Luis Enrique

[khaled_a_d]

Paco was never going to be a player who leads the line for Barca. Plus the amount of money spent on him lol.

In hindsight, Mbappe was better but Dembele had also shown incredible talent.

Dembele was never a bigger talent or better fit than Mbappe, and he showed his chaos way if playing in BVB

 

[soul24rage]

Dembele was never a bigger talent or better fit than Dembele, who should his chaos way if playing in BVB

A better talent back in summer 2017? I'm not so sure as we were talking about potential.

A better fit? Agree. The scout team should have done a better job in scouting to see that Dembele's first touch and close dribbling was bad.

Point is, I don't blame Barto for going for Dembele if they thought it was unfeasible to get Mbappe at the time.

 

[Don Juan Laporta Estruch]

If I was the manager I wouldn't have asked Messi to press for a moment. What a waste of energy. The thought of it disgusts me. It is like asking Miss World to dance with The Elephant Man.

Messi not pressing didn't kill us. It was the fact that there were others who didn't as well. I would have wanted Messi to save every drop of energy in winning us the game. And, just like Dinho before him who didn't press, he would have duly obliged.

I saw nothing wrong with the team playing for Messi. Infact, it was the best tactic one could ever use at the time.

 

[malvolio]

I thought this was yesterday’s news. As good as Messi was, impossible to deny he cost the team (together with Suarez) against opponents that had means to (and did) punish us. Doesn’t mean we were better without them, but serious objectives were out of reach. And indeed, we did not reach any. Pressing and defending are crucial, pretty limited options with two old guys upfront walking and talking.

Biggest issue was Neymar leaving and us scrambling to cover his departure by signing players not fit for the squad we had.

All signings that theoretically should have kept us in contention for trophies post 2016, failed - Coutinho, Dembele, Mina, Paulinho, Griezmann, Semedo, Gomes, Alcacer, FDJ etc

Actually the best signings Barto made after 2016 were Umtiti(before injury) and Pedri?

 

[khaled_a_d]

A better talent back in summer 2017? I'm not so sure as we were talking about potential.

He was two levels better in terms of talent, ability and potential, and it was clear back then. They weren't comparable, it was just Fernandez having a narrow vision and being hell bent on getting his guy.

 

[malvolio]

He was two levels better in terms of talent, ability and potential, and it was clear back then. They weren't comparable, it was just Fernandez having a narrow vision and being hell bent on getting his guy.

Tbf we would have competed with Qatar over his signature. Dunno if we would have won.

But agreed that Mbappe was already tearing up both Ligue 1 and CL heavy hitters at the time.

 

[vegitot]

Pep: Messi shouldn't press.
Klopp: Messi shouldn't press.

Literally two best pressing coaches in football say so but a bum on barcaforum think he is clever.

And, just like Dinho before him who didn't press, he would have duly obliged.

I saw nothing wrong with the team playing for Messi. Infact, it was the best tactic one could ever use at the time.

In general the number 10 doesn't like to press and has poor defensive workrate. It's inevitable. They have that privilege because they usually are the most talented in the team.

 

[vegitot]

Don't teach me football. I understand it a thousand times better than you do. I see football differently than you do, because I also have experience as an analyst and have read a lot of papers and watched a lot of coaches' lectures. You're just a fan who counts goals and assists.

Back to Ferran Torres cave pls.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Tbf we would have competed with Qatar over his signature. Dunno if we would have won.

But agreed that Mbappe was already tearing up both Ligue 1 and CL heavy hitters at the time.

We didn't even try, so we would never know for sure.

But you have Unai telling Valverde that Mbappe wanted us after the Neymar deal, as he felt he will be a natural replacement for Neymar, and how they worked hard to convincehimto come to Paris. And Zahavi who brokered the deal, saying Monaco wanted to sell abroad, but no club put a competitive offer.

So, we really had a chance, though PSG might have made even bigger offers to humiliate us again.

 

[soul24rage]

He was two levels better in terms of talent, ability and potential, and it was clear back then. They weren't comparable, it was just Fernandez having a narrow vision and being hell bent on getting his guy.

Not really that clear as Dembele had a great season at Dortmund, especially if we factor in the adaptation time as he just moved there from a different country and language in a tougher league.

But I can get by the idea that Mbappe was more talented at the time

 

[Joan]

Messi and amigos not pressing worked great for Pep and Klopp. Especially the latter.

 

[vegitot]

Most crazy transfer under Barto was that Suarez's back up after he was injuried in early 2020: Braithwaite

Lucho definitely learned a lot from his time here with wrong transfer policy.

 

[TheStig]

The problem was never Messi, it was that he was surrounded with Suarez, Busquets and Pique who also couldn't run, others like Roberto, Cou, Dembele, Alba weren't much better. Put 2020 Messi in the current young energetic team and we would dominate.

 

[Messigician]

but serious objectives were out of reach

Why do fools say this

If agent Dumbele left the ball for pique we win the treble lmao

Football is fine margins

 

[Messigician]

Before M3ls comes in and say it was Messi who kept Suarez at Barca and decided the lineup, Bartomeu had no problem selling Suarez to ATM

Pretty sure we literally go bankrupt if he didn’t lmfao