Jorge Sampaoli

DonAndres

DonAndres

Wild Man of Borneo
If everything in this aligns correctly this could end up being the best stroke of fortune for the club in a moment where we badly need a new vision. Sampaoli has been building his resume upwards and knows what his end goals are as far as managing big clubs and maybe the Argentina NT. Barcelona are by far the most opportune club for him to coach in terms of style and familiarity. He knows the league and has a relationship with some of the team's core leaders.

Imagine Sampaoli coming into the dressing room with the immediate respect of everyone. Not only that, he already has the prior approval of some of the core leaders in the squad (Messi, Masche, Neymar) and can transmit his ideas to them directly. Busi/Pique/Iniesta definitely respect him too and will probably respond well to his Guardiola-esque approach to tactics and coaching. When he settles in he could truly develop the project he wants with a squad that's relatively experienced and technically capable. Barca have had success since Pep but no one to lead them in a strong direction long term, maybe Sampaoli could be that man. With this team and maybe 2-3 key transfers, he'll be well equipped to do so.

As far as comparing his chances with other potential options, I think Sampaoli's the most talked about name in the press and amongst fans right now. This speculation will only magnify when we get eliminated for good and the heat gets turned up on Lucho and the board. Valverde doesn't seem high priority and is probably just something like a backup/last resort. Koeman might appeal to the board with his 'Barca DNA' but I don't know much about his situation and Everton and how tied he is there. Is Sampaoli the most probable outcome at the moment?
 
Richard.H

Richard.H

Senior Member
This is simply too good to be true. A lot of members here have no clue just how incompetent our board is. Fuk them in their madridista asses.
 
TornAndFrayed

TornAndFrayed

Banned
If the board feels he is the favorite they will go for him. It's not like they have any football acumen to begin with. Appointing the favorite is the safest decision for the board, whose self-preservation is the priority. Big silver lining here !
 
FC B

FC B

Senior Member
Neymessi said:
Any comment like that is really positive. Even if he is dying to come here, thats what someone like him will say in the press.
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Agreed. He is bascially inviting this stupid board to hire him and make Barca great again !
 
Luftstalag14

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
I am afraid the board will go for Unzue or some other short-term band-aid, wasting Messi's last prime years and costing us more titles and by the time they want to get him he already signed with Real Madrid or Bayern or some ELP elite club.
 
BBZ8800

BBZ8800

Senior Member
DonAK said:
Cruyff's Dream Team played 3-4-3. Sampaoli plays variants of 3-4-3 and 4-3-3, besides, formations itself is just something to put on paper, everything else is about positional play. Been countless of occasions where Pep played 4-4-1-1, 4-3-1-2 and more in a game, but what did you see on the lineup sheet? 4-3-3.

Lucho doesn't play a 4-3-3 formation. Look at the shape of the team, it's different. It looks more like a 4-5-1 with wide midfielders.

Rest is conjecture which I'll address soon.

Pep has been inspired by two people the most in his coaching career according to Pep Guardiola himself. Johan Cruyff and Jorge Sampaoli's right hand man, Juan Manuel Lillo.

Sorry, three actually. Forgot Marcelo Bielsa.

I know that in recent history we've almost just appointed former players or Dutch coaches like Rijkaard and Van Gaal, but that's doesn't mean appointing an 'outsider' in Barca is unprecedented. If you jump back farther in history, you'll see.
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Ok, I have my concerns about Sampaoli and I think that majority of people are jumping on a hype train.

In my eyes:
1. he still has only 1 full season on European soil
2. he has never won a league championship on a European soil (how good he is at all in league championships? Some coaches are masters of league championships like Capello, some coaches are crap in league championships and masters of cup competitions, Ancelotti, for example).
3. he is a south american coach who can be strange in European competitions when they are exposed and when we see larger samples (this sounds racist from me, sorry)
4. he has zero connections with Barca

For example, Koeman isn't lacking in any of these 4 areas.

