Valverde plans to overhaul Barcelona's tactics for the 2018/19 season

Valverde plans to overhaul Barcelona's tactics for the 2018/19 season

Ernesto Valverde durante un entrenamiento del FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde durante un entrenamiento del FC Barcelona | EFE

The coach wants to revert back to the successful 4-3-3 system and give Coutinho license to attack alongside Messi and Suarez

FC Barcelona need to reinvent themselves every season in order to continue competing at the top and Ernesto Valverde, the head coach, is very conscious of this. Valverde's current plan is to restore the 4-3-3, which served Barcelona so well in the past, as he looks to return the club's style and retain the positive results on the pitch.

Valverde felt obligated to adapt to the circumstances he faced during the 2017/18 season. There was the loss of Neymar combined with the beatings from Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup (3-1 and 2-0 losses), the late arrival of Philippe Coutinho and the difficulties young Ousmane Dembele had in adapting to life at Barça.

The coach was left with a situation where he needed to go with systems which adapted better to his preferences, such as the 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. This was different to previous years, the debate about the club's style wasn't as intense, perhaps due to the circumstances Valverde was working under.

In saying that, Valverde knows a large part of the supporters value the style of football the team plays almost as much as they do the titles they win. On reflection the 2017/18 season, which saw Barça win another league and cup double, saw them produce good results but the team didn't shine as it usually does, plus the painful exit in the quarter finals at the hands of Roma left its mark on supporters.

Iniesta's exit & coutinho's position

It's evident that the base of the team will remain unaltered but certain retouches in personnel could produce great results. Barcelona will be able to count on Coutinho from the start but they've lost a key member of the team in Andres Iniesta.

The Brazilian, as he's demonstrated at the World Cup in Russia with Brazil, can adapt perfectly to different positions. At the start, Coutinho appeared destined to form an attacking trident alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, just as he did in many of the matches towards the end of last season.

But in terms of the new signings, Valverde could reposition 'Phil' to play in midfield alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic, another option the coach used when Iniesta wasn't in the starting line up.

The key to this might depend on how quickly Arthur Melo can integrate himself into the squad, the evolution of Denis Suarez or the ability of the sporting department to bring in a new midfielder who'd slot in straight away. The signing of Dutchman Frenkie De Jong or PSG's Adrien Rabiot could free up Coutinho to play further forward.

You shouldn't ignore the fact that Barça have sold Paulinho and are trying to move on Andre Gomes, two midfielders who are known for their physicality. This is an indication that the Camp Nou is trying to re-establish it's profile of midfielders who are technically better on the ball.

dembele: the wildcard

The coaching staff are also very keen to see how Ousmane Dembele develops this season. The young French international is one of Barcelona's biggest investments for the future. His first season at the club wasn't easy and, at the World Cup, he started out as a starter but lost his place in the team in order for Didier Deschamps to include Olivier Giroud in his preferred XI..

If Dembele can find his place in the team, produce much needed consistency, demonstrate his talent by offering that speed and directness, Valverde would have another fine option to fit into his 4-3-3 system.

One of the difficulties which Valverde faced was the lack of genuine alternatives to call upon last season. He used 15 men and the 'B' players weren't good enough when they were handed an opportunity. This is why, alongside the new signings of Lenglet and Arthur, the club is desperately searching for ways to offload the unwanted members of the squad.

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