Is Ronald Araújo the right man to lead Barca's defense in the next era?
Here is my first analysis piece covering one of the bright spots for Barca this season.
Over the course of history, Barca was truly blessed with legendary defenders. From leaders like Puyol and Pique to ball-playing defenders like Ronald Koeman, to underrated players like Rafael Marquez, there was never a defensive void at Barca. Pique and Mascherano were the last defensive duo Barca could count on whenever needed, but since Masch left, the security we had with him, also got away from us.
Since then, various defenders were bought and tried, but nobody could present himself as an answer for the long run. But does Barca have found that answer in Ronald Araujo?
Ronald Araújo
Araujo was born in Rivera, Uruguay. He started his footballing adventure as he joined local club Rentistas. In 2017, he made the move to the Uruguayan top-tier football league club Boston River. Just a year later, Barca came calling and signed him on a 5-year contract. Initially, he played for Barca B, but as Pique suffered a long-term injury at the start of this season, he finds himself in the center of Barca’s defense.
To fill in Pique’s shoes is not a straightforward task. Add this with the weight of the defensive calamities Barca has been facing for the past seasons, to play in a Barca defense is not a simple task. We will look at Araujo and will analyze his strengths that can help Barca get back to the top.
A Leader On & Off the Pitch
What one quality Barca has lacked for the past few years? Leadership.
What one quality Araújo brings with him, among others? Leadership.
Yes, one thing which is very clear since Araújo became a regular in the team is that he is a born leader. Being a central defender, he has an advantage over others. His view of the pitch is the best, as it is quite easy to see what the opposition is trying to do while attacking. And Araujo uses this simple thing to his advantage.
Recently, Sid Lowe, after watching Barca behind closed doors, revealed some very interesting observations. Can you guess who is the most vocal of all the players on the pitch? Yes, it’s Araujo along with Ter Stegen.
Barca drew 1–1 with Eibar, and Araújo’s blunder gave a chance to Eibar to score the solitary goal. Albert Roge revealed that after that game, Araújo volunteered to speak to the media to accept his mistake.
It would be foolish to think that young players won’t make mistakes when they get a chance to play in the first team, so the most important thing is how they bounce back from it. This strong mentality is what Barca has lacked for the past years and Araújo brings this back with him.
A No-Nonsense Defender
To really start analyzing Araújo’s strengths, here is a video analysis covering his attributes like Game Reading, Use of Pace, Defensive Awareness, etc. First, let’s watch the video analysis and then continue reading ahead.
Araújo is 1.91 meters in height. So, it’s very obvious that he dominates whenever the ball is in the air. He currently sits 4th on % of Aerials Won in La Liga. But Araújo’s dominance isn’t just in the aerial department.
He is very efficient on the ball. Araújo has a 90% pass completion rate in La Liga so far, and keeping in mind he is just 21, is very commendable. The Graph below proves the point that along with aerial dominance, he is very good at tackling dribblers/attackers.
Araújo is an all-round defender. He is great at defensive duels, along with spreading the ball from the back. He is the perfect heir to someone like Pique. He is very demanding. Despite being so young, whenever he plays he gives a sense of security at the back which Barca has lacked for many seasons now.
The Future looks Bright
As La Liga resumed after a pause due to the pandemic, there was one thing for which everyone was sure about. Barca after so many seasons were not coming as the favorites for anything. Back of so many humiliations in the Champions League, and the added drama outside the pitch, Barca fans were sure that this season, trophies don't matter. What matters is that the squad was revamped, and Barca was heading for the rebuild.
I will have to wait for the end of the season to rate the ‘rebuild’ I am talking about, but Araújo gives a slight idea that the rebuild is going in the right direction. Pique’s injury was one of the most unfortunate things to happen this season, but the exposure and playing time that Araújo is getting due to it is very important for the future.
Eric Garcia will be free at the end of the season, and Barca is the favorites to sign the former La Masia star. If that goes through, Barca will have one of the most talented and youngest center-back pairings and the perfect duo to build the team from scratch. Players like Dest, Pedri, Puig, Fati, De Jong give us an idea that if they are coached well and used perfectly, Barca might be the force to reckon with in the coming future, just like their glorious past.
Thanks For Reading. It is my first Substack article and hope you like it. Any kind of feedback will be very much appreciated and if you like to, do subscribe so that you don’t miss out on other publications.
Great work!