Barcelona teenager Cassado s counterattack path: from the edge of the midfield to the new choice of central defender?

Barcelona 21-year-old Mark Cassado has been a little lonely lately. This Spanish young player who was able to stir up a storm in the midfield last season has now reduced his playing time with De Jong returning from injury and Bernal is about to return.

But anyone who is familiar with Cassado knows that this child has the will to admit defeat in his bones. Some time ago, Chelsea sent an olive branch, but the conditions offered were not bad, but Cassado refused without thinking. In his own words: "Who doesn't want to prove himself in the Camp Nou for the children who came out of Lamacia? "

midfielder can't squeeze in, can you change the position?

How fierce is the competition for the Barcelona midfielder now? Just look at the lineup on the training ground. De Jong's dispatch, Pedri's connection, Garvey's momentum, and Ormo's occasionally amazing performance are not easy to mess with. It is indeed a bit difficult for Cassado to grab a stable position among this group of people.

However, there has been a new change on the training ground recently. Frick occasionally pulls Casador to the central defender group to practice. This immediately evoked memories of many fans - Didn’t Mascherano also switch from a midfielder to a central defender, and still played well in Barcelona?

It is really unreasonable to say that Cassado changed to play central defender. Anyone who has watched his game knows that this young man's feet are really good. In the limited appearances last season, the passing success rate was always stable at around 90%, and the short pass connection and mid-distance transfer were all the same. If this is placed at the central defender position, Barcelona's ability to shoot in the backcourt will probably be able to reach another level.

The awareness on the defensive end is also Cassado's strength. In the midfield, he can always predict the opponent's pass route in advance. The interception data averaged 3.2 times per game during the youth team was not blown out. If this ability is used in the central defender position, facing the opponent's tactic of cutting in the side lane and encircling in the middle lane, it may have a miraculous effect.

and his movement speed, 1.72 meters tall is not particularly outstanding, but his turn is much more flexible than Arauho. Nowadays, "Little Quick Spirit" strikers, players like Bellingham and Felix, Casardo's flexible movement may come in handy.

If you want to play as a central defender, you must overcome these two hurdles

Of course, there are many difficulties when you switch to a central defender from the midfield. The most obvious thing is the air confrontation. Cassado's success rate in the youth team was only 54%. If he encountered high centers like Lewandowski and Kane, he would probably suffer a lot.

Defensive habits in the penalty area are also a problem. The defense of the midfielder mainly relies on intercepting and passing the ball, but the central defender must dare to rob and fight, especially in the penalty area. A little hesitation may lead to a big mistake. Cassado's current defense always has a habit of retreating, and this must be changed.

can really play as a central defender, what can it bring to Barcelona?

If Cassado really can gain a foothold in the central defender position, it will be of many benefits for Barcelona.

At present, in Barcelona's main central defender, Araujo's long pass is powerful, but the short pass connection is almost meaningful; Kong De's defense is tough enough, but his ability to advance is slightly insufficient. If Cassado can get up, it will be able to make up for these shortcomings. If the opponent dares to press at a high position, he can play short passes with De Jong, Garvey and others to break the situation; if he wants to play on the wing, he can find Valde or Roberto with a mid-range pass, and the attack can be pushed up in an instant.

Modern football has a fast pace, and the central defender has to play guest-game fullback from time to time, or chase back when the opponent counterattacks. The offense and defense transformation consciousness that Cassado has trained in the back midfield can come in handy at this time. Kong De went up to assist, he could fill the position quickly; if the opponent wanted to play the ball behind him, his ability to move sideways to intercept could play.

Frick sometimes likes to use the three-center-back tactics, especially when encountering strong teams. At this time, Cassado can play a role in the position of the wing center back, forming a barrier between the midfield and the defense line, allowing Araujo and others to deal with the frontal impact more at ease. Speaking of which, it feels a bit like Manchester City Stones, which can be both a central defender and a temporary retreat to play as a midfielder, making the team's tactics more flexible. Can the

be done?

Casado wants to make a name for himself in the central defender position, but he still has to go through two hurdles.

First of all, you have to have a chance to play. If Frick can give him some chance in the Cup of del Rey or the league against weak teams, let him find his feelings in actual combat and slowly adjust his defensive movements, he might be able to get out of the way.

The second is to practice hard. Heading skills and jumping timing all rely on special training to sharpen a little. The core strength must also be strengthened, otherwise the physical confrontation will suffer. The defensive intuition in the penalty area must be cultivated slowly, and it cannot be achieved in a day or two.

Mascherano also relied on his brain and skills to make up for his physical shortcomings, and played well at the Barcelona central defender position. If Cassado can learn the essence of his predecessors and then make up for his shortcomings, he might really be able to occupy a place in the Barcelona central defender rotation.

In the short term, Cassado may still have to be a "double-energy guard" who can both play as a back midfielder and central defender, and serve as a panacea substitute for the team. After all, the competition for Barcelona's central defender position is also very fierce, and his defensive shortcomings have to be polished slowly by time and effort. There has never been an absolute impossible career in football. For Cassado, the transformation from midfield to central defender may be his best chance to make a comeback in Barcelona. This road is definitely not easy to walk, but as long as you can persevere, you may one day welcome your highlight moment at Camp Nou. After all, children born in Lamacia have never lacked the ability to create miracles.