Luis Enrique

[Capitan Puyol]

Tiki-taka doesn't worth anymore, it's cracked style of play, that's why Lucho try something different and we continue to win trophies. Tata Martino tried to re-create Pep's tiki-taka and we all know what's happened in the end...

 

[Raketa10]

I am truly grateful to Lucho for last two seasons but to compare Lucho and Pep is blasphemy. Tiki taka is not dead, only thing which is dead is our midfield.

And question to those guys who defend Lucho. Please name one young player in our team who was introduced and developed by Lucho in 3 years?!?! Only thing he knows is to tell Robert "buy me this player" and even with this approach, in his time here, only 2 of those new players (appart from Suarez) became starters (Rakitic and Umtiti) and that's it.

Oh and yes he also invented RM-RB (right midfield-right back) position. A true inovation in world of football. Inovation which disables both RM and RB player at once. Inovation which moves a RM player far away from the midfield and RB player is a player who is either a CM or RW.

 

[George_Costanza]

I am watching Man City playing quite beautiful football. Not sure it's winning football but they lead 1:0 after 20 minutes and dominate. Their passing is crisp and movement excellent, nice to watch. Possession 82% so far. Swansea is probably a worse team than Athletic Club, but our style of play has really suffered this year. Coaches can make a difference! I wonder how we would play with Pep as Coach.

I think City is not playing the Pep way 100% yet, probably 60-70% of his vision. He needs more time.

 

[Altomonte]

... however, the match ended 2:1 and Man City were lucky to score a late goal and win. They could not keep the high level of play in the second half. Neymar's good young friend Gabriel Jesus scored both goals. He is only 19 and makes Kun Aguëro sitting on the bench.
Anyway, Pep's system produced only a shaky result.

 

[FlaFCB]

Tiki-taka doesn't worth anymore, it's cracked style of play, that's why Lucho try something different and we continue to win trophies. Tata Martino tried to re-create Pep's tiki-taka and we all know what's happened in the end...

You know Pep hate that term, right?

And it's not about that. We played very good football under lucho, in 2015. His idea of bypassing the midfield entirely, as it is now, it's what's making the team play badly.

 

[Barcaman]

It would be much easier to take Lucho's, to use an euphemism, pragmatic style if he had given chances to our youth in these 3 years.

If we learned anything in transfer market in last 5 years or so is that our ability to buy great players dropped significantly. We simply need to turn to La Masia because getting more Ardas, Gomeses and Pacos next year won't work.

 

[BarcaOG]

i don't know where you anti-luchos are getting this idea that barcelona is only about a certain playing style or identity.

in pep's last season we managed to play some beautiful football, as is his style, but came up short when it mattered. back then, posters here were livid about the 'dogmatism', the fact that the 'cycle had ended' and that to play for possession's sake was absurd.

along came tito, and when we lost to 7-0 Bayern despite having dominated the ball--ie, despite playing according to 'our identity'-- posters here were calling for xavi's head and declaring his time here at an end after he said that despite the result 'we had kept the ball.'

so say what you will about a past that you colour in ways that don't accurately represent it, but to pretend that we are only about a certain way of playing, and not about getting results as well is ludicrous.

 

[LeeRomeno]

i don't know where you anti-luchos are getting this idea that barcelona is only about a certain playing style or identity.

in pep's last season we managed to play some beautiful football, as is his style, but came up short when it mattered. back then, posters here were livid about the 'dogmatism', the fact that the 'cycle had ended' and that to play for possession's sake was absurd.

along came tito, and when we lost to 7-0 Bayern despite having dominated the ball--ie, despite playing according to 'our identity'-- posters here were calling for xavi's head and declaring his time here at an end after he said that despite the result 'we had kept the ball.'

so say what you will about a past that you colour in ways that don't accurately represent it, but to pretend that we are only about a certain way of playing, and not about getting results as well is ludicrous.

So good to hear voice of sanity here every now and then. Pep just happened to be at right time in right place with right players. His failure with Bayern in CL and struggling in City show that in order for his style to work, he needed players like Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pique, Busi at their prime. Try doing same with Kolarov Fernandino and Zabaleta and results are nowhere the same. He would struggle to get same results with our current roster aswell.

 

[Barcaman]

Roma and Celta only got better after Lucho left. Maybe we will be too.

