Tata Martino: Decisive but not authoritarian

Without a CV as impressive as Carlo Ancelotti, Tata Martino was the most outstanding coach in the first half of La Liga 2013-14 season.

Brought to Camp Nou to replace Tito Vilanova based on his relationship with Lionel Messi, Tata Martino has built himself a pecking order at Barcelona.

The decision is the coach.

Lionel Messi returned from injury and was running full speed, but Tata still benched him for two consecutive matches. Even when Barca had a crucial away trip to the Vicente Calderon, Messi only came on in the second half.

At Camp Nou, Tata Martino has complete control over who plays. He stressed: “Players always want to play. But I rarely ask them how they feel, they always say they are fine. I will put players on the field based on my eyes, based on my own feelings.”

Martino took a completely different path from his predecessors. They pampered Messi because he was a pillar, they let Messi decide whether to play or rest. Martino did not want that kind of work, he knew that after recovering from injury, Messi really wanted to play immediately, but short-term solutions have long-term consequences that are difficult to overcome.

Thirty years ago, Diego Maradona was tackled by Andoni Goikoetxea and broke his ankle, and Maradona spent four months recovering from the injury. Coach Cesar Menotti later brought Maradona back into the starting lineup as soon as “El Pulga” recovered, but that was a season in which Maradona struggled with pain until Barcelona sold him to Napoli. Surely everyone remembers the Golden Boy’s statement “play until you die or fall off the stretcher”.

For Tata, going with long-term solutions would not only benefit him, but also instill fear in his players and keep the dressing room in order. No one, not even Messi, has the right to decide anything related to the collective. Even when sending Messi out to play Atletico, Tata had to consider carefully because the Calderon is the stadium where Messi has twice left on a stretcher.

But not arbitrary

Tata decides the tactics and the formation, but he doesn't try to stop his players from doing something outside the plan, as long as it works. He himself has said that he is just a supporting actor, the players are the main characters. So the players feel more comfortable when they want to do something to adapt to the situation.

When he took office, Tata vowed to maintain the characteristics of Barcelona's playing style over the years, which is tiki-taka with a focus on short passes. He kept his word, but that doesn't mean he forced his players to play that way. Even against Atletico, Barca started the match with a tight defensive style, holding their own before attacking. A completely different performance from the Barca we often talk about.

That wasn’t the only mark Tata made on Barca. When they faced Real, Tata let Neymar loose, and the result was a win with both goals featuring Neymar. Or in the win over Vallecano, Tata created a wide space for Pedro, helping him score a hat-trick.

The Barcelona of the first half of the season were a very different team. The same old talent plus a new star (Neymar), but they could adapt their play and win in many ways. And most importantly, there were no worrying personnel deficiencies. In Messi's absence, the two losses to Ajax and Bilbao were quickly forgotten as Barca gradually adapted to playing without their main superstar and the result was a streak of 5 consecutive wins.

Barcelona's road to success is still long, with Atletico and Real still chasing them. However, it can be said that Tata Martino has built a lasting foundation at the club, based on his insight and trust in his players.

According to Bongdaplus