Cruyff on Barca style & Neymar

Former Barcelona player and Coach Johan Cruyff has reflected on Barcelona’s change in style and Neymar’s arrival.

The Blaugrana have been criticised in some quarters for not dominating games under Tata Martino, but the Dutch hero has claimed there is no reason to worry.

“All Barcelona’s rivals had got to know their style of play, and it was always a case of finding their weak points,” he told Globoesporte.

“It’s normal that there are changes. Those changes are details, such as the distance between the lines, how the ball is passed – always depending on the opponent they’re up against.

“I never said that Neymar was a bad player,” he added. “The question is how he fits into the team. For example, Messi’s performances for Barcelona are totally different to his performances for Argentina.

“Does that mean Argentina are a bad side? No, it has nothing to do with that.

“Neymar will provide Messi with a lot of assists, because he’s a player who operates on the flanks. Messi gives the impression of being a player who is very easy to play with, because of his competitive spirit and the fact that he always wants to score.

“But some ex-Barcelona players haven’t adapted.

“Neymar and Messi are two attacking players, but that means there’ll be one less player doing the defensive work. That could be a problem.

“Barcelona have a style of play in which the players on the wing have to work hard; however, Neymar isn’t a work-horse like Pedro or [Cristian] Tello. He’s another type of player with other qualities.”

Tags Cruyff Neymar
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