FC Barcelona tactics under Ernesto Valverde - matches analysis with pics

[devo901]

The question my friend is HOW MUCH BETTER? Barcelona's goals are:

1. Winning La Liga
2. Winning Copa del Rey
3. Winning the Spanish Supercopa
4. Winning the Champions League
5. Winning the European Supercup
6. Winning the World Club Championship

well true, no one can win all of them. But that is not the measurement, we have to look for to decide weather it is worth thinking about a change for EV. The yard stick is losing against Granada 0-2, that is what I question....

now you might argue- "Liverpool, City, Juve... also lose against lower teams"

Yes, but they REALLY try to win, which I clearly did not see last Saturday. I mean 1 shot at the target, srsly?

This what I criticise! No fire - no mentality - all that is the role of manager. Who is a puppet of the board. Otherwise he would not have been picked in the first place... which is why we wont see Mo coming to Barca at this stage.

 

[LABarcaFan]

Serghei, why don't you apply to become Valverde's replacement? If you do that, I will vote for you.

 

[devo901]

Just to correct some points, Camp Nou is far from full most matches and Barça is not a highly profitable company at all.

Yes you might be perfectly correct, (but does not change the argument that everything is done because of the money.) AND even FC Barcelona are not making profits - the board members/ managers they do! they blow up the business and get a percentage of the revenue according to their contract. (my speculation no proof) The higher the revenue the better for them... no matter what the profit is.
(I understand revenue as money coming in - and profit, what is left when you pay tax & expenses.)
how does that sound?

 

[Vilarrubi]

Serghei, why don't you apply to become Valverde's replacement? If you do that, I will vote for you.

Serghei’s too tactically advanced for him, Retardo would get confused.

 

[JohnN]

OK. I still stand behind my words about our defense. Only Semedo and Alba are trying to do something on consistent basis.
Yes. I am talking about a classic # 10, a real play-maker. Even when Coutinho were here, he could not fill that gap.
Suarez is done and Griezmann does not like to play # 9. Bartomeu brought him in for that reason, to be Suarez replacement, but the gigolo still has not find his place on the field.
Dembele, even when healthy, did not play up to his potential.
I agree with you about Fati and C.Perez. The injuries of Messi, Suarez and Dembele opened the door for them.
Wague is not better than Semedo at this point. Anyone, who regularly watch Barca "B" games will tell you that. Puig is an absolute talent. He can fill the bill for traditional # 10, alongside FDJ and Arthur. The problem with this kid is his size and physic.He heeds to grow a little bit and put on some musculs.
Todibo? I agree with you. We should have seen him in play by now. That is 100% Valverde's fault.

Bottom line:

"Valverde does have many good pieces available, but he is unable to put them together for many reasons."

To me, they are not that many as you say. Ter Stegen, FDJ, Arthur, Messi and .... maybe Griezmann. For a team that wants to win the CL, that is not too many.

"So even with all the things you mention in point A and B, a better manager would be able to do a better job with this squad."
The question my friend is HOW MUCH BETTER? Barcelona's goals are:

1. Winning La Liga
2. Winning Copa del Rey
3. Winning the Spanish Supercopa
4. Winning the Champions League
5. Winning the European Supercup
6. Winning the World Club Championship

Can you tell me which manager can win anything from this list with the current squad?

I do believe (and you may rightly call me romantic ) that with the current squad we could go for every single one of those goals listed.
We have many many many problems, but there is no team so dominant at this point in time. Barca in 2008-2015 had to compete with really good teams and was miles ahead of them most of the time. Nobody should expect such a domination to continue. I believe that with a good manager and some luck we could drag what has remained of our golden era to a very good season.
But when I say a good manager, I mean someone who will start the rebuilding phase and force changes, even if mid-season ones.

What I want to say is that Valverde needs to go whatever the plan. He can't lead this team anywhere. I am not arguing that there are not deeper problems, I am totally with you there. I am just saying that sacking EV has to be the first of many steps.

 

[Andresito]

Tactics and Valverde in the same sentence, good joke.

 

[LABarcaFan]

Who told you that? It is completely incorrect. If Camp Nou is not full most of the time, then why they are going to expand it's capacity to almost 105 000 next year? And yes, FC Barcelona is very highly profitable organization. They have just announced the biggest PROFIT of the last decade.

