The silent work of Koeman in the FC Barcelona: constant adaptation

The FC Barcelona did not doubt to the hour to trust Ronald Koeman like the attendant to lead the new project of the FC Barcelona from the bench. The Dutch liked by several things: for knowing perfectly the philosophy of game of the club, for having been a legend like Barcelona footballer, by his feeling culé and for having the very clear ideas and not to leave influence by the surroundings.

Like this it went like Ronald Koeman decided to change the diagrams of the FC Barcelona, abandoning the 4-3-3 more usual in the Barcelona team during the last two decades and implanting the 4-2-3-1 that so well worked him in his previous stage like seleccionador of the Low Countries. The problem was that, after a hopeful start, appeared a problem with which did not explain: the injuries.

Several players were falling of the plans of Ronald Koeman by fault of the physical problems, being Jordi Alba, Philippe Coutinho or Ronald Araújo examples of this during weeks. But the catastrophic news arrived with the injuries of long length of key pieces like Gerard Hammered, Sergi Roberto or Ansu Fati, something that added difficulties to manage a staff that already was short of in case.

Ronald Koeman did not have in summer the signings that wanted to -remained without Memphis Depay (Olympique of Lyon) and Eric García (Manchester City)- and, besides, was losing pieces in his staff. It was then when the Dutch knew that it had to reinvent his diagram for readaptarlo to the new circumstances of constant injuries. In a new stage, this 4-2-3-1 that kept unquestionable at the beginning was mutating.

Since the centre of the field was the zone that less injuries had suffered, Ronald Koeman returned to the 4-3-3 with results a so much irregular. The problem is that the Dutch lost also to Ousmane Dembélé and, in a drop added to the one of Ansu Fati, remained without pure extremes in the staff. Something that converted the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1 in barren and predictable diagrams in attack by the profile of the players.

The last invention of Ronald Koeman was a 3-4-2-1 with a clear intention: add a central more so that the sides had total freedom to act as false extremes and open the field. A so unexpected decision like intelligent that shows that the Dutch, in spite of the unfair criticisms to which is confronting , has resources. Without signings and with multiple injuries, the Dutch is taking out to the team advance and this is to admire.

The experiment against the Valladolid, a success