While Busquets is able to beat opposition presses with perfect passing, it becomes difficult when the opponents' players decide to sit back and anticipate the pass. De Jong on the other hand has the ability to drive forward with the ball which can more often drag opposition players away from his teammates. This is one of his most unique abilities. I'm sure with time he will further improve his defensive awareness for his CDM position but he is on the right path overall - even better if he has someone to cover for him while he makes his forward piercing runs. Hence why I believe Barca does not need their 2 fullbacks to run forward at the same time. Guardiola at City always makes sure that 1 fullback covers in defense/midfield while the other makes forward offensive runs.

I'm really glad you mentioned how fast Frenkie got the ball out of his feet because that in particular is what sped up the match for us, instead of Busi's controlled backwards passes or methodical forward passes at times, Frenkie just moved the ball on and continued to for most the game, he took his fair share of gambles with dribbling and even lost the ball at times but the tempo he created completely shifted the way we play and I believe that assisted our attack with finding them in space and not giving the defense time to set up

If I’m being honest Frankie has always been calm and smart playing in the back. Even when he was in Ajax, all his plays usually started from his own half of the field. That’s why he was purchased from them

did people just forget De jong basically played as a pivot at ajax?? he was a dominant sweeper style DM who could shut down and man mark while also driving forward… not sure why everyone thinks he would’ve been anything but that for barca. Never understood why he was forced to be a more attacking player

I used to be a big fan of TalkFCB, have to say Mr.Purist got my heart right now. Best Barca channel in the tube by far. Love it, keep up the good work!

I love the way he waits for players to press him before making a pass. Obv it’s a very common thing, but the way he does it is in such a unique manner

Frankie is smart enough to vary his game and become a great pivot. He needs to be trusted to play more in that role to grow into it and we should be patient with him as he evolves. Over to you Xavi.

As someone who's been following Frenkie since his debut at Willem II, he is and was never a CDM!! He's the one who needs to be free to roam, pick the ball up from just in front of the defence and make runs to connect the whole team. He's the one that speeds up the play, or slows it down and needs to be on the ball as much as possible. He's not a defender, but when in his free roaming position, he can recover the ball like no other. He's not the player to give assist or score goals, but the one who dictates the play as is the connection between the defence and the attack. He does however need a really solid defence behind him and that's what's lacking for years now at Barca. Of course he can work hard, but he's not a midfielder that would track back and defend hard. He doesn't have the fysical strenght for that. And he doesn't need to, because he needs to be agile to make those turns and runs. In the game against Villareal, it was one of the first times, i really saw he was used in the right way. It's the way he played at Ajax and still plays at the Dutch National Team. Please Barca coaches, don't confuse him any longer....

After playing for over a decade I feel like most teams have busquets figured out. Frenkie provides a whole new dimension to the game. Safe to say we’re lucky he stayed this summer.

Not sure why people doubt FDJ's DMF abilities when he made the UCL team of the season in that exact role, playing for Ajax, when they nearly made the final. FDJ is top quality. He's unpredictable in every aspect Busquets isn't...

I was really happy to see FDJ and Gavi complementing each other defensively specially from ball recovery perspective. This really gives creative freedom to Pedri to move ahead and make better decisions with forward passes.

I have noticed that Lewa is frustrated because of poor decision making by ansu in initial minutes, after first two goals it ended, but when second half resumed he was again begging for the ball. I think Chemistry between players need to improve a lot. Also can u analys how lewa takes positions to recieve ball and passes recieved to him.!

No doubt in my mind. Frenkie is astonishingly good, yet not fully recognised as such. We (Dutch) were surprised he didnt play every game, and let himself get treated the way he was at Barca. He will be one of the best, mark my word

Weird to see a video about Frenkie basically describing how he played at Ajax. Like it’s some discovery he does well in the role that made you buy him.

Xavi loves really wide wingers but as soon as he deviated from this we had one of our best game of the season. I love Xavi but I think he just needs to find the balance between what he likes and what works.