About how players want him, didn't Messi asked for Tata also, and he turned to be a disaster?
So, I personally don't care too much what Messi wants.
He is always asking for Argentine teammates and for South American coaches.

Also, you and other guys mentioned respect. How Samp has respect from players.
Well, Lucho also had respect when he came as a former legend and as a tough guy.
He lost majority of respect by January of his first season after horrible tactics and poor results.
So, a respect could be lost soon, especially if results will be poor with Gomes/Denis/Raki midfield.

Further, imo, if we'll sign a coach who will bring in a new formation and tactics, it will take a few Months for players to gel in.
That probably means: no La liga in the next season either.
Further, since our midfield is a crap and since we can't sell new players (Gomes, Denis), they will probably stay until a summer of 2018.
That means: 1st season of learning a new formation and a 2nd season of adapting of new midfielders and new players (bought in a summer of 2018 after an average 2017/18 season) into a team again which again means probably no La liga in 2018/19.

Imo, you (or we) have to decide whether we want to start again from zero or just slightly alter things.
If we want a new start (like with Rijkaard in 2003), then we have to be ready for weaker 1-2 seasons and we have to focus on a long term project and a brighter future.
If you bring a coach like Sampaoli, it will take time for things to click.
The problem is, whether MSN and our team have time to wait for 1-2 years for a new era?

If we want to get something out of this team only with minor fixes, then a coach like Tito was, or like Koeman/Gerard are much better fits.
They wouldn't change too much, except adding more tactical options, buying some new players and trying to extend the current Messi's era.

So, imo: do you want to start from zero with something totally new and invest in a longterm project?
Or you want the results right here, right now?

I doubt that Barto have time to wait, especially with ageing Messi and Suarez and expensive MSN in general?
And then, imo, wanting results right away with someone like Sampaoli who isn't connected with Barca, who hasn't won league titles in Europe and who plays differently than this team has played is a ticking bomb.

It can turn out well.
It could turn into a Tata's nightmare after 3 Months with this average midfield, players not understanding a new system and average results and this already mentally fragile team could crumble before a New year of 2017'.
 
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TornAndFrayed

TornAndFrayed

Banned
BBZ8800 said:
he still has only 1 full season on European soil
2. he has never won a league championship on a European soil (how good he is at all in league championships? Some coaches are masters of league championships like Capello, some coaches are crap in league championships and masters of cup competitions, Ancelotti, for example).
3. he is a south american coach who can be strange in European competitions when they are exposed and when we see larger samples (this sounds racist from me, sorry)
4. he has zero connections with Barca
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1. He does not have 1 full season yet.
2. Totally moot, see 1. And he's leading Sevilla to an 80+ point season. Amazing debut in Europe.
3. Bit strange but why not
4. His team plays a brand of football that we all know the core players of this team can play.

Further, imo, if we'll sign a coach who will bring in a new formation and tactics, it will take a few Months for players to gel in.
That probably means: no La liga in the next season either.
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Barcelona have won the liga in all debut season in the last decade save for Tata.
Bringing a new coach is obviously the best chance of bringing about the needed overhaul, and rejecting signings made by the previous one.

That means: 1st season of learning a new formation and a 2nd season of adapting of new midfielders and new players (bought in a summer of 2018 after an average 2017/18 season) into a team again which again means probably no La liga in 2018/19.
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:staringpep:

If you bring a coach like Sampaoli, it will take time for things to click.
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Dude do you watch Sevilla ? Seems more like arguing for the sake of it.
 
DonAK

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
Yeah. It's not like Sampaoli has ever played a 5-4-1, boot the ball up to Peter Crouch in his teams. He's played variants of 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3, which our players certainly know how to play, and which our youth players also are drilled in from a young age.

In fact, Koeman is the one who is more defensive and has several times played a defensive 4-4-2.

Again, being a former Barcelona player and/or Dutch doesn't equal to being a good coach or knowing anything about tactics.

Difference between Tata Martino and Jorge Sampaoli is that the latter has enjoyed league success and dominance in Chile, and then later for the Chile National team.

Tata had nothing of that.
 
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