With new Barca style goals flying in from all areas

Barcelona has mustered a total of 27 goals so far this season in all three of the competitions the team has taken part in. Leo Messi is the side's top goal-scorer with a total of 10 goals, which works out at more than one goal per game - an unsurprising statistic given the Argentine's record over the last few seasons.


However, the most surprising thing is the fact that Barça's goals have come from all over the pitch and you could even form a perfect team with the players who have got their names on the score-sheet. Under 'Tata' Martino it seems that everyone has the responsibility of scoring no matter where they play.

Four defenders have managed to find the net so far: Alves (in two games), Piqué, Bartra and Adriano. Perhaps it's not so surprising to see the full-backs getting the goals (Alba scored frequently last year), but it is to see the centre-backs finding the net. They have been given licence this season by the manager to get forward often and for this reason Piqué and Bartra have managed to score – the former also coming close on several occasions.

''Tata'' evolving a new Barca style

Every press conference by 'El Tata' has become an interrogation in which he is accused of betraying Barcelona's style of play. But a closer look back in time shows us that all the club's recent managers have modified some kind of aspect because the opposing teams had begun to decipher the team's strategy.


Cruyff went from three to four defenders

Cruff's eight-year spell as manager was littered with different changes. The team also frequently played long passes, which was one of the reasons why Koeman was played at the back. Cruyff even failed to field a single natural defender in one game against Valencia: with Goico, Eusebio and Koeman. The team used a back-three, but after a 6-3 defeat in Zaragoza, the Dutchman reconsidered and decided to play four.

Van Gaal used wingers to create chances

The Dutch coach returned to Cruyff's system after Robson's Barça had played a 4-2-3-1 formation. It was the return to the Dutch way of playing, but Van Gaal's side followed stricter tactics. Van Gaal went back to using fixed wingers: Luis Figo and Rivaldo.

Rijkaard changed the position of Xavi and Puyol

The first thing he did was to revert to the 4-3-3 formation and put an emphasis on controlling possession, which had previously been lost. He did not make major tactical changes, but he moved Xavi Hernández ahead by about 10 metres. Another important change he made was to move Puyol from full-back to centre-back.

Guardiola introduced 'false number nine' and three defenders

Pep was the real innovator in the system. He continued Rijkaard's strategy but added new elements. He moved Messi and then changed to a defensive back-three.

Tito went back to using wide players and large share of possession

One of the changes implemented by Vilanova was to go back to using wide players. Tito's Barça also played one match with eleven home-bred players, which Guardiola was unable to do.

We are the only team that wins 4-0 and people look at our possession

Gerard Piqué has described as over the top the debate over the possession his Barça side enjoys during games, especially after the great start it has made. "It is given too much importance. We are the only team that wins 4-0, and people argue if we have had more or less possession. It is a statistic that should not be as important as the media makes out", he told Barça TV.


Piqué did admit that Barça must play well in addition to just winning games: "This is Barça, we know how it works. When you win you have to do it playing well. We are at a club where the fans have always wanted it this way, for those who didn't know it was like this they are warned that this is how it is".

However, Piqué did say he would be happy to play on the counter-attack if Martino deems it necessary: "At times we come up against opponents who we have to take the ball from and then become more horizontal in our play, with a bit more variation. Tata wants to instil that in us and I welcome it".

The crisis about possession is nonsense-Sandro Rossel flabbergasted by criticism

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell claimed that he is happy with the team's performances and rued the 'Azulgrana' fans' propensity to always question everything "even when things are going well"

Speaking during the annual ceremony at which Barça presents gold badges to 50-year members, Rosell stated that he is at a loss to explain talk suggesting the club is in crisis just because it has had less possession than in other years.

The Barça honcho sought to put things into perspective by alluding to the situation the club was in half a century ago. "In 1963 we had a real crisis, not just one about possession like now, which is nonsense. Back then, Barça finished sixth in the league, 18 points off the top. Imagine if that happened now. What would we do: burn down the Camp Nou?".

Rosell went on to praise the team's results – "We've won 35 matches this year; not bad, is it? But instead we have to go and question everything" – before reminding the fans that the first-team squad currently includes 17 players who graduated from the 'La Masia' academy.

The president believes Barcelona is on the right track: "The club is in great shape in sporting terms; the different professional teams have already won five trophies this season, and it's only just got underway".

Rosell also beat the drum for the club's finances: "When we arrived we were €500 million in debt and we're gradually lowering that figure towards the €200-million mark. The future will be all about being able to pay the best players in the world".