I wonder if this is how Pep is combating the rise of teams going man to man? They’re trying to stop our passing game, so Pep is bringing in a raft of ball carriers and saying “if they go man to man, just dribble past your man?” Simple, but it would definitely help.
A successful dribble then attracts other players like a magnet. Every opponent nearby always feels like they have to stop the guy that’s taking the piss, thus opening space up for others if they can release a pass.
I am now 100% convinced that this is Pep’s plan to deal with everyone going man to man against us.