Barca coach Martino looking to solve problem

Gerardo Tata Martino concerned over Barca’s dead-ball problems

Barcelona’s coach has wasted no time in trying to find the antidote for Barca’s dead-ball problems. The coach has been in his native Argentina for a few days in Rosario with his family, taking advantage of the festive break. He also made it his priority to find a solution for his team’s dead-ball situations.

The coach was worried about the way his team deals with the problems of corners and free-kicks and looked to find a solution when he left for Argentina. Taking into account the squad he has and its characteristics, ‘Tata’ Martino is determined to find the remedy.

Barca has been put through the ringer on five occasions this year out of the 27 games played so far. Teams that have taken advantage of the team’s height along with poor marking and lapses in concentration are Valencia, Sevilla, Valladolid, Celtic and Getafe. For the coach, Barca needs to tighten up and fix the problem particularly when defending corners or free-kicks out wide.

Martino has made it his goal to fix these problems over the next couple of months in order to avoid getting into hot water against Premier League side Manchester City. The Manchester club has been overwhelming in their attack lately and could cause Barcelona all sorts of problems when they meet in the champions League in February.

The coach has been looking at different aspects of his team’s game. One of these changes has to do with what he applied to the Catalan side when defending corners. Under Guardiola and Vilanova, Barca defended the zone, but Martino has gone back to a mixed game plan, even using man-to-man marking at times.