Ernesto Valverde - V1

[serghei]

His first truly big european game.

 

[George_Costanza]

The key to winning this game is PRESSING!

Barca plays more conservative strategy, few players press but even that not as aggressive as the old days. Messi's average tackle used to be 0.9 under Pep and now just 0.4 and 1.2 interceptions vs. 0.1 now. I'm not asking the players to press 90 minutes every game like under Pep, this is not possible, but alternating tactics should work with games like tonight.

 

[dakt]

??? Really? Putting him to "control" the game? Where is this box-to-box space?

This will not work in the CL. Pass the ball to Messi and hope for the best. We really don't have plan B, especially when Suarez is off.

 

[DonAK]

Must be the most defensive lineup and luckiest draw we've had in the CL for years.

If not for our very good friend, the post, it could have been bad.

Time to end his 4-4-2 and Paulinho and Gomes experiment and put some more pace and attacking firepower into the team. Chelsea played with more forwards tonight than we did. Bayern play with more forwards. Real Madrid play with more forwards. Every major team play with more forwards than we do and it's for a reason. I don't know how people expect us to win playing this slow and dire with Messi facing 6 men trying to whip in a ball for Suarez or Alba. It's incredibly predictable.

 

[BarçaBarça]

Gets the result in the end as always. 1-1 is great for us, although we need to play well in the 2nd leg to go through.

I can see him fielding Dembele in the 2nd leg, when he has had more games, and maybe also playing Roberto in midfield instead of Gomes/Paulinho.
Could improve things a fair bit.

 

[Cule4life]

Inb4 the Valverde apologists. Team looked gassed, lethargic and bereft of ideas. And he brought on his workhorse donkeys Vidal and Gomes but still no Dembele who could atleast be something different to challenge the Chelsea defence who weren't bothered at all today. And Paulinho no words.........

He is either stubborn as a mule or clueless when his Plan A doesn't work. Playing it safe like a small team coach.

 

[DonAK]

Also, pace.

Every team I mentioned above have pace in their team. We have none. Our fastest players are our CB Umtiti and LB Alba in the current 4-4-2 lineup

 

[BarçaBarça]

He won't last beyond next season. Short-term manager with zero innovation or ingenuity.

You're right Everybody expected us to walk the league and take the CL before and after losing Neymar.
I mean - what has he proved up until now?

Inb4 the Valverde apologists. Team looked gassed, lethargic and bereft of ideas. And he brought on his workhorse donkeys Vidal and Gomes but still no Dembele who could atleast be something different to challenge the Chelsea defence who weren't bothered at all today. And Paulinho no words.........

He is either stubborn as a mule or clueless when his Plan A doesn't work. Playing it safe like a small team coach.

I'm here on time, then. Expect a far more attacking-minded team when we play at home. To be honest I don't expect us to dominate PL-team right now, so todays result is fine. Todays performance wasn't great, but I really believe we will attack more in the 2nd leg.

If one thing he is know for it is changing his plan A by his subs and make them change the game, come on..

Honest question: Would you rather lose 2-1 or 1-0 with Dembele on the field showing some promise, but too eager and without end-product? That is just as likely to happen as "a whole different picture" than the one we saw, imo...

 

[Barcaman]

Cowardly setup by Valverde. Gotta say I am pretty disappointed but players are also to blame.

 

[bismp]

We can’t beat good teams and win the CL by creating 2-3 chances a game.We need to shift back to 4-3-3.Integrate Dembele into the starting XI,so that he may hopefully be ready for the next game.

 

[ini4ever]

Did we create any serious chance ? massively disappointing for a team calls itself 'contender', this 4.4.2 really sucks we can't create any chances against big teams.

 

[yeswecan]

I just love how his idea of attacking is just passing the ball to Messi. I'd sack his ass right away before it's too late.

 

[Faceless]

I defended Valverde before. But this game takes the cake for me. I wouldn’t call him a fraud, but I’m getting Lucho flashbacks. Semedo+Dembele (I know Semedo is suspended for this game) development could have helped us in this part of the season. But we’re running key players down. We have so many subs, yet the impact of the subs are sometimes non existent. Paulinho’s good form was funny in the first half of the season but it’s not funny anymore. Our midfield was utter shite today. Thanks to Don Andres, we avoided becoming a laughing stock for CL..

Valverde please do something! Change is much needed now for stability.

 

[henias]

A 433 is a better choice, opens up more attacking options and not always play in the middle, risk losing ball for counter attacks. Paulinho can nvr be a wide midfielder as I said, all his crosses were shit. I expect a more fresh and attacking team at the Camp Nou. No more 442 bullshit anymore.

Subs were not well prepared and key players not rested well. Lucky not to be slaughtered judgimg by our energy level.

Needs to be much more ambitious and visionary in terms of building a squad, not just the key players.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Once again Valverde shows he lacks vision and ideas and he is a timid, result-oriented manager who just plays safe. I felt he is like another Mourinho, a guy that solidifies defenses but pretty clueless in terms of the attacking game. We are painstakingly slow and static therefore we close down our own chances in attack. Even we fans see it, why doesn't he see it? If he sees it, why doesn't he address it?

Real Madrid's poor showing in the league made him appear a much better manager than he really is.