1 - Victor Valdes

[ivan22]

I know our defence wasn't good, but that's where the GK should be brilliant.

he and in a stupid way knocked Pique out in a dead ball, how in the world did Ramirez got that shot past him??

give some credit where credit is due...Ramires' finish was world class. If this would be messi no one would blame chech: it would be messi's brilliance. Also stop acusing him of the pique accident, it was unlucky and thats all.

I don't want to defend valdes in any way, he made some crucial crucial mistakes this season, I'm aware of that. Also he shouldnt be 'untouchable' because he's homegrown.. But what you're saying is ridiculous.

 

[tariqo]

Knocked out Pique like a boss.

 

[abual3bed1]

give some credit where credit is due...Ramires' finish was world class. If this would be messi no one would blame chech: it would be messi's brilliance. Also stop acusing him of the pique accident, it was unlucky and thats all.

I don't want to defend valdes in any way, he made some crucial crucial mistakes this season, I'm aware of that. Also he shouldnt be 'untouchable' because he's homegrown.. But what you're saying is ridiculous.

ya it was unlucky, yet also un necessary at all. Ramires' finish was good, but he could've done much better. but if it were Messi's, you said it's Messi not Ramires!!
so VV should've done better saving it.

 

[diegomessi]

feel really let down... coming off his line so fast when ramires was at such a bad angle..


and most of all being so damn dramatic and knocking the fck out of Pique when he easily could have just caught that ball

 

[Galning]

feel really let down... coming off his line so fast when ramires was at such a bad angle..

Same for Madrid's second goal. He should've stayed on his line.

 

[Bilal Khan]

Same for Madrid's second goal. He should've stayed on his line.

and the first goal..
probably been busy shooting too much porn last few days

 

[MoFroBo]

Really surprised by Valdes this year. Everytime I watched Barca in CL, Valdes totally sucked ass. On previous season I thought he could be a fierce competition for Casillas, but doesn't look like.

 

[Chainsaw]

Really surprised by Valdes this year. Everytime I watched Barca in CL, Valdes totally sucked ass. On previous season I thought he could be a fierce competition for Casillas, but doesn't look like.

Underrated Hero some call him.

 

[barcelonista]

Really surprised by Valdes this year. Everytime I watched Barca in CL, Valdes totally sucked ass. On previous season I thought he could be a fierce competition for Casillas, but doesn't look like.

I'm always surprised so many Culés believe our defense is all that. It's the immense workrate, the high pressing game and the 75 %+ possession (and the fact we have 10 times the budget than the average La Liga team we are competing against for 90 % of the season) that keeps us clean sheets. Not Victor Valdes, not Pique, not Alves. We won 5-0 against Villarreal at the beginning of the season with Mascherano-Busquets-Abidal in defense. Fss. For the sake of common sense: please imagine just for 1 minute how our defense would fare if we were reduced to 10 men and 20 % possession away in one of the toughest stadiums in the world with Messi, Iniesta, Sanchez, Fabregas and Xavi running at them. Do you think Pique, Alves, Valdes and Mascherano will hang on when they can't even keep Ramires and 34 year old Drogba from scoring from their only shot on target? I'm so jealous when I see 36 year old Nesta putting in a MOTM performance against Messi in Camp Nou (imagine him in his prime). A team like Barcelona needs defenders of such calibre. Because 34 year old Puyol and a makeshift defensive midfielder being the best you have will not bode well. We haven't kept a clean sheet against any big team this season: Milan (past their prime), Chelsea (past their prime), Real Madrid, Valencia ... Even Leverkusen.

 

[hellsangel1]

I'm always surprised so many Culés believe our defense is all that. It's the immense workrate, the high pressing game and the 75 %+ possession (and the fact we have 10 times the budget than the average La Liga team we are competing against for 90 % of the season) that keeps us clean sheets. Not Victor Valdes, not Pique, not Alves. We won 5-0 against Villarreal at the beginning of the season with Mascherano-Busquets-Abidal in defense. Fss. For the sake of common sense: please imagine just for 1 minute how our defense would fare if we were reduced to 10 men and 20 % possession away in one of the toughest stadiums in the world with Messi, Iniesta, Sanchez, Fabregas and Xavi running at them. Do you think Pique, Alves, Valdes and Mascherano will hang on when they can't even keep Ramires and 34 year old Drogba from scoring from their only shot on target? I'm so jealous when I see 36 year old Nesta putting in a MOTM performance against Messi in Camp Nou (imagine him in his prime). A team like Barcelona needs defenders of such calibre. Because 34 year old Puyol and a makeshift defensive midfielder being the best you have will not bode well. We haven't kept a clean sheet against any big team this season: Milan (past their prime), Chelsea (past their prime), Real Madrid, Valencia ... Even Leverkusen.

I agree with you 100% and Guardiola is responsible for this . We only had two regular central defenders the whole year (Puyol and Pique) and Carles is 34.......this was always going to be a huge risk. Mascherano is not a defender and he might do well against lower lever sides in La Liga but in the Champions League and against top quality attackers he is just not cut out for it. His lack of height also gives us problems in defending corners and set pieces. Pique was never a great defender and if he plays for a side that doesn't have 70% possession he will get exposed. Barca desperately need to buy two top class central defenders in the off-season esp. those who are adept in the air and on corners because that is a real weakness for us.

Carles can't be a regular starter for us next season because he can't play tough matches back to back as we saw this week. Tough matches away to Levante and then Chelsea,Madrid and Chelsea again was brutal stretch and we saw him struggle physically at the end. I hope he also retires from the national team after the Euro Cup and just concentrates on club football.

 

[Flavia]

This wasnt a great season for VV. Gotta admit that. He made too many mistakes. it was more a season of the old VV, than the solid one we had on the last two, three years.

 

[adil_909]

awesome for 90% of the year, better than casillas.

but when it mattered most, played like a combination of jens lehman and fabien barthez at their worst - indecisive, poor positioning, and generally clownish.

feel very let down - this is not the victor valdes i want to see.

 

[0n0mat0p0eia]

Have to say that when it really mattered, VV was poor for Real's second goal, and DID NOT have to race so far from his line whan he was chipped by Ramirez. Having said that, Barca do not have the best defence in the world. IMO they need a quality LB and (perhaps 2) CBs.

 

[AvocadoCake]

http://www.footballfansonline.net/2012/victor-valdes-barcelonas-weak-link/?

For me, enough is enough, I think a goalkeeper should be our first priority this off-season

 

[beautifulgame]

You guys still miss the point.

While he did clearly make some mistakes such as Madrid's first goal, Valdes has been outed by Barca's really amateur mistakes.

The team has been constantly giving up the ball in really dangerous positions (middle of the field) and have stopped descending when needed to play defense.

Making pressure is only part of the defense, if the team doesn't descend like they continuously failed to then Valdes is left to walk on water game after game.