Andres Iniesta – The Rise, The Rust and now to Bite the Dust
The Great Spanish Empire was the first empire to be labeled as the empire where “the sun never sets.” It spread wider than the gaze of the Lucifer and was among the first domains to have a colonized system.
They were strong. And, like what almost every influential entity does, they oppressed the weak. It happened to such an extent that the weak no longer thought that they had anything to lose and hence retaliated. Ultimately, they found a way to get rid of the Spaniards after being tormented by them for years.
Centuries later, history repeated itself – only this time, it happened in the world of football. The Spaniards decimated their opponents for a span that lasted for half a decade and one of the main protagonists of that team was Andres Iniesta.
Spain played an exquisite brand of passing football that caught the eyes of many. Their passing was intricate and beautiful – like a tapestry of the rising moon along with stars. The phases they built with short and slick passes were the football equivalent of Ludovico Einaudi’s live concerts – like a melody weaved by the breath of God.
And the orchestrator of that team was Andres Iniesta.
Watching the Barcelona man play was like watching a peacock creating a cosmic universe with its feathers. Each pass, turn and dribble was a like a creation in itself – for it either created goals or hypnosis within the fans’ mind.
It was for this that he was so essential to Spain and Barcelona’s tiki-taka philosophy. For to play an efficient brand of pass-and-move football, there needs to be a player who can read the game before others and get the rid of the ball within two or three touches.
At times, one could think that Iniesta moved more than the ball did. He released the ball and received it again within seconds and by that time, he was past 2-3 defenders. It looked simple, but it was not at all easy.
And he was not just that. When it was needed, he could dribble past 2-3 defenders at will and create something out of nothing. It was beautiful. It was sublime. And, most importantly, it was game-changing.
But it has all changed since Pep Guardiola left Barcelona.
In Guardiola’s very fluid system, Iniesta had the tactical freedom to roam in very advanced areas. He played multiple roles simultaneously – sometimes beside Busquets in front of the backline, sometimes alongside Xavi in central midfield, sometimes as a trequartista behind Messi and sometimes on the left as an inside forward.
And he flourished. There was not another advanced playmaker as influential as he was at that time. His radiating presence all over the pitch stupefied opposition players and they were forced to open up gaps for Barca attackers – especially Leo Messi – to exploit.
This was what made Barcelona’s style special. Iniesta’s guileful hovering all over the pitch disrupted the whole tactical setup of the opposition and allowed Barcelona to play tiki-taka at its absolute best.
However, things have changed since Pep Guardiola left for pasture new. With the decline of Xavi also playing a part, Barca were no longer as fluent at tiki-taka as they were. Change is the demand of time and it was time’s command to Barca asking for a change.
And change they did.
Now, the Catalans have added a more direct approach to their game. With the likes of Ivan Rakitic, Neymar, Luis Suarez and, obviously, Lionel Messi, Barca have players that allow them to be quicker and more vertical in attack. And this has dampened the strength of Andres Iniesta.
No longer is he allowed the same freedom as before. Once upon a time, only Lionel Messi was the ultra-attacking player of Los Cules’ system. Now, however, the trio of Neymar, Suarez and Messi are allowed to pin the opposition defense as deep as they want to. Hence, Andres Iniesta doesn’t have the liberty to float over the pitch like he once was allowed to.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champions League | 5 (1) | 0 | 3 |
| La Liga | 14 (3) | 0 | 0 |
| Copa del Rey | 4 | 3 | 0 |
These days, he is asked to strictly operate in a central midfield role – to stay alongside Ivan Rakitic, with the Croat taking over the more adventurous duties from him and support him defensively. This has restricted Iniesta to a very large extent, so much that the Spaniard has only 3 assists in all competitions so far this season.
In the more advanced areas, the presence of MSN has forced Luis Enrique to hold Iniesta back. It is obvious – the former Roma coach has to make his star trio work and in order for that to happen, they must be given the maximum opportunity to stay in attacking zones. This, in turn, makes it too crowdy for Iniesta to venture forward.
Finally, the number of side and back passes have reduced in Barca’s play. Unnecessary and overdrawn passes have been scrapped for more audacious vertical passing and this has also hindered Iniesta for he is someone who does like to move forward quickly, but uses a lot of side-passes along the way to do so.
With Xavi’s departure to Al Sadd confirmed, it won’t be surprising to see Iniesta follow his compatriot out of the door since it seems as though he has no place in Barca’s current system. That is, he has no place to express himself fully.
For 15 days, the moon wanes. And for the next 15, it waxes. For half a decade, Iniesta waxed so bright that it illuminated the entire world of football. Now, however, he is going through the waning period because it is the call of nature.
Change, like mentioned earlier, is the demand of time. Perhaps it is time’s demand that Andres Iniesta changes jerseys and joins a team where he can enjoy a more expressive playmaking role that he once had and in which he shines the brightest.