2023-08-03 07:30:47
BarcelonaOusmane Dembélé is leaving Barça and the club must think about whether it is looking for a natural replacement or whether, instead, it is looking to allocate the meager financial resources it has to strengthening another position or player profile. Taking a look at the current squad, Barça, despite the farewell of the French footballer, would still have a good roster of wingers. At least in quantity. Also in quality? What can Raphinha, Ansu, Ferran or Abde contribute and what characteristics should a Barça winger have?
At the outset it would be necessary to make a preliminary and say that if Xavi opts for the system with four midfielders, Barça would have four players for one position (that of Lewandowski’s teammate at the front). If the Barcelona coach also intends to use, as during this tour, the system with three midfielders and two wingers, the team already has its wings folded. All in all, waiting to also see to what extent Lamine Yamal can play a leading role in the first team.
In any case, a Barça winger should master a series of requirements that could be summarized in this way: understanding of the game and ability to stretch the opposing lines with deep clearances. If the winger is wide and rigorous at a positional level, he attracts the attention of, at least, the rival side. If he threatens the back of the defense with clearances he stresses the winger and, at the very least, the closest central. In all these situations, he helps the team even if he doesn’t touch the ball. How? Creating areas of intervention so that players like Pedri or Gündogan have more time and space. The aspiration of Xavi’s Barça is to dominate matches with their midfielders. For this to be possible, this gearing with the ends is essential. There are other teams that express themselves through the imbalance that their ends bring. In these cases, it is essential that they are wingmen with great one-on-one quality.
Disrupting the opposition defense, the main task of the wingers
If Barça’s wingers have the talent to leave opponents behind with dribbling, oil in a lamp. If not, we wouldn’t be talking about a drama either, because his main role should be to help mess up the opposition’s (usually tight-knit) defense with positional intelligence and good moves. However, having a dribbler like Abde in the squad can derail some games. He is making merits to be taken into account and the transfer to Osasuna has made him grow in the tactical field. Raphinha, from the right, has a better relationship with the environment than Dembélé and, in a way, can be a threat in space. Precisely this, from the unmarked in space, Ferran lives when he plays on the wing. He doesn’t have the balance in one on one, but he does have the sense to look for balls in the back of the defense. It is clear that all this must be harmonized with the interior players and that they take a step forward in their ability to command and dominate.
Ansu eats separately. Xavi said it after the match against Milan, decided with a great shot by the 20-year-old: “It’s a differential near the area”. In reality, Ansu is not a winger, he is a striker who has a special relationship with the goal and, therefore, it is appropriate to bring him closer to the goal. In this sense, his symbiosis on the left with Balde is particularly interesting. The Barça winger, who does have dribbling skills, is increasingly decisive in attack. His penetrating changes of pace and sharp drives are oxygen for the team.
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