Ernesto Valverde - V1

[El Gato]

Would be funny if among all that English resurgence, Atletico rise up and take the CL.

Quite. But because of that it makes me think any triumph of that sort would be their peak and subsequently their doom in a way. This doesn't look like a dynasty building campaign and an empty feeling would set in quick for Simeone. Momentary milestone achievement that doesn't seem like it'd get a followup. Gotta get their first to see what happens though.

Nah, I think it's definitely because of Juventus' improvement in the CL under Allegri versus how pathetic they were in that competition under Conte when Fenerbache were kicking them out from the group stages.

Guess you can say Conte and Valverde are similar. Both are able to win league titles by employing a more conservative style of play, defending leads and not conceding many goals.

But in the big competition against other good and great teams both have shown to be lacking it. Totally lacking it.

I wouldn't YET count Valverde out. He may be conservative and seem "scared", but with a bunch of old pieces it seems difficult to play a dominating offensive and open football like that. Look at all these trendy teams getting rid of their players nearing-30 who were mainstays. Practically nowhere do you see them anymore, not for Spurs, not for City. They maintain the balance with veterans like Milner in Liverpool, but they tend to be very flexible and versatile players. They're not the seniors Barca has. Not sure if any coach could squeeze another consistent run out of Piques and Busis. Too indoctrinated.

 

[DonAK]

Quite. But because of that it makes me think any triumph of that sort would be their peak and subsequently their doom in a way. This doesn't look like a dynasty building campaign and an empty feeling would set in quick for Simeone. Momentary milestone achievement that doesn't seem like it'd get a followup. Gotta get their first to see what happens though.



I wouldn't YET count Valverde out. He may be conservative and seem "scared", but with a bunch of old pieces it seems difficult to play a dominating offensive and open football like that. Look at all these trendy teams getting rid of their players nearing-30 who were mainstays. They maintain the balance with veterans like Milner in Liverpool, but they tend to be very flexible and versatile players. They're not the seniors Barca has. Not sure if any coach could squeeze another consistent run out of Piques and Busis. Too indoctrinated.

We need another lucky draw and get to the final somehow and then hope for the best.

We never get lucky draws. We got one last season and fucked up.

Pique and Busquets the way they are playing should probably start being phased out soon. Messi and Alba are the only vets that are still able to contribute positively consistently.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Team was looking more fluid in the first half. The pitch was a disaster.

The guy really should stop trying to defend leads like this though, especially so early as in the 70th minute. You'd rather have that pace and those attacking players there to threaten the opposition instead of trying to grind out the win which history have shown isn't too kind to this current team.

Pretty much this, although sometimes I feel he is afraid from tired legs and lack of speed from both Pique and Busquets, still not excuse

 

[George_Costanza]

After this season over, Valverde will be remembered as a manager who sabotaged his own side. He will again press the self-destruct button in the UCL. If this game is anything, it showed he didn't learn from last season mistakes and I don't think he blames himself for embarrassing UCL exist last season, otherwise, he would have resigned.

 

[wisconsincule]

I actually hope we get a strong group stage draw this season. Not because I want Barca's road to get to the R16 difficult or for them to drop out, but because this team and manager need a fucking wake up call so something can be changed before it's too late.

This. I’m hoping Liverpool ends up in Pot 2 and we end up drawing them. We need a wake up call and they could serve it up to us.

 

[clemente]

Roma already gave us a reality check, this guy just have no idea how to adapt.

 

[BusiTheKing]

Were Rakitic and Coutinho within passing distance of each other at any point during the game? Why is he insisting that our midfield is spread so thin?

When you're playing midfield and defending against a possession based team, the hardest thing is to keep track of how the opponents midfielders are running while keeping an eye on the ball. The most difficult is when they are unpredictable, constantly interweaving with each other and finding spaces where they pop up. That's how we used to beat teams into submission. They couldn't keep track of us and were forced to move deeper.

