Luis Enrique

[KyletheMuslim]

He is still incompetent

 

[footyfan]

We've seen this lineup a couple of times before but clearly today was different tactically. Messi and Neymar tracked back a lot (as evidenced by Messi's 'penalty' foul) and the midfielders (Busquets and Iniesta) were uncharacteristically willing to give the ball to the front 3 right away.

Good stuff, but I think this approach will be limited to games against the best teams only. The players wont have this intensity in every game and the opponents also will not press so high as Atleti today.

 

[Antimadridista1]

We've seen this lineup a couple of times before but clearly today was different tactically. Messi and Neymar tracked back a lot (as evidenced by Messi's 'penalty' foul) and the midfielders (Busquets and Iniesta) were uncharacteristically willing to give the ball to the front 3 right away.

Good stuff, but I think this approach will be limited to games against the best teams only. The players wont have this intensity in every game and the opponents also will not press so high as Atleti today.

Atleti pressed high tonight because we scored early and the game and they had wanted to get the ball back to hurt us and then to score.
During the first ten minutes, it was nothing more than a bus in front of Moya .

 

[footyfan]

Atleti pressed high tonight because we scored early and the game and they had wanted to get the ball back to hurt us and then to score.
During the first ten minutes, it was nothing more than a bus in front of Moya .

I don't agree. Atleti press high all the time, and the 1-0 win against Barca in the CL is the perfect example, with them hitting the woodwork like 5 times. Another time was towards the end of the 1-1 draw that clinched them La Liga, in the 85th-90th minute they were hounding Messi and Busquets near the half way line.

Of course, once Barca stabilises its control over the ball and has numbers in the opposing half, Atleti have to retreat because there is no use pressing high in those moments.

 

[zoom]

We've seen this lineup a couple of times before but clearly today was different tactically. Messi and Neymar tracked back a lot (as evidenced by Messi's 'penalty' foul) and the midfielders (Busquets and Iniesta) were uncharacteristically willing to give the ball to the front 3 right away.

Good stuff, but I think this approach will be limited to games against the best teams only. The players wont have this intensity in every game and the opponents also will not press so high as Atleti today.

i'm totally agree with you. Today we have seen hungry players, like if they have a message to send for their dementors and they managed. Today, they touched the seventh sky.
But unfortunately, i don't think they can reproduce a such performance for each match.

 

[DinhoR10]

i'm totally agree with you. Today we have seen hungry players, like if they have a message to send for their dementors and they managed. Today, they touched the seventh sky.
But unfortunately, i don't think they can reproduce a such performance for each match.

We probably won't but with this system in place we should be able to dispatch most La Liga teams without hunger and for the CL the hunger is obviously there.

 

[Cruijffista]

Winning does cure all. I hope Lucho can build off this and not take 2 steps back with another wacky formation. This win probably bought him more time.

Lucho needs better man management and clear tactical vision going forward. Stop with the wacky formations that confuse the squad more than it does the opposition. Never ever bench Messi and Neymar again on a ground where we haven't won since 2007. I still don't understand the thought process behind that, taking in consideration that Elche at home was the next game in mid-week. Why not rest Messi and Neymar against Elche?

Rakitic didn't have to babysit Alves today and this was one of the best games I have seen him have in months.

This trio of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez can not be wasted. They all have a willingness to win together and it shows.

 

[KingMessi]

I still don't understand the thought process behind that, taking in consideration that Elche at home was the next game in mid-week. Why not rest Messi and Neymar against Elche?

It was probably a measure to ensure that they didn't get injured since they had just come back from vacations. But it royally backfired.

 

[Cruijffista]

i'm totally agree with you. Today we have seen hungry players, like if they have a message to send for their dementors and they managed. Today, they touched the seventh sky.
But unfortunately, i don't think they can reproduce a such performance for each match.

Against lower table opposition, put in the bench players who have a point to prove. Give Samper a shot. Let Adama get some shine. Let the likes of Messi and Neymar rest. Experiment against those type of teams instead of doing it in the big games.

Like the game against Elche in mid week, let Samper start and get some time with a club legend like Xavi.

 

[zoom]

We probably won't but with this system in place we should be able to dispatch most La Liga teams without hunger and for the CL the hunger is obviously there.

The problem with this system it's that it sufficient that a only player doesn't give his best to succeed this system, that will never work even against the liga teams (especially outside) . the evidence, it's not the first time that LE plays with this system. When you see how Messi fight for every ball (especially in the defensive phase), same thing for Neymar. The result is there and Barca becomes magic.

 

[zoom]

Against lower table opposition, put in the bench players who have a point to prove. Give Samper a shot. Let Adama get some shine. Let the likes of Messi and Neymar rest. Experiment against those type of teams instead of doing it in the big games.

Like the game against Elche in mid week, let Samper start and get some time with a club legend like Xavi.

Maybe at the camp nou we can do these experiments and against a very weak team like Elche. But seen our position we haven't this privilege.
we have need to fix our eleven team as soon as possible, this two months are primordial to save our season.

 

[mssarm]

I think Lucho is done with his experiments. Whatever happened at Sociedad game wasn't an experiment. He had them on the bench because Messi and Neymar both came from the vacation and he was afraid to injure them. Right after the goal Lucho didn't even wait that long to bring Messi in. We just got unlucky with that game. we could have played Ney and Messi from get go and still lose the game.

 

[mssarm]

Maybe at the camp nou we can do these experiments and against a very weak team like Elche. But seen our position we haven't this privilege.
we have need to fix our eleven team as soon as possible, this two months are primordial to save our season.

You can't experiment against weak teams=the results might be misguiding.

 

[Autumn]

If I were dropped into viewing this Atletico game with no prior knowledge of this season, or who's managing, I would have thought, "wow, that was a great and tactically sound match. Whoever is coaching us this year really has tapped into our skills. Good to see us back on top form."

But as much as I try to resist what I believe to be a fictional narrative this season, I haven't been able to help but attain some level of this heavy bias and negativity towards Lucho. And in having that, I do find it more difficult to have the thought I quoted above. But I think I'm unfair in doing so. He deserves a lot of credit.

The thing I've appreciated most from him is his use of Messi on the RW. This is my favorite Messi I've ever seen.

 

[te amo barca]

Luis Enrique: "Never heard the Camp Nou roar as much as when Atletico got a penalty. I like it when the crowd is behind the team."