You are right about Rustu sucking big time in Barca. And you also right about Victor Valdes stepping up to cover the Turks mistakes, earning a starter place as goalkeeper for Barcelona. But YOU ARE WRONG on one thing - it was not Frank Rijkaard, mate. It was Louis Van Gaal who gave Victor the chance to earn his spot. Later Van Gaal got sacked, I think sometime in the spring of 2003, after which Radomir Antic took control of the team, balancing the team to a marvelous 6th place finish. And Rustu was sold or loaned back to Fenerbahce right at the start of Laporta reign.
Signing Larsson, Ezquerro and Henry proved that he was not pleased with the quality available at Barcelona B at the time. Larsson was a short-term gain, Ezquerro was total crap, Henry never really made impact until Pep came along. Bojan never made it big, he had potential though. I love Rijkaard for introducing Iniesta and Oleguer to the squad, but they both were not much convincing in the Rijkaard era. Oleguer had a good season and was instrumental in our Champions League run in 2005-06. But that was the beginning of his decline. And of course we have to be grateful for the introduction of Messi, who spent many months on the injured list.
Rijkaard was good coach, the right one at the time, being a protege of Cruyff (who had great relationship with Laporta), but Frank wasn't a great coach. He owes big part of his legacy to the individual brilliance of non-La Masia players like Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Ludovic Guily, Deco etc. Maybe you remember that for some time in 2004/05 we played without strikers, Kluivert and Saviola injured, it was crazy. Eto'o interview for BEIN Sports in 2014 states that he wasn't really even in charge of the dressing room. Now that's something I don't want to believe.
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Piece of honest advice:Google b4 you post
1-Rustu was signed/agreed to sign days before we appointed Rijkaard, he was one of 3 Laporta promises during election Beckham,Rustu and one of Koeman & Hiddink,
Valdes made his debut in 02/03 but wasn't considered trusted enough to be Barca starting GK,that is why Rustu was considered important deal,the GK that wil end Barca misery at the position,only Rijkaard had another opinion and put faith in VV from day one and never looked back.
2-Henry didn't make impact? Henry was our top scorer in the whole season mate under Rijkaard. and since 2006 Txiki made it clear that signings are made by him not by Rijkaard anyway.
3-Kluivert and Saviola wasn't playing here in 04/05 and if you mean season b4 then I would simply tell you I don't care,we were already counting enough on La Masia, Coaches won't promote players based on need, only delusional fan would believe so. It is always based on quality,need would ease things at best, but Barca B didn't have single quality striker when we signed Larsson,