Ernesto Valverde - V1

[Barcaman]

We really shouldn't be so result driven. The fact that we won and reach quarters is not sufficient in itself. I have no qualms in admitting that chelsea were the better side overall for 180 mins. Now many will argue that this was EV's master plan and all but I couldn't disagree more. We were lucky once again and that was it. Had we lost the forum would be singing a completely different tune and with how we and chelsea performed we could have easily lost, the 4-1 aggregate is extremely misleading.

Let's not kid ourselves, we have a lot of faults. Chelsea who are in a bad domestic form managed to play so good against us. Normally I would have blamed EV but I can't this time because we played a new formation which we hadn't for months because of dembele.

I am not going to be optimistic at all like most are over here and it defnitely remains to be seen how good we are compared to the other european powerhouses. Had we drawn any team apart from sevilla or roma, even liverpool, it wouldn't have been that easy to reach the semis. The jury for EV is still out imo and all us cynics and 'pessimists' are very reasonable in thinking what we are thinking.

We played Madrid, Juve twice, Atletio twice, Chelsea twice, went to Balaidos, Mestalla, Anoeta.

How many times we lost?

But yeah, pure luck all that.

 

[Neymessi]

We played Madrid, Juve twice, Atletio twice, Chelsea twice, went to Balaidos, Mestalla, Anoeta.

How many times we lost?

But yeah, pure luck all that.

Madrid were very poor back then, atletico is playing europa, juve wasn't that good when we faced them but still good job done there defeating them, chelsea it was definitely a lot of luck and the last 3 aren't european giants.

No never said it was pure luck. People really shouldn't get their panties in a bunch for any criticism EV gets specially after what happenned against chelsea.

 

[Barcaman]

Yeah, it's because all other teams were weak.

 

[Neymessi]

Yeah, it's because all other teams were weak.

Haha.. NO.

I have a feeling you wouldn't be defending him so stalwartly had we not qualified against chelsea, which could have happened looking at how the 2 legs played out.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Yeah, it's because all other teams were weak.

Some people can’t be pleased.

There is such a thing as winning and not playing very well.

Look at Madrid last year, last minute wins in La Liga and some dodgy performances in the CL.

 

[MessiCam]

We played Madrid, Juve twice, Atletio twice, Chelsea twice, went to Balaidos, Mestalla, Anoeta.

How many times we lost?

But yeah, pure luck all that.

And how many were impressive performances?

Juventus at home, Madrid and the Copa performance at the Mestalla. The rest have been flat in terms of performance.

The problem with being so result driven (we haven’t lost yet etc) is that once/when/if the results stop then you have nothing. Man Utd is a classic example of this.

Some people can’t be pleased.

There is such a thing as winning and not playing very well.

Look at Madrid last year, last minute wins in La Liga and some dodgy performances in the CL.

Yes there is winning and not playing well but when it happens often then something is amiss. Those games against Espanyol, Getafe, Eibar and Las Palmas almost derailed the season. But continue believing all is well.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Yes there is winning and not playing well but when it happens often then something is amiss. Those games against Espanyol, Getafe, Eibar and Las Palmas almost derailed the season. But continue believing all is well.

So those draws and one loss to Espanyol you mentioned nearly derailed our season? So you want us to win those too and have a season where we don’t draw or lose at all?

If you hadn’t noticed we’ve always had problems over the years with beating the smaller teams, even in Pep years.. most likely down to motivation issues.

I agree we are playing poorly sometimes, but there’s no such thing as a perfect season. At this point in the season we are about as perfect as you could get in football. Thinking we are going to play amazing football and dominate every game is delusion.

 

[Neymessi]

So those draws and one loss to Espanyol you mentioned nearly derailed our season? So you want us to win those too and have a season where we don’t draw or lose at all?

If you hadn’t noticed we’ve always had problems over the years with beating the smaller teams, even in Pep years.. most likely down to motivation issues.

