As an aspiring football tactician and a Paris Saint-Germain supporter, I often come under fire for my recurring criticism of midfielder Marco Verratti.
I’ve been asked repeatedly to explain why I would dislike a player who’s so young yet plays at such a high caliber and is coveted by the top teams in Europe. I originally intended on writing this article at the start of the season, in a “no-context” sort of situation, but since the start of December, while the club has taken a depressing downhill tumble, Verratti has thrived, putting me in a confused state. In this article, I will first explain my original reluctance towards the Italy international and then try to map out the positives of his sudden progression.
The first two things to keep in mind are Verratti’s age and his experience as a professional footballer. The former Pescara man is 24-years-old and has played 260 games for club and country. Most midfielders don’t reach their prime until around 28 or so to be as young as he is and to be compared to the likes of Luka Modrić and Andrés Iniesta is an impressive feat. Even an ignorant, backwards-thinking doubter like myself has to acknowledge how remarkable Verratti’s rise has been considering his age and his slight physique.
The third thing to keep in mind when it comes to Verratti is his mentality, which you can argue is more important than talent. While you may argue that Verratti is no Mario Balotelli, the Italian’s mentality subconsciously irritates me. The way I see it, Verratti has fallen into the club’s “untouchable zone.” The untouchable zone is a group of players who know that they are too important to the team and that the manager isn’t firm enough to control them. The players no longer see an interest in continuously working hard for their place in the team once they are an “untouchable.” Zlatan Ibrahimovic for much of his time at PSG was another example of a player in the untouchable zone.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not accusing Verratti of having a Zlatan-esque lackluster attitude towards training either (that is bearing in mind how much the Swede has done for the club). I simply believe that Verratti has said to himself, “I am one of the first names on the team sheet, I’m compared to the best midfielders in Europe, the manager wouldn’t dare bench me, and I don’t need to work as hard as before.” The key points there reveal some deeper problems within both the club and football itself: The reluctant Unai Emery, the seemingly absent board, and modern football’s reactionary mentality. This all comes down to Verratti’s unwillingness to evolve on the pitch and ultimately, despite his talent and age, leaves me skeptical of him as a player.
Tactically, I have my doubts as well. Verratti does possess an incredible vision of the game, a fantastic touch, and a sublime passing range but his over-eagerness to run with the ball instead of making a precise pass and his impatient movement slow down play, especially on the counter, which gives the other team a chance to counter back.
However, times have changed. I can’t look at a player in a vacuum and pretend time and context don’t exist. I have to admit he’s impressed as of late. I’ve stated many times that a possible “solution” to Verratti, something that would improve him as a player, would be to ship him off to a club without an “untouchable zone” where either he’s not guaranteed a place on the team sheet, forcing him to work hard and adapt, or to a club where he becomes top dog and thus, pressures him into maturing his game. By pure coincidence, the latter has somewhat occurred over the past month at PSG.
Ever since Adrien Rabiot’s absence, Grzegorz Krychowiak’s distressing midfield performances, Blaise Matuidi’s semi-permanent move to the left wing, Marquinhos and Thiago Silva’s defensive disharmony, Hatem Ben Arfa’s disappearance, Jesé Rodriguez’s arrival, Serge Aurier’s continued antics, and Angel Di Maria’s ludicrous shenanigans up front, the power balance within the club has abruptly shifted. Both on and off the pitch, while the rest of the team and coaching staff have had a somewhat lackluster attitude towards the club’s performances, Verratti has shifted his game. All the elements I used to criticize him for, including his arrogant attitude, have disappeared. Every ball he touched and pass he made was executed with efficiency. It was almost as if he said to his teammates, “If you guys don’t want to play proper football, I guess I’m going to have to force you too.” I’ve seen a real turnaround in Verratti’s performances and I’m convinced that it’s due to the sudden burden of responsibilities that fell upon him.
To conclude, I’d like to say that this isn’t necessarily the start of something new. Before we know it, Verratti might just become another fly on the mound of dung that our team is at the moment (although I hope not). It does prove, however, that he responds well to pressure and it forces him to adapt, something he seemed reluctant to do before. So, is this the start of a new Marco Verratti? Probably not. But at least he’s a glimmer of hope in an otherwise discouraging and hopeless team.
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Il Guffetto is a beast on the pitch. My only real criticism is that he, and Motta, slow down the counter when we have opportunities to carve opponents apart, and I am convinced if that part of Blanc’s old tactical arsenal was quelled we would be at least 2nd in the table, if not first, and also facing Bayern in the round of 16 (said with tongue in cheek). Honestly though he is a gem, but I really think playing Emery’s true style of football when playing on the counter and not recycling the ball back to Quiños or Silva would lead to us scoring many more goals in transition. That would also require those behind the ball to be positionally disciplined to handle a counter to our counter, and therin lies the rub.
I personally feel that he isn’t so much a beast on the pitch as he would like to be. Physically, he’s rather limited (I mean he’s barely taller than a corner post) and although he has some of the silkiest footwork in europe and can pick a pass out of thin air, he concentrates on the wrong aspects of his game. Wanting to improve is a cornerstone of being a great player but that is only if you take into consideration your abilities and limitations.
When I said he was a beast on the pitch, I didn’t quite mean it literally. I meant his ability to influence a match. Think UCL knockouts vs Chelsea down to 10 men. I’m simply curious as to what parts of his game you think he should look to improve? I’m surely in agreement that he could press forward more and become more of a scoring threat, however as the season has continued and he’s found his way, slowly, back to fitness his imprints on matches has grown considerably. Defensively he’s not a destroyer, nor should he look to become one, but for a man of diminutive size he never shies away from a tackle and positions himself intelligently vs attacks.
I’d love to hear you expound and clarify the last sentence in your reply.
While you do have a point in saying that he does control games, I think where he needs to improve is his decision making in certain situations (ie: when he slows down a counter by running with the ball instead of passing it along or when we’re in build up play and he does the same). I also believe that while his massive movement does help out the team when in need (ie: helping defenders stuck on the counter or providing an extra man in attack) it’s sometimes excessive, and he has to have more faith in the whole team to adapt. Of course these aren’t massive shortcomings and sometimes he doesn’t make these mistakes, but personally it makes me a bit impatient with him as he hasn’t worked on the same issues for years, a perfect example of the “untouchable zone”.
Fair enough.