Ernesto Valverde - V1

[Cule4life]

Overplaying Iniesta until he's injured- Check
Bench Semedo- Check
Bench Denis- Check
Force Bob at RB- Check
Make Rakitic unbenchable- Check

At this rate Valverde will be Lucho 2.0 with his idiotic decisions hampering the team.

 

[MessiCam]

Compared to last season, we have taken big step in being compact and clinical. Second half of last nights game was poor for sure, but overall, looking at this season, we have played very pragmatically, saved energy and what more, majority of chances that opposition has had has come from poor individual performances by some players, rather then being ineffective as team, which was problem last season. What makes us even more comparable to Italian teams is the fact that we are perfectly happy with 1-0, 2-0 scores and take foot of gaspedal after.
Also Valverde obviously likes, similar to Pep, a system with clear starting 11. This also means that rotations are not that often and that players need to take it easy and not push when it is not needed.
We played worse than we play now last time we won treble.
And there are big changes in how we play vs last season, it really is hard to take anyone seriously, who does not notice that.

What clear starting 11? If you mean that Rakitic and Suárez have a starting spot nailed then you’d be right but other than that in defence Piqué has been rotated heavily, Semedo too. In midfield Gomes has been used as RM, LCM, DM and LM while Deulofeu has been used as LW, RW and as a RM. Add to that Denis as LCM, LM as well as LW & RW. Valverde is all over the place in terms of selections and systems. Against Betis he used a 4-2-3-1, Alaves, Espanyol, Juventus, Getafe and Eibar a 4-3-3 (False 9), Since the Girona game it’s been 4-4-2 non stop except against Olympiacos and Murcia in which 4-3-3 was used again.

Funny thing is our most convincing games have been when we played our classic 4-3-3 formation but it was also the games in which Suárez struggled the most.

Anybody who has supported this club for any number of years knows that attacking wing play is pivotal to our system. Valverde wants to turn us into Man Utd. I’m not having any of it.

 

[MessiCam]

Yeah, we should fire him on the back of a transferwindow with the biggest fuckups in near-history, and a record-start to the league?
Do you want us to become RM, who fires Rafa without giving him any chance at all. Valverde has even got a bigger squad than he wants because our sporting department could get rid of Paco and Arda. Of course he should be given a transferwindow or two to modulate the squad and get his methods through to the players.

In addition: There is such little respect for other La Liga sides. It is expected for us to win 3-0 easily and play pretty and fluid, and not conceding any chances. There are some great opposition out there, and it will never be possible to win deserved and convincing every game, it is just unrealistic to expect.

And take a glance over the squad: Maybe Valverde wants some changes too, he just didn't get them, let us hope we manage to do something in January. Not that I agree with everything he does - it is clearly non-understandable to bench Semedo.

I think all reasonable fans are aware that some games you just win ugly or you scrap a draw etc but when it becomes a trend it’s time for a rethink. Barcelona’s last convincing game was against Eibar. That’s 8 matches ago. Let that sink in.

 

[LeeRomeno]

What clear starting 11? If you mean that Rakitic and Suárez have a starting spot nailed then you’d be right but other than that in defence Piqué has been rotated heavily, Semedo too. In midfield Gomes has been used as RM, LCM, DM and LM while Deulofeu has been used as LW, RW and as a RM. Add to that Denis as LCM, LM as well as LW & RW. Valverde is all over the place in terms of selections and systems. Against Betis he used a 4-2-3-1, Alaves, Espanyol, Juventus, Getafe and Eibar a 4-3-3 (False 9), Since the Girona game it’s been 4-4-2 non stop except against Olympiacos and Murcia in which 4-3-3 was used again.

Funny thing is our most convincing games have been when we played our classic 4-3-3 formation but it was also the games in which Suárez struggled the most.

Anybody who has supported this club for any number of years knows that attacking wing play is pivotal to our system. Valverde wants to turn us into Man Utd. I’m not having any of it.

Dunno, it feels pretty obvious that we would start with TerStegen/Dembele/Suarez/Messi/Iniesta/Busquets/Rakitic/Alba/Umtiti/Pique/S.Roberto. Dembeles injury ruined that idea, so he has tried different things indeed, but it is pretty clear those names, if healthy, would start in most important games. There are few key subs or potential starters, who can play if there is certain opponent or style we need, mainly Semedo, Paulinho, Deulofeu and Gomes (originally i though D.Suarez would be that guy, but i guess Gomes has impressed him more lately). I think if Dembele returns, Semedo will most likely also take permanent spot as RB.
I never said he does not rotate, but he is not obsessed with it like Lucho and rotation by Valverde usually means changing 2-3 players max from lineup, while Lucho always used MSN and switched everything behind more or less every game.

 

[BarçaBarça]

I think all reasonable fans are aware that some games you just win ugly or you scrap a draw etc but when it becomes a trend it’s time for a rethink. Barcelona’s last convincing game was against Eibar. That’s 8 matches ago. Let that sink in.

I trust that we will step up, when competition gets better. We have played just fine, when we have played against good opposition.

