Ronald Koeman is new Barca manager

[Andresito]

Easier said than done

 

[XaviTheBestCmEver]

----------------MATS----------------
Semedo-----Araujo---Lenglet-----Alba

----------Pjanic-----DeJong----------

Dembele--------Messi----------Fati

------------------9------------------

messi cant play there, he needs to play false nine

 

[Alik]

Seems really happy to be back at Barca.

Check out this video he posted: https://twitter.com/RonaldKoeman/status/1296181030114734080

 

[Vilarrubi]

Seems really happy to be back at Barca.

Check out this video he posted: https://twitter.com/RonaldKoeman/status/1296181030114734080

Class vid.

 

[JohnN]

Seems really happy to be back at Barca.

Check out this video he posted: https://twitter.com/RonaldKoeman/status/1296181030114734080

Nice one!!
I really hope he doesn't disappoint and doesn't get disappointed.

 

[Alik]

Nice one!!
I really hope he doesn't disappoint and doesn't get disappointed.

So do I.

Summary of quotes from his first press conference:

"We Dutchmen love to keep the ball and dominate, not run after it. I learned to play good football and same while managing as well. I feel ready for this job."

"There are players who have reached a certain age and can't compete at a certain level. But we respect everyone and we will do what's best for the team."

"I don't want to take names of players. But we are working together and will take the right decisions."

"Messi is the best in the world. I would love for him to stay many years. I don't know if I have to convince him to stay."

"It's not necessary that a player is finished at 32 or 33. The important thing is the desire to win. I want to work with players who want to play for this great club."

"A heavy defeat like that is not acceptable, not even against Bayern. We want to improve things, and bring back the good times."

"Elections? I have a two year contract. I will do my best, but as a manager, you can never be sure."

"Suarez? I won't talk about individual players here, out of respect."

"Frenkie De Jong has not been playing at his best position here. With me, he played closer to the defense. We will do the best for him."

"It is time to play youngsters who are deserving. We need to play with more intensity."

"There must be a balance of young players and experienced players."

Source: Barcacentre

 

[Andresito]

I think Messi is an intelligent enough player to adapt to this position, especially with movement in front of him and a double pivot behind. When he plays RW now we need superman at RB to cover the whole right side which Semedo definately is NOT.

It's not about Messi not being intelligent enough. The guy is 33 and very lazy in defense. No coach is going to be able to change him.

I've suggested before that Messi starting out as RW could work with a mobile RCM like Bernardo who takes advantage of the space Messi leaves when he wanders inside.
Di Maria did this well at Madrid too.

Not a 4 4 2 no, the wide players would still be attacking forwards pressing high, NOT wide midfield players, just Messi would drop to make a three in MF. If anything it would transition to a 4-3-3, not a 4-4-2

So a 4-2-4.

In a 4-2-3-1 you want at least one dynamic CM to make second wave runs into the box.
But that's provided that somebody can cover together with the other CM. Messi won't track back from his CAM position, so it comes down to the wingers being able to cover ground.

When typing a formation I think one should start from how the defensive shape will look. Attack is supposed to be done fluidly so numbers in formation here doesn't matter much.

A 4-2-3-1 with Messi CAM that people are suggesting will in reality be a 4-4-2 for most part of the game.

 

[Kubala]

It's not about Messi not being intelligent enough. The guy is 33 and very lazy in defense. No coach is going to be able to change him.

I've suggested before that Messi starting out as RW could work with a mobile RCM like Bernardo who takes advantage of the space Messi leaves when he wanders inside.
Di Maria did this well at Madrid too.



So a 4-2-4.

In a 4-2-3-1 you want at least one dynamic CM to make second wave runs into the box.
But that's provided that somebody can cover together with the other CM. Messi won't track back from his CAM position, so it comes down to the wingers being able to cover ground.

When typing a formation I think one should start from how the defensive shape will look. Attack is supposed to be done fluidly so numbers in formation here doesn't matter much.

A 4-2-3-1 with Messi CAM that people are suggesting will in reality be a 4-4-2 for most part of the game.

