riches and quality at his new club, the 53 year old
has kept things safe and balanced. His 4-4-2 is a far cry from the 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 of the
Luis Enrique era, with the predictable and direct approach of his predecessor’s systems
not surviving the summer. Although key forward Neymar was sold to PSG, Barcelona have weathered
the storm well, maintaining an unbeaten record in LaLiga into December even after an injury
to Neymar-replacement Ousmane Dembele. Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo/Sergi Roberto
offer plenty of width as attacking full backs while in possession, giving license for Andres
Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Lionel Messi to tuck in where necessary. The combination play
between the players that occupy the wider areas and their supporting full backs is vital
to allowing Valverde’s sides overloads at the bylines against stretched opposition defences.
Sergio Busquets drops deep to collect the ball from Ter Stegen and Barca’s centre
backs split to allow their full backs to push on and take up an advanced starting position
if possible. Defensively, Valverde likes for his bank of four defenders to retreat into
position, with the midfield then plugging the gaps ahead in their own bank of four.
If certain midfielders are caught a little out of position when possession turned over,
they can fill in as they see fit. In terms of pressing defensively against teams
that are comfortable in possession, Barca look to press high and in numbers, with any
loose touches big pressing triggers. Luis Suarez shows that pressing intensely isn’t
always the key intention for Valverde’s forwards, however, as he instead funnels a
ball-playing defender out to one side of the pitch. By applying pressure in the right way,
hanging on his shoulder and shutting out the escape pass, Suarez ensures number five can
only look out to the left-hand side of the pitch, with number 2 not an option - this
closes the pitch into a smaller area and makes it easier for Suarez’s teammates to target
their energy on pressing fewer opponents aggressively. In turn, whichever opponent receives the ball
from no.5 will have a player pressing them from behind, immediately forcing them to play
what they can see - passes into non-threatening areas of the field.
At the age of 33, it is clear that Andres Iniesta’s footballing life expectancy won’t
stretch much longer. Under Valverde, however, his ageing legs are being useful protected.
By using the athleticism of Alba down the left wing, Iniesta can tuck in and look to
either attack the box more centrally or slide passes either in between the lines or behind
the opposition right back, as well as having the time to switch play. It gives him the
freedom to be creative, as well as negating the amount of hard running or defensive work
that he would be asked to do as a flat central midfielder. -
Paulinho was an interesting purchase for Barcelona during the summer of 2017. Having failed to
set the Premier League alight with Tottenham, there was not much optimism with regard to
what he could offer a big club that would be challenging for titles. Given his physicality
and stature, however, the Brazilian had a clear skill set that did not previously exist
within the club’s ranks. He is used as a link from midfield to the front two of Messi
and Suárez, with his power aiding his runs from deep or ability to challenge for aerial
or loose balls in or around the box. He has the freedom to step up, while Ivan Rakitic
and Sergio Busquets cover the required central midfield space off the ball. Paulinho can
play neatly off the front two, or get in the box to help challenge for deliveries from
wide areas, with his height and broad physique giving Valverde’s forward line a physical
edge they previously lacked.
Perhaps the key aspect of Valverde’s Barca, is the freedom that is given to Lionel Messi.
Left to his own devices as a floating presence alongside Luis Suarez, while the Uruguayan
plays as a 9, Messi finds pockets of space that he wants to exploit. With Rakitic and
Sergi Roberto/Semedo offering the width on the right when Barca are in possession, it
releases Messi to go hunting for where he can do damage - and it is precisely that liberty
for the Argentine that makes Barcelona well structured, yet infinitely unpredictable,
or even unstoppable, in attack. Valverde’s blend of balance and star quality makes them
an interesting proposition for both domestic and European glory this season.