Copa | Round of 16: Athletic Bilbao - FC Barcelona 2-1

[kilian]

It was one of the worst refereeing I have seen for some time now. Coincidentally, a day before we saw another robbery, in favour of we know who. Quite a pattern this season.

 

[BarçaBarça]

Seriously, sick and tired of this bs and crying to get Lucho out. All the actions he has done so far, as is to make sure we do not have the same issues at the end of last season, when our team fell horribly out of shape in March-April. This means alot of rotation in autumn, extended breaks, trying to waste minimum energy in games etc. If his plan does not work and this continues to go on until summer, sure his time is over and get rid of them, but its like, have you completely wiped out the first half of treble season from your heads, how can you not see the similarities between those seasons.
Real Madrid breaking records, looking unbeatable (like they did under Ancelotti), us sucking, using different starting lineup in every game, massive rotations, having issues, losing some embarrasing games etc. And then benefitting from all of that in spring and being unbeatable.

Losing with the best starting-11 is not saving energy in my book. If he had played reserves and played an energetic and fired-up team in the coming league-game I would support it, but this seems like wasted energy now. Copa is not as important as the league and CL and to expect trebles is straight out naive, imo.

It is not impressive at all to play like shit most of the time, and with the players looking like there is no plan at all. You can't just point to the treble season and say everything will be fine, I really see that as an anomalie and not a recipe to repeat. We have also had good games, but tactic-wise we look lost, and we don't become champions from only playing good sometimes. It is very optimistic to point to the treble-season and look for a repeat - right now a league-title or a CL would be an enormous achievement.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Losing with the best starting-11 is not saving energy in my book. If he had played reserves and played an energetic and fired-up team in the coming league-game I would support it, but this seems like wasted energy now. Copa is not as important as the league and CL and to expect trebles is straight out naive, imo.

It is not impressive at all to play like shit most of the time, and with the players looking like there is no plan at all. You can't just point to the treble season and say everything will be fine, I really see that as an anomalie and not a recipe to repeat. We have also had good games, but tactic-wise we look lost, and we don't become champions from only playing good sometimes. It is very optimistic to point to the treble-season and look for a repeat - right now a league-title or a CL would be an enormous achievement.

I get this completely but thinking about it if we'd had played reserves is would have been more than 2-1 to them, plus I think our team should have the energy to play 2 games in 4 days with that long xmas break.

 

[LeeRomeno]

Losing with the best starting-11 is not saving energy in my book. If he had played reserves and played an energetic and fired-up team in the coming league-game I would support it, but this seems like wasted energy now. Copa is not as important as the league and CL and to expect trebles is straight out naive, imo.

It is not impressive at all to play like shit most of the time, and with the players looking like there is no plan at all. You can't just point to the treble season and say everything will be fine, I really see that as an anomalie and not a recipe to repeat. We have also had good games, but tactic-wise we look lost, and we don't become champions from only playing good sometimes. It is very optimistic to point to the treble-season and look for a repeat - right now a league-title or a CL would be an enormous achievement.

We do not need to rest best starting-11 if they have had 2 weeks off anyways, so this game was there to get players back to match fitness which they obviously lack at the moment. And noone said that they expect treble, then again noone expected Barca to win treble after 0-1 losing to Real Sociedad 2 seasons ago. Yet most expected us to repeat the treble last season, right up until all went puff in the air in spring.
What is utterly disturbing is crying out sentences like "all is lost", "our only chance is to sack/sell everyone" etc IN JANUARY. Noone knows how it will turn out, but if history has taught us ANYTHING, its that you simply cannot judge a season when you are barely in the middle of it.

 

[BarçaBarça]

I get this completely but thinking about it if we'd had played reserves is would have been more than 2-1 to them,

Yes, we might have lost bigger and might even be kicked out over 2 matches, but I'm close to saying that it would be worth it. It's not about only the Villareal-match but the coming Copa-matches as well - they are wasted energy, imo, and we don't have infinite energy. Therefore we should play youngsters even if we are about to lose and focus on the league and CL, which matters. To win the Copa is very close to a blank season as I see it, but I know that some would disagree.

plus I think our team should have the energy to play 2 games in 4 days with that long xmas break.

We do not need to rest best starting-11 if they have had 2 weeks off anyways, so this game was there to get players back to match fitness which they obviously lack at the moment.

I disagree - match fitness shouldn't be a huge problem, if they have had good training up until the game. And again - right now it is no problem - the Villareal-game won't be hugely influenced, but maybe a little anyway. It is more important that the remaining Copa-games almost certainly will extract energy and focus from more important things.

What is utterly disturbing is crying out sentences like "all is lost", "our only chance is to sack/sell everyone" etc IN JANUARY. Noone knows how it will turn out, but if history has taught us ANYTHING, its that you simply cannot judge a season when you are barely in the middle of it.