 

[Raketa10]

i don't know where you anti-luchos are getting this idea that barcelona is only about a certain playing style or identity.

in pep's last season we managed to play some beautiful football, as is his style, but came up short when it mattered. back then, posters here were livid about the 'dogmatism', the fact that the 'cycle had ended' and that to play for possession's sake was absurd.

along came tito, and when we lost to 7-0 Bayern despite having dominated the ball--ie, despite playing according to 'our identity'-- posters here were calling for xavi's head and declaring his time here at an end after he said that despite the result 'we had kept the ball.'

so say what you will about a past that you colour in ways that don't accurately represent it, but to pretend that we are only about a certain way of playing, and not about getting results as well is ludicrous.

Some points you stated are correct but do you honestly think we will win CL or La Liga this season by playing like this?! In Lucho's first season we played much better!!! Our defense was rock solid and midfield played different than in Pep's era but it was very very effective.

Problem started to emerge when Lucho bypassed midfield entirely and I am affraid this will cost us hugely. Have you watched last two games? In yesterday's game Bilbao could have destroyed us in first half and we also had a huge amount of luck against ATM in 2nd half. Even in the game against City where we won 4-0 we were inferior until Bravo got red card. There are very few games this year where we outplayed strong opponent. So no it's not just about winning games because we won't win any trophy by playing like this. I am afraid sooner or later someone will destroy us in CL.

We are not ATM to be able to get outplayed in majority of games and win La Liga or CL, we are just not phisically strong enough and we do not have type of players to play football like that.

Lucho had great first year and good second one but this third year is not something we can be happy about. We should also be aware that we are playing bad for almost 12 months now and that's a fact.

In the end I must say I will be very happy if we manage to win CL this year but I just do not see that happening. We never won anything when we played bad, we are not Chelsea or ATM and we also don't have Real type of luck.

 

[Capitan Puyol]

Roma and Celta only got better after Lucho left. Maybe we will be too.

Wow, not agree. Celta with Lucho and Rafinha 2013/2014 played attractive football. Watch many youtube's about their games in that season, also beating Real Madrid 2-0.

 

[BarcaOG]

Some points you stated are correct but do you honestly think we will win CL or La Liga this season by playing like this?! In Lucho's first season we played much better!!! Our defense was rock solid and midfield played different than in Pep's era but it was very very effective.

Problem started to emerge when Lucho bypassed midfield entirely and I am affraid this will cost us hugely. Have you watched last two games? In yesterday's game Bilbao could have destroyed us in first half and we also had a huge amount of luck against ATM in 2nd half. Even in the game against City where we won 4-0 we were inferior until Bravo got red card. There are very few games this year where we outplayed strong opponent. So no it's not just about winning games because we won't win any trophy by playing like this. I am afraid sooner or later someone will destroy us in CL.

We are not ATM to be able to get outplayed in majority of games and win La Liga or CL, we are just not phisically strong enough and we do not have type of players to play football like that.

Lucho had great first year and good second one but this third year is not something we can be happy about. We should also be aware that we are playing bad for almost 12 months now and that's a fact.

In the end I must say I will be very happy if we manage to win CL this year but I just do not see that happening. We never won anything when we played bad, we are not Chelsea or ATM and we also don't have Real type of luck.

Not the league, but I think we have as good a chance as Real/Bayern of taking the CL. Yes, it's true we've not been stellar this season. My point is more general and is meant for those here who demonize Lucho whether he wins or loses, which is absurd.

It's fine to talk about what went wrong when we drop points (i.e the losses to Alaves and City), but lately, after drawing Betis away and beating Atleti and Bilbao, all difficult games, there is an indefensible hostility toward Lucho. Consider too that Iniesta and Busquets are injured--and yet without these key players we've managed good results.

There is a general assumption here that the coach is single-handedly and individually responsible for everything at the club. That's silly: not only here, but everywhere. A club is three parts administration, coaching staff and players.

 

[TornAndFrayed]

The idea that criticism should only be allowed after a defeat or a draw makes no sense at all. Thankfully that's not the way it works.

 

[BarcaOG]

The idea that criticism should only be allowed after a defeat or a draw makes no sense at all. Thankfully that's not the way it works.

Not what I said. There's a difference though between insightful criticism and blind hostility. Here, it's mostly the latter.

Screaming and posting 'Lucho out!' 'sack him'! After we pick up difficult points/results is not criticism.

 

[TornAndFrayed]

Not what I said. There's a difference though between insightful criticism and blind hostility. Here, it's mostly the latter.

Screaming and posting 'Lucho out!' 'sack him'! After we pick up difficult points/results is not criticism.

Perhaps you should be more specific then. You're saying that there is a general assumption that Lucho is sole responsible ? You've seen the flak that players and board get here.
He is no scapegoat and the coach will always be massively scrutinized when the collective is mediocre.