Ernesto Valverde - V1

[Barcaman]

Valverde is hard to fathom. I am sure even he doesn't know what he's doing.

That's too harsh. We aren't playing great by any measure and his selections are poor but we are playing without Dembele he is only 2 months in as Barca manager.

I am pissed as the next guy at playing Rakitic, overplaying Iniesta, holding Semedo back and ignoring La Masia. We'll see where we are by Christmas when we get through San Mames, Mestalla and Bernabeu.

 

[MessiCam]

Comes off as a guy who completely lacks balls to take the team forward.

The guy is still reliant on Lucho's ideas and doesn't seem confident or capable of developing his own ideas/system.

For the life of me I cannot understand why he plays Rakitic every game or still insists playing Roberto at RB. The only way it makes sense is that he realizes it worked for Lucho so he's sticking to it.

We could have a much more functional and stronger team by further integrating Semedo at RB and Paulinho/Roberto/Denis in midfield and then finally adding Dembouz to the team in a few months. But it looks like he will just ride out Lucho's favorites until reality comes crashing down.

I am Valverde's biggest critic when it comes to some of his tactics (don't get me started on his 4-4-2) and his choice of personnel but the bolded is way off the mark. How this can be said with a straight face is beyond me because Lucho's direct system has well and truly been tossed for a more patient game built on possession as it was when he was coaching Bilbao.

I often rant and rave in the heat of the moment but even I admit that he's had a rough time of things. Not only are some of the players horribly off form (Suarez and Rakitic) but Dembele is out injured and they failed to land Coutinho, Di Maria (don't know what this was all about) and his requested centre back. To top it all off they couldn't rid his side of dead-weights like Arda, Vermaelen, Alcacer, Vidal, Gomes and it looks increasingly likely that they won't be able to any time soon.

Yet, through all this he's picked up the necessary results and has band-aided the defensive problems that Messi presents with the squad that he has.

I will agree that he's not ruthless enough though. With the system he's gearing up to play there is no room for Suarez unfortunately and in his current form he should be nowhere near the starting lineup. I don't see any reason for keeping him around beyond this season when with a False 9 system all you need is a back up CF. He's too good, when in form, and too expensive to be a backup. Might as well just keep Alcacer around.

I am willing to wait until he gets his signings and Dembele returns to fitness. In the meantime I will rant and rave at the unattractive football we play because other than the Juventus game and the second half against Atletico its been rubbish.

 

[MessiCam]

Zidane and Valverde are both managing world class teams. Some can argue teams are carrying the manager, instead of the other way round. Well, yes to some extent. But what trait differentiates between the two is that Zidane has vision and planning, so much so that he is able to win CLs back to back. He has no manegerial experience to begin with, but at least he has the fundamentals of what good managers have. Especially when u are given such good squads at your disposal, it should be able to allow u to utilise them properly and effectively, not just tactically but long term nurturing of talents.

Look at Casemiro, Asensio, Kovacic, they weren't very much recognised but Zidane gave them plenty of opportunities to showcase themselves and look at them now. They all turned out to be very good players, definitely capable being on that world class level.

Not a Real fan but Zidane fully deserves the best coach award.

Valverde might be arguably a good tactical coach, but this fear and timidity to take that leap and try to discover and unleash suppressed talents will soon be his downfall. I can guarantee he wont last long. If Messi doesnt save his ass, he's fucked. He's gonna panic and it will be too late then.

Zidane in the same sentence as vision and planning? Lol. Zidane is so one dimensional it's scary... He's reduced a world class midfield to being spectators for large parts of the game due to his cross heavy system. He panics too... When things aren't going for him he overloads the pitch with forwards playing, you guessed it, a cross heavy game.

He's tried 4-3-3 with Isco/Bale as a wide men, he's tried 4-3-1-2 with Isco as enganche and he's even tried 4-4-2 but he still ends up playing a cross heavy game. His bacon has been saved on so many occasions by the individual quality they have on counter attacks. They're devastating on the counter.

 

[Messi983]

Didn't read whole thread because there is too much negativity here recently but I was just thinking about this. Does anyone else also believe he's trying to send a message to the board by playing Iniesta and Rakitić in almost every game? I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Didn't read whole thread because there is too much negativity here recently but I was just thinking about this. Does anyone else also believe he's trying to send a message to the board by playing Iniesta and Rakitić in almost every game? I wouldn't be surprised.

Whatsapp or email would have been better way, no?
I mean what message he is gonna send? we aren't gonna bring someone in Jan and the board already tried to get Coutinho/Verratti in summer. They know we need a midfielder

 

[DonAK]

I think benching Rakitic would send a stronger message meaning he's done at this club taking his salary, age and decline into account.

