Ernesto Valverde

[te amo barca]

Horrible?
No improvements?
Don't play youngsters?

you do realize that the only reason he played youngsters was because no one else was available? We have three of our forwards injured and two sold.

 

[Alik]

I have no problem with not playing Rakitic.
I am not a fan of Fc Raki, but Fc Trophies.
Abouz Suarez, I am not sure yet.

This lineup is hot and cold till now.
Napoli=Goat
Bilbao=sterile in attack
Betis=again sterile for 40 minutes.
A Goat after that.

I am somewhat cautios about playing without Suarez/No9.
We will see in the upcoming matches whether we will be Goats or hot and cold in attack.

"Somewhat cautious" lol. You had already written off any chance for Griezmann as a 9.
"No problem not playing Rakitic", when you were hoping for him to be the saviour Lampard Rakitic

 

[BBZ8800]

He did virtually everything right tonight, but will still get shredded to pieces by the same usual suspects for whom nothing is ever enough.

We played great football, Rakitic didn't see the pitch and youngsters were given a chance.

What more could you lot ask for?

It is just one match, but I suspect we will see a new Valverde this season that has learned from his mistakes of previous years.

Yes.
In the last 3 matches:
Raki wasn't a starter.
Busi played only once.
Semedo played 3 times as a RB.
Roberto-Frenkie played all 3 matches.

Today, EV could have played a safer option with Raki-Busi-Frenkie and Rafinha-Griezz-Bob attack.
He opted for a young Perez.
Even played 16 years old Fati infront of Raki, Arthur.
And gave chances to a new guy Firpo.

If we could collect posts and wishes from Barcaforum, today's lineup was everything what people asked for.
A win, nice play, faster play, pressing, youngsters, no Raki.

This match was actually quite close to what people asked for.

But EV will get zero credit.
I guess that players played on an "autopilot" against Napoli and Betis when they were flying all over the pitch.

EV will still be thw biggest cancer.
Without Messi, we still play better than RM.

 

[te amo barca]

Yes.
In the last 3 matches:
Raki wasn't a starter.
Busi played only once.
Semedo played 3 times as a RB.
Roberto-Frenkie played all 3 matches.

Today, EV could have played a safer option with Raki-Busi-Frenkie and Rafinha-Griezz-Bob attack.
He opted for a young Perez.
Even played 16 years old Fati infront of Raki, Arthur.
And gave chances to a new guy Firpo.

If we could collect posts and wishes from Barcaforum, today's lineup was everything what people asked for.
A win, nice play, faster play, pressing, youngsters, no Raki.

This match was actually quite close to what people asked for.

But EV will get zero credit.
I guess that players played on an "autopilot" against Napoli and Betis when they were flying all over the pitch.

EV will still be thw biggest cancer.
Without Messi, we still play better than RM.

Don't play this game. EV cannot be defended after his heroics in the CL. He made good decisions today, yes, but we both know that he will get rekt again in the CL.

 

[BBZ8800]

you do realize that the only reason he played youngsters was because no one else was available? We have three of our forwards injured and two sold.

He could have subbed in Raki in the 70th minute.

He dropped his supposed lover and played new kids Fati and Firpo who need support and development.
How do you explain that?

 

[DonAK]

BBZ,

I will give Valverde all the credit in the World if he continues being brave when everyone's back and we keep playing well. The only way Barca can compete vs. other elite teams is by pressing like today, moving off the ball like today and passing the ball around as quickly with intent like today.

There are a few players who are incapable of playing simple 1,2s, that are incapable of moving much off the ball and are incapable of pressing.

If Valverde can recognize that, he might finally turn it around.

But I'll wait for that before I start singing his praises. He did well tonight, no doubt about that, but I won't start bowing down to him because of one game.

 

[Marshall D Teach]

With Arthur now seemingly permanently on the bench, watch us collapse in the CL against the first team that presses us.

Valverde's decisions today weren't THAT good. Arthur on the bench and youngsters only played because the seniors were injured. His only good decision was no Rakitic. And I guess FDJ playing is more than you'd expect from Valverde although under any other coach you expect him to be a guaranteed starter.

 

[Devils]

Act like playing at Camp Nou has been a problem for Barca, brehs.

Good performance today, but it was easy game.

 

[te amo barca]

With Arthur now seemingly permanently on the bench, watch us collapse in the CL against the first team that presses us.

Valverde's decisions today weren't THAT good. Arthur on the bench and youngsters only played because the seniors were injured. His only good decision was no Rakitic. And I guess FDJ playing is more than you'd expect from Valverde although under any other coach you expect him to be a guaranteed starter.

Nah, Arthur is not permabenched. He will start the next game I think.

 

[Cool]

Valvarde has these run of games in which we play nice football with correct substitutions but he quickly reverts back to the same style.

 

[xXKonan]

Nah I feel like Vidal and Arthur's situations are different from someone like Rakitics.

Both came from Copa American and these were Vidal's first minutes in official games since he came back and Arthur seems to be heading in the same direction. Rakitic, on the other hand, his position was lost to Roberto full stop.

 

[BBZ8800]

"Somewhat cautious" lol. You had already written off any chance for Griezmann as a 9.
"No problem not playing Rakitic", when you were hoping for him to be the saviour Lampard Rakitic

Till the minute 40, we played the same as against Bilbao.
9 sterile idiots plus Rafinha and Griezz.

Then Griezz scored two and a team transformed into a prime Pep's team.

If we will play like against Napoli and Betis 2nd half CONSISTENTLY, then awesome.

But in 2 league matches, we were sterile in attack for 130 minutes out of 180.
In that sense, apart from passing, running and pressing, I want more shooting from more players.

Frenkie doesn't shoot.
Arthur neither.
Busi neither.
Bob sometimes.

There is a high chance that a first half against Betis will repeat.

This is why I am not writting off Suarez and Lampard yet, like you.

 

[Raketa10]

Betis was awful in second half. We will play like shit again, no worries, just wait and you'll see.

 

[te amo barca]

Till the minute 40, we played the same as against Bilbao.
9 sterile idiots plus Rafinha and Griezz.

Then Griezz scored two and a team transformed into a prime Pep's team.

.

Man, it is simply not true. We had much better positional play and passing sequences even in the first half compared to Bilbao. Alba-Griezmann-Rafinha were playing 1-2 fluid football in a beautiful way. Rafinha had two clear cut chances that he had to bury. We struggle to create that much in a half even with Suarez quite often.

 

[George_Costanza]

I didn't watch the game but all over twitter they are like: Rakitic didn't play = Barca clicked