Ernesto Valverde - V1

[DonAK]

If I'm Valverde, I make my coaches focus extra hard on a Semedo-Dembele connection.

It can be absolutely amazing with their explosive pace. Also incredibly important tactically against players like Marcelo who would be pinned back with a dual-threat and limit Madrid's creativity forward in a direct dual in the Clasico.

Long way to go obviously.

 

[BarcaJack]

We still badly need some fresh blood in our midfield. With this midfield we only have around 50% chance to beat this Juve. What if Messi was not in GOD mode? Although we are winning games, in fact we do not improve much. Messi and Raki's current form and Semedo are the reasons we are looking good.
For now it seems EV does have better tactics and some (maybe good) plans for our players.

 

[Gaudi]

I think if we had Modric-Kroos midfield we wouldn't look much better if we play as slowly and statically as in first half. Sometimes people in Croatia criticize modrić for his NT preformance but that just proves my point, he plays well for NT as well but without good movement and team play he can't do much.
As soon as Juve opened up we played some counters Iniesta started to look great, Rakitic more dangerous, even our Paulinho-Gomes-Roberto midfield didn't look to bad. When we play without movement and against 10 or 11 players behind the ball our entire tactics is: pass to Messi and wait for something. No midfielder in the world can fix that, that is on coach and tactics. Then we can say: Rakitic made some poor decisions if only we had Veratti or someone.

 

[Birdy]

I'd wait. He's been playing wide before in his career and Villa and Henry made it in that role before him.
Messi returning wide is not an option anyway.

It's pretty clear to me that the ideal formation right now for Barcelona 2017 is not our well known 4-3-3 anymore.
Messi needs to play no10 and abandon the wing once again (and maybe for good).
We have to have proper wingers able/willing to work to track back as well (ABC in modern football)
And of course we need to find a position for Suarez.
All the above logically lead to 4-2-3-1, which with Dembele on one flank, and Duleofleu on the other(at least for now untill we get a better winger) can provide great attacking threat.
Of course the puzzle then is to find a sustainable combination of the 2 in the md that will complement each other. If Sergi is the one (which IMO should be) then a powerhouse energetic runner should probably pair him. Right now i don't see Rakitic+Iniesta in a md of 3 helping us at all. We are not playing Pep's system anymore anyway..

 

[Messi983]

Let's look at incredible 8 goals we've scored.

1 was offside. - Yes, but after a nice pass from Rakitić and great movement inside penalty box from Messi. So while it was offside it was a nice build up goal.

1 was due to pure luck. - A bit of luck but a good counterattacking move from Paco

1 was due to actual good passing and link up play.

1 was off a corner. - Corners are part of the game and we struggled to score from corners over the last two seasons (we were actually quite good in that regard in Lucho's first season). So I will take that and think we'll improve from corners with no Neymar to take them.

1 was in the 90th minute after the opposing team had abandoned their shape and the game was dead. - So that goal shouldn't count because it was scored in the 90th minute or what? It was also a beatiful action and nice through pass from often criticised Gomes (which will give him confidence) to Dembele, who got his first assist (again confidence boost for him) and Suarez with a good finish, that will have a positive influence on him as well. It was also a manita goal against our rivals and those goals are always important.

3 were due to brilliance from Messi. - You can call it Messi brilliance if you want but: 1st goal against Betis - good cross from Deulofeu
1st goal vs Alaves - Iniesta through pass and Alba cross to Messi, a bit lucky with finish but still a nice goal

Oh, and you forgot Roberto goal vs Betis which was again made by good assist from Deulofeu so we actually scored 9 goals in La Liga so far.

Yes we have scored 8 goals but this style of play is not sustainable at all, I'm sure once we collapse in the middle of the season after our luck dries up just like in 15/16 you'll be the first one to make excuses.

You can disregard our goals all you want and see it as lucky or due to Messi brilliance but we are playing much better than most of us expected at this point. I will take that for now and go game after game to look for improvement which will come once newcomers will settle with the team and other players will also know Valverde's system better.

 

[Raketa10]

I'd wait. He's been playing wide before in his career and Villa and Henry made it in that role before him.
Messi returning wide is not an option anyway.

Bojan I can't remember has he played on the left for Lpool in 2013/14 season or as a true 9? I remember he played on the left for Lpool in couple of games but I am not sure if this was the case for majority of the games or not? As far as I can remember they used 4-4-2 formation in 2013/14 season...

 

[Aryagorn]

Bojan I can't remember has he played on the left for Lpool in 2013/14 season or as a true 9? I remember he played on the left for Lpool in couple of games but I am not sure if this was the case for majority of the games or not? As far as I can remember they used 4-4-2 formation in 2013/14 season...

He primarily played as a left forward at Ajax. Which was why his agent offered him to us way back in 2010. But Pep rejected the opportunity because his agent was Pep's brother and Pep didn't want to mix business and family.

Of course he completely ignored that when he waned to sign Thiago Alacantara later, but yeah Suarez was a wide forward.

In fact, Suarez's stand-out performance for Uruguay which was in 2010 world cup was actually as a left forward again because it was Forlan playing in center back then

 

[xXKonan]

 

[xXKonan]

Compare it to the Juventus match during the Camp Nou Quarter finals.

 

[serghei]

It doesn't matter where Suarez played before or if he played LW or left striker or whatever. The only way he can play where Valverde wants him to play right now is if he improves his link-up play and passing ability by a lot. Frankly, it's a bit late for him to improve as a player in such important aspects at 30 years old. But since Valverde clearly sees Messi at false 9, we can only hope his first touch, his passes and his overall link-up play will improve.

 

[Barcaman]

Villa's link-up play was disastrous. He had a Xavi-Iniesta midfield though and all was masked then. Suarez' job now is much more difficult.

 

[BarcaOG]

If I'm Valverde, I make my coaches focus extra hard on a Semedo-Dembele connection.

It can be absolutely amazing with their explosive pace. Also incredibly important tactically against players like Marcelo who would be pinned back with a dual-threat and limit Madrid's creativity forward in a direct dual in the Clasico.

Long way to go obviously.

yes, yes, yes and...yes

 

[xXKonan]

Read on MD the team ran 25 km less yesterday than the 0-0 match vs Juve back in April.

 

[Raketa10]

It doesn't matter where Suarez played before or if he played LW or left striker or whatever. The only way he can play where Valverde wants him to play right now is if he improves his link-up play and passing ability by a lot. Frankly, it's a bit late for him to improve as a player in such important aspects at 30 years old. But since Valverde
clearly sees Messi at false 9, we can only hope his first touch, his passes and his overall link-up play will improve.

I would also add that playing on the left in 4-4-2 formation and in 4-3-3 is quite different. And both Uruguay and Lpool played mainly 4-4-2 as I can remember. However we'll see how will he adapt to this position.

Maybe we wont play in this formation all of the time. In some games Dembele could also play LW, Suarez CF and Messi RW and we can even go for 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 when needed.

 

[dakt]