Ernesto Valverde - V1

[delancey]

No we don't. We have better players, and a better squad. But not a better team, because the cohesion, team effort, work ethic, and playing relations between the Liverpool's albeit less individually gifted players are considerably higher than in our case. Everything except individual quality and talent they have more than us at this point in time. Football was always about forming a serious hard working team with the talent you have. At least this is required in Champions League.

We need to finally form a team, and the way things look right now, it's going to take 1-2 more seasons and a new manager. Until then what we can do is keep winning titles, because that is how success is achieved in the end.


Best we can do is stack the team with quality young players that will still be here and in their prime for when we get rid of Valverde and possibly this board (which I think it's no late than 2021, so two more years at most).

This is why signing De Jong and De Ligt (have to push hard), on top of Arthur, Lenglet, Dembele and others is very important.

We have significantly more talented players than Liverpool. These incredible players, like you said, unfortunately make up a team that lacks an attacking philosophy, cohesion, work-ethic, leadership and a strong manager to carry out these values. Leadership and execution start at the top - nothing is going to change by merely bringing in another Galactico signing when our top down hierarchy and philosophy is in total shambles.

 

[delancey]

Going off performances over the last 12 months name one player that would walk into the current Liverpool starting eleven ( even Messi would be up for debate up against Salah ..

Every single player in our team could merit a starting position in Liverpool's first team IF we only based that decision on individual talent. Our problem is not quality, it is a lack of leadership, vision, and execution. Like Serghei pointed out, we lack team cohesion and fail to play a brand of football that our club merits. The second game against Liverpool is a perfect example of how the very best players in the world essentially just gave up a 3-0 advantage. That is unacceptable at this level and Valverde and the board is 100% to blame.

How could Messi ever compete against the almighty Henderson and Milner. *sarcasm* Sorry, I had to. haha

 

[serghei]

We have significantly more talented players than Liverpool. These incredible players, like you said, unfortunately make up a team that lacks an attacking philosophy, cohesion, work-ethic, leadership and a strong manager to carry out these values. Leadership and execution start at the top - nothing is going to change by merely bringing in another Galactico signing when our top down hierarchy and philosophy is in total shambles.

We will get a new manager once we don't win big titles anymore. The problem is we don't have a board that has the guts to fire a manager that has won titles and is backed by the locker room. No matter the context (many factors led to these possibly back to back doubles, outside of control of Valverde). Simple as that.

So, it is a case of Valverde + titles next season, or no titles and new manager + reconstruction. Not a bad prospect. Worst case scenario is Madrid have a great season, and we have a shit season but get rid of Valverde and really start the new Barcelona project for the forst time since 2008. Hopefully by that time we'd have a clearer candidate for the job. Maybe Xavi as assistant manager who knows?

In my opinion every manager post Pep has patched the team. There wasn't any reconstruction since 2008, which is the last one. Every fix we made, be it player signings or new manager namings, has been short term.

 

[delancey]

We will get a new manager once we don't win big titles anymore. The problem is we don't have a board that has the guts to fire a manager that has won titles and is backed by the locker room. No matter the context (many factors led to these possibly back to back doubles, outside of control of Valverde). Simple as that.

So, it is a case of Valverde + titles next season, or no titles and new manager + reconstruction. Not a bad prospect. Worst case scenario is Madrid have a great season, and we have a shit season but get rid of Valverde and really start the new Barcelona project for the forst time since 2008. Hopefully by that time we'd have a clearer candidate for the job. Maybe Xavi as assistant manager who knows?

In my opinion every manager post Pep has patched the team. There wasn't any reconstruction since 2008, which is the last one. Every fix we made, be it player signings or new manager namings, has been short term.

I agree that we haven't had a manager who has been able to recreate what Pep was able to create during his time here at Barcelona. I just don't feel that an attack minded coach is too much to ask for. Someone who has the balls to lose against top opponents while still sticking to his values of how beautiful and entertaining football should be played at Barcelona.

I just want to see a complete restructuring of the club as far as its leadership hierarchy is concerned. Unfortunately we will have to wait until 2021(?) for a new president to come in. In the meantime, why not take a chance and let Erik Ten Hag have a go at it? We couldn't possibly play worse than we already are.

 

[jamrock]

It's unfortunate, but these are normal stages in the life of a team. As frustrating as it is, we need to move on and do the best we can with current conditions. An old saying is you should not spend too much time with what you can't change, and focus on what you can change. What we can change now is the state of the squad next season.

The best thing we can do at the moment is take away some bad choices from Valverde and force De Jong in the team. Sell one of Rakitic or Busquets. Bring in De Ligt to put pressure on aging Pique. Same with Suarez. Bring in new blood up front to challenge for the no9 spot.

These will improve us a lot even with Valverde. Sell the underperforming players so Valverde can't play them to death. Shape the squad in such a way that Valverde's solutions to go cowardly defensive are limited.

Yet he will still find a way

 

[jairzinho]

It's unfortunate, but these are normal stages in the life of a team. As frustrating as it is, we need to move on and do the best we can with current conditions. An old saying is you should not spend too much time with what you can't change, and focus on what you can change. What we can change now is the state of the squad next season.