No, not 4-2-4, why keep suggesting everything OTHER than 4-2-3-1 which is what I'm saying. Okay, you don't think it will work but I think it's the only way to get the best out of Messi' last years and not be pushovers, and I think Messi could play there AS a 4-2-3-1 if he has the desire. He has all the other attributes.

 

[te amo barca]

I've written this plenty of times, but seeing as there are some new posters here I'm gonna repeat it.

4-2-3-1 with Messi doesn't work. It doesn't exist. He won't play as a traditional CAM but will instead drop from a more attacking position, like he does today. Conclusion is either we play 4-2-4 or the wingers drop down a notch and we play 4-4-2.
For that to work out the RM and LM needs to be disciplined, especially if we have two natural RW/LW playing RM/LM.

We always need at least 3 players behind Messi, if he plays at RW in a 4-3-3 or CF in 4-3-3/4-4-2, that comes naturally.
CAM only works if we play without wingers, 4-3-1-2 but even then Messi tends to end up as the RF.

You're goddamn right. Messi can't change his habits at 33 years old.

 

[Adversus]

Pretty shocked at this decision. Koeman basically ruined my club and set them back decades. When he joined we had Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu and others. He sold all our good players, took another 300m from a once in a generation opportunity due to having a new owner and basically wasted it on a lot of players who didn't perform which we have then been unable to shift due to high wages.

I don't think there is one Everton fan who has a good word to say about him.

He came into the club with the same philosophy of requiring the players to work hard. I honestly never saw any difference between their workrate of the players under him and Martinez but it wouldn't surprise me if he secretly didn't want Messi to stay.

 

[Andrew M]

Pretty shocked at this decision. Koeman basically ruined my club and set them back decades. When he joined we had Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu and others. He sold all our good players, took another 300m from a once in a generation opportunity due to having a new owner and basically wasted it on a lot of players who didn't perform which we have then been unable to shift due to high wages.

I don't think there is one Everton fan who has a good word to say about him.

He came into the club with the same philosophy of requiring the players to work hard. I honestly never saw any difference between their workrate of the players under him and Martinez but it wouldn't surprise me if he secretly didn't want Messi to stay.

But how much of the recruitment and player sales involved him? I doubt they'd hand him that much responsibility

 

[Messigician]

Pretty shocked at this decision. Koeman basically ruined my club and set them back decades. When he joined we had Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu and others. He sold all our good players, took another 300m from a once in a generation opportunity due to having a new owner and basically wasted it on a lot of players who didn't perform which we have then been unable to shift due to high wages.

I don't think there is one Everton fan who has a good word to say about him.

He came into the club with the same philosophy of requiring the players to work hard. I honestly never saw any difference between their workrate of the players under him and Martinez but it wouldn't surprise me if he secretly didn't want Messi to stay.

Everton have been dross before Koeman and after Koeman, shit sporting direction.

 

[Adversus]

But how much of the recruitment and player sales involved him? I doubt they'd hand him that much responsibility

It's always hard to say for certain but the football wasn't good either.

I'm just surprised by the appointment but then again with Messi it's debatable how much power a coach actually has at Barca.

 

[Belgian]

I'm just surprised by the appointment but then again with Messi it's debatable how much power a coach actually has at Barca.

the whole chain is sick
scouting doesn't work, transfers are a disaster (eg braithwaite), there has to be a concept of rebuilding the team and squad, what about la masia, coaching staff has been a disaster since enrique, ...

 

[Adversus]

Pretty shocked at this decision. Koeman basically ruined my club and set them back decades. When he joined we had Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu and others. He sold all our good players, took another 300m from a once in a generation opportunity due to having a new owner and basically wasted it on a lot of players who didn't perform which we have then been unable to shift due to high wages.

I don't think there is one Everton fan who has a good word to say about him.

He came into the club with the same philosophy of requiring the players to work hard. I honestly never saw any difference between their workrate of the players under him and Martinez but it wouldn't surprise me if he secretly didn't want Messi to stay.

Maybe he wasn't very secret at all.