The Chilean looked inept for the task on hand at the wing of an attacking trio. Should Setién continue the self-defeating experiment of using Vidal upfront? Left or Right doesn't seem to make a difference!
Vidal's moment of recklessness could seriously hamstring Barcelona at the return leg of Napoli clash at the Camp Nou. With him being not available, Barcelona has been left with just three regular starters to fill the midfield roles. Setién could be seriously worried here as the Chilean was one of the Coach's favorite player.
Vidal has been one of the important weapons in Setién's armory. He along with Roberto is the ultimate utility player in the squad and the coach has been using the Chilean regularly as an offensive weapon. But has the experiment with Vidal is slowly losing its focus?
For Vidal, the arrival of Setién was a chance to rejuvenate himself and showcase the value he brings to the squad. The coach was mightly impressed by the Chilean's work rate and commitment. He has been used in a wide variety of roles, but the recent experiment with Vidal as a winger is not helping the player nor the team.
Against Eibar, Vidal started on the left of the front trio and in the last match against Napoli, he was slotted on the right. In both matches, he looked clearly out of place on the front of the attack. The major problem for him is the absence of the bare necessary skills needed to succeed.
He does not have the pace which could be a huge asset on the wings, like Dembele or Neymar. Nor he has dribbling skills like Iniesta, who used to be used on the left of the attacking trio by a lot of coaches. Nor his finishing is something to admire in the role of striker.
Despite that, Vidal remains an offensively minded player and looks to get into the box at all times. Setién could be trying to use that aspect more but maybe he needs to find someone else to do that job. Vidal is not fit as part of the front trio.
Vidal is a different kind of midfielder compared to the others in the squad. He is not your typical box to box midfielder nor the controller in middle. He does well as a box to box midfielder, but his actual role is different.
Vidal should be considered as a master disruptor with an extremely attack-minded approach. That makes him unique. No one will be quicker than Vidal in closing down the opposition, especially in the transition from defense. At the same time, Vidal naturally behaves like a striker going forward to joining the attack at every given opportunity.
That is the reason why Messi has a great understanding with him, as whenever Messi drops deep, Vidal pops upfront to give his Captain more option in attack. This behavior makes him the wrong choice as a controller in midfield. His best role could be a part of a four-man midfield, where he could help the high pressing and also create opportunities from those.
Setién may have to re-calibrate the way he is planning to use Vidal. It is always better to use a player in the role he understands most and in a role he is most capable of. And that role could be as an attacking midfielder!