 

[LABarcaFan]

I do believe (and you may rightly call me romantic ) that with the current squad we could go for every single one of those goals listed.
We have many many many problems, but there is no team so dominant at this point in time. Barca in 2008-2015 had to compete with really good teams and was miles ahead of them most of the time. Nobody should expect such a domination to continue. I believe that with a good manager and some luck we could drag what has remained of our golden era to a very good season.
But when I say a good manager, I mean someone who will start the rebuilding phase and force changes, even if mid-season ones.

What I want to say is that Valverde needs to go whatever the plan. He can't lead this team anywhere. I am not arguing that there are not deeper problems, I am totally with you there. I am just saying that sacking EV has to be the first of many steps.

Respectfully disagree with you about your optimism that we can win anything from that list with the current squad. But then, you have corrected your point by stating that we need a manager, who can start immediately the rebuilding process. That is exactly my point. But I am looking at our problems from TOP to BOTTOM, you are looking at them the other way. If we do have a board and president who do understand from soccer, not just money, then they will find that manager to start the rebuilding. It is not a easy task when you have just 4-5 quality players to start. But, there are people out there, who can do this job. You just need to find them. I have zero (0) trust in Bartomeu, Abidal and Cluivert that they can find the right coach for us.

 

[serghei]

Respectfully disagree with you about your optimism that we can win anything from that list with the current squad.

You think we can't win La Liga and Copa del Rey with the current squad without Valverde? Like, seriously?

 

[ryuken]

Well maybe we can win that when Pique decides to pull his head out of his ass, our joke of a defence will not make winning anything easy

 

[LABarcaFan]

No need to explain yourself. Your opinion is as valid as anyone here. I dont think we are quite there yet that we need to rebuild. We allready have younger players that are quality and I think we got a few more years left with the old guard if we play our cards right. Im im not too sure we will do that though..
I suspect Messi might end up retireing earlier then we hope and expect. I got a feeling he might leave at the same time as Busi and Pique.

Yes, Messi, Busi and Pique are the last pieces from the golden era of Barcelona. They started almost at the same time and it is very possible they can end it at the same time. Messi is a great player and warrior, but he has a lots of mileage on his legs. He is like well squeezed lemon, with very little juice left. And we are all witnessing, his health issues started to bother him. I wish he stays healthy, so we can enjoy his magic few more years. But, we need substitutes for all three of them and Suarez now. We should not wait till they call it career, then start looking around.

 

[LABarcaFan]

well true, no one can win all of them. But that is not the measurement, we have to look for to decide weather it is worth thinking about a change for EV. The yard stick is losing against Granada 0-2, that is what I question....

now you might argue- "Liverpool, City, Juve... also lose against lower teams"

Yes, but they REALLY try to win, which I clearly did not see last Saturday. I mean 1 shot at the target, srsly?

This what I criticise! No fire - no mentality - all that is the role of manager. Who is a puppet of the board. Otherwise he would not have been picked in the first place... which is why we wont see Mo coming to Barca at this stage.

devo, I agree with you on this. The game against Granada was total embarrassment . I think, the players are plotting against EV from the start of the season, not just last Saturday. All that staffs in the media that Messi, Pique, Alba and the other veterans are rooting for him is pure BS. They have come to conclusion that something has to be changed. And of course, is better for them to have the coach fired than themselves. In some cases the change of the manager brings positive vibes, in other, things get even worst. I don't expect a World class manager to take over at this time of the season. I truly believe, if EV got axed in the next few weeks, we are not getting someone who can turn things around. Again. Barca is not Granada, Leganes or Eibar. We have always set up very high goals. Finishing in the top 5 in La Liga, with all that money spent this summer will be equal to catastrophe.

 

[LABarcaFan]

Yes you might be perfectly correct, (but does not change the argument that everything is done because of the money.) AND even FC Barcelona are not making profits - the board members/ managers they do! they blow up the business and get a percentage of the revenue according to their contract. (my speculation no proof) The higher the revenue the better for them... no matter what the profit is.
(I understand revenue as money coming in - and profit, what is left when you pay tax & expenses.)
how does that sound?

True. And I asked Alik, if Camp Nou is not full every game, then why are we going to expand it's stands to 105 000 seats? There is no answer yet!

 

[LABarcaFan]

You think we can't win La Liga and Copa del Rey with the current squad without Valverde? Like, seriously?

Serghei.
Where did you read me saying anything like that? Please, don't exaggerate my words. With or without EV, if we don't have some major changes in personnel, we can not win La Liga or Copa del Rey. This is what I say.

 

[LABarcaFan]

Well maybe we can win that when Pique decides to pull his head out of his ass, our joke of a defence will not make winning anything easy

That was really good one. Bravos.