Xavi’s first paradox: playing with extremes without extremes

“You will see extremes. I want to play with open ends“. Those words from Xavi the day of his presentation will mean your first paradox as coach of Barça. How play without extremes without having them. Being a “fundamentalist”, as Cazorla called him, of the system or adapting to human capital. It is one of the first situations that they are going to put the new Barça coach to the test because, without Dembélé, Barça does not have no pure end. Neither will Ansu, who could play in that position although he is not a specialist.

Therefore, the options Xavi has to play with wingers are very limited. Sergiño Dest and Alexander balde have already played in that position this season, but they are players without one against one, which can only overflow by speed and that is why they have been delaying their position over the years. Basically they are lateral. Then Xavi has in the subsidiary Moroccan from Beni Melal, Abde (17 years old), already Ilias Akhomach, 17 years old and born in Hostalets de Pierola, which is one of the most the technician likes it Get out and work with the first team, although it is anyone’s guess. One last option is Yusuf Demir. The Austrian, a closed left-hander, played as a false right winger at the beginning of the season, but He disappeared of the team after being inconsequential. He is not a band player because he lacks explosiveness. If it has any quality, it is to play on the inside.

Barça got out of control in the last two league games that ended with Abde and Balde in the extremes. Against him Alaves tied and against him Celtic lost the thread of the match. Not because of the boys. Sergi got out of hand with so much youth in the team. Xavi will have to measure if be true to your ideas and aligning to the extremes is a good idea when, at this moment, Barça play better with four means What Busquets, De Jong, Nico and Gavi. It would not be strange that, as much as Xavi wants to align players open to the band, the derby day be a bit more conservative and bet on something that Koeman and Luis Enrique have already done, move Gavi to the right and try to get the game ahead with four or five players in the middle and Memphis up front.

The matter will not only have a route for the first game. The Barça single have a pure end, with overflow and one against one real. Prepared to play for Barça if injuries respect him. Signing wingers (they have sounded Sterling or Mahrez) is expensive and the technician will have to decide if it is really a good idea to start with a firm idea to carry the I play bands when human material is missing.