This really isn't about Academy....but you brought Barca into the mix and so I'll comment. Wow, they play a game I couldn't even dream of understanding. How many times yesterday did you see them play the ball into the corner and then serve it into the box? Uh, maybe once or twice. How many times did you see someone other than Messi take repeated touches with the ball in the final third? Not too many.....
What I saw was a triangle everywhere on the field. DIdn't matter where, it quickly organized. Everything was 1 or 2 touch passing, movement off the ball was unbelievable. Creativity and vision, unselfishness. Players moved and filled gaps..almost like it as a pickup game without positional responsibilities. The non handball call in the box would have been on David Villa,how as he defending im a transitional attack? I regularly saw Messi dropping in behind Xavi and Iniesta.
Coaches always talk about playing as one. Barca has perfected that. 11 players disolve into 1 living breathing unit that understands implicitly what every part of the body is doing.