Frenkie De Jong was joy to watch, Bossing the whole Midfield. I was also unsure about his defensive duties as a lone pivot but I think the difference lies on Xavis Instructions. When Frenkie is playing with Busi he is needed to carry the ball so much and be in the box which makes it hard for him to cover the back line since he is not very quick. This Game he was constantly behind the Midfield which allows him to cover diffence easily without having to run back. I best believe him and gavi complement each other very well since Gavi is even more aggressive.

I feel like Balde if given more chances can devolop to be a really good lb

I want to see Frenkie and Kessie starting together more often. Frenkie is the better technician, but Kessie has the defensive awareness. We've only ever seen it once from what I recall, that too against weaker opposition in Viktoria Plzen.

Frenkie was really amazing, especially in ball winning, but I will have to see him doing well in more matches. He wanted the ball and was aggresive in the last game, but he goes invicible pretty often.

You're analasys is really a technical masterclass! It's something above the emotional headlines

Barca have never been the most defensive side, they just relied on a aggressive passionate center back duo, like pique and Mascherano. Kounde and araujo are becoming great successors to them, with this style they’ll have a lot of work to do but they are eager and ready

Another quality analysis. Concerning Xavi changing the wide options in the forward line, I welcome it. I agree that with Fati and Ferran we have two players that are more associative, make better decisions and are willing runners off the ball. Much more than Dembele and Raphinha. Our overall play was good and the wide men had a lot of joy. One thing I'd add is that Villarreal played in a mid block and doesn't just cede possession choosing to defend their penalty area then counter. That tactic played into our plans. I'm curious to see how we fare while having two inside forwards on against a quality team in a deep block. Alba is indeed a willing runner, always on his bike looking to get in behind. He gets his share of assists and goals through quality and sheer persistence as I find his crossing and decision making very erratic. Balde is a different kind of player as you pointed out, more skillful with the ball, more a carrier/dribbler and one still playing within himself. I suspect he's somewhat conservative as he doesn't want to make big errors then drop down the pecking order. Xavi needs to assure him that once he plays well he will get minutes and green light him to attack more freely while improving his off ball runs. FdJ had a storming game. A really refreshing and positive performance. I think the way Villarreal played benefitted him. However I'm an advocate for Barca using him as our pivot as we transition away from Busi. As you mentioned his ability to drive with the ball to break lines then find runners is crucial against deep blocks... that's a different weapon that Busi doesn't possess. I also believe the jury is out on him defensively against more accomplished units. The point about fast, athletic CB who could also play the ball cannot be emphasize enough. That is a crucial element and safety net for how we aim to play. Good signs, I suspect eventually the forward line will consist of one inside forward, CF and a winger (Ferran looked a player reborn on the RW). Xavi is tweaking and players are returning from injury. Let's see what we create.

I love this channel…your voice is clear and English easy to understand..keep up the good work 👏🏾👏🏾

Terrific analysis, man. I'm glad KZfaq's algorithm brought me to your channel. Keep up the good work, mate.

loving the analysis videos, keep it up!!!

I feel like Jordi Alba compliments Fati well cause he wants to come inside and make short passes as opposed to Dembele who wants to receive the ball wider. Dembele always starts from the wide position so it doesn't give Jordi much opportunity to make those overlapping runs. Balde doesn't make those overlapping runs without the ball as much as Jordi so Balde is a better fit with Dembele on the wing. Do you think Kessie is ever going to fit into this midfield?

Hey! I find this chanel amazing, will spam it ( in a good way) on all the spanish chanels about Barcelona I follow! Keep up the good work!

Its great to hear you talking much more confidently now compared to your first videos, purist to the moon 📈💪

The greatest improvement we saw against Villareal is the shape, We had a good shape that I still feel needs a bit of improvement. When we are attacking we need to always have 3 defenders be it its Frenkie who sits in between them or covers for one full back or its a full back who stays in behind. Its the third game where Frankie has really thrived this season in that position and i believe he can be the future in that role. My 11 for the next match though will include a front line of Dembele …Lewa ….Fati and I believe this line up will be more dangerous than the one we saw. and then keep the mid as is though we may try Kessie because I have seen Kessie-De Jong and Pedri working so well especially in covering up for each other though i like the Pedri-De Jong -Gavi one more for their technical ability. Alba- Garcia-Kounde- Roberto but roberto playing more as an inverted full back

Consistency is the key. We still have to see this level of FDJ against big teams in crucial games. Like against Bayern.