I agree that Enrique should not be sacked at this time - that would be stupid, but it is getting clear that his time is up, even if we win the league, imo.

 

[LeeRomeno]

Yes, we might have lost bigger and might even be kicked out over 2 matches, but I'm close to saying that it would be worth it. It's not about only the Villareal-match but the coming Copa-matches as well - they are wasted energy, imo, and we don't have infinite energy. Therefore we should play youngsters even if we are about to lose and focus on the league and CL, which matters. To win the Copa is very close to a blank season as I see it, but I know that some would disagree.



I disagree - match fitness shouldn't be a huge problem, if they have had good training up until the game. And again - right now it is no problem - the Villareal-game won't be hugely influenced, but maybe a little anyway. It is more important that the remaining Copa-games almost certainly will extract energy and focus from more important things.



I agree that Enrique should not be sacked at this time - that would be stupid, but it is getting clear that his time is up, even if we win the league, imo.

There is a big difference between match fitness and being fit as in ready to play.
You can train as much as you want to, but its the real competitive games vs real opponents, where you can gain match fitness. After long break, you need some games to get on same wavelength again, this was very visible with MSN as well as Iniesta/BUsi, who had so many misplaced passes and bad movements, contrast to how they played in last games in December.

I also disagree with "time is up" after winning trophies, i mean the ultimate goal of any coach is make his team win and if he succeeds in it, it is really weird for me to support someones sacking. Its totally different case if coach himself feels he cannot do more and leaves, like what Pep did and Lucho may very well do as well.

 

[BarçaBarça]

There is a big difference between match fitness and being fit as in ready to play.
You can train as much as you want to, but its the real competitive games vs real opponents, where you can gain match fitness. After long break, you need some games to get on same wavelength again, this was very visible with MSN as well as Iniesta/BUsi, who had so many misplaced passes and bad movements, contrast to how they played in last games in December.

I also disagree with "time is up" after winning trophies, i mean the ultimate goal of any coach is make his team win and if he succeeds in it, it is really weird for me to support someones sacking. Its totally different case if coach himself feels he cannot do more and leaves, like what Pep did and Lucho may very well do as well.

But they hadn't trained together for some time as well, that could also be the cause of them not being "on the same wave-length".
Of course if all the new guys starts to click and we play a coherent style over the course of this spring, Enriques situation would be different - but we could also win the league because of a sudden Zidane-breakdown, where his luck is exposed. That scenario wouldn't guarantee Lucho another season for me.

 

[LeeRomeno]

But they hadn't trained together for some time as well, that could also be the cause of them not being "on the same wave-length".
Of course if all the new guys starts to click and we play a coherent style over the course of this spring, Enriques situation would be different - but we could also win the league because of a sudden Zidane-breakdown, where his luck is exposed. That scenario wouldn't guarantee Lucho another season for me.

So just winning the league is not okey, which ultimately means being the best team in league, you have to win it with style and your opponents have to be on top of their game as well, only way for you to really appreciate the win. Man, barca fans seriously need to tune their expectations down...

 

[FlaFCB]

So just winning the league is not okey, which ultimately means being the best team in league, you have to win it with style and your opponents have to be on top of their game as well, only way for you to really appreciate the win. Man, barca fans seriously need to tune their expectations down...

No, not while we have Messi. And also Iniesta. That will happen after they both retire.

The team's collective play has been deteriorating since january 2016. If you're not seeing this, and thinks this is only an overreaction, I really don't know what to say. We are playing worse with each passing game, bar a few games. Games in which the other team didn't press us, like the espanyol game. Everytime the other team presses up, we concede. Not to mention the lack of midfield play. We are playing awful football, and it surely didn't happen overnight.

Lack of vision from the board, sporting director and coach also need to be pointed. Alves and Xavi not properly replaced. Lucho and robert spent a lot, and so far none of those signings are making any kind of difference.

 

[SeloBarca]

People need to wake up we are not the great Barca anymore, more than that the fraudulent board and incompetent coach are not helping us.

A 1-2 defeat in an away game against Athletic is a very good result.

People need to get realistic and lower their expectations.

If we actually brought the players we needed, and didnt start using tactics that are oposite to the posetion football were good at we shouldnt NEED to lower our expectations.
The board, Lucho, scouts etc has really fecked up the club.

Ive been saying our playstyle sucks and our midfield are crap for a couple years now but only got crap for saying it, but now finally others are starting to realize it aswell.

 

[FlaFCB]

@DonAK posted it in the coach's thread, but I think it needs to be here too:

[tw]817425134885728256[/tw]

Clear picture of everything that's wrong. Dead right side, no links from Messi with raki or bob. Messi too central, suarez with a weird positioning, midfield not working... in short, a complete and utter mess.

