Go Sports Life By Andy Kaasa

This video is how I want us to defend.  It involves a lot of pressure on the ball and the main idea is that we want to play the entire game in our attacking half.  Press play on the video then press pause.  Read through everything while the video loads, then enjoy.

Key Points:
-Immediate pressure when the ball is lost
-High work rate
-Get 7-8 players around the ball to shrink the field and force turn overs
-The closest player to the ball pressures.  This can mean running from one player who passes the ball to the next if you are the closest player.  While this player is pressuring, the other players need to cut off passing lanes
-Step up the field quickly when we win the ball.  Get into our attacking half as quickly as possible 
-If our opponents break our pressure retreat back and central immediately as a team
-When our opponents have clear possession of the ball everyone drops back to defend as a team in our half until we can go high pressure with numbers up again 

The Tactics

High and Early Pressure, Denying Space

By playing Henry, Messi and Eto’o they can pressure early and high up the field starting at the defenders, making it hard for the opposition to pass. This will squeeze them of space and try and force a mistake. Getting the ball early is clearly part of their strategy and taking advantage of it is stressed.

As the wide men don’t track back when they do not need to, the opposition full backs are aware that if they get forward they will leave them unmarked. The doubts it causes are great and when Barca do get the ball, getting caught out of position and being hit on the counter especially against players with such pace and quality is too big a threat.

The opposition team is penned back and facing the countless Barca attacks is like contending with a team attacking in the last ten minutes of a match but with more efficiency.

The central midfielders cover if the opposition get passed the first wave in a three man interchangeable central midfield with Yaya Toure deepest and Xavi dictating. Abidal is unadventurous and almost acts as a left sided central defender hence why Henry says he ‘runs more’ on the left wing as opposed to in attack at Arsenal. On the other side Alves is more disciplined now and a very tough competitor. He will provide the secondary threat with such pace and stamina as Messi drifts inside. Puyol is one of those rare defenders who is equally adept on the deck as in the air.

The Barcelona team looks to suffocate the opposition of space and numbers when they attack. They try and force a one-on-one situation at the minimum. As with most of such situations it is not the dribbling skill that allows one to take best advantage; it is the support and movement that causes uncertainty in the defenders mind. This situation is reversed when Barcelona attack; they get forward in great numbers and look to get men beyond the three forward men.