Not sure about that, but I think the gaffer will surprise a lot of fans with the style he gets the team playing this season.
The squad was terrible in his first season and we played terrible football accordingly. In fact I'd say it was mighty impressive how well he steered a team on the verge of crisis back on track and grinded out wins for most of the season. If not for that disorientated twit Mina the fanbase was raving about at the time he would've coached the team to a historic undefeated league campaign. The team had a shocker in Rome making individual error after error. Not sure that collapse can be pinned on Valverde.
This past season the squad was better, we played better football and Valverde rotated more. He failed terribly at Anfield, but the players ought to take their fair share of the blame at well. This core has historically unperformed away from home in massive CL knockout ties. They're a lot older now as well so this is likely to have happened under most managers.
Valverde isn't some daft, clueless puppet. He can only work with what he has while being tasked with fragile task of not falling out with the senior players that have inflated egos and power at the club that far exceeds his.
The bloke is fine tactically and showed improvements in his man management and rotations last season in addition to playing some more expansive football. I expect him to only kick on from here.
He can start surprising us with not starting busi - raki every game.
Joking aside:
1. The shocker in Rome was due to tactics. This team is not meant to defend. It's meant to keep the ball and atack. Ofcourse players failed to play a system they suck at.
2. This past season the squad was better indeed. But we played even worst football, not better. We gathered less points also, against weaker opposition.
3. Valverde did rotate more. But, he forgot to rotate Pique, Jordi, Suarez, Busquets and Rakitic. Also couldn't rotate Messi because we couldn't score without him.
About the last part.. I don't have the slightest idea what a coach should be doing in a professional football club, so I can't honestly say if he is "fine tactically" or not.
One thing i know, is that before the Anfield return leg, every single person that watched the first game noticed that Semedo instead of Bob at RB and Bob instead of Coutinho in the middle, saved us. We were eaten alive until that change.
And what did the "fine tactically" Valverde decide to do in the second leg? Play Bob at RB and Coutinho in the middle.