Ernesto Valverde

[khaled_a_d]

He had superstars slightly past their prime, of very high football quality but frail mental strenght.

That is one way to describe it if you look at every player individually.
But the "past your prime" means you aren't at your physical best anymore, and this entitles massive tactical burden on the team.
Pique, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez were the core of the team and all were past their physical prime for couple of years already (except Alba and Raki, were still decent in 1st year) and when you put it together, it is huge minus. Add to that there was no elite younger players in the team anymore.
The team wasn't "slightly" past its prime anymore, but massively, unlike the individuals.

 

[serghei]

That is one way to describe it if you look at every player individually.
But the "past your prime" means you aren't at your physical best anymore, and this entitles massive tactical burden on the team.
Pique, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez were the core of the team and all were past their physical prime for couple of years already (except Alba and Raki, were still decent in 1st year) and when you put it together, it is huge minus. Add to that there was no elite younger players in the team anymore.
The team wasn't "slightly" past its prime anymore, but massively, unlike the individuals.

Not sure I agree. The team was still good enough, with our slowish football, to blow away EPL giants like Chelsea, United, Liverpool. Handed these 3 teams a combined 9-0 in like 12 months or so.

Sure, if you compare it with all-time great Barca versions they are majorly declined, compared with what was around at the time, not much so. A solid top 4 side in the world IMO.

The biggest problem was psychological. The team just lacked leaders and had too many pussies in plain terms. Just 2 solid leaders in that locker-room, or a fierce manager that is a no-nonsense winner instead of soft and mellow uncle Ernie, and the story of that 18-19 side is written very differently. Probably with a treble win.

 

[CanadianCanadian]

Great post but I will add. Watching Valverde's Barcelona was depressing. Game plan was pass to Messi and inshallah 99% of the time. Valverde managed to squeeze out as much as he could from our squad while trying to handle Barto and his genius management of the club and transfers. The picture of him leaving after being dismissed from the team needs to be in a museum for future generations to study

 

[Messi983]

still miss you mister

 

[Messigician]

Great post but I'll add copa final UCL semi and league dominance isn't a bad season.

Furthermore Messi said no one appreciates the league titles now but in a few years time it'll be revealed how difficult it was.

Messi was right

 

[BarcaOG]

Two league titles, two domestic cups, and countless great matches to look back on: the last dance of Barcelona?s greatest era finally ended two years ago on this day. Your work began when club morale was at rock bottom after our aging squad looked finished the prior season under the much vaunted Lucho and Neymar?s untimely departure that summer. Despite all that, you pulled off one of the great managerial achievements in carrying us to an easy domestic double and 36 game league unbeaten run over an all time great Real Madrid squad in just your first season. Year two brought more dominance over our domestic rivals and a plethora of huge big game victories. Sadly, individual errors and a flawed squad once again denied you the chance to make the desired impact in Europe even if our last three Champions League campaigns showed that you still overachieved on that front.

Maybe the incredible start in season one ended up being your biggest problem by raising expectations and assessments of the squad to unrealistic levels. That combined with the overrating of many new additions to the team led to some of the most unfair and shameful attacks ever leveled against a coach. One bright spot from our great club?s struggles in these two years has been your undeniable and unequivocal vindication. Despite being claimed to be a cancer holding us back, it?s now been shown that you were actually doing a great job as manager and getting our dysfunctional squad to perform well beyond its potential. Like many geniuses, it sadly seems like the full extent of your achievement was only apparent after your departure.

Best of luck in your future endeavors.

Thank you, mister. We miss you.

nicely put rassy


miss the mister big time

 

[BarcaOG]

the last proper, competent coach we had; the last time too we hired a coach not for his 'barca dna' or connection but because of his quality. yeah, i know EV played for barca, but he is not comparable to Koeman and Xavi and Lucho and Pep in terms of 'legend' status. more than anything, what he had was a good coaching record at Atheltic and in Spain

 

[BarcaOG]

