Barca have just finished the first half of their season, with an astounding 18-1-0 record. Someone asked what had changed between last year’s struggles and this year’s utter dominance. Here were a couple thoughts I had:
- Jordi Alba has helped supplement or substitute for a declining Dani Alves. He’s ridiculously good, has enough speed and stamina to cover an entire wing by himself – which allows us to play Iniesta on the left rather than a true winger.
- Increased verticality. Barca still keep possession, but look for a forward pass far more frequently and quickly. Much of what Barca lacked last season was a final touch, too often we just passed around the box – verticality seems to be a direct response to that, and has made us a goalscoring machine. The consequence is a vulnerable defense, but Busquets has taken on much of the burden and is one of the best performers this season. Xavi has also started to help out more defensively. The two of them combine to let us keep possession.
- Pique has returned to form, and Puyol has returned from injury (for now). We desperately missed our reliable CBs at the end of last season and the beginning of this one.
- Fabregas has been incredible, combination of his individual improvement and the change in system. The increased verticality suits him very well, but he’s also learned to play a deeper midfield role – previously the problem had been that he liked to play in a False 9-ish space with Messi. Now he’s incredibly versatile – he can play with Xavi, go out left to combine with Iniesta (which he did repeatedly today), or combines well with Messi.
- Xavi is playing amazingly despite his age, working hard, scoring goals, and generally kicking ass.
- Adriano is also having the season of his life, 6 goals.
- Quite simply, Iniesta and Messi are both having the best years of their lives. When you have two of the best three players in the world performing at the top of their game, you’re gonna do well.
- Hunger. This year Barca has what Madrid had last season, a will to win no matter what that stems largely from last season’s failures. Early in the fall, we won a lot, but won unconvincingly – we conceded goals and always had to come back to score late winners, but the team never doubted and always came up with a way. The flip side is a sort of humility – even when we’re winning comfortably, they want to score more goals, they won’t sit on their laurels. There was one game where we were 5-0 up in the 90th minute, and Pique charged out of the back at full sprint to lead a ridiculous counterattack with Messi and Pedro that nearly ended in a sixth goal. We never saw that last season.
Okay, this didn’t end up being that short. Basically, Tito’s Barca is versatile and hungry. They lost last season, and they were told that was because they were too predictable, they couldn’t adapt. Well this year they’ve adapted: they simply have too many weapons for opponents to handle, and a willingness to use them. A multitude of formations – tiki-taka, wing play, low crosses into the box, long balls over the top, false wingers, false 9s. A multitude of top-notch, in-form, hardworking players: Pique, Adriano, Alba, Busquets, Cesc, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi are all having maybe their best seasons ever. Finally, we have depth, which we lacked last season, and have always lacked, really: Montoya and Alves are both fantastic subs, Song is coming along, Thiago is amazing, Mascherano is a highly competent third-choice CB, Tello, Alexis, Pedro, and Villa are all competing for one or two wing spots. The second string, if you can call them that, are all fantastic players – more importantly, they are playing as such, despite infrequent playtime, which allows for more squad rotation as the season gets tougher.
Here’s hoping the team continues to perform at this incredible level. If they do, other teams don’t stand a chance.
OneBarca: 