Koeman prepares three ‘interchangeable’ formations for Barcelona — report

Barcelona are in a state of transition this season. Following the shock exit of Lionel Messi, the Catalan giants are in a position where they need to find new ways to play without the club’s greatest player ever and adapt to it quickly considering that the season is already underway.

Manager Ronald Koeman, however, already has plans in place to build a solid team capable to be challenging for the titles, as per MARCA. The Dutch tactician, who took over the reins at Camp Nou last season is said to have a clear picture of how he wants the team to play and what he requires from each of his players.

The major point for Koeman is flexibility within the team. The former Barcelona defender wants his players to be familiar with three formations: 4-3-3, 3-5-2 and 3-4-3, to such an extent that they should be able to switch shapes in between games and not let that affect their rhythm or stability.

Indeed, the Barcelona head coach is particularly stressing on his team’s defensive solidity, having found the backline lacking at times in the past season. Reinforcements have been brought in the form of Emerson and Eric Garcia, and Koeman is intent on building a strong, solid base so that the attacking players will be free of any shackles.

In addition to that, Koeman wants all of his players to press the opposition with intensity high up the pitch. A trait that was a fabric of the highly successful Barcelona side that Pep Guardiola built, the current manager wants his squad to imbibe those qualities – and clearly, work has been done on that aspect, as was visible at the weekend against Real Sociedad.

The departure of Messi means Barcelona are without their most prolific goalscorer, who would guarantee 30+ goals every season. Given the circumstances, the likes of Memphis Depay, Antoine Griezmann and Sergio Aguero will obviously need to step up. But, Koeman has demanded that each of his players contribute with goals.

The Dutchman had hinted in the off-season that he would want more in terms of goal contributions from midfielder Frenkie de Jong. And, it seems like that will be applicable for the entire squad as they look to meet the numbers Messi used to produce season after season.

Furthermore, the Barca boss is also intent on reintegrating and rebuilding the confidence of players like Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, who have come under pressure in the past. At the same time, he will also keep giving youth a chance, with Gavi, Nico Gonzalez and Yusuf Demir firmly in his plans.