I agree we are playing poorly sometimes, but there’s no such thing as a perfect season. At this point in the season we are about as perfect as you could get in football. Thinking we are going to play amazing football and dominate every game is delusion.

This last line of yours is something yall think that we criticizers think.

But its not close. We don't want a perfect season. We would take anything that is anywhere close to perfect. The problem is the results are misleading as fuck and we don't look that great and in reality are not even close to perfect. We have done things that we could not in pep's time like unbeaten in league till now, winning at anoeta etc, but does that make us better than pep's barca? If no then why? Because results can mislead easily.

We just look like messi + a great defense. It was messi alone why we won against chelsea and messi alone why we won against juve and even against chelsea we needed courtois to be worse than mignolet in that match along with a brilliant messi. And this is against chelsea who aren't even top 4 in epl. Sorry but we aren't even close to perfect. I don't want things to be perfect, I want them to be somwhere near perfect and the performance we gave against chelsea is definitely not anything near perfect.

 

[serghei]

Mourinho-like, becoming Atletico... Next you guys are going to claim, that were playing outright catenaccio, right?

You have to be blind not to see that at 1-0 vs Atletico we played exactly like Mourinho does, basically having a defensive manager like Simeone liking your game because it was so much like his own football. Look at the away scores in CL. We scored 1 goal vs Sporting (own goal), 1 vs Chelsea (massive blunder from one of their players), and 0 vs Olympiakos and 0 vs Juventus. 2 goals in 4 games and those two goals were not even well planned attacks, more like gifts from the other team.

This team is about being good defensively and maximizing the amazing forwards we have, especially Messi.

 

[Barcaman]

What were your predictions at the start of the season again?

Valverde had done way more than expected and considering the circumstances did well.

But now now.. Domestic double and likely semis aren't enough because we have to play "near perfect" AND win all this.

 

[Ghostmaster]

This last line of yours is something yall think that we criticizers think.

But its not close. We don't want a perfect season. We would take anything that is anywhere close to perfect. The problem is the results are misleading as fuck and we don't look that great and in reality are not even close to perfect. We have done things that we could not in pep's time like unbeaten in league till now, winning at anoeta etc, but does that make us better than pep's barca? If no then why? Because results can mislead easily.

We just look like messi + a great defense. It was messi alone why we won against chelsea and messi alone why we won against juve and even against chelsea we needed courtois to be worse than mignolet in that match along with a brilliant messi. And this is against chelsea who aren't even top 4 in epl. Sorry but we aren't even close to perfect. I don't want things to be perfect, I want them to be somwhere near perfect and the performance we gave against chelsea is definitely not anything near perfect.

And which team had perfect season in terms of beauty and results? City perhaps alone, other top teams struggled through out a season as well, Bayern sacked their manager in autumn, Juve only now are first place in Seria A, RM no comment, Atletico M no comment. Other teams has ups and downs as well.

So what that we rely so much on Messi? RM rely on Ronaldo as well, this means that we utilize our best player properly, then Messi retires, we'll be setting up the team differently.

Also remember performance against Chelsea in 2012? So what that we played beautiful football and created tons of chances, we still couldn't eliminate 10 men Chelsea. That's football for you, beautiful/perfect football doesn't equal results in CL, we can play beautiful football against the likes of Girona, in CL we should be more pragmatic.

 

[serghei]

What were your predictions at the start of the season again?

Valverde had done way more than expected and considering the circumstances did well.

But now now.. Domestic double and likely semis aren't enough because we have to play "near perfect" AND win all this.

My expectations at the start of the season? Liga and challenge for CL. I wasn't a part of the doom & gloom brigade to begin with.

 

[MessiCam]

So those draws and one loss to Espanyol you mentioned nearly derailed our season? So you want us to win those too and have a season where we don’t draw or lose at all?

If you hadn’t noticed we’ve always had problems over the years with beating the smaller teams, even in Pep years.. most likely down to motivation issues.

I agree we are playing poorly sometimes, but there’s no such thing as a perfect season. At this point in the season we are about as perfect as you could get in football. Thinking we are going to play amazing football and dominate every game is delusion.