I was absolutely waiting for this. Took so long!!

Against Sociedad, it was very early for FDJ to commit a mistake he can be better if we regularly played him as a PIVOT he used to play at Netherlands kind of the same role with more aggressiveness.

Did anyone else notice Pedri was playing as a secondary striker, he was playing a target man type of striker and asked for the ball at his feet.

Tbh de Jong gone through so many transition up until his career in ajax he was a box to box midfielder, in Netherland his a defensive midfielder and in barca he played all the roles be it box to box midfielder, pivot or CB too but every time he got this opportunities he made the most out of it and I don't know about others but his a perfect footballer for me yeah he can lose ball at times but his ball carrying capacity is exceptional and as for me he should be a starter in each and every match.

Let the guy grow his confidence and he will deliver. Competent defenders behind him wil help a lot as well. He has already proven how good he was at Ajax against elite teams. And he is one of the rare few players in existence that can play the CDM role with so much control. So yes Frenkie wil definitely be a key player for Barcelona in the future. If not then Xavi loses out

Great midfielders are always the smartest ones on the pitch. Kevin de Bruyne easily adapted to Pep's CM role from a traditional No. 10 CAM. I don't see why FDJ cannot adapt to the single pivot role. Together with Gavi he can give a tough time to any opposition.

it's funny we just talked about Frankie the other day😅he was amazing at cdm in this game just shows you how versatile he is. if he can keep this up an even grow into the roll,well then we'll have our replacement.

Barca should play double pivot on some occasion, that way you can give FDJ more free role, . Pair him with Kessie or Gavi, but Xavi has to tell Gavi to use his head more, to know when to chase the ball and when to defend in the zone.

Awesome review! Just found out about the channel today and it's such a good complement to TalkFCB due to it's tactical focus! :)

I love your videos. Please keep them coming!

Dope analysis, however, I feel Ousmane also makes those runs but it needs the quick pass of which you just said Xavi recommends control instead of those risky pases

At the start of the game I was kind of nervous with FDJ being a lone pivot and Villareal started with a couple opportunities. As the game progressed, he only seemed better and better. Not only defensively covering and helping but controlling the game. You could see a few teams he would scan and remind himself he has to move back because he hasn’t played there. He should improve over time

What an analysis Simple & great Love the comparison between alba & balde Each has their own traits of play Now i see

FDJ had lost 3 years of his career to lazy managers who couldn't risk it at all to bench Busquets gradually and replace him with frenkie If these years were used well to develop him for what lacks him to be in this role we wouldn't be here asking that question if he is able to play pivot or not

Problem with frenkie is even if he becomes the pivot we need, would he stay after this season, the board will definitely try to push him out if his salary is reduced and after how he was treated last summer i doubt hed take a pay cut

Barca had a good game because it was a low block team and there is one major concern that is not being addressed. In cases of teams that press high and generally stay up the pitch a winger will be a must but I don’t see the team changing flanks in counter attacks. Even in match against Real Madrid both Dembele and Raphina were getting frustrated as the barca mid were not providing them with long balls during attack transitions and flanks were also not changed.

De'jong looks like a new park ji sung he never tired and apponent's attack. Good job De'jong You make the difference in attack's. 👍

Frenkie as a single pivot is promising, yes he sometimes still look stiff doing that role but he learn match by match he is a clever player and could addapt with any role given but u cant expect him suddenly become better than busi in just 3 or 4 matches. He needs to be developed against better team keep playing him in that position cus he give an impact for sure, its not like he cant do that role. If xavi keep trust him as the CDM for this season, next season he will become better along with pedri and gavi. We will get the solid mifield trio next season cus they playing together a lot and create a chemistry

Can you please tell us what to make of Pablo Torre situation. Does he not suitable for the style of play Xavi wants?

Yes , Ferran and Ansu are much better, because they Augment Lewandowski. So the way to break a low block is get the ball deep near the 18 on the sides of the box and then a short pass to the center. This negates the man advantage of the defense and isolates the forward as the defense is occupied w marking other attackers. The two goals in the box happened exactly this way, and the outside the box shot happens because they are forced to mark the other attackers which opens space for Lewy. . This is why these 3 forwards are more effective than The previous lineup. They attack as a unit, not individuals and just cross and pray. The higher possession level of Ferran adds to this setup , as it creates more opportunities for combining near the box.

