Ernesto Valverde - V1

[Barcilliant]

Where is Valverde the coward?

Funny how the press haven't grilled him.

 

[ryuken]

He is secretly enjoying the sweetness of getting us out of CL maybe? Closet madridista?

 

[SeloBarca]

"According to reports by Spanish TV Show El Chiringuito, backed up by Catalan newspaper Sport, Messi had strong words towards his boss after Barcelona's particular Waterloo against Roma, questioning his methods and his inability to change the game's tide when things got tough.

Messi left the pitch without shaking anyone's hand on his way to the dressing room, where he allegedly waited for his team-mates and coach to vent his frustration.


So far, Messi and Valverde barely had any disagreements, but Messi's puns against the coach could be a sign of things to come for the Blaugrana side.

The aforementioned reports state that Messi's thoughts were backed up by Gerard Piqué, who decided to join "La Pulga" in criticizing Valverde's tactics. According to Piqué and Messi, Valverde's defensive approach was crucial to see them exit the UEFA Champions League in spectacular fashion."

 

[DonAK]

As if Messi has the cojones to do anything like that. Probably sat and sulked in a corner like the rest of them. They weren't called choir boys for nothing by Zlatan.

 

[Aryagorn]

Who said it's sporting director? It's never a bad idea to have a Cruyffian advocate in the Barca management.

We are not too sure if he is any where near in line with his dad's thought process to think if it's a good idea - For all we know, it might just be another stupid ploy by the board to not be called off for their failure in dealing with the crisis for the last 2 months!!

 

[Birdy]

"According to reports by Spanish TV Show El Chiringuito, backed up by Catalan newspaper Sport, Messi had strong words towards his boss after Barcelona's particular Waterloo against Roma, questioning his methods and his inability to change the game's tide when things got tough.

Messi left the pitch without shaking anyone's hand on his way to the dressing room, where he allegedly waited for his team-mates and coach to vent his frustration.


So far, Messi and Valverde barely had any disagreements, but Messi's puns against the coach could be a sign of things to come for the Blaugrana side.

The aforementioned reports state that Messi's thoughts were backed up by Gerard Piqué, who decided to join "La Pulga" in criticizing Valverde's tactics. According to Piqué and Messi, Valverde's defensive approach was crucial to see them exit the UEFA Champions League in spectacular fashion."

Sorry, but (IF this reproduced story is true) i keep laughing at the idea of players who were nowhere on the pitch were criticizing EV's tactics.
Someone should wake them up.
Busquets said the only true thing: It's not a coincidence if it happens again and again and again, that the team doesn't show up for important CL away Knock-out games.

 

[UEFA_Barça_Chris]

As if Messi has the cojones to do anything like that. Probably sat and sulked in a corner like the rest of them. They weren't called choir boys for nothing by Zlatan.

Messi in recent years is a little more confrontational than when he was younger to be fair .

 

[clemente]

Has the best fucking player of all time that is an attacker and decides to park the bus after a 4-1 1st leg win, fucking cunt, I still can't get over this, fuck off of my club.

 

[henias]

The way I see it, it'll be another CL exit next year. Cant believe these bunch of clowns running the club the ground, and some of the supporters are like blind sheep supporting a cult. Fans need to voice their displeasure, instead of spending all your hard-earned money watching a shitshow. We are on route to becoming the next Milan. People were right about Barcelona going into a downward spiral, and Madrid ironically is set for many years to come. There's just way too many problems for the club from top to bottom, infested with money driven and passionless greed. By then, it'll be post Messi's era and it'll be another blow to the club. Sad to say, Messi's prime is wasted and he wont be getting any more golden balls.

 

[clemente]

The way I see it, it'll be another CL exit next year. Cant believe these bunch of clowns running the club the ground, and some of the supporters are like blind sheep supporting a cult. Fans need to voice their displeasure, instead of spending all your hard-earned money watching a shitshow. We are on route to becoming the next Milan. People were right about Barcelona going into a downward spiral, and Madrid ironically is set for many years to come. There's just way too many problems for the club from top to bottom, infested with money driven and passionless greed. By then, it'll be post Messi's era and it'll be another blow to the club. Sad to say, Messi's prime is wasted and he wont be getting any more golden balls.

