Gerardo "Tata" Martino

[ebc_99]

I was really excited when they appointed him as our manager but he's lost it in recent weeks. Hopefully he's learning from his mistakes though.

He hasn't lost anything, we aren't going to play well all the time. When other teams lose or have a bad game its not a problem but when Barca play bad it is a disaster.

Tata has shown enough to suggest this is a blip, I remember in the summer fans on this forum just wanted to be in touch by the winter break yet we are on course to top the table.

We have a long way to go but it was always going to be that way. I am patient and accept that this is a transitional year but we do need to give Tata the chance to bring in his own player's and get rid of those that are not wanted. Pep spent 100m in 2008, we probably need to do that again.

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[Luftstalag14]

lack of tiki-taka is depressing, really

I agree. I am all for having a plan B and I do like his faster, more direct and more multi-dimensional approach to the game and I think it certainly is a laudable improvement, however, abandoning our core tiki-taka and consequently losing the dominant control of the game is just too bad.

 

[Flavia]

Yeah... and it's not as if he was only good the first few weeks, it wasn't beginner's luck. He was really good for quite a while, called all the right shots. But lately he seems like he just lost his head...

I think he's feeling the pressure, he's clearly not dealing well with it. Choosing the safest players, not trying anything different, fearing it could backfire. I could be wrong, but I see Pique-Masch being the cb's against celtic and villarreal. And Cesc will probably be false 9 again.

 

[barca7788]

really very strange that it took two defeats to open lots eye.

 

[Stric]

I think he's feeling the pressure, he's clearly not dealing well with it. Choosing the safest players, not trying anything different, fearing it could backfire. I could be wrong, but I see Pique-Masch being the cb's against celtic and villarreal. And Cesc will probably be false 9 again.

The moment I find heartbreaking is when Masche played against Ajax ahead of the Bilbao game, and most of us thought that was a clear sign of him starting Bartra on the weekend. It made perfect sense. Masche had been doing bad, Ajax was an unimportant game, it was the perfect situation. That was the turning point. Then it turned out he was starting Mascherano and Pique again, and Bartra played IN NEITHER game because..why?! It is forbidden to mix CB pairs or something? That was absurd and completely illogical, besides being incredibly stupid. That was the point where I (and many others, I believe) realized Tata is not the guy we hoped he would be. I can see exactly where this is going and frankly I'm not at all excited to see Tito #2. Sometimes I blame myself for not trusting the professionals and I think how they must know what they're doing, but actually, sometimes things are exactly as simple as they appear. You play the guys who are playing well and you make the most of what you've got. Tata hasn't been doing either of those lately.

 

[suckabov]

Not sure if he's Tito 2 just yet. Felt like it in the last couple of games, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt (and injuries). There were a number of games were he impressed me, the clasico being one of them. I too think it's the pressure that gets to him. He has repeatedly hinted at the ridiculous amount of pressure at Barca before, so he might just have gotten a little scared. But of course he must change something; I hope he will because I really like him.

 

[Cule4life]

Villarreal is his last chance im giving him. If he plays Masch and Cesc at false 9 im giving up on him.

 

[Chainsaw]

 

[linetty]

Villarreal is his last chance im giving him. If he plays Masch and Cesc at false 9 im giving up on him.

 

[ryuken]

I think Masch will play again, cus Tata has a crush on him regardless of form.

 

[Cule4life]

Can't believe people defend his decision to play Masch

 

[ThwiX]

Villarreal is his last chance im giving him. If he plays Masch and Cesc at false 9 im giving up on him.

Same. I can't stand watching the midget Mascherano cost us more points because of Tata's highly unprofessional bias towards him. It's beyond unacceptable.

 

[Flavia]

Villarreal is his last chance im giving him. If he plays Masch and Cesc at false 9 im giving up on him.

He said Cesc is playing well at false 9, so he'll probably keep playing him there...

 

[Cule4life]

He said Cesc is playing well at false 9

Somewhere Ancelotti is laughing his ass off

 

[Barcilliant]

I don't agree with Tata on Cesc and Mascherano. However he needs time. If we hadn't given Rijkaard time this club would still be chopping and changing managers and buying loads of useless players.

Tata is trying to bring a pragmatic element into our football which is what we need. Even in the Pep 'fantasy football' era we had defects. viz couldn't break down a quality parked bus and lousy at defending set pieces.

The best 3 teams in Europe in the last 5 years are Barca, Bayern and Utd. Bayern are currently at their peak while we have slipped. However when you look at Utd they are in 9th place! Tata is new in Europe, he has not signed a SINGLE player and this Barca team has become complacent and lacks hunger & fitness. At least 5 players need to be offloaded next summer (maybe 1-2 this Jan)and QUALITY replacements need to be brought in. Remember also Neymar was not a Martino signing. If we go the 'hire & fire route' we'll be in for a period of instability and no trophies.

In Pep's last season the warning signs were there. Pep saw them and jumped ship asap. I found that VERY disappointing. Instead of trying to rejuvenate the team (like Fergie did numerous times at Utd) he jumped ship and started sniping at Rosell & Co. He also joined a club on the up and took a promising player from us (not totally his fault). Pep also left an unbalanced squad. A team with no physical presence and a lack of motivation.

All this is not Tata's fault but the fault of Rosell & the board and Pep & Tito to a lesser extent.

Martino is straight forward and doesn't like political games. He has to be courageous and demand what he wants. Yes, the pressure has got to him but that's only natural since he's new to the club and needs time himself to adapt. Remember-Pep and Tito grew up at the club and knew the ins and outs of the politics, the football etc.

OK, so whats the minimum Tata has to do to keep his job???

Win the league, the CL, both???

Our squad is too weak to win the Cl or even reach the semis. If we win the league it will be a HUGE achievement. Even second will be a big thing. Times have changed and people need to accept that fact.