I would argue that La Liga was much harder to win back then though, but fair point
Lliga | Round 28: Real Betis - FC Barcelona 1-4
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I would argue that La Liga was much harder to win back then though, but fair point
Joan
Well-known member
Goes both ways. We were also better back than. Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Alves, Neymar later... also think the league has lost some of its quality, but I say Valverde did very well. Nothing like Pep - a unique feat, but a usual quality term.
messi2140
6racies Xavi
And Valverde would still be playing with Deco in the midfield and a bunch of other senior players and he would have never trusted Busquets the way Pep did. Just to name a few.
What's forgotten is that at the point in time that Pep joined Barcelona, the situation around the club was similar to what Valverde inherited. The team just finished 3rd in LaLiga (10 points behind Villarreal!) and went out of the Champions League versus Man Utd without hardly a shot in two legs.
So both in their own ways done amazing things in the first season. The difference was that Valverde completely messed up in Rome while Pep got extremely lucky against Chelsea.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would expect us to win LaLiga the season afterwards (much like when Valverde took over). At that point in time many questioned if Iniesta-Xavi could work as a midfield partnership and journalists questioned if Pep was ready for the job after the first two league games results. I distinctly remember Cryuff (rip) coming out and saying Barcelona played great and not to look at the results as they would come. Look how right the great man was.
Valverde would have probably kept Deco though (but not Dinho). But he probably would have wanted to keep Eto'o and not request Adebayor and Hleb.
As for this game, totally get the Vidal starting inclusion. After the Camp Nou game result, Valverde felt the need to adjust and add solidarity in the away game. Just hope this doesn't become a norm going forward in tough games when Dembele is fit and back, as Dembele offensive game is a huge aid to our defense.
Aryagorn
Improvin' Perfection!!
Juventus did
Joan
Well-known member
Barca 7 big chances vs Betis one. xG 3,8 to 1,16... what was better about their football? The second part is subjective anyways...
Messi983
Senior Member
But Betis had possession. They should've get 4 goals for that fact alone. Who cares about actually creating chances and scoring goals when you can have useless (most of the time) possession?
We've played exactly the way we should against a possesion obssessed manager. Only Pep and maybe Paco Jemez are worse in that regard than Setien.
SeloBarca
Senior Member
Betis had some chances, but the quality of the players are not of Barcelonas standard.
Betis had better possession and better passing game, pressing us back and we once again played a counteraatacking type of football like Real Madrid.
If Betis had Barcelona quality type of players, they most likely would have won the game.
Potroh
New member
What is the point of doing sex with someone else, when you can do that alone, and the end-product remains the same...???
Joan
Well-known member
Wasn't genius or anything, but a well-constructed gameplan. Players knew their roles, looked like a team out there creating a platform for individuals to shine (what's the point of having the best of the best if you're not relying on their individual skills?). From moment one I knew we're winning it. Rakitić, Busquets, Arthur counter-pressing, Vidal, Alba, Suarez making runs, Messi roaming around ... combined so well helping us create. Frankly, a thing of beatuy, I enjoyed last night's match. Couldn't care less about possession percentage.
You're telling me if Bets had better players they'd, you believe, create better chances winning the match in the end? Because they didn't create better chances (which I showed) despite 'better possession'. You believe possession-based approach is vastly superior to any other and that, given appropriate conditions, it would prevail. Maybe. But that's another discussion. Which has little to do with Barca's match against Betis.
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