Spanish Debate: Barcelona's Ideal Formation Thierry Henry's apparently unhappy with Barcelona's approach to the Beautiful Game. The squad as a whole, meanwhile, has found itself on the receiving end of two consecutive Liga defeats. Is the time ripe for a change? Allegedly, Thierry Henry is far from happy with the state of play at Camp Nou. A Barcelona-based journalist contends that the Frenchman is a fervent advocate of the blaugrana's switching to 4-4-2, with 4-3-3 beginning to get on his nerves. Of course, the story originated in Marca, on whose payroll are at least a couple of people who would delight in spreading discord about the Catalan side. But Henry, it has to be said, has not been at his best since arriving in Barcelona, and it's certainly true that he never played under such a system at Arsenal. Combine with that Barcelona's rather questionable form at times this season, and perhaps there is a case for suggesting that it's time for coach Frank Rijkaard to reshuffle his pack. The State Of Play At the moment, 4-3-3 is synonymous with Barcelona. Any football fan can envision a blaugrana lineup: Puyol marshalling the back four, a defensive influence ahead of him, Iniesta and Xavi to either side, and finally the likes of Messi and Ronaldinho flanking Samuel Eto'o. It's an enduring, distinctive style, and it often works. Against Celtic in the Champions League, for example, the flexibility afforded by such a style became apparent, with players given free reign to pull the opposition out of position and take advantage of the many resulting gaps. However, it has its disadvantages. Teams that deploy more than one defensive midfielder can often crowd out the more inventive Barça players, deny them the chance to use their imagination. Ronaldinho struggles when people get up close and personal, while Lionel Messi is double-marked by almost every team - one covering his outside run, the other watching out for a cut inside. Frustration then sets in, and what should be a free-spirited approach to the game becomes instead clunky and disjointed. This may not happen often, but when it does - and it most often does away from home against the Liga's scrappier teams - it's disastrous. The Alternatives There is perhaps a case for change - not all the time, admittedly, but in certain situations. One such situation could be when Henry is included in the starting line-up. Against the more hard-to-beat teams, Henry's allegedly favoured 4-4-2 could see him at his best. It was in such a system that he arguably had his best days at Arsenal; certainly he spent a long time in a 4-4-1-1 and did well, but working alongside the likes of Bergkamp, we saw the Frenchman shine. Of typical note was the ability of the midfielders and his strike partner - who often played a more withdrawn role - to provide him with a through ball, either on the wing or right through the middle. Henry's positioning, and to a slightly lesser extent his pace, allowed him to make the most of it. Still, this was down to Henry's virtues on one side, and the Premiership style on the other. The English league is fast and furious, and often the opposing defences would push up more than their deeper, more ponderous, but arguably better-positioned Spanish counterparts. So, it may be that only against the more attacking ones, or the sides that are a goal down and chasing the game, such an approach would work with Henry. But putting side for a moment the idea that Henry must be accomodated at all costs, 4-4-2 still looks somewhat alluring. It would add a sense of regimentaton and toughness that has all too often been missing from the midfield this season. That alone could see the balance tipped. Misfits Yet if such a change is forthcoming, certain players could find themselves cast out. In a two-up front situation, should Henry wish to be accommodated, it may in fact be in a supporting role, as Eto'o has made himself all but undroppable. Similarly, Leo Messi is so integral to Barcelona's play that he may earn a wing spot to the exclusion of more natural midfielders. That would certainly lead to some unhappy faces on the training pitch, with Ronaldinho perhaps chief amongst them. And it is not clear that the 4-4-2 will suit the likes of Xavi, Deco and Iniesta. An attempt to keep people happy will probably result in a narrow diamond shaped midfield, with a complete loss of width. Unless Barcelona find Roberto Carlos and Dani Alves, it will once again be more of the same - people crowding in the middle as they do now. As things stand, the balance of Barcelona's squad is such that a change of approach could simply mean that too many big names are sidelined - just as would be the case if Madrid, for example, sacrified a midfielder for a striker. Instead, then, merely adjusting the 4-3-3 may be preferable. But even at that, certain players may find themselves sidelined. One possible idea would see Iniesta move up to occupy the left-forward position, which would, again, see Ronaldinho on the bench. Iniesta has already deputised up front this season, and he is to be commended for providing some rather superior link-up play: surely Henry could do such an influence at times. The Dangers Of course, such drastic changes do not come without their costs. Despite everything - two consecutive Liga defeats and a massive gap at the top of the Liga - Barcelona are not doing badly, and no doubt the current system is partially to thank for that. The blaugrana remain in three competitions off the back of their current form, and with their style of play often attractive as well, the time may not be right for a change. Plus, it needs to be remembered that Frank Rijkaard doesn't have the best of recent track records with regards to tinkering. The Dutchman has shown a distinct lack of innovation when it comes to finding solutions to what is now a very predictable brand of football. In the end, it's something that could give the coach more than a few sleepness nights. Above all, he has a large, all-star squad that he must keep happy, and unless football becomes 15-a-side, he'll have trouble doing so whatever the formation. He is unlikely to trade in his 4-3-3, come what may, even if Monsieur Henry gets even more unhappy. So what can he do? Given Messi's injury - and what he will have seen against Villarreal - he could drop both Ronaldinho and Henry (both of whom looked lethargic), pick Bojan and Iniesta to support Eto'o, and use Edmilson, Xavi and Deco in midfield. Less lethargy, fewer big heads, more honest effort on the pitch! Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com -- Visca el Barca i visca Catalunya ! --

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