Thats the dumbest shit I've read in a long time, we are doing amazing job turning our old squad into a young one, Umtiti and Semedo are very young and very good, we got Dembele and Coutinho, at summer Griezz and Arthur are coming, so we will likely have the best starting 11 in the world, how exactly are we going into a downward spiral?

 

[DonAK]

Thats the dumbest shit I've read in a long time, we are doing amazing job turning our old squad into a young one, Umtiti and Semedo are very young and very good, we got Dembele and Coutinho, at summer Griezz and Arthur are coming, so we will likely have the best starting 11 in the world, how exactly are we going into a downward spiral?

 

[henias]

Thats the dumbest shit I've read in a long time, we are doing amazing job turning our old squad into a young one, Umtiti and Semedo are very young and very good, we got Dembele and Coutinho, at summer Griezz and Arthur are coming, so we will likely have the best starting 11 in the world, how exactly are we going into a downward spiral?

Then u are fucking dumb as well, it isnt about signing a bunch of Galaticos and you are set. If it was so easy, then dumb fans like you can continue to be delusional.

 

[DonAK]

For starters: Neither Arthur or Dembele are likely to be a part of the Starting Lineup with Griezmann coming in and Rakitic having the eternal trust of all our managers. You can probably add Semedo to that list with golden boy Roberto around.

 

[Raketa10]

I haven't read too much of posts after Roma's defeat. Some guys quoted me, I didn't reply, not because I don't have an opinion or anything to say about EV, our tactics and similar, but because I am sad.
This is the dumbest defeat (for me) since Chelsea in 2005'.

I don't want to offend anyone, but seriously, YOU guys who are talking ONLY about tactics all the time and how we need to fix this or that, I think that you have a tunnel vision, that you are not looking at a bigger picture and that you are stubborn and naive, the same as Pep.

I see that some guys (Serghei) mentioned that TikiTaka hasn't been figured out at all and that it was just about US starting to play way weaker.
Come on guys, don't be naive.

Football is a sport where 2 teams play.
And how good you will be, is determined by:
1. your skills and tactics
2. and by opponent's skills and tactics

If you have some new tactics which is working well, in the beginning you will have awesome results.
But as a time will go by, you will be less and less effective because the opponents will LEARN how to neutralize you (and which they didn't know in the early days of your new tactics).
In short: of course that TikiTaka, and ALL other tactics EVER will be less and less effective over time and you will constantly need to add new things, new ideas and a plan B, C and D to your gameplan to counter the opponent who figured out your original gameplan.

For example, about EV's 442, it was clear that teams didn't know how to stop it early in the season, but in the last 2 matches, SMARTER coaches (Italian guys from Chelsea and Roma) played a simple 352 and caused insane problems to our 442.
After these 2 matches where Chelsea and Roma neutralized us, of course that more and more teams will start to play the same against EV's 442 and we will look more and more sterile in upcoming Months.
Now, the same as how TikiTaka defenders are saying: no, that tactic is not figured out. It is just about us who don't run or press as before...
I could reply: no, 442 has not been figured out, it is only about us. We are tired or whatever.
Well, we are tired, but still, 442 HAS BEEN figured out now and it will be harder and harder in upcoming Months.

Also, the thing I don't get with majority of users here is that "tunnel vision" how all problems will disappear if we just "tweak" our tactics.
No offense, but wtf and lol.
Football and any sport is played on so many levels, I will just randomly splash some of elements here:
1. tactics
2. physical skills like pace, strength, height, stamina
3. about stamina, rotating players and saving energy for April and May
4. mental strength and a psychological preparation for a match
5. injuries and injury proneness
6. chemistry between players and automatism
7. experience of players
8. experience of a coach
9. overall motivation and a hunger of a team

I mean, we could hire Pep tomorrow (since he surely knows how to set up our play, right?), I am almost 99% sure that we would be equally as shit in a CL even with Pep, against AM, Juve, Roma, Chelsea, Bayern, against any physical team.
Further, majority of you guys act as if football works like this (these ARE my estimated numbers, NOT a fact):
Tactics 50%
Technical skills 45%
Physique of players 5%

Lol, seriously lol.
I would say more like:
Tactics 50%
Technical skills 30%
Physique 20%

Majority of you are totally underestimating an importance of physique in a modern football.
Have you watched Roma/Chelsea vs Barca:
1. Barca has the slowest midfield between ALL top teams.
Busi is a turtle, Raki is a turtle, Iniesta is not even a turtle. A turtle is way faster than Iniesta.
2. but it is not only about pace, let's go to strength in duels and everything.
Iniesta is the lightest players out there. Especially this granny Iniesta who is tired, slow, short and physically weak.
Raki is a taller and stronger guy. But he is still very slow.
Busi is taller, but he never went to a gym in his life.
He is very weak in lots of duels and his arial strength is nonexistent.

