Football Insight: Where Does Ibrahimovic Stand In The Current Barcelona Team
Last Season Barcelona signed the Swedish striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, from Inter Milan. The deal was a replacement deal, as Barcelona’s Samuel Etto went to Inter. Ibrahimovic had a very good start to his career as he scored in many games, at the start of the season, however, as the season progressed, the Swedish super-star failed to perform.
After such a poor end of the season with Barcelona, Ibrahimovic was the first name in the team, who was linked with other clubs for a possible transfer. He is a prime target of some of the clubs in English Premier League, including Manchester City and Chelsea. However, recently Ibrahimovic has talked down these transfer speculations, as he told the press that he is going to stay at Barcelona.
Barcelona, after a failed attempt in the last season to replicate their performance from the 200-2009 Season, started gearing up for the upcoming La Liga season, even before the start of the World Cup. They have strengthened their squad with the introduction of David Villa, from Valencia. This super-star is known for his abilities to score, and it is quite obvious that he is a replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Therefore, in the presence of Villa, it is very difficult for Ibra to find a place in the Barcelona’s starting line-up, but if he impresses Guardiola in the pre-season training, there is every chance that he would be able to make it.
Guardiola, Barcelona’s coach, is famous for his attacking playing style, as he often opts for an unconventional 4-3-3 formation. In the midfield, Guardiola goes for one defensive style midfielder, whose primary duty is to strengthen the defensive capabilities of his side. Therefore, Sergio Busquets is a definite player in the starting line-up for Guardiola. Along with him, Xavi would also be a definite starter for the Barcelona’s team, as he plays the role of a holding midfielder, as well as a creative playmaker. As the primary job of the midfield, under Joseph Guardiola, is to retain possession, so Andreas Iniesta is also a definite starter, as he has a unique understanding and partnership with Xavi.
At the front, Lionel Messi plays for Barcelona, on the right side of the forward line. Messi is supposed to be one of the best in the World, while he is definitely the best player in the Barcelona’s squad. His abilities make him the best player in his particular position; therefore, he is a definite starter for Barcelona. Now, with the signing of David Villa, he would be the first choice of the manager, but his playing position would depend on the situations. If Ibrahimovic is in the game, then Villa would get the left side, previously taken by Thierry Henry, Pedro and sometimes, Iniesta. Otherwise, Villa would play in the position of centre-forward, thus Ibra would not be playing at all.
Pedro, Bojan and other Barcelona youngsters have shown a lot of quality in the previous season. Pedro, especially, has matured a lot and grown himself into a fine young player. He was also in the starting line-ups for the Spanish in the Semi-Final and Final of the World Cup. Therefore, there are more chances that he would be given a more important role in this year’s Barcelona’s squad. He would, thus be the first choice of the manager in most of the matches.
In addition, in matches against tougher opponents, Guardiola might adopt another option. Iniesta might move in the left forward position, while Seydou Keita might take his place in the midfield. This kind of strategy is important in strengthening the defensive capabilities of the midfield, which helps against stronger opponents.
In any case, it is very hard for Ibrahimovic to find a place in the starting line-up, as he would have to fight for his place in the team. In the presence of so much talent in the Barcelona’s squad, it is very ironic that a player of Ibra’s calibre would have to warm-up the benches of his team.
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