Intelligent Attacking Football

From what I've seen of Barça, there is the distinct impression that Rijkaard is adamant of employing a game philosophy of attacking possession football. No matter who the opposition, or where it's to be played, or what is at stake, every situation has one tactic: attacking possession football. I have loads of respect for Frank and what he did with Barcelona in 2006-2007, but this idea of one tactic fits all just irks me to no end.

Anyone who watches Spanish football should likely know the best way to beat Barça. Play defensive, be ready to counterattack quickly, and always apply pressure whenever the Blaugrana are in possession. Training for a match against Barcelona is largely one dedicated to endurance and pace, because if you intend on squeezing out a satisfactory result against the Catalan side, you're going to be running your butt off. Seriously running. The good news is it really does pay off, because one thing Barça aren't skilled at is the transition from attack to defense.

One thing you can absolutely count on is that Barcelona will not collectively pull back into a defensive configuration. For example, they will never fall back into a 4-5-1. Ever. Barcelona don't hunker down in their own rear third and employ rapid transitions from defense to attack. They operate from the perspective of possession, building attacks slowly from the opposition's half. When they suddenly lose possession, Barça are extremely vulnerable to counterattack. And, until just recently, Barcelona have not been a side that collectively pulls back into defense, then works hard to regain possession.

All this means that when you play Barça you can bet they'll be predictable, which makes the task of preparation for a match against them a relatively easy one. It doesn't mean the game will be easy, but when it comes to Barcelona, what you see is what you get. And what you see rarely changes.

It's this predictability that I find unacceptable. There's no reason Barcelona can't employ an overall attacking philosophy, but please, employ it with some tactical finesse. For me, attacking possession football often results in the military equivalent of a frontal assault. You are basically hitting the opposition at their most prepared state. Everyone is back and prepared to defend, while the attacking side is stretched and vulnerable in their rear. A far better idea is to use possession football to tire the opposition, rather than seriously attack. Make a show of attacking intent, but don't seriously act on it unless an opening presents itself. Tire the opposition and get them a little riled to boot. Slowly pull back defensively, stretching the opposition. Then, attack with a killer pass. The intent even then is not yet of overt attack, but more of preparation. Wear the opposition down by forcing them to chase after the ball a lot. Once fatigue and frustration set in the other side, press the attack.

Such a game plan keeps the opposition guessing and sets the table for scoring chances. There is no single directive regardless the situation, but a series of stages based on the opposition's gameplay. It's an intelligent application of tactics in football. Intelligent attacking football.