FC Barcelona Rebuild

FC Barcelona Rebuild - Pre-Season 2021

TRANSFERS:  

With the way I wanted the team to play a Pressing Forward was my top target. This also improved depth at the Striker position with Braithwaite being undesired and Aguero out injured. With a tight budget Andrea Belotti was the purchase at $30M, and he has been perfect for my lead Pressing Forward when in 442, and as a deeper Target when playing with 1 Striker.  Bentancur and Raul Garcia were both brought in to provide quality depth at a good price. Raul Garcia, even though he has gotten off to a slow start bc of weaker technicals, did also achieve the goal of weakening the competition. Bentancur has been very good as a rotation Box-to-Box Mid which covers his weakness in Concentration. He was a loan with an option to buy for $19M that will be exercised at the end of the season.

TACTICS:

The team as primarily played in the shape shown below. It is a style the rewards player technical, mental, and athletic skill. It is a wide-open attack that hopefully stretches defenses for the two strikers to take advantage of, and Belotti is leading La Liga in goals while Memphis Depay is at the top in assist. At present we are leading the league in scoring. Secondary to this we run 433 DM Wide when another good team sends two strikers in our direction.

STANDINGS:

Collado is first choice over Fatsi so far at the RM as the latter finds his form coming back from injury.  Had trouble finding a partner for Pique, but once I made his partner a Central Defender instead of a BPD the defense has been more solid.