Luis Enrique’s tactical problems and his future at the club
Barcelona’s tiki-taka style of play
Luis Enrique continued the tradition started by Johan Cruyff and perfected by Pep Guardiola. The typical Spanish passing type of play, ‘tiki taka’ has brought success to the Camp Nou for two decades. Tiki-taka is associated with flair, creativity and touch. It is an uncompromising passing game, coupled with intense, high pressing. It requires midfielders to be roaming and interchanging positions, moving the ball in intricate patterns, and applying pressure. Tiki-taka is both defensive and offensive in equal measure – the team is always in possession, so does not need to switch between defending and attacking. This strategy brought 5 trophies in 2 years to the Camp Nou. He experimented with a few formations but the tactics were the same.
Changes have been made by Lucho this season, but for the better or for the worse?
But this season, there has been a sharp and noticeable change in tactics for Barcelona. The passing style has been direct and the tempo has been very high. In the attacking third, Barca have moved the ball very quickly in order to catch defenders off guard. But this strategy has not worked out very well against teams with capable defenses. Also, short passing oriented players like Busquets and Iniesta have struggled to make an impact. This is because of the high tempo and the fast ball movement, they have to move the ball around very quickly and their style is not suited to this kind of play. Pep has ingrained a deep sense of passing in them which cannot be overridden easily. Therefore, Lucho is wasting world-class talent by implementing new ideas.
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Against the weaker teams, the forward line itself is enough to break down their defenses. But against teams like Real Madrid, the defenders can easily ward off the threat provided by the MSN. That is why the supply line, that is, the midfield has to fire. Rakitic, too cannot keep up because he cannot go back and help the defense and create chances at the same time.
The forward line too, has changed it’s shape. Neymar is operating normally on the left. But it seems that Messi has been shifted to the CF position and Suarez to the right. That is why Suarez has not been scoring too many goals this season. He cannot cut inside with his favoured right foot and hence, cannot create as many chances as Messi did, with his diagonal balls. Messi is the best player in the world, no matter where Lucho plays him, and he has been looking sharp in his old position. But Neymar, too has been off colour and he too has struggled to adapt to Lucho’s changes. He is not encouraging overlappping runs by Jordi Alba and is dribbling inside by himself.
What does this mean for Luis Enrique?
Luis Enrique’s contract expires at the end of the season. He renewed his deal after the 2013-14 treble winning season. But now, his future at the club looks grim. The season has not been very good for Barcelona. Real Madrid are 3 points clear at the top of the league table with a game in hand. And Barca has also produced some very embarrassing matches. Some examples are the huge loss against Manchester City, the loss against Alaves and the draw against Hercules. Lucho might not get a contract renewal this season. But he does not deserve a sack. Despite of the results the team has produced, Barcelona can still turn it around. But Lucho might leave after his contract expires in the summer.