Valverde allows too much freedom to his players on the pitch, which he needs to cut down upon
Two of the most successful head coaches in Barcelona’s history, Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff are famous for inventing and perfecting tiki-taka respectively. But they also brought an element to Barca’s game that defines the club’s style of play.
It is the perfect balance between strict regimentation and creative freedom. Players cannot stray too much, but can do everything within a certain limit. For example, Pep Guardiola allowed Lionel Messi to utilise the empty space to run into but Messi could not shift to the wings.
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But this tradition did not die with Guardiola’s departure. His successors Tito Vilanova, Gerardo Martino and Luis Enrique used this strategy. But Ernesto Valverde has changed things up, and it is not getting the best out of all the players.
Lionel Messi has been able to adapt, and utilise it to reach even greater heights. But everyone’s not Messi, and the likes of Rakitić and Busquets have struggled. They have too much freedom than they know what to do with. It has resulted in several poor passes in crucial stages of the game.
Luis Suárez has also struggled, along with Andrés Iniesta. While Barcelona have maintained a perfect start to the season, it has been with unattractive football. Ernesto Valverde has a duty to uphold the club’s principles.
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And the club’s main footballing principle is nothing but tiki-taka. Valverde needs to bring back tiki-taka and sacrifice Total Football. He can start with limiting the players’ freedom.