Ernesto Valverde - V1

draconifire

New member
I think him being a rival coach for all these years has really helped him with his tactics here. He must have devoted long hours to figure us out. He also can think of tactics that the rival team must think of when facing us. He knows each of the teams in the league very well.

All of these factors contribute us having a very strong first-half showing in the league, let's see how he does in the CL where he doesn't have much experience in the high-level knockout rounds.
 

Barcaman

Administrator
Staff member
I think him being a rival coach for all these years has really helped him with his tactics here. He must have devoted long hours to figure us out. He also can think of tactics that the rival team must think of when facing us. He knows each of the teams in the league very well.

All of these factors contribute us having a very strong first-half showing in the league, let's see how he does in the CL where he doesn't have much experience in the high-level knockout rounds.

Pep and Lucho had 0 experience in CL and both won it in their first attempt. I wouldn't worry much.
 

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
I think him being a rival coach for all these years has really helped him with his tactics here. He must have devoted long hours to figure us out. He also can think of tactics that the rival team must think of when facing us. He knows each of the teams in the league very well.

All of these factors contribute us having a very strong first-half showing in the league, let's see how he does in the CL where he doesn't have much experience in the high-level knockout rounds.

He did much better in away games than Lucio. Especially vs Juve.
 

Joan

Well-known member
I just think that he understands the game very well and that his prior experience won't help him against particular teams but teams in general. He understands the way we play of course and can probably think of as many ways to confront it as most of the top-class coaches if not more, him being a brilliant tactician.
Also, he understands the importance of physicality against certain teams which might (as BBZ often illustrates) prove crucial for the CL ties. Not forgetting his ability and tendency to adjust the style to the opponent.
I believe we can, if lucky, go far and certainly won't get trashed.
 

xXKonan

Senior Member
Lucho's biggest weakness was the fact he wasn't a great tactician. But I did sort of understand what he wanted to do which to be fair worked during the second half of the treble season and most of the double season as well.

2016/17 season it just came crashing down, the signs were there during the second half of the double season but Lucho failed to really combat the issues we had. to me though that season I really felt Lucho didn't really understand what he had in terms of players and how to bring out the best of them. Despite the issues we had I respect Lucho a lot even if the end left a sour feeling.

Valverde was a bit of a mystery, no one can doubt his work at Bilbao and at Espanyol and even in Greece but there was that unknown if he can translate all that to the club. we had a rough summer due to the Neymar saga and that bad Supercopa matches we lost to Real and losing your big name signing in Dembele to injury but we rebounded a lot since then.

Valverde did what I felt Lucho, failed to do and that was to get the most out of the players and creating a good sound system that emphasised on Control and Defense and overall strong team work which had been missing for awhile now.

Sure there were a number of games we looked boring and we needed some special magic from Messi to win them but overall you get the idea on what Valverde wanted to do. and it has payed so far and we are looking better and better and with Dembele back and Coutinho and Yerry joining this window things are looking even better.
 

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
Lucho's biggest weakness was the fact he wasn't a great tactician. But I did sort of understand what he wanted to do which to be fair worked during the second half of the treble season and most of the double season as well.

2016/17 season it just came crashing down, the signs were there during the second half of the double season but Lucho failed to really combat the issues we had. to me though that season I really felt Lucho didn't really understand what he had in terms of players and how to bring out the best of them. Despite the issues we had I respect Lucho a lot even if the end left a sour feeling.

Valverde was a bit of a mystery, no one can doubt his work at Bilbao and at Espanyol and even in Greece but there was that unknown if he can translate all that to the club. we had a rough summer due to the Neymar saga and that bad Supercopa matches we lost to Real and losing your big name signing in Dembele to injury but we rebounded a lot since then.

Valverde did what I felt Lucho, failed to do and that was to get the most out of the players and creating a good sound system that emphasised on Control and Defense and overall strong team work which had been missing for awhile now.

Sure there were a number of games we looked boring and we needed some special magic from Messi to win them but overall you get the idea on what Valverde wanted to do. and it has payed so far and we are looking better and better and with Dembele back and Coutinho and Yerry joining this window things are looking even better.

Double season under Lucho we still played quite well, but got burned out(because transfer ban earlier). We just didn't have big enough roster to play in all competitions and we started playing well again after dropping from CL (which we should have won, If we didn't **** up huge chances in the first leg vs Atletico.) Anyway, I felt like double season was still good play from us, but you could clearly see our starting 11 getting burned out. We just had no proper substitutes. Look at couple years back and check our bench. It was miserable. That's why next off-season we got D.Suarez, Umtiti, Digne etc. We needed more depth. It was crucial move at that point.