Really think Frenkie, Pedri, and Gavi are perfect starters for the present and future in the midfield. We need a player with great passing and dribbling ability at the pivot to be press-resistant and disrupt the mid/low blocks. FDJ is a perfect fit for that. Concerning his Defensive role, he is more athletic to cover the spaces. With the right defensive guidance, he could be great defensively, especially with Kounde and Araujo at the back. He is the only young player in Europe right now to have the smartness of the Regista. As Gavi, we have heavy presser for high intensity and we are all aware of Pedri's magic. With the right guidance, these three can be a generational midfield trio.

If we have a solid defence (auoujo and kounde) and an inverted wing back then I think fdj can shine lake a diamond in dm role. RB like Roberto is a good option but Roberto is the one who is attacking but I want FDJ to make vertical runs and open space for our strikers. That's why I think floyth (from Villarreal) or dalot can be a good options

I watch your videos at 0.75 speed rate to grasp every word. Keep going please!

One thing that I would say is that drawing decisive conclusions about players traits from comparing their stats from single matches is pretty problematic, for obvious reasons. Anyway, great channel! Love the videos.

I love and admire busquets a lot, but his time is up. De Jong's ball is so much beautiful and effective. He is doing the work of prime Busquets when it comes to loss of possession. Consistency is only what we need from him. I also prefer Alba on the left because we attack more than defend since Barcelona denies oppositions the ball most often. Alba just gives us a lot in attack. Personally, I prefer Ansu and Dembele on the wings though.

De Jong is a great player he drives the ball and attack a lot what Busquete lacks he is clinical with his passes but cannot driver and attack.

Nice video! I was wondering what's your opinion with Kessie in the scenario? and Should Xavi experiment Double pivot 4-2-3-1? with Frankie and Kessie?

As of right now, Frenkie is a better choice for pivot than Busi. spring and next summer will tell us a more complete tale about our pivot position. Thanks for the great content Mr Purist!

Loving the content 👌 💯

The problem is De Jong mobility is his highest quality and playing by a similar style of Busquets would kinda nerf him

really love ur contents brother

Frenkie has already played in that role before. It wasn't really an experiment. In his time at Ajax, he played the pivot role really well.

the two questions with frenkie as pivot are: 1) since he intuitively carries a lot, he essentially distorts the shape at the back and vacates his pivot spot when he does run with the ball, which causes problems when they lose the ball or when they have to recycle possession. sure, you can pair him with another positionally aware player who can slot into his spot when he vacates it, but that probably means losing the frenkie-gavi-pedri idea; and 2) does barcelona want to sink so much money into that position with them already paying top wages to the back 3, front 3 combination and also pedri and gavi? or they can lose the forward dynamism that frenkie brings, outsource it to gavi pedri and the forward players, and save some money by bringing in or playing a more traditional, defensive minded ball rotation pivot.

Frankie gets vulnerable while counter attacks which is the case of most of our players. The solution to this is more able defenders which we luckily and finally have now. Frankie doesn't need to replace busi, he can just play in the role and do what he does best. We can and have to move on from busi now. No one can replace messi either, but we changed tactics. So its the same with busi we have to accept and move on for more innovative and advanced barca positioning.

this probably corny yet i am gonna mention it should barcelona even it’s youth teams include a training whereby they replicate playing in a box and there’s many opponents hindering the-squad : just like it happens to us in the games _i like to see not only rapid chemistry and delivery therefor + also that they even keep the ball no matter what so you train to dribble and control and dance all in one in such a setting I imagine it desires_ *tempo, streetball mostly dribble-forth, players continuously offering thyself again and again even rotating and to be continuing all of this no slipping*

your videos compliment TALKFCB channel so much.

