Opinion: Ernesto Valverde needs to fix Barcelona's right flank to improve performances
Barcelona is going through a pretty rough patch in LaLiga 2018-19 season. They are winless in the league since September 15, and out of the last four matches, they have drawn three.
There are several reasons behind this recent slump, but in this article, i will try to focus on one of the key issues, analyse it, and present some solutions.
The problem
If we look at FC Barcelona's last few matches, we observe that the right wing is unbalanced, and the left wing is utterly crowded.
For the case study, I will use FC Barcelona's last match vs Athletic Bilbao. This is how the team lined up.
Semedo is a very promising right back going forward, but most of the time no one is on the right wing to lend him some support. He has minimal help from the other teammates, and it is embarrassing how many times he is in a good position, but due to a lack of support, he is forced to pass the ball backwards.
Let us look at some heat maps to understand the situation in a better way.
As we can clearly see through the graphics, Barcelona depend on the left wing to create opportunities. The right wing is completely non-existent, with no output, and it is hurting the team very badly.
Messi, Dembele, and Coutinho all have a habit of cutting in and playing in the middle, and as a result, the team becomes extremely cluttered at the center. The player spacing is extremely poor.
It breaks the team shape, as it makes the right wing non-existent. It limits us offensively as the opposing defense knows that there is not much of a threat on the right side, and they comfortably pile up at the center and left half of the pitch.
Solution
Suarez needs rest between games. If he gets proper rest, then he could perform at optimal levels. Suarez and the team management need to understand that at the age of 31, he cannot play every game with the same level of intensity. Valverde needs to rotate him like Zidane rotated Ronaldo in his last season at Real Madrid.
Messi out wide on the right would never work, Valverde should start Messi in the center or give him a free role, and start Malcom or Dembele on the right wing. It solves our width issues, and also allows Messi to be in a position where he is most dangerous.
Keeping the above two points in mind, Barcelona could use the following tactical setups.
4-3-3 with Suarez on the bench
4-3-1-2 with Suarez on the bench
4-2-3-1 with Suarez up front
Dropping Suarez is not that easy because Suarez is very crucial to how Barcelona play. Fans may criticise him for the goal drought, but he still sets up so many goals and creates chances.
His off the ball movements, dummies, and dribbling skills are still excellent. His positioning and movement give Messi a lot of space to operate. If Barcelona doesn't want to leave out Suarez, we can play 4-2-3-1 with Suarez in front.
Conclusion
The problem is so apparent that it is not understandable why it hasn't been fixed. It is glaring, and opposition teams are using this loophole to their advantage.
The situation is quite alarming, and Barcelona's think tank needs to come up with a solution as quickly as possible.