FC Barcelona has long since had a philosophy of football that involves understanding and implementing the basics of football better than others. To be steadfast on the ball and accurate with your decisions when on it, these are traits that make Barca’s football so recognizable.
However, that is exactly what makes it so important for players to be equally involved on the ball. Being isolated and kept away from possession essentially wastes the impact of every technical expert in a Barcelona team and that has recently been the case with Lamine Yamal.
As highlighted by Spanish outlet SPORT, 16-year-old Lamine Yamal has gradually seen his impact in games lessen than before. With his teammates either unable or unwilling to find him with a pass, his influence grows thinner and thinner the more he is kept away.
Two great examples of important games that defined Yamal are the ones in the Gamper Trophy and against Villarreal. In the first game, the youngster came on as a substitute and essentially turned the game on its head to get Barca a comeback.
Similarly, against Villarreal in La Liga, Yamal was once again pivotal in ensuring Barcelona completed yet another comeback. His 59 touches in that game showed a clear influence of the youngster as he received the pass on multiple occasions, resulting in him providing an assist as well as being crucial for the winning goal.
Things have not looked so bright since. In both the game against Sevilla and then against Porto, the youngster was quite left out. With only 36 touches in Seville and 39 in Portugal, the youngster is receiving fewer passes and fewer contacts with his teammates.
This is a tactical error that Xavi Hernandez will have to address. Yamal is arguably the most dynamic winger in the current Barcelona squad at only 16 years of age.
Several setups have thus far prevented the player from connecting too well with his team such as using Raphinha as a 10, or Gundogan’s inability to find him while playing as an interior, and these are Xavi’s problems to address.