I think frenkie can become that pivot I always said training a player for certain position takes time and that judging frenkie from 1 game where he plays pivot to rest busquets isn't valid you need to play him there constantly to give him confidence and learn the role more

Could Tapsoba or Badiashile covers or add a new type defensive lines? They seems like a ballplayer defenders with physical advantages

For the first time I was impressed too about Frankie.. the problem with him wasn’t the ability .. it’s with the commitment.. does he really wanna learn how to play the role.. because it’s the best role under Xavi system for him… I hope he studies and learn more about the role but we still need to bring Ruben neves in as a back up

We needa change our formation and tactics against certain oppositions. Double pivot of Kessie and De Jong with Pedri in a more advanced role could really break the lines of certain teams.

How is this a surprise? Before Barcelona Frenkie was the best in the world in that position at Ajax and the Dutch team

Frenkie is so good he will make you forget the name of that guy who played with Barcelona for so many yers with no 10

Bro i really wanna know whats kessie’s role in this team. I really feel for him. He is a quality player but he is not getting the chances to prove himself. Just few minutes in most of the games

We need to adapt our system to fit how Frenkie plays and we will succeed. He is a top quality player that gives a lot and we need to adapt to his character as a player. Xavi must adapt a system that works with Frenkie and he will be the next pivot we are looking for the next 10 years. For sure he is not Busi and doesn’t need to be the next Busi. The problem is deep down Xavi want a player with similar characteristics of Busi and they will try to explore the market for a CDM in winter / next summer.

This game is difficult to make any judgement calls from, we were already beating La Liga teams by 4/5 goals, so any change in personnel on this game does not prove or disprove the effectiveness of any changes to the usual lineup until this squad actually plays against top tier teams. At this point, even Lewandowski is a big question mark against elite teams, though some fare better than others, but no one has flourished against tougher opponents.

70 min just always put torre/kessie in sounds about right

Love the content keep it up 👍🏽

Yup, everybody doesn't want to say it but we still need players like alba. While yes i actually prefer to start balde over him, but often times balde always plays it too safe, almost like he's too afraid to take the risk. Don't get me wrong tho, balde is great but he's still young and need to learn how to play with or without the ball especially when attacking

In my opinion frenkie de Jong is not capable to play as the single pivot for the long term he’s jus a short term fix on Busquets old age and no other options. Barca need to give frenkie full freedom to carry the ball forward because that’s what’s he best at, defending in big games he’s not someone u want as a dm. Playing frenkie as an 8 along with pedri and adding a dm like bennacer from Milan zubimendi from sociedead or Enzo from Benfica will make our midfield more balanced and complete, less likely to get hit successfully on counter and reduces defensive pressure and responsibility on our centre backs and cms in pedri Gavi and frenkie.

He can be. The problem has been consistency.

Amazing video , it is Frenkie for me.

I’m really start ling to once again believe Frenkie can make that CDM role his own. If he dominates against Bayern and can lead s revival for the treaty of the season is welcome it. I’d still like Barca to sign Ruben Neves on a free or cheap with his contract winding down

I hope he learns to have the tactical awarness of Busquets and I hope he keeps this attitude. FDJ is kinda of a slacker and has had poor attitude. Hope he keeps this up and accept a wage cut.

For me the correct answer is to completely ignore the 'Busquets' model and allow Frenkie to advance and divide the first defensive line freely by establishing an automatic mechanism where Gavi rotates backward into a defensive mid center back while frenkie gets offensive, and for games where midfiels superiority is more key then someone from the defensive line advances forward and takes on the responsibility, the key here is to stop the rival transition instantly with a foul on eventual rival recovery. I picture it as Gavi sort of escorting the back of Frenkie in case there is loss during progression and Frenkie being extremely careful in passes in this situations. But maybe I have no idea.

Hear me out. Usually, the criticism of Jordi Alba is his defense. Wouldn't it work if Xavi uses a defense of 3 with (Kounde, Eric, Araujo/Christensen) and 4 in the midfield with FDJ, gavi, pedri and alba. Alba would control the whole left side acting a bit like a winger so fati can play more inside. Yes you sacrifice a bit the right side but you can exploit alba's attack which is one of the best

Yes because Sergio can't cover the space like FDJ. The goal we conceded against Inter away is on Busi. He is dragged wide then heis too slow to cover Hakan and Hakan has all the time and space to finish right Infront of the defense. Against Inter again in Nou Camp the 2nd goal his pass is Intercepted which led to the goal which knocked us out of the UCL this year. Sergio is is done at the highest level..his perfomance against Real Madrid was just as dreadful. We should let FDJ take that position & leave politics out of this.