Now, a lot of guys will say that physique doesn't matter at all (well, it doesn't matter if you are Messi or Xavi. But if you are a regular player, then you are in problems against players of the same technique as you, but who are faster and stronger than you).
This is Roma's team which beat us 3:0:
Schick 186
Dzeko 193
Kolarov 187
Strootman 187
De Rossi 184
Nainggolan 176
Florenzi 173
Jesus 185
Manolas 189
Fazio 195

For example, at set pieces and corners, who will jump against Roma's guys?
Pique 194
Busquets 189
Rakitic 184
Luis Suarez 182
Umtiti 182

Lol:
Roberto 178
Semedo 178
Iniesta 171
Messi 170
Jordi Alba 170

So, we have only 2 guys taller than 185 (Pique and Busquets who can't jump).
And we needed to mark at corners:
Fazio 195
Dzeko 193
Manolas 189
Strootman 187
Kolarov 187
Schick 186
Jesus 185

So, we have 2 tall players.
They have 7 tall players.
It is a miracle how we conceded only 1 goal after corners and crosses.

Further, do you remember how we played during all 90 minutes?
Mats has the ball, he passes it to someone out of back 4.
Busi is marked, Raki is marked since Roma has 5 midfielders compared to our 3 guys (and Roberto hogging the touchline to prevent crosses).
And our defenders were just hoofing the balls forward.

And what happened forward, lol?
Our 3 most attacking players were Luis 182 cm, Messi 170 cm and Iniesta 171 cm.
And they lost like 100 arial duels and Roma was just gaining back possession every time.
So:
1. we had the ball. we lose the ball after 10 seconds.
2. then Roma attacks.
3. then we have the ball for 10 seconds, and we can't do anything either with feet or with head and we just lose the ball over and over and Roma was able to attack like crazy all the time.
Also, if anyone will watch a reply later, try to see how many arial duels we lost and how many loose balls we lost.
Roma's players were faster and stronger at every loose ball.
We were nowhere.
Our turtles couldn't run and win balls.
And our players couldn't jump and win any single arial duel

I know, 90% of you will now reply (I will kill myself, seriously): if we had better midfielders, we would control the match better (lol).
Well, this is not Getafe.
In a CL matches against physical teams who are both good technically (AM, Bayern, Roma, Juve) and who are better in physical skills than us, things like this will happen often.
In 2013: Tito was sick, a physical+technical Bayern won 7:0
In 2014: you will blame Tata, as a bad coach. You won't blame our slow, short and weak players who couldn't do anything against AM's thugs.
In 2016: AM again. But you will all blame Lucho. It is not about being short, slow and weak.
In 2017: Psg and Juve have ate us alive. Way faster, taller and stronger teams again.
In 2018: Roma. You will all blame dumb EV. No one will blame physically the shortest top team on a planet. Or the only top team consisted of turtles. Or the only top team in which half of players has never seen a gym.
I mean, against Roma, we had Iniesta and Busi, both with zero muscles against Nainggolan and Strootman, for example.
Also, why WE can't buy players like Strootman (or that type of players), who both have some physique and awesome technical skills?
We have Busi without muscles, we have Iniesta without muscles, we just bought a 160M Coutinho who looks like a 13 years old kid and our next signing is a 172cm Arthur.
Also, we are on a verge of signing another weaker player, Griezmann.

Do you guys think that Juve, Roma, Bayern or other teams would buy 3 short midfielders in a span of 6 Months?