Maybe trying 3-4-3 again might change that.

 

[LeeRomeno]

No, not while we have Messi. And also Iniesta. That will happen after they both retire.

The team's collective play has been deteriorating since january 2016. If you're not seeing this, and thinks this is only an overreaction, I really don't know what to say. We are playing worse with each passing game, bar a few games. Games in which the other team didn't press us, like the espanyol game. Everytime the other team presses up, we concede. Not to mention the lack of midfield play. We are playing awful football, and it surely didn't happen overnight.

Lack of vision from the board, sporting director and coach also need to be pointed. Alves and Xavi not properly replaced. Lucho and robert spent a lot, and so far none of those signings are making any kind of difference.

No i dont really see it, our games have been up and down sure, but i do not see some continuous downfall. Since january 2016? Ever since horrible loss at home to Valencia we actually went on and won next 6 games with goal difference 26-0. Including Copa Del rey.
Then we comfortably won SuperCopa vs Sevilla. Even beginning of La Liga was pretty decent, also won vs Atletic away, got some big wins vs weaker teams. Champions league we secured group win already before last game, also nice achievement, 4-0 vs Mancester City was not a bad game as well. Sure we sucked badly in some games meanwhile aswell, especially the undeserved tie vs Real Sociedad comes to my mind and loss to Celta Vigo.
El Classico was actually pretty good gamewise, deserved to win that one and we had very good games entire December. I do not really know from where u read that continuous decline as it is not visible anywhere. It is only there, because of continuous increase in expectations. For many they seem to have reached unrealistic levels, which result in being pissed off majority of time.

Also i do not understand where this "lack of vision" from the board comes from. What kind of vision to you expect them to have? Everyone was full of praise for sporting director and board during summer. Just go a back and read the transfer topic in summer. "happy happy joy joy", we actually bought a defender, we actually brought young players, wow 6 under 23 players signed, millions spent, finally a striker is signed, why hasnt Robert Fernandez always been there etc. Do you realize we were involved in 19 different transfers over the summer? It was all part of vision. If the vision was correct or not, we will see in spring, but claiming our board has lacked initiatives after our most aggressive transfer summer in years is just ridiculous.
Also u cannot replace Xavi or Alves, unique players like that cannot be replaced, u need to accept that and move on.


Not even half of season has passed and all signings are already claimed flops, man fans today.

 

[FlaFCB]

No i dont really see it, our games have been up and down sure, but i do not see some continuous downfall. Since january 2016? Ever since horrible loss at home to Valencia we actually went on and won next 6 games with goal difference 26-0. Including Copa Del rey.
Then we comfortably won SuperCopa vs Sevilla. Even beginning of La Liga was pretty decent, also won vs Atletic away, got some big wins vs weaker teams. Champions league we secured group win already before last game, also nice achievement, 4-0 vs Mancester City was not a bad game as well. Sure we sucked badly in some games meanwhile aswell, especially the undeserved tie vs Real Sociedad comes to my mind and loss to Celta Vigo.
El Classico was actually pretty good gamewise, deserved to win that one and we had very good games entire December. I do not really know from where u read that continuous decline as it is not visible anywhere. It is only there, because of continuous increase in expectations. For many they seem to have reached unrealistic levels, which result in being pissed off majority of time.

Also i do not understand where this "lack of vision" from the board comes from. What kind of vision to you expect them to have? Everyone was full of praise for sporting director and board during summer. Just go a back and read the transfer topic in summer. "happy happy joy joy", we actually bought a defender, we actually brought young players, wow 6 under 23 players signed, millions spent, finally a striker is signed, why hasnt Robert Fernandez always been there etc. Do you realize we were involved in 19 different transfers over the summer? It was all part of vision. If the vision was correct or not, we will see in spring, but claiming our board has lacked initiatives after our most aggressive transfer summer in years is just ridiculous.
Also u cannot replace Xavi or Alves, unique players like that cannot be replaced, u need to accept that and move on.


Not even half of season has passed and all signings are already claimed flops, man fans today.

Lack of vision comes from not replacing players like Xavi or alves properly. They can't be replaced for players as good, but they could be replaced with similar players. The collective play have been going downhill since Jan 2016, yes. It was something progressive. This team now can't deal properly when the other team presses. Midfield is getting worse everyday, and even msn isn't linking like they used to. Long balls all the time, midfield being bypassed... There's nothing improving, or signs that things will improve.

Only good signing was umtiti, so far. Robert's fixation with Valencia players was clearly a mistake. That's on Lucho too. They had freedom to sign, but didn't address the team needs properly. Barça don't play this badly since Tata days.

 

[SeloBarca]

Even worse than Tata. Atleast we had a midfield