09/07/2020 - 18:02
Clarín.com
sports
Lionel Messi stays.
Under protest, but stays.
And that will be
the best reinforcement
that Ronald Koeman can have at this start of the cycle at Barcelona.
The Dutchman had met with the Rosario as soon as he assumed and there it had become clear to him that it would be very difficult to retain him.
For this reason, he was already preparing a team without the captain and with strong decisions to rejuvenate the formation.
However, the 180-degree turn in Messi's history brought the first big smile from the DT, who this Monday saw him face to face at the Sports City already with the certainty that he will be able to direct him.
What team does Koeman imagine
to surround the best player in the world and try to change his pessimism in the absence of an overcoming project to go for the Champions League?
He will have to convince him from the game, because in terms of names, Barcelona
will not have a better team
than it had and with which it suffered the humiliation of 2-8 against Bayern Munich.
It won't be much different either.
And the few changes that will take place will be due to Koeman's decisions, arranged by President Bartomeu, to release the biggest footballers and, of course, with the highest contracts.
The premise of the Blue and Red Board of Directors is to
rearrange the numbers
indoors.
In addition, he wants the team to be of fresher blood.
In strictly football terms, this responds to the intention of the new coach to seek faster transitions in the game, especially from the middle to the top.
Messi returned to Barcelona's training sessions foto Miguel Ruiz / FC Barcelona
Koeman is no longer the one from his early days as a coach.
Over the years, he has moved away from the style in which the possession of the ball and the elaboration of the plays are non-negotiable conditions;
In his last teams, he already showed that he decidedly turned to a more vertical game, with a rather direct attack and without much touch.
And in football the equation does not fail, with some exceptions: the older, the less speed.
Of course Messi, with his 33 years, does not fall under this rule.
Although Leo is no longer the 20 or 25 year old, his dribbles, his starts and his changes of pace are still infallible and cause for applause.
Koeman has defined no longer having experienced players such as Luis Suárez (still training although he is agreeing to join Juventus), Iván Rakitic (he went to Seville) and Arturo Vidal (negotiates with Inter of Italy).
And he warned
Sergio Busquets
that he no longer has his position insured.
Most likely, the historic steering wheel sits on the bench.
The only one of the referents who continues in the initial formation, in addition to Messi, is Gerard Piqué.
Ronald Koeman is looking for a faster and younger team with Messi on the court.
Photo: EFE
The reinforcements that have arrived so far are two and did not generate greater expectations:
Miralem Pjanic and Trincao
.
The first is shaping up to be in the starting lineup, while the second will be between the relays.
With what there is, a possible formation with the
4-2-3-1
scheme
that Koeman comes to use in the Netherlands National Team would be: Marc-André Ter Stegen;
Nelson Semedo, Gerard Piqué, Clément Lenglet, Jordi Alba;
Frenkie De Jong, Miralem Pjanic;
Lionel Messi, Riqui Puig, Ousmane Dembélé or Coutinho;
and Antoine Griezmann.
With these same surnames the drawing could vary to a
4-3-3
, with De Jong as the central midfielder and Pjanic and the young Puig as the internal midfielders.
We will have to wait and see what tactic Koeman will use.
Among the alternatives are Sergi Roberto, Samuel Umtiti, Busquets, the jewel Ansu Fati, Martin Braithwaite and Dembelé or Coutinho.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, president of Barcelona, will not make large investments this season to win the Champions League.
Photo: AFP
Will someone else arrive?
Presumably yes.
Who?
The Dutch coach asked two of his acquaintances from the orange team: midfielder
Wijnaldum
, from Liverpool, and forward
Memphis Depay,
from Lyon.
Both have a year of contract ahead in their respective clubs but they are not inaccessible.
This is the Barcelona that will accompany an uncomfortable Messi, who wanted to leave but could not.
On paper, it is not the winning project that Lionel claims so as not to spend more blues in the Champions League.
Its continuity, it seems, will not change things: there will be no large investments for this season.
Koeman's mission will be to improve a team without a compass and win back a worn-out captain.
FK