Great post but I will add. Watching Valverde's Barcelona was depressing. Game plan was pass to Messi and inshallah 99% of the time. Valverde managed to squeeze out as much as he could from our squad while trying to handle Barto and his genius management of the club and transfers. The picture of him leaving after being dismissed from the team needs to be in a museum for future generations to study

the football was not appealing but there was more to it than that. koeman and setien also tried 'passing to messi and hope', without success. what EV managed to do was shore up the defence and make us a hard team to beat, defensively capable. we havent had that since he left

 

[Blackened]

Two league titles, two domestic cups, and countless great matches to look back on: the last dance of Barcelona?s greatest era finally ended two years ago on this day. Your work began when club morale was at rock bottom after our aging squad looked finished the prior season under the much vaunted Lucho and Neymar?s untimely departure that summer. Despite all that, you pulled off one of the great managerial achievements in carrying us to an easy domestic double and 36 game league unbeaten run over an all time great Real Madrid squad in just your first season. Year two brought more dominance over our domestic rivals and a plethora of huge big game victories. Sadly, individual errors and a flawed squad once again denied you the chance to make the desired impact in Europe even if our last three Champions League campaigns showed that you still overachieved on that front.

Maybe the incredible start in season one ended up being your biggest problem by raising expectations and assessments of the squad to unrealistic levels. That combined with the overrating of many new additions to the team led to some of the most unfair and shameful attacks ever leveled against a coach. One bright spot from our great club?s struggles in these two years has been your undeniable and unequivocal vindication. Despite being claimed to be a cancer holding us back, it?s now been shown that you were actually doing a great job as manager and getting our dysfunctional squad to perform well beyond its potential. Like many geniuses, it sadly seems like the full extent of your achievement was only apparent after your departure.

Best of luck in your future endeavors.

Thank you, mister. We miss you.

100% true. Thank you!

 

[JohnN]

the football was not appealing but there was more to it than that. koeman and setien also tried 'passing to messi and hope', without success. what EV managed to do was shore up the defence and make us a hard team to beat, defensively capable. we havent had that since he left

They couldn't 100% replicate the "pass to Messi and pray" tactic because of two reasons:
1) Messi got older and could not bail us out singlehandedly anymore.
2) they organized the defense in a worse way than ev, who was good at it. Setien and koeman as far as defense goes are bums. For the attacking part it was always on Messi alone with all of them.

 

[BarcaOG]

They couldn't 100% replicate the "pass to Messi and pray" tactic because of two reasons:
1) Messi got older and could not bail us out singlehandedly anymore.
2) they organized the defense in a worse way than ev, who was good at it. Setien and koeman as far as defense goes are bums. For the attacking part it was always on Messi alone with all of them.

1) both EV and setien coached messi at the same age. so the first point is not really valid

2) well yes: thats my point, lol

 

[KingLeo10]

1) both EV and setien coached messi at the same age. so the first point is not really valid

2) well yes: thats my point, lol

Messi's production was already lower with EV in EV's 3rd season. It was somewhat better than what he output with Setien, but with Setien there was also the start of COVID upheavel. EV knew how to use Messi than Setien did, for sure, but it wasn't some genius coaching on EV's part. It was Messi mostly being Messi.

 

[BarcaOG]

Messi's production was already lower with EV in EV's 3rd season. It was somewhat better than what he output with Setien, but with Setien there was also the start of COVID upheavel. EV knew how to use Messi than Setien did, for sure, but it wasn't some genius coaching on EV's part. It was Messi mostly being Messi.

messi just being messi, underperforming, glad to see u say it KL, u are growing

 

[KingLeo10]

messi just being messi, underperforming, glad to see u say it KL, u are growing

You're going to have to up your baiting game, OG. Disappointing work lately.

I'm not seeing 4-5 posts in a row.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Messi's production was already lower with EV in EV's 3rd season. It was somewhat better than what he output with Setien, but with Setien there was also the start of COVID upheavel. EV knew how to use Messi than Setien did, for sure, but it wasn't some genius coaching on EV's part. It was Messi mostly being Messi.

Even EV-Messi in 19/20 had some fantastic games like against atletico in which he scored an amazing solo goal to win the match, great game against Sevilla 2 goals, GOAT game against Dortmund, already two hattricks and so on - huge difference to Setien-Messi. Pep said once 'A happy Messi is a good Messi'.