André Gomes

[Alik]

[MENTION=20420]God Serena[/MENTION] is right. What important role did he have? Messi was the one who told Suarez to go to CF and moved to rw. The only thing lucho did was to stop the wide midfielders BS he tried to implement in 2014, but somehow I don't think it was his decision alone. There was that big crisis, early elections called, and he was still a new coach who had won nothing. After the treble, he got arrogant and started implementing his vision. And here we are now.

The defence was a lot stronger in that season. Pique was playing like the best in the world, Alves was back to near his best, Bravo was insane. We never conceded set piece goals and always scored them. Rakitic performed well.

It wasn't just MSN that had a good season. That team was one of the strongest ever. The whole team was clicking. Of course there was a lot of "luck", for lack of a better word, but Lucho did contribute very positively at the time. A team needs a manager. Always. Unfortunately, he's been failing spectacularly for the past year now.

 

[FlaFCB]

The defence was a lot stronger in that season. Pique was playing like the best in the world, Alves was back to near his best, Bravo was insane. We never conceded set piece goals and always scored them. Rakitic performed well.

It wasn't just MSN that had a good season. That team was one of the strongest ever. The whole team was clicking. Of course there was a lot of "luck", for lack of a better word, but Lucho did contribute very positively at the time. A team needs a manager. Always. Unfortunately, he's been failing spectacularly for the past year now.

That clicking happened after Messi told Suarez to move to cf and he went to rw. Suarez told in an interview it was Messi's idea. Also Xavi back then gave an interview saying how the Barça style was non-negotiable. To me it's not difficult to imagine he would listen to Xavi, given the precarious situation he was in. That's why now I don't think anything that happened was because of lucho. There were other people and factors that were vital. Lucho's inability of seeing the problems and finding solutions before it was too late it's telling.

 

[raki]

Dani Alves is missed a lot. He was Messi best partner and allowed Messi to come inside and Alves has great technique and stamina to be a full back/winger. They played blindfolded. Messi rarely appears on the wing now. Roberto does not attack that much so our team is crippled. Only the left side rolls normally.
Another thing that has changed for worse: set pieces. We improved a lot with Unzue but this season we are crap again. No danger whatsoever. Only Messi freekicks but thats his talent not teamwork and collective plays.

With the type of players that we have in midfield only playing quality possession allows us to defend properly because we have the ball and control the tempo. Xavi and Iiniesta was perfect. Without Xavi became difficult. With Iniesta 32 is way worse.
There are no Xavi and Iniesta doubles but there are players who play the same style and who are world class. But none of them plays for us. lol.
We let them go away. Anf now the market is super hyped and our team is decaying. I´m very worried.

Madrid had a terrific squad and most of them young. Their bench is amazing. I would like Isco and Kovacic. Pjanic gone. Verrati "impossible".

We did not replaced Xavi and Iniesta is already kind of rusty.
Verrati and Rabiot are not beasts yet they steamrolled us. Matuidi is a powerhouse. Ok. But still 2 years ago we crushed them with the same players +Ibra.

 

[God Serena]

The defence was a lot stronger in that season. Pique was playing like the best in the world, Alves was back to near his best, Bravo was insane. We never conceded set piece goals and always scored them. Rakitic performed well.

It wasn't just MSN that had a good season. That team was one of the strongest ever. The whole team was clicking. Of course there was a lot of "luck", for lack of a better word, but Lucho did contribute very positively at the time. A team needs a manager. Always. Unfortunately, he's been failing spectacularly for the past year now.

Players like Alves and Pique are always going to shine when the rest of the team is shining, even on their worst form they're probably among the best out there, despite how annoyed with them we as fans would get. Bravo is an example of how well a defense can perform with a little motivation as well. With MSN playing the way they did even an average keeper like him could make people think he's world class. As far as Rakitic goes, he wasn't as good as most people remember him being, imo. He was a good babysitter for Alves who did a decent job in midfield, but as Alves' role diminished up until he left, Raki has found his role become less important to the point that even Lucho doesn't see a use for him anymore.

It's no coincidence that the early elections, the meltdown, the public feuds, etc. was what it took for Lucho to finally stop being Lucho and let the team make progress towards winning. If you ask me, the Lucho we're seeing now is just an extension of the Lucho we saw in the first half of his first season, only now he doesn't have a fresh MSN and Xavi to bring the team back from the hell that he himself creates, and yes, him having a weaker squad contributes to that, but Gomes, Paco, Arda, Denis, etc. are all players that he himself demanded we sign.

 

[JamDav1982]

That clicking happened after Messi told Suarez to move to cf and he went to rw. Suarez told in an interview it was Messi's idea. Also Xavi back then gave an interview saying how the Barça style was non-negotiable. To me it's not difficult to imagine he would listen to Xavi, given the precarious situation he was in. That's why now I don't think anything that happened was because of lucho. There were other people and factors that were vital. Lucho's inability of seeing the problems and finding solutions before it was too late it's telling.

The best managers react to good ideas from anywhere. Messi changing position with Suarez does not tell the whole story. Lucho also changed a lot of other things in the team at that point.

The position of Alves became almost a CM and he came inside as Messi played wider. Rakitic also changed role a bit to help it all function.

Messi also told Pep he wanted to play centrally when Ibra was there and Pep made that work. Not just Messi asking for it.

 

[FlaFCB]

The best managers react to good ideas from anywhere. Messi changing position with Suarez does not tell the whole story. Lucho also changed a lot of other things in the team at that point.