Look man, having trouble beating an opponent is fine as long the performance is there. It’s like I said, if the the results as well as the performance is not there then you have nothing.

And I’m not referring to the loss against Espanyol in the Copa. I’m referring to the draw in La Liga where we had all the ball and only 2 shots on target. And yes, those performances and results nearly derailed the season because a loss against Atletico would have meant only a 2 point lead from what was once 11.

Points win you a league, not an unbeaten record... For the same amount of points I’d much rather have 2 additional wins and 4 losses if it meant we performed better and played more attacking football.

 

[JamDav1982]

And how many were impressive performances?

Juventus at home, Madrid and the Copa performance at the Mestalla. The rest have been flat in terms of performance.

The problem with being so result driven (we haven’t lost yet etc) is that once/when/if the results stop then you have nothing. Man Utd is a classic example of this.

Barcelona were impressive away to Atletico in league, one of most best performances there in while despite winning in past.

Impressive at home to Atletico even if players looked jaded a few days after Las Palmas. Created more chances that game than City did the same day v Chelsea that some folk were purring over.

Impressive away to Juve without Messi in being able to control a game that a draw was good enough in a way Barca teams have not often done in past.

Chelsea games were not great to be honest but going up 2-0 early to a team that wanted to break the whole game it was right thing to sit back a bit from there but personally dotnt like the approach of leaving Messi and Suarez centrally up pitch but it worked Barca won 3-0.

Barca have had more impressive and controlled performances than people let on.

You have to be blind not to see that at 1-0 vs Atletico we played exactly like Mourinho does, basically having a defensive manager like Simeone liking your game because it was so much like his own football. Look at the away scores in CL. We scored 1 goal vs Sporting (own goal), 1 vs Chelsea (massive blunder from one of their players), and 0 vs Olympiakos and 0 vs Juventus. 2 goals in 4 games and those two goals were not even well planned attacks, more like gifts from the other team.

This team is about being good defensively and maximizing the amazing forwards we have, especially Messi.

That is not the case at all that Barca 'played like a Mourinho team' v Atletico.

In second half where players were either tired or EV anticipated them being tired Barca sat back to defend the lead but in first half where game was won Barca were on the front foot.

Barca had almost 60% possession and had 16 attempts on goal to Atleticos 6. Can keep repeating this...but that was more than City had v a Chelsea team that barely looked interested as compared to Atletico being one of most in form teams in europe.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Look man, having trouble beating an opponent is fine as long the performance is there. It’s like I said, if the the results as well as the performance is not there then you have nothing.

And I’m not referring to the loss against Espanyol in the Copa. I’m referring to the draw in La Liga where we had all the ball and only 2 shots on target. And yes, those performances and results nearly derailed the season because a loss against Atletico would have meant only a 2 point lead from what was once 11.

Points win you a league, not an unbeaten record... For the same amount of points I’d much rather have 2 additional wins and 4 losses if it meant we performed better and played more attacking football.

Surely you’re not using the Espanyol game as an example of a poor game. Did you see the weather in that game??? The pitch was unplayable, even more for a team like us who like to pass. That’s why the two goals in the game were from crosses and headers.

I never mentioned the unbeaten season, but as i said in another post about it I’m not bothered about it at all.

And which team had perfect season in terms of beauty and results? City perhaps alone, other top teams struggled through out a season as well, Bayern sacked their manager in autumn, Juve only now are first place in Seria A, RM no comment, Atletico M no comment. Other teams has ups and downs as well.

So what that we rely so much on Messi? RM rely on Ronaldo as well, this means that we utilize our best player properly, then Messi retires, we'll be setting up the team differently.

Also remember performance against Chelsea in 2012? So what that we played beautiful football and created tons of chances, we still couldn't eliminate 10 men Chelsea. That's football for you, beautiful/perfect football doesn't equal results in CL, we can play beautiful football against the likes of Girona, in CL we should be more pragmatic.

+1
Couldn’t say it any better than this.