Busquet has been lacking his awesome quality for a long time now, let's not kid ourselves but, in the National Team he was named best player of the tournament, why? we will never know because none of the Coach at Barca did the same as what Luiz Enrique did. Now, being said that, I feel he should have done like Xavi & Iniesta did and get out w/o tarnishing his legacy as he has done and more so in this last crucial games. I do believe that Between FdJ & Nico Gonzales Barca has CDMs to last a good decade at the very least. Kessie is a beast that it seems Xavi has not wanting to released yet or does not know where he wants him to play.

Alba didn't have to defend at all. While I do think it's easier for him to fit the team while there is better defense cover in the midfield, he is not the long term solution. Balde needs to play and develop. As for Busquets, he was irreplaceable.. Six years ago. He has been living on his merits without contributing anything near what he used to. He offers nothing to the team. He can't even be counted on as a leader. Everyone is so worried about how well Frenkie or Nico will do in that role while Busquets is actively failing. He has failed well short in every area of concern attached to Frenkie especially.

I want to see De Jong play in that position in big games to see how he actually deals with it.

I would prefer a double pivot of Frenkie and Busquet in a 4231 formation. I love Bellerin as RB. He is good defensively

Frenkie, with Gavin intensity and Pedris creativity , is a huge midfield , yes Busquets should simply retire.

Don't be like Madrid fans, Frankie played good but he plays like that 1/4 games. Playing with him is a gamble, Sergio is way more consistent and at least you know what you're getting

You are impressed?! And that he learns the pivot role? Come on man, I appreciate your analysis but he does not have to learn it, he knows it. He has been better than Busquets for many years now, in fact since his breakthrough year in Ajax. Look how he bossed it in Ajax and how he bosses it in the Netherlands team. The problem with De Jong is that he was never allowed to fully play this role under any coach because Barcelona never wanted to replace a finished Busquets for some reason. And for me, Busquets should have been De Jong's sub as soon as he arrived in FCB. But no coach dared putting Busquets on the bench for some reason, including Xavi. Xavi only decided against Busquets when his own coaching position is at threat. Remember, FCB lost 8-2 to Bayern for that very same structure of Pique, Busquets and Roberto. And they have been destroyed in UCL every time they play this structure. At least Pique does not play much anymore, but if Xavi wants to change anything and keep his coaching role, he needs to drop Busquets for good, as well as Roberto. And use Busquets in a different role for the team, more as a voice in the dressing room like what Puyol did in his final years at FCB and what Xavi did in his final year too. But Busi is done. And Roberto is a free loader. FCB is the only team among champions league team, where this guy would play first team football.

it feels unfair how we can go in on these legends of ours on the flip side it’s not fair to us how they either had themselves remain at this club and not left last transfer window _or_ that they aren’t humble *cause* it’s not that bad that they are around and this obviously is that last season of them buttt how are you Expecting? you should prefer see [and let] xavi have his-best-team out there always & you receiving minutes is a nice win _luckily_ for u ` like that

Frenkie needs to forget Busquest and make the pivot role its own. Just like Busquest invented himself.

As much as I love Balde, Alba just plays with Ansu and works well on the left side. I would love to hear your changes to the starting 11. Screw the money spent, based off of the tactics, and what we have seen so far, what changes do you think should happen to our current starting 11. Because Pedri's magic looked suppressed as a left interior, and IDK about Roberto vs bellerin.

--- *2 0 2 3* --- ansu - lewa - messi kvara - pedri frenkie

I think the biggest issue we will face with Frenkie in the pivot is ariel duels. I think this will end up as his biggest weakness that rivals can exploit. Except for that, I am very excited to see his runs incorporated into the pivot position. Btw. His first touch passes improved incredibly from last season!

not using talent like frenkie is a crime. rather than searching new busquets baca should adapt it's tactics and philosophy around this kind of players

Could you do a video about Messi and how he would fit into this Barca side?