#high-defensive-line

#high-defensive-line

"When we lose and when we concede three goals, it's easy to say it wasn't a good game or that it wasn't the Barça we'd like to see. Ultimately, some people don't understand what we need to play with that high defensive line. It's our own style; it's not just about the defenders. The forwards and midfielders also initiate the press. That's what I need from the players."

Of all of the top teams in Europe, Barcelona under manager Hansi Flick is the most addicted to the offside trap. The high-risk, high-reward defense has been Flick's trademark as a manager, and Barcelona has, by both design and necessity, adopted it with striking intensity. Flick's mantra is simple: Play a high line, try to catch opponents offside, and if and when it fails, just out-score them on the other end. This, I'd say, broadly worked last season.

"I can't bypass the fact that you keep on letting people go and run at your goal. If you're a team now, if you didn't do your due diligence that Barcelona play a high line and you don't make the late run ... Late runs. You can go and do it every single time!"

I think a lot about beating a high line. Against Barcelona, [there is] a video of Harry Kane, I think two years ago, and he did something like I did on the goal, and he scored.