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Hapless Valverde’s 4-2-3-1 has been a disaster for Barcelona

By Chiranjib Ghosh

MADRID, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Ernesto Valverde of Barcelona ges during the La Liga match between CD Leganes and FC Barcelona at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on November 23, 2019 in Madrid, Spain on November 23, 2019. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Ernesto Valverde of Barcelona ges during the La Liga match between CD Leganes and FC Barcelona at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on November 23, 2019 in Madrid, Spain on November 23, 2019. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) /
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Barcelona have been uninspiring in the 4-2-3-1 formation

Ernesto Valverde is not a leader. He is a coach who never really had many inspiring ideas in the first place. And now, he has run out of all ideas of all kinds. That is why a club like Barcelona have stooped to the low of lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

‘Mes que un club’, has been forgotten. The 4-2-3-1 is a formation popularised by Premier League managers who wanted to find the back of the net in any way possible, with the ball in the air half the time. But the ends do not justify the means in the beautiful game.

Barça are different from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Real Madrid, because the aesthetics matter on the pitch at the Camp Nou. The Barça crowd is one which will cheer good football, not a characterless display of brute force.

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Moreover, Barça’s performance did not improve against Leganés with the rejigging of the formation. With 77% possession, Barça’s football was without any soul. It was a display of the worst kind, with dominance on ball and no personality.

The stars disappointed, and Antoine Griezmann was the biggest disappointment of them all. Gerard Piqués time at the top is done and dusted, and Luis Suárez’s performance showed that his big MLS move may not be too far away.

In short, the 4-2-3-1 formation did nothing to benefit an already out-of-sync team. Lionel Messi plays as an attacking midfielder anyway in the 4-3-3, and the addition of an attacker did not add any extra edge to the Barça frontline.

Valverde is sucking the life out of a vibrant, young Barça squad with his illogical tactics, and uninspiring leadership. His reign has been nothing but a series of disappointments, and yet he sticks on like a wart, leading Barça into a ditch.

dark. Next. Barça scout German duo

Unless Josep Maria Bartomeu wants Barcelona to end up like AC Milan or, for that matter, Bayern Munich, he needs to fire Ernesto Valverde.p

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