Possession Football vs Effective Possession

Anyone familiar with Swansea FC (in Whales) or Barcelona FC (in Spain) is familiar with what "Possession" football looks like. Lots of good, completed passing and patience. However, when I watched the Swansea vs Man City game this weekend I could see the stark differences between Barca's  effective possession football and Swansea's lack of finishing.

That led me to start thinking about those differences. As I see it the styles are very similar although the patterns of passing are different. The big difference seems to be in the finishing movements. The Swan's just couldn't get the ball in the net even though they had several chances. Does that mean the offense should be drilled more heavily in a possession system?

It seems clear that good decision making in passing is a big part of the system. I wonder if that is due to the manager effectively recruiting the right type of players specific for this system or is it due to the system creating those chances and removing the possible mistakes? As a coach I am always looking for the right thing to tell my players. I also am looking for ways to eliminate mistakes or options to make mistakes by the system (plays or movements) I choose? 

Here are a few of my thoughts on the game. If anyone has comments feel free to send them.

• One touch passing requires a very high level of fitness because you must move constantly to keep up with the flow of passing.
• You must have an exceptional finisher in the offensive positions. Swansea seemed to lack this piece this weekend whereas no one can say that Barca doesn't have exceptional finishers.
• Even though Man City are the leaders in the league the Swan's made them look ineffective and slow.
• Defense is dependent upon quick reactions and zonal positioning. Even though the Swan's lunged at many balls they were covered and the height difference didn't seem to be a factor in the game. Covering the space as opposed to the many seemed to be very effective but I may be oversimplifying that.
• When you possess the ball more you make a less patient team very frustrated which leads to penalty's and fouls. 
• Almost no injuries during this match but in the same vein not enough fouls were being called. How many times do we have to see Balotelli take a dive before he is reprimanded? 
• At the beginning of the Season Man United were playing much more like this and having great success at it. 
• How do you train for this type of  offense? 
• The Diamond formation change seemed to really help Man City defensively. The Swan's had more trouble building through the midfield which resulted in more balls over the top and easier interceptions. 
•  How much do you emphasize controlling the ball as opposed to passing as quickly as possible. I saw the Swan's make several mistakes simply by not controlling the ball and getting rid of it early.

I'll be doing some research on this style so if you have any references please send them over. Thanks.

TL Owens