The position of Alves became almost a CM and he came inside as Messi played wider. Rakitic also changed role a bit to help it all function.

Messi also told Pep he wanted to play centrally when Ibra was there and Pep made that work. Not just Messi asking for it.

Lucho is not one of the best managers. And he reverted back to his wide midfielders idea a bit after Xavi left. And implemented it with full force this season. I don't think it's a coincidence his best season was the one in which his ideas were ditched.

Suarez did tell the whole story. He literally said it was Messi's idea, and that lucho "went along with it". Well, why wouldn't he, it worked. The rest of adjustments happened because of this.

 

[Barcaman]

So why doesn't Messi play wide anymore?
Lucho pretty much can't do much about that.

 

[JamDav1982]

Lucho is not one of the best managers. And he reverted back to his wide midfielders idea a bit after Xavi left. And implemented it with full force this season. I don't think it's a coincidence his best season was the one in which his ideas were ditched.

Never claimed he was or is but it is something all the best ones have in that they are open to ideas from players that work and he helped make that work far more than it juts being a Messi decision one day on the pitch that changed a season.

He ditched the initial ideas and changed the way the team played.

The wide midfielders seem to have come back in as other teams got a bit more wise to the counter and Messi being more on right. Trying to get him more central again.

Teams also adapted and targeted the lack of defending from Messi on RW. Can see it every time Real play Barca Marcelo runs riot bar that one game Roberto played RW. Even Emery has said he targets Messi not tracking back.

Personally hate it and think it is wrong approach but it is not just because Xavi has gone.

Maybe Messi doesnt want to be on RW long term who knows.

 

[FlaFCB]

Never claimed he was or is but it is something all the best ones have in that they are open to ideas from players that work and he helped make that work far more than it juts being a Messi decision one day on the pitch that changed a season.

He ditched the initial ideas and changed the way the team played.

The wide midfielders seem to have come back in as other teams got a bit more wise to the counter and Messi being more on right. Trying to get him more central again.

Teams also adapted and targeted the lack of defending from Messi on RW. Can see it every time Real play Barca Marcelo runs riot bar that one game Roberto played RW. Even Emery has said he targets Messi not tracking back.

Personally hate it and think it is wrong approach but it is not just because Xavi has gone.

Maybe Messi doesnt want to be on RW long term who knows.

I think Messi is drifting away from rw because Alves is not there anymore, and all our attacks comes from the left. He has no one to play with there. So he ends up going central to be closer to the ball. Our right side is pretty much dead, rb, rcm and rw.

 

[DonAK]

Modern Football is like this. Teams got footage of everything these days and several backroom analysts.

Lucho found the right combination and formula, but he has failed to come up with new ideas when teams finally found out how to counter his system and tactics. This is the true testament of a coach's tactical nous IMO. When you have to come up with a different idea, system, tactics to get back to dominance. Teams will eventually find a way to nullify your tactics and if you don't keep improving, they will make you pay for it.

Which is exactly what PSG and several La Liga teams have come close to doing this season and kept pushing us on the backfoot. Luckily we have some fantastic players so their individual qualities have at times bailed us out, but against high level opposition, even they cannot save you every time when your system have collapsed.

 

[Barcaman]

He plays centrally since 2010
Imo. it's more likely that he's not into tracking back that much than Dani and Xavi not being here.

We ended up playing Rakitic as RM simply to fill that hole.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think Messi is drifting away from rw because Alves is not there anymore, and all our attacks comes from the left. So he ends up going central to be closer to the ball. Our right side is pretty much dead, rb, rcm and rw.

Messi is pretty much given complete freedom by Lucho to go where he wants primarily starting from the right. That freedom clearly includes not having to defend that much and Lucho is fucking up the midfield trying to compensate for it and leaving a slow midfield and poor defensive full back exposed.

Only way can see round it is whoever comes in moving Messi more central again. Maybe Sampaoli 3-4-3 can cover it better.

Better midfield and full back will help but will still be an issue that top teams will look to expose.

As much as Messi is Barcas biggest threat going forward he is also the biggest weakness in the team defending at moment in terms of how much it throws the balance and leaves others exposed.

 

[FlaFCB]

Messi is pretty much given complete freedom by Lucho to go where he wants primarily starting from the right. That freedom clearly includes not having to defend that much and Lucho is fucking up the midfield trying to compensate for it and leaving a slow midfield and poor defensive full back exposed.

Only way can see round it is whoever comes in moving Messi more central again. Maybe Sampaoli 3-4-3 can cover it better.

Better midfield and full back will help but will still be an issue that top teams will look to expose.

As much as Messi is Barcas biggest threat going forward he is also the biggest weakness in the team defending at moment in terms of how much it throws the balance and leaves others exposed.

Messi never tracked back. He rarely does it, and it's been like this since I can remember. He always needed someone covering for him. But that's not what I was talking about. I meant he completely abandoned the rw because he has no one to play with there anymore. All of our plays start from the left, with Alba, Neymar, Iniesta. So he's basically centered all the time now, and there's no one in the rw. In 14/15 he would at least start plays from the right, as he had players to combine with. Now we have no right side. Why when Vidal played it looked so much better, as there was a player there again.

 

[El Flaco]

Was booed at Camp Nou while being subbed out against Leganes yesterday.

https://streamable.com/fa0qb

[tw]834377323746988032[/tw]

 

[kilian]

Sadly, he became the scapegoat, although he isn`t that much worse than Rafinha, Denis, Rakitic and even Busquets and Iniesta. They are all very bad at the moment, with a good game every now and then.