fbpx
Submit Guest Article
Join Our Team
  • Login
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Barça Buzz
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
    • BB Radio
  • Barça News
    • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça History
    • The Cruyff Story
    • Lionel Messi quotes
    • Xavi Quotes
    • Iniesta Quotes
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
    • Barça Travel
    • Barca songs
    • Gallery
    • Trivia
  • Analysis
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
    • BB Radio
  • Barça News
    • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça History
    • The Cruyff Story
    • Lionel Messi quotes
    • Xavi Quotes
    • Iniesta Quotes
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
    • Barça Travel
    • Barca songs
    • Gallery
    • Trivia
  • Analysis
No Result
View All Result
Barça Buzz
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
  • Barça News
  • Barça History
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
  • Analysis
Home Analysis

Barça’s ‘Pivot’ Dilemma: Christensen as a Short-Term Solution?

Bright Antwi by Bright Antwi
10th September 2023
in Analysis
0
0
Barça’s ‘Pivot’ Dilemma: Christensen as a Short-Term Solution?
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatApp

As a new season gains momentum, the inevitability of suspension and injuries to first team players poses a problem for any coach. Raphinha has served his first suspension of the season. Pedri is already out injured. 

A team without enough squad depth will suffer the most. And in today’s footballing world top teams who aspire to clinch the biggest prizes must have a squad stacked with the right amount of top talent.

In spite of the fact that FC Barcelona did great business in the summer transfer window, bringing in a number of proven players of a high level, there still remains one position light on skilled options. That position is the defensive-midfield position.

Sergio Busquets’ departure last season meant bringing in his replacement this term was imperative. A number of options were explored over the summer transfer window. Yet, eventually, Oriol Romeu was chosen to fill the void. 

Xavi is pleased with the signing of Oriol Romeu. But Xavi is also the first to recognise that Oriol Romeu is but a short-term solution. The former Girona player is on the wrong side of age 30. Therefore, FC Barcelona would have to go into the transfer market and acquire a defensive-midfielder for the long-term. 

Lack of squad depth in the ‘Pivot’ position

For now, Oriol Romeu remains the only player in the Barça squad who is a natural defensive-midfielder. Of course, other players such as De Jong and Gundogan could do decent jobs inheriting that role. However, in the short-term, Xavi sees Andreas Christensen as someone with the personality to excel in that crucial position. Christensen enjoyed a splendid first season with Barcelona. His high level plus consistency ensured he was an indisputable starter for Barça last term. It is a huge surprise to absolutely no one that Xavi Hernandez raves about the Danish no end in his press conferences. 

Word emanating from the camp of the Barça technical team, according to MD, has it that Xavi is clear in his mind Christensen could be valuable to the squad as back up to Romeu in defensive-midfield this campaign. The arrival of Inigo Martinez and the presence of Kounde, Araujo and Christensen himself means Barça’s centre-back options are brimming with quality. 

Christensen – A serious option for the Pivot role?

At 27, Christensen has played as a center-back for most of his footballing career. It was only on vanishingly few occasions that he featured in defensive-midfield for the Denmark and Chelsea youth teams. But those days seem like a lifetime ago. Could he do a decent job in Oriol Romeu’s absence in a high-stakes game? Will Xavi Hernandez prefer using Christensen in low-stakes games in order to give rest to Romeu at some point in the season? 

Christensen may have the physical attributes to excel in that pivot role. He may have the sixth sense to plug the gaps and snuff out dangerous attacks in the heart of midfield. He may have the positional and spatial awareness so needed to thrive in the middle of the park. But until the Danish plays and excels there, we may actually not know if he’s a good fit for that role. Like Eric Garcia before him, Christensen may be the latest central defender Xavi deploys in the defensive-midfield position.

