Where is FC Barcelona under Ronald Koeman going wrong tactically? 

Recent headlines at Barcelona might have dominated Lionel Messi's departure, the mismanagement of former president Josep Bartomeu and their ongoing financial woes. But the club has also been plagued by tactical problems on the field. With the players Koeman has at his disposal, Barcelona does not seem to be performing at its best. What exactly is wrong tactically?

Barcelona had a disappointing start to the 2020-21 season which prompted Koeman to switch from a traditional 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-3 system. This meant that Barcelona's defense was not left exposed when the wing-backs pushed higher. The tactical transition won the admiration of fans and experts alike.

However, the Blaugrana have again switched to 4-3-3 this season and none of the pieces seem to be falling into place. While defending, Barcelona play a high line. When their relatively slower wing-backs play high, their opponents exploit the flanks to create chances. The lack of traditional wingers also means the front three in this system are unable to exploit half-spaces.

Koeman seems unable to influence games from the side-line by making game-changing substitutions at crucial moments. Barcelona, under him, have not won against any of the 'big' teams. After the recent El Clasico defeat, the Catalans stand ninth in the league with 1.67 points per game. As the Nou Camp faithful begin to lose trust in Koeman, his job appears to be in danger.

Muddled tactics in Midfield

FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - Supercopa de Espana Final

It will be unrealistic to expect the artistry of tiki-taka by the midfield trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets. from the current Barcelona squad. The team is far from perfect in the middle of the park.

It is very surprising that the midfield combination of Frenkie de Jong, Busquets and Gavi/Pedri have not been able to dominate the middle of the park. Notably, the Spanish national team, which plays with Busquets and Gavi or Pedri, have dominated that area against other national teams.

Frenkie de Jong played as a sweeper last season for Barcelona, carrying the ball from the backline. But this season, Busquets has played the deepest role in midfield and not as a distributor; the role to which he is best suited. Koeman has also failed to 'protect' Busquets from aggressive pressing by the opposition and he is often forced to make long passes.

Only two through passes have been made by Barcelona per game with an effective percentage of zero. 44% touches are in the middle third, with lots of sideways passes. Although the Catalans dominate possession in every game, there is very little end product to show for that.

The Blaugrana midfield might have excellent ball careers in the form of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong. However, it lacks creative players. Riqui Puig has not been given enough opportunities and Philippe Coutinho has been a shadow of his former Liverpool self.

Messi's creative magic in midfield as a deep-lying playmaker has been missing this season. As a result of this glaring void, the Catalans have also failed to create a numerical overload in midfield.

Disturbance in Barcelona Defense

FC Barcelona v Bayern München: Group E - UEFA Champions League

Counterattacks remain a point of vulnerability for Barcelona as the club have conceded 30% of the goals from them. This was primarily due to their poor defensive structure and slow pace, which was evident from the second goal conceded during Sunday's El Clasico. Winning aerial duels is also a major weakness and the team has conceded 40% of its goals from set pieces.

In the middle of the defense, both Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo look solid for Barcelona. But when the duo are absent, tactical faults become visible and defensive errors cost points.

The poor form of Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and the inexperience of Eric Garcia has provided a lack of options for Koeman at Barcelona. Injuries have caused Jordi Alba to miss almost half the season so far. Consequently, the left flank has been rendered less of an attacking threat.

During Alba's injury, Sergino Dest has been moved from the right to the left flank. The right flank is not Mingueza’s natural position and hence, the threat from that side is substantially reduced.

Frontline Failure

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander

Barcelona have been unable to replace the astronomical figures of Lionel Messi this season. The attacking line has not been clinical and the goals per page has dropped to 1.67 from 2.24 last season. Attacking players like Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Aguero and Martin Braithwaite have been injured for the majority of this season.

The width of the field has not been exploited due to the lack of quality wingers. Only 4% of their shots this season have come from the right flank. This makes it easier for opponents to defend the left side and the middle of the park.

Memphis Depay has been a bright spot for the team and is Barcelona's highest goal scorer. However, he has often been forced to drop deep to link up with teammates. This moves him away from the defenders, where he can do the most damage.

Luuk de Jong appears out of place in Barcelona's starting lineup and does not make sense tactically. He has failed to even convert headers (three headers, zero on target during the Kyiv clash) from crosses into goals for which he was brought into the squad.

Due to these factors and an aging squad, Barcelona have been unable to dominate matches. The return of Fati and Aguero provides some much-needed relief. Young players like Yusuf Demir, Alejandro Balde, and Nico offer hope for the future.

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