Barcelona: Ernesto Valverde has successfully reinvented tiki-taka

Ernesto Valverde has reinvented the classical Barcelona style of play

After Ernesto Valverde joined the club as the replacement for Luis Enrique, it signalled a change in club policy towards strategy in a game. It symbolised a transition from the club’s successful, unique tiki-taka to a modern, direct form of football.

In his first season, Valverde implemented a direct tactic, making the side tight at the back and creating a stoically defensive unit. The club scored many goals, but none of them exuded the brilliance that is normally expected of Barcelona, conceding the second-lowest number of goals.

But despite the initial formation change to 4-4-2, Valverde has gone back to the traditional 4-3-3 associated with the first-team, with a fluid attack, with Leo Messi on the right and Ousmane Dembélé replacing Neymar on the left, and Luis Suárez down the middle.

Ivan Rakitić has retained the same responsible from the 4-4-2, acting as a playmaker on the right side of the midfield, and linking up with Messi and Sergi Roberto, while also trying to feed through balls to Luis Suárez for the Uruguayan to turn and finish, or flick it on.

Sergio Busquets has assumed a more important role, similar to his role under the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. But the biggest change has been on the left side of the midfield trio, with Philippe Coutinho replacing Andrés Iniesta.

Coutinho shares many similarities with Iniesta, but he is a more attacking version of the club legend. The Brazilian playmaker is a better dribbler, and prefers to take a shot himself from the edge of the box rather than pass it on to Jordi Alba down the left.

Coutinho had several attempts blocked from the edge of the box, but it was clear that is trying to adapt to his new role, with some good link-up play with Ousmane Dembélé and Jordi Alba, and also Sergio Busquets down the middle.

As for the defence, it has remained the same except for the fact that Samuel Umtiti is no longer allowed to make his characteristic surging runs, with Gerard Piqué being given more freedom, due to his experience playing in a classic Barça 4-3-3.

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Ernesto Valverde’s tiki-taka is not the classical style of play which is completely in line with the club’s philosophy. In Valverde’s version, the ball is moved about with much more urgency and thus, a debatable flaw of tiki-taka, pointless passing, is avoided.

And while it may create some leaks at the back due to the forward runs made by the full-backs, it is a much more exciting form of football than both the original tiki-taka, and the direct style of play implemented by Valverde in his first season at the Camp Nou.

The Basque coach’s new tactics has become clear with Barcelona’s performance against Huesca, where the side let in two easy goals, but scored eight goals at the other end, with only the own goal being one that could be criticised for its quality.

The players showed brilliant passing ability, vision, pace, technique, dribbling and finishing, the complete package. The best performers were Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitić and Jordi Alba, while Luis Suárez surprisingly did well. And Leo Messi doesn’t need any mention.

Ousmane Dembélé showed some great touches, receiving aerial ball with such brilliance that it didn’t move an inch from his foot. His finish with his left foot, as well his curler from the edge of the box were treats for the eyes. But more often that not, he couldn’t deliver the final product.

Next. Barça 8-2 Huesca: 3 takeaways. dark

But the way that Ernesto Valverde is coaching this side, and how the team is responding, is a clear signal of the fact that Barcelona may become the only club to win three trebles in the history of the European football, extending its own record of two trebles, both recorded in the 21st century.