Look at Roma:
1. they can play a possession, shortpassing football because they have good technical playmakers like Strootman and Pjanic, who are similar to Barca's level of midfielders.
But, their players are way faster and stronger and they can play both possession, counters, crosses and score after corners.
While Barca can play only possession and some counters. We can't play long balls, we can't play crosses, we can't score of defend after corners.
Juve, Liverpool, Bayern, Real: they can all play:
1. possession like Barca
2. counters, better than Barca
3. crosses from wings and score some headers, unlike Barca
4. score after corners, unlike Barca
5. defend corners and crosses, unlike Barca

So, majority of guys here only talk about fckg tactics all the time, and they are neglecting other aspects of the game.
No wonder that our board and coaches are equally as outdated.

Anyway, my short wishlist for the future of Barca:
1. find a better tactics
2. have 2-3 tactical solutions for different opponents
3. buy SOME faster, stronger, taller midfielders and attackers
4. open a gym at Camp Nou. That would be a revolution at our club, lol
5. buy a 185cm tall central forward with good technical skills who could play both a possession football and score headers after crosses (Lewa, Benzema style and similar)
6. do something about our mental strength and complacency
7. if possible, NOT to play CDR with Messi and starters anymore. As always: Barca is laughing at RM in February when they lose to Leganes in a CDR (lol, so rigged) and then RM laughs at us in April and May when we can't run in a CL and we are dead tired and they are winning a CL year after year.

Fc Barca currently:
1. a one dimensional team because we can't move away from Cruijff's and Pep's legacy
2. a team with the shortest set of players among Top teams
3. a team with the slowest set of midfielders among Top teams
4. a team with the physically weakest set of players among top teams. Please guys, hit a gym from time to time
5. the most naive team in terms of rotations and playing CDR

If I don't reply to all replies about this post, that is NOT because I don't know what to answer, but because I am sad and down now, and yet 90% of Barcelonistas would only tweak tactics (lol), so to some extent, why even bother?
(We have to go back to 433 with Coutinho/Verratti/Arthur/Alena/insert a random 170cm technical player, and we will get back to a glory days. Oh no, we sooooo won't.)

BBZ I agree with you in some point but let's be honest here. We didn't lose against Rome because we are physically inferior to them, we lost because our entire team together with Valverde thought we are already trough to the SF. We hugely underestimated Roma and we got what we deserved. When you underestimate your opponent it's basically impossible to change the course of the game. For that we needed luck or proper reaction of our manager. Since Valverde did absolutely nothing and waited with reaction until 81st minute and we didn't have luck like RM had in the last minute we are now out. That's the entire philosophy here.

Could we use one or two strong and fast CM players, of course we would! I agree on that but height is just one variable, look at Luka Modric! He is also 172 but he is physically much stronger than Iniesta or Busi so height is not a crucial thing. I would rather say something else. You have to adapt the game to the players you have. We started playing like ATM and that's impossible with Busi, Alba or Iniesta in the team. With physically inferior players you must have possession or you stand no chance, Pep knew that, Tito knew that even Tata knew that. Lucho tried with fast transition since we had MSN in that time and that's understandable but Valverde sticks with formation than doesn't suit us at all.

4-4-2 does not work for Busi, Iniesta, Suarez, Dembele, Paulinho, Coutinho, Roberto (when he plays RM) and even Messi! Only one player benefited from 4-4-2 and that's Rakitic and no one else. Maybe also Alba but that's debatable. I have no doubt that with our current roaster we need to go back to 4-3-3. Of course we won't play like we did during Xavi and Iniesta prime but this formation still suits us better.

Also I have no doubt that some players need kick in their ass since I have a feeling that few of them don't care about tactics at all. If we need to tolerate the fact that Messi doesn't want to play RW or that he doesn't want to play defense i am fine with that but in that case Suarez needs to be benched and we need another workhorse attacker since you simply can't have 2 players who don't play defense at all. I repeat this is not the reason why we lost to Roma but we simply need to stop experimenting with formation just to accommodate both Suarez and Messi. Suarez can only be a CF and I have been saying that for over a year now. He can't play as a winger or as a left striker since he is to slow and his passing is terrible. IMHO Suares is ready to be benched next season and we need to go back to 4-3-3 or maybe 4-2-3-1 but 4-4-2 experiment is dead.

 

[vlad]

How much experience does he have as a sporting director? Or is it safe to assume he is just being hired because of his last name.

Knowing barca's politic, i think its due to his surname