The best thing we can do at the moment is take away some bad choices from Valverde and force De Jong in the team. Sell one of Rakitic or Busquets. Bring in De Ligt to put pressure on aging Pique. Same with Suarez. Bring in new blood up front to challenge for the no9 spot.

These will improve us a lot even with Valverde. Sell the underperforming players so Valverde can't play them to death. Shape the squad in such a way that Valverde's solutions to go cowardly defensive are limited.

I agree with this.

Even if they are not going to move him, we should at least be looking to move out some of the older players.

 

[Zidane82]

Every single player in our team could merit a starting position in Liverpool's first team IF we only based that decision on individual talent. Our problem is not quality, it is a lack of leadership, vision, and execution. Like Serghei pointed out, we lack team cohesion and fail to play a brand of football that our club merits. The second game against Liverpool is a perfect example of how the very best players in the world essentially just gave up a 3-0 advantage. That is unacceptable at this level and Valverde and the board is 100% to blame.

How could Messi ever compete against the almighty Henderson and Milner. *sarcasm* Sorry, I had to. haha

To get into the Liverpool starting eleven Messi wouldn’t be up against either of those two , though . He’d be up against top scorer Salah who also tracks back and works twice as hard as Messi to make up for Messi’s genius ..

Plus it’s pure fantasy to think that any of Suarez , Rakitic, Roberto , Lenglet plus even Busqs would get on their teamsheet . Even Dembele wouldn’t get in over Mane fgs ..

The rest are up for debate at best .

 

[clemente]

Today womens CL final between Lyon and Barca.
Lowkey I bet that they play more interesting football than men right now.

 

[Messigician]

Valverde: "We have contact with the sports management, always, but the season has not ended and we must focus on the Copa del Rey final. We can win a double, which is not normal."

 

[bismp]

Valverde: "We have contact with the sports management, always, but the season has not ended and we must focus on the Copa del Rey final. We can win a double, which is not normal."

We've actually won the domestic double 4 times the past 10 years,so yeah,it's pretty fucking normal for us,despite what Retardo says

 

[Don Andrésº8]

Valverde: "We have contact with the sports management, always, but the season has not ended and we must focus on the Copa del Rey final. We can win a double, which is not normal."

This clown is still talking shit, what a hypocrite

 

[delancey]

To get into the Liverpool starting eleven Messi wouldn’t be up against either of those two , though . He’d be up against top scorer Salah who also tracks back and works twice as hard as Messi to make up for Messi’s genius ..

Plus it’s pure fantasy to think that any of Suarez , Rakitic, Roberto , Lenglet plus even Busqs would get on their teamsheet . Even Dembele wouldn’t get in over Mane fgs ..

The rest are up for debate at best .

I do not believe that Liverpool is only playing well because of individual talent. Quite to the contrary, Liverpool plays like a team with strong leadership behind it, with a manager who is able to motivate and bring out the best in his players. Klopp has a strong vision and executes his vision to perfection. Barcelona, on the other hand, has some of the most proven individual talent in the game of football, while also possessing some of the most promising young players today. Unfortunately our magnificent manager is unable to implement a system that is attack minded and pleasant to watch, while also lacking strong motivational skills and leadership capabilities that one would expect from a person in his position.

What is so frustrating about how this club is being run is that we essentially have a world class talent in each position who is being managed by one of the most mediocre managers in top-tier football today.

 

[BADGERBHOY]

I do not believe that Liverpool is only playing well because of individual talent. Quite to the contrary, Liverpool plays like a team with strong leadership behind it, with a manager who is able to motivate and bring out the best in his players. Klopp has a strong vision and executes his vision to perfection. Barcelona, on the other hand, has some of the most proven individual talent in the game of football, while also possessing some of the most promising young players today. Unfortunately our magnificent manager is unable to implement a system that is attack minded and pleasant to watch, while also lacking strong motivational skills and leadership capabilities that one would expect from a person in his position.

What is so frustrating about how this club is being run is that we essentially have a world class talent in each position who is being managed by one of the most mediocre managers in top-tier football today.

We don't have world class talents in each position at all.
Ter Stegen, Pique, Alba and Messi are all world class but the rest are certainly not.
Some are merely a shadow of their former selves and should be moved on for the good of the team.

 

[Devils]

Today womens CL final between Lyon and Barca.
Lowkey I bet that they play more interesting football than men right now.

They are getting rekt with a performance that even the likes of EV would be proud of.

:wow:

 

[delancey]

Ter Stegen - World class
Alba - World class
Pique - World class
Lenglet - Promising world class talent
Umtiti - World class
Busquets - World class
Rakitic - Very good
De Jong - Promising world class talent
Coutinho - world class
Arthur - Promising world class talent
Dembele - Promising world class talent
Messi - Greatest of all time
Suarez - World class

Some of these players may be underperforming this season, or getting up there in age, but that is a completely different story. Their world class talent is unquestionable, and with the right guidance, system and leadership, this team would be smashing its opponents on a consistent basis. I have said it before, but how we just gave up against Liverpool is unacceptable, all while Valverde was just standing there as an emotionless puppet unable to influence the game by even one iota.