Bright Antwi
Bright Antwi

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related


Discover more from Barça Buzz

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Tags: Andreas ChristensenBarcelona Squaddefensive midfieldFC BarcelonaMidfield Reinforcementsoriol romeuPlayer RolesSquad DepthStrategic Squad PlanningTactical OptionsXavi Hernandez
Bright Antwi

Bright Antwi

Related Posts

Match Review : Barcelona vs Betis (1-1)
Analysis

The Challenge : Winning Without Lamine Yamal

14th September 2025
Match Preview : Barça VS Valencia – La Liga
Analysis

Match Preview : Barça VS Valencia – La Liga

14th September 2025
Without Lamine, It’s Time for Roony Bardghji
Analysis

Without Lamine, It’s Time for Roony Bardghji

14th September 2025
Marc Bernal Pushes for A Return to Action ASAP
Analysis

Barcelona Set to Gain Major Advantage with Marc Bernal’s Return

12th September 2025
The New Life of Joan Garcia
Analysis

The New Life of Joan Garcia

12th September 2025
How Flick and Deco Talks Persuaded Fermín López to Stay
Analysis

How Flick and Deco Talks Persuaded Fermín López to Stay

11th September 2025
Load More
Next Post
‘Sirens’ at the Blaugrana Offices : injury of heavyweight star

'Sirens' at the Blaugrana Offices : injury of heavyweight star

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Subscribe to BarcaBuzz

Enter your email address and receive updates for new article by email.

La Liga Table

Standings provided by Sofascore
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
barca songs

The Barca songs – Time to learn (With English Subtitles)

4th May 2023
What really happened between Leo Messi and Gerard Pique?

What really happened between Leo Messi and Gerard Pique?

6th November 2022
Former La Masia players in Europe – Part 1

Former La Masia players in Europe – Part 1

24th June 2023
What’s true and What’s not about the FC Barcelona financial status

What’s true and What’s not about the FC Barcelona financial status

11th July 2022

Joan Laporta : “I turned down a 250 million offer for young Leo Messi”

6
signing pjanic makes sense?

Opinion : Is signing Miralem Pjanic makes sense after all?

5
xavi announces leaving

TBT : May 21 – The day Xavi announced that he will leave Barcelona

5
pep

TBT : Appointing Pep Guardiola, against all odds

5
Meet Manel Del Rio, the New General Director of FC Barcelona

Meet Manel Del Rio, the New General Director of FC Barcelona

16th September 2025
Football Federation Stunned by Hansi Flick’s Reaction

The Pact Between Hansi Flick and Juliano Belletti

16th September 2025
The New Life of Joan Garcia

Joan Garcia Ready for His First Big Test in the UEFA Champions League

16th September 2025
Guille Fernández Betting on FC Barcelona

Guille Fernández’s Significant Absence Affects FC Barcelona Performance

16th September 2025

Recommended

Meet Manel Del Rio, the New General Director of FC Barcelona

Meet Manel Del Rio, the New General Director of FC Barcelona

16th September 2025
Football Federation Stunned by Hansi Flick’s Reaction

The Pact Between Hansi Flick and Juliano Belletti

16th September 2025
The New Life of Joan Garcia

Joan Garcia Ready for His First Big Test in the UEFA Champions League

16th September 2025
Guille Fernández Betting on FC Barcelona

Guille Fernández’s Significant Absence Affects FC Barcelona Performance

16th September 2025

About Us – barcabuzz

An independent source of information about FC Barcelona. We are here to bring you the latest news and analyze everything related to our beloved team. Força Barça!

  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Telegram

Top Categories

  • Barça News
  • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça Basket
  • Analysis
  • La Masia
  • Barça History
  • Barça Femeni
  • Barça Travel
  • Profiles

Posts Of The Year

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Our Partners
  • Contact
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Join Our Team
  • Submit a Guest Article

Language

  • About Us
  • Barca Buzz
  • BarcaBuzz TV – Just sit and watch
  • Gallery – beautiful edits pics & lockscreens that fans make!
  • Home
  • Iniesta Quotes – What people said about the Barcelona Legend 
  • Lionel Messi quotes – What people said about the GOAT
  • Our Partners
  • Privacy & Policy
  • The Barça Buzz Trivia Section! Test your knowledge
  • Xavi Quotes – What people said about the Barcelona Legend

© 2022-2025 Barcabuzz - Sharing what's Buzzing with Barça.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
    • BB Radio
  • Barça News
    • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça History
    • The Cruyff Story
    • Lionel Messi quotes
    • Xavi Quotes
    • Iniesta Quotes
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
    • Barça Travel
    • Barca songs
    • Gallery
    • Trivia
  • Analysis

© 2022-2025 Barcabuzz - Sharing what's Buzzing with Barça.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Discover more from Barça Buzz

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

%d