 

[vlad]

Zidane in the same sentence as vision and planning? Lol. Zidane is so one dimensional it's scary... He's reduced a world class midfield to being spectators for large parts of the game due to his cross heavy system. He panics too... When things aren't going for him he overloads the pitch with forwards playing, you guessed it, a cross heavy game.

He's tried 4-3-3 with Isco/Bale as a wide men, he's tried 4-3-1-2 with Isco as enganche and he's even tried 4-4-2 but he still ends up playing a cross heavy game. His bacon has been saved on so many occasions by the individual quality they have on counter attacks. They're devastating on the counter.

Just watch last year CL final only second half, zidane deserved that award just because that display from his team


And real can play most beautiful football out there if they decide

 

[MessiCam]

Just watch last year CL final only second half, zidane deserved that award just because that display from his team


And real can play most beautiful football out there if they decide

Of course they can but they don’t do it often enough due to his tactics. With that midfield they should be dominating everybody but first instinct is to get the ball wide.

 

[Luftstalag14]

According to Sqawka, among the top 5 European leagues in terms of chances created in the 17/18 season so far, we are at the horrid 27th place with 78 key passes and 21 assists, not only behind elite club such as Bayern (1st), Real Madrid (3rd), City (4th), Liverpool (5th), Juventus (7th), Arsenal (8th), but also behind the likes of PSG (12th), Marseille (17th), Atlanta (18th), Leverkusen (21st) and Nice (22nd) etc.

 

[Aryagorn]

According to Sqawka, among the top 5 European leagues in terms of chances created in the 17/18 season so far, we are at the horrid 27th place with 78 key passes and 21 assists, not only behind elite club such as Bayern (1st), Real Madrid (3rd), City (4th), Liverpool (5th), Juventus (7th), Arsenal (8th), but also behind the likes of PSG (12th), Marseille (17th), Atlanta (18th), Leverkusen (21st) and Nice (22nd) etc.

Funnily we haven't faced a lot of them elite clubs either!

 

[DonAK]

According to Sqawka, among the top 5 European leagues in terms of chances created in the 17/18 season so far, we are at the horrid 27th place with 78 key passes and 21 assists, not only behind elite club such as Bayern (1st), Real Madrid (3rd), City (4th), Liverpool (5th), Juventus (7th), Arsenal (8th), but also behind the likes of PSG (12th), Marseille (17th), Atlanta (18th), Leverkusen (21st) and Nice (22nd) etc.

We're grinding out wins right now being very effective on the chances we have, but against the elite teams in the CL it's not going to work in a two-legged tie.

Suarez being awful, no Dembele and Rakitic are some factors when it comes to this though.

 

[khaled_a_d]

According to Sqawka, among the top 5 European leagues in terms of chances created in the 17/18 season so far, we are at the horrid 27th place with 78 key passes and 21 assists, not only behind elite club such as Bayern (1st), Real Madrid (3rd), City (4th), Liverpool (5th), Juventus (7th), Arsenal (8th), but also behind the likes of PSG (12th), Marseille (17th), Atlanta (18th), Leverkusen (21st) and Nice (22nd) etc.

What is our rank between Liga clubs?
Edit: Just found it
We are 2nd in Liga
We are first in attack, in possession, 2nd in defense.

 

[DonAK]

What is our rank between Liga clubs?

1. Real Madrid - 139

2. Barcelona - 99

3. Valencia - 97

4. Real Sociedad - 94

5. Girona - 92

Not great considering some of the teams we've faced so far. This is obv in La Liga only.

 

[Luftstalag14]

What is our rank between Liga clubs?

Second, behind Real Madrid which has created 139 chances (128 key passes and 11 assists). We have 99 so far, Valencia is behind us with 97 chances and Real Sociedad at 94 chances created.

Looking at the past several seasons, Real Madrid has always had more chances created than us and most teams in the top 5 European leagues. It is certainly not everything but I think it goes to show what a good midfield does.

 

[DonAK]

Second, behind Real Madrid which has created 139 chances (128 key passes and 11 assists). We have 99 so far, Valencia is behind us with 97 chances and Real Sociedad at 94 chances created.

Looking at the past several seasons, Real Madrid has always made more chances created than us and most teams in the top 5 European leagues. It is certainly not everything but I think it goes to show what a good midfield does.

We've never been so far behind though.

And you're right about the midfield. Real Madrid also got another outlet in crosses which we don't have unless Paulinho's playing.