Last season we weren't on same level anymore and we were no longer the team to beat. We had no chance vs PSG and Juventus away. We were poor TEAM.

Valverde has made Barcelona team again. In a hindsight Neymar leaving could have been saving grace for this team. We had to change, instead of seeing the same problems we saw last year with Neymar on team and rest of the team had to up their level of play as well.
 
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xXKonan

Senior Member
Double season under Lucho we still played quite well, but got burned out(because transfer ban earlier). We just didn't have big enough roster to play in all competitions and we started playing well again after dropping from CL (which we should have won, If we didn't **** up huge chances in the first leg vs Atletico.) Anyway, I felt like double season was still good play from us, but you could clearly see our starting 11 getting burned out. We just had no proper substitutes. Look at couple years back and check our bench. It was miserable. That's why next off-season we got D.Suarez, Umtiti, Digne etc. We needed more depth. It was crucial move at that point.

Last season we weren't on same level anymore and we were no longer the team to beat. We had no chance vs PSG and Juventus away. We were poor TEAM.

Valverde has made Barcelona team again. In a hindsight Neymar leaving could have been saving grace for this team. We had to change, instead of seeing the same problems we saw last year with Neymar on team and rest of the team had to up their level of play as well.
I think a lot of it has to do with Lucho's insistence on trying to bypass the Midfield. Even at our Best under Lucho, there were still flaws on how he setup the Midfield.

We were so open last season and all it took was two moves and it completely opened up the midfield and it exposed the defense. We didn't have much control at all sadly, this season Valverde brought it back. Sure we don't have a Xavi like Midfielder but we are controlling games with a group effort which is nice.
 

MessiTHEgoat

New member
Difficult to name great season when we let Real to win CL.

tbf, that season was even greater than the 14/15 one till april, we lost our form in the most important part of the season. we were already in a 39 match unbtean streak. humilating a lot of teams and winning by a huge margine. 6-1 was a normal sight in the nou camp.

on the other hand. since april everything went great for real madrid, they closed the points gap in laliga from 12 to 1 point. they got wolfburg ( they were having a bad season in the bundesliga) in the QF, and pellegrini's man ciy in the SF. they got totally outclassed by ATM in the final as greizmann missed the pen ( and ramos's goal was offside)

never seen such luck favoring a Team in the ucl since chelsea 11/12.
 
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khaled_a_d

Senior Member
Lucho's biggest weakness was the fact he wasn't a great tactician. But I did sort of understand what he wanted to do which to be fair worked during the second half of the treble season and most of the double season as well.

2016/17 season it just came crashing down, the signs were there during the second half of the double season but Lucho failed to really combat the issues we had. to me though that season I really felt Lucho didn't really understand what he had in terms of players and how to bring out the best of them. Despite the issues we had I respect Lucho a lot even if the end left a sour feeling.

Valverde was a bit of a mystery, no one can doubt his work at Bilbao and at Espanyol and even in Greece but there was that unknown if he can translate all that to the club. we had a rough summer due to the Neymar saga and that bad Supercopa matches we lost to Real and losing your big name signing in Dembele to injury but we rebounded a lot since then.

Valverde did what I felt Lucho, failed to do and that was to get the most out of the players and creating a good sound system that emphasised on Control and Defense and overall strong team work which had been missing for awhile now.

Sure there were a number of games we looked boring and we needed some special magic from Messi to win them but overall you get the idea on what Valverde wanted to do. and it has payed so far and we are looking better and better and with Dembele back and Coutinho and Yerry joining this window things are looking even better.

Lucho won the treble while almost out coaching every coach he faced in CL or Liga in 2nd half, he was never a bad tactically
We lost a bit in 15/16 because of squad being thin and aged, thanks to transfer ban that fucked us
His weakness was last season, when he simply was out of ideas and exhausted as a coach, and even then he was able to get some great performance out of his hat in Remontada and both Classicos.
But Pep once described the reason he left is that he had no more ideas to try in the team, that was Lucho problem last season and he figured that early and refused to renew.
EV is giving us fresh ideas and change, it doesn't mean he is better or worse. some time change even if same level of coaching would make huge difference
 

gregorrin10

Senior Member
I think we just might edge a win here this year...i have a good feeling. Valverde was made overrated by a lot of us here, partly including me. But he's done really well so far, team selection and tactics wise. Not to mention Sociedad was his main rival for years, being a Bilbao manager and all, so he'll be that much more motivated to get this right and get us a long awaited league win at Anoeta.
 
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