Ernesto Valverde - V1

[serghei]

He is a leader and getting better doing it all the time and is developing.

Bojan failing is relevant as it had an impact on way Pep wanted young players to be brought through the B team. Dembele has no relevance to that.

Tonights game is better for Alena and if he goes through season without getting chances along the way then it is a different story.

Iniesta minutes at a young age:

585 minutes at 18-19 years old, younger than Alena now, in 2002-2003, in La Liga and even in CL. In CL he played full 90 minutes vs Brugges. He played 22 minutes vs Leverkusen. And 24 minutes vs Newcastle. That's at 18 years old.

In 2003-04, at 19-20 years old, he played a total of 11 games in La Liga, 5 as a starter and 6 from the bench.


So, it is quite normal for a great 18-19 years old La Masia midfielder to get constant minutes in the first team. Alena should get the same. And if he does, there's no doubt he can be our next great midfielder from La Masia.

 

[JamDav1982]

Iniesta minutes at a young age:

585 minutes at 18-19 years old, younger than Alena now, in 2002-2003, in La Liga and even in CL. In CL he played full 90 minutes vs Brugges. He played 22 minutes vs Leverkusen. And 24 minutes vs Newcastle. That's at 18 years old.

In 2003-04, at 19-20 years old, he played a total of 11 games in La Liga, 5 as a starter and 6 from the bench.


So, it is normal for a great 18-19 years old to get constant minutes in the first team.

I know fine that Iniesta, Messi etc broke through at younger age but many have failed as well and this week Alena learns more the way they have given him minutes.

Bojans minutes at 18-19? Dos Santos minutes?

Can work all different ways and Alena a game away to Osasuna is better for him than cake walk at home to Olympiakos.

 

[serghei]

I know fine that Iniesta, Messi etc broke through at younger age but many have failed as well and this week Alena learns more the way they have given him minutes.

Bojans minutes at 18-19? Dos Santos minutes?

Can work all different ways and Alena a game away to Osasuna is better for him than cake walk at home to Olympiakos.

Which is exactly why we need to give him a chance to prove us he is more a new Iniesta than a new Dos Santos. Nothing wrong with that. And if he would've looked great vs Olympiakos, that's better than any of our midfielders, who neither looked too great in that match.

 

[DonAK]

Hope Valverde doesn't put him out with bums in the CDR game. I don't want to see him starting with Gomes and Arda in the midfield.

 

[JamDav1982]

Which is exactly why we need to give him a chance to prove us he is more a new Iniesta than a new Dos Santos. Nothing wrong with that. And if he would've looked great vs Olympiakos, that's better than any of our midfielders, who neither looked too great in that match.

He will get chances this season if he doesnt that is a different story but Osasuna is better game for him and shows more what he can do when team built on him than a game where Barca would beat Olympiakos at a canter with ten men.

The midfield in that Osasuna game was aguably strongest part of team. Busi and Paulinho ran the show in first half then cruised it in second.

 

[JamDav1982]

Hope Valverde doesn't put him out with bums in the CDR game. I don't want to see him starting with Gomes and Arda in the midfield.

You would rather he didnt play him in those games? With those players he may well take in more responsibility and be given more prominent role anyway.

 

[DonAK]

You would rather he didnt play him in those games? With those players he may well take in more responsibility and be given more prominent role anyway.

I doubt he'll be given a more prominent role around the seniors Gomes and Arda. He might try to take command of the midfield, but you can only do that much if your team mates are not on the same wave length. Perhaps I'm a bit harsh on Gomes, but Arda no way.

I just don't see what he will learn by playing in a stinking midfield.

At least Iniesta had Riquelme even for one season, Cocu and Luis Enrique to guide him.

Let's hope we qualify 1st in our CL group by beating Juventus next. Then we'll see if EV really will give him a chance. In fact, you could make a case he should start getting call ups to relatively easier La Liga home games too.

In the second half of the season when we'll be chasing trophies there will be excuses made out for not including him on this forum.

 

[JamDav1982]

I doubt he'll be given a more prominent role around the seniors Gomes and Arda. He might try to take command of the midfield, but you can only do that much if your team mates are not on the same wave length. Perhaps I'm a bit harsh on Gomes, but Arda no way.

I just don't see what he will learn by playing in a stinking midfield.

At least Iniesta had Riquelme even for one season, Cocu and Luis Enrique to guide him.

Let's hope we qualify 1st in our CL group by beating Juventus next. Then we'll see if EV really will give him a chance. In fact, you could make a case he should start getting call ups to relatively easier La Liga home games too.

In the second half of the season when we'll be chasing trophies there will be excuses made out for not including him on this forum.

Dont see how easier La Liga games or CL games benefit him more than likes of Osasuna game tonight. Would rather he spent a few months stamping his authority at that tough physical level and his confidence and personality continue to get bigger and bigger.

The danger of just calling up for easier games in La Liga or CL is that he can cruise those games and look neat and tidy without ever being much out first/second gear.

I would rather he had a good few months developing in first team with call ups in cup and CL when qualifed as much as an aknowldgement to him that he is doing well and being edged towards first team. More so than development.

Then in second half of season he is worked in as a proper first team option and not just someone to give easy minutes too.

 

[God Serena]

The development he's having now he could easily be having with the first team. Forget easy copa games and easy Liga ties, he should be getting minutes to blood him into becoming an important player for us. Lord knows we've seen enough backwards passes from Rakitic to know most midfielders we could bring up would do a better job.

 

[Barcilliant]

Part of Valverdes brief was to promote and develop youth. He hasn't done that. In fact Lucho gave more chances to guys like Munir and Sandro.

WTF. Why aren't Alena and Arnaiz getting minutes? Semedo and Denis? I am still trying to figure out what Valverde is trying to achieve. The results are important but developing players is too. It's not as if our Midfield is setting the world on fire. Give the youngsters minutes and bench Rakitic and Gomes.

 

[Ousmane Dembélé]

If you guys din't realize it before, now it's impossible to deny, Valverde is the board's puppet. He will take the blame this season after we fail miserably to divert the attention from the board's shortcomings.

Lucho in his first year at least was his own man. He benched Pique and played his own style of football (MSN ball was effective for 2 out of his 3 years), whether the fans liked it or not. Valverde is just a fall guy for the board who has gone back to playing overrated donkeys solely based on their reputation. He's trying to play this brand of "total-football" that is not viable with our current squad and essentially just involves us having static possession.

 

[Barcaman]

I had my fears that coaching Bilbao makes a coach narrow-minded and, sadly, I was right.

I wanted to believe something else as I always want the best for Barca but alas...

 

[DonAK]

Perhaps he'll figure it out eventually.

Hopefully by then the team isn't exhausted Bielsa style with Denis looking for a way out and Semedo struggling with confidence.

 

[Devils]

Lucho Lite.

I say lite because he can’t even make us play as good as we did under Lucho.

#FraudverdeOut

 

[Barcaman]

Lucho had spine as someone said already. He was blind to some things and stubborn but he had more imagination.