Now, we make it so easy for them. They can basically zone mark our midfield without ever looking over their shoulder.

 

[xXKonan]

You just have to wonder how many of our guys are actually suited to play a 4-4-2?

Suarez,Messi,Rakitic and technically Denis as well since he played as a Wide LM at Villarreal back in 2015/16. But the rest it seems like you're wasting a number of players talents like Dembele,Coutinho etc in order to cater towards a couple of players like Suarez.

Guys like Dembele,Coutinho,Vidal,Malcom,Arthur etc are players that no one should knee cap in order for players like Suarez to thrive, Absolutely not. Coutinho,Dembele,Malcom,Arthur etc are all young and very talented players that need to be played in a good system that can make them thrive and not Suarez who is a 31 year old dude who looks physically fucked and is slower than a turtle.

 

[D10S_JC]

Valverde will repeat the fate of nightmare in Roma. Same approach to substitute out the player with pace when we're under pressure

 

[xXKonan]

Nothing screams giving the other team confidence in taking off your most dangerous attacker for a Midfielder and keeping on a guy who was about as effective as a screen door on a submarine.

It's funny that Valverde wants to sit back and defend 1-0 leads and yet he keeps on Suarez who doesn't provide anything defensively and just stands up top standing around. Bad enough we have to carry Messi's lack of defensive contribution but Suarez too? Fuck outta here with this shit.

This team isn't equipped to sit back and park the bus without the ball. When you have two forwards who don't track back Busi and Rakitic are always under pressure and teams have been slicing through them so easily on the counter and sometimes all it takes is a couple of one twos and they are easily beaten as well.

We lost Midfield control in the second half and considering Valverde has talked about us wanting to keep the ball and control shit it's hilarious how he ignored the problem and went with us trying to sit back and defend leaving the other team to have a boat load of chances and VAR saved our asses at the end.

Having Midfield control helps limit the other team from constantly attacking us. I would have subbed on Arthur for Suarez as it would help Rakitic and Busi to regain control of the game. Heck if we need more muscle in the Midfield? Sub on Vidal for Coutinho and have a nice balanced Diamond Midfield with Vidal at the tip of the Diamond and have Vidal press and roam around. Want a direct player who can also provide the Workrate up top? Malcom would be a pretty good option to sub Dembele assuming he's tired.

We have a lot of interesting options on the bench that could be utilized very well. It's just Valverde needs to quit assuming that defending/attacking with a flat 4-4-2 is our only option.

 

[Barcilliant]

The club will only learn the hard way.

We will have to get embarrassed again in cl and it will be curtains for Valverde.

He has no idea what he's doing. There is no short or long term plan. He is just trying to secure results.

Tata knew he was out of his depth and walked. This guy will be booted out.

 

[Laplacian]

Roma already gave us a reality check, this guy just have no idea how to adapt.

No it didn't, Roma should have given us a reality check but the board/Valverde perceived it as a freak event, not a direct consequence of Valverde's mentality and his tactics. The board need to be convinced that they'll never win anything significant in Europe with Valverde, and a hard CL group stage will do that.

 

[FCBarca]

Wrong profile for a Barcelona coach, he is an upgrade on Tata - nothing more. Some of the most boring Barcelona football I have seen in nearly two decades

 

[Raketa10]

That moment when he took Dembele off for Vidal to defend 1-0 against Valladolid tells the entire story abot Valverde. If you knew only that fact about him and nothing else it would be enough to conclude that he is not a manager for Barca.

 

[MagIX]

Transfer market without sense and logic, we do not have any plan B or C or D...
We are always traying the same tactics, similar players, a replica of the Pep fantastic 11s, without having noticed that is not possible, that soccer has evolved, that our opponents have decoded our tactics since years and we are extremely predictable. On the other hand, with the players we have, we can't make big tactical changes, we have too similar players.
We need a coach who comes from outside, stop now the shit of barca dna profile