 

[MessiCam]

Things could be worse though. Like playing crap and dropping points like Madrid. Zidane is well and truly in over his head... Give that midfield to Barça or even just Isco and our side is transformed.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think all reasonable fans are aware that some games you just win ugly or you scrap a draw etc but when it becomes a trend it’s time for a rethink. Barcelona’s last convincing game was against Eibar. That’s 8 matches ago. Let that sink in.

It wasnt. Barca have been the better team in vitually all those wins to now and played better away to Bilbao and Atletico than have in many games in recent years

If Valerverde was trying to play some old style 4-3-3 based too much on posession people would be moaning he is one dimensional and dont have players to do it.

Valverde is doing a good job so far.

 

[mssarm]

It wasnt. Barca have been the better team in vitually all those wins to now and played better away to Bilbao and Atletico than have in many games in recent years

If Valerverde was trying to play some old style 4-3-3 based too much on posession people would be moaning he is one dimensional and dont have players to do it.

Valverde is doing a good job so far.

I have to agree. With the current squad he is doing the best possible. I'm sure our style will change once Dembele is back, but too early to make assessment if he is going to be flop or success. The fans getting all poisonous and asking for coach's head in October when the team is still has not lost a single game is ridiculous, but not new in this forum. Still having a hard time to call "fans" people who wish the team loss just get the coach fired.

 

[Neymessi]

It wasnt. Barca have been the better team in vitually all those wins to now and played better away to Bilbao and Atletico than have in many games in recent years

If Valerverde was trying to play some old style 4-3-3 based too much on posession people would be moaning he is one dimensional and dont have players to do it.

Valverde is doing a good job so far.

No he really isn't. He can't do basic lineups and fucks them up week in week out in every possible way. Can't imagine someone who can't even get lineups right to be intellectual enough in advanced football tactics. We have been playing subpar with a weak overall play and indivdal performances bailing us out every now and then

Bilbao away was just another example of that with messi and mats saving our ass.

 

[JamDav1982]

No he really isn't. He can't do basic lineups and fucks them up week in week out in every possible way. Can't imagine someone who can't even get lineups right to be intellectual enough in advanced football tactics. We have been playing subpar with a weak overall play and indivdal performances bailing us out every now and then

Bilbao away was just another example of that with messi and mats saving our ass.

Yes he really is and all the talk on here before season was about how shit the squad is and Real have most amazing depth in world and set to dominate for years.

Valverde has that squad 8 points clear and have been the better team in virtually every game.

His 'basic lineups' have been winning near enough every game despite missing out on Coutinho and Dembele injury.

Bilbao away a number of players played well - Paulinho, Messi, Umtiti, Mats. This idea it is all about individuals winning it is bollocks.

Bilbao away is a tough game and failed many times there.

 

[Neymessi]

With all his faults I don't think anyone will "tear us apart" as some suggest here.

I think there aren't any great teams right now. We are shit, real is shit, bayern is struggling, ateltico is shit, PSG are overrated and they really lack chemistry.

If there were top teams like us 2 years back or RM and atletico 3 years back or even bayern 1 year back they would have definitely outplayed us and maybe even anhilated us.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think there aren't any great teams right now. We are shit, real is shit, bayern is struggling, ateltico is shit, PSG are overrated and they really lack chemistry.

If there were top teams like us 2 years back or RM and atletico 3 years back or even bayern 1 year back they would have definitely outplayed us and maybe even anhilated us.

So Barca can win it all as the rest are shit? Just need to be less shit.

 

[mssarm]

What did Pep do in hist first year in City? It took him a year and 400M to show some results. What do you expect EV to do with this shitty squad and I just want to remind people how Neymar fucked us with transfers and preseason.

 

[Neymessi]

Yes he really is and all the talk on here before season was about how shit the squad is and Real have most amazing depth in world and set to dominate for years.

Valverde has that squad 8 points clear and have been the better team in virtually every game.

His 'basic lineups' have been winning near enough every game despite missing out on Coutinho and Dembele injury.

You are focussing on results. Most of the times we haven't been that convinving while winning and the overall play is just meh but okay if you disagree on that.

But his lineups are definitely a joke. No 2 ways about it. You argue that his lineups are winnig games which means you are just looking at the final results like most here.

They are mostly bogus and I am not blaming him for not having a good enough squad but he isn't picking the right players for the matches out of what he has. Hardly any minutes for semedo and denis and keeping on playing raki who just sucks ass and iniesta who can't play too much and also force roberto to play RB.

So what if we have been winning with his terrible lineups? We lost a lot due to luchos lineups but there were also plenty of matches we won with his terrible lineups. Thing is we were lucky to win with those lineups and we are still lucky to win now. They are no way a right choice and if you look at the 3 seasons under lucho you will see that our overall play didn't always suck. Didn't mean lucho knew shit.

 

[Neymessi]

So Barca can win it all as the rest are shit? Just need to be less shit.

Yeah but the thing is there is a good chance we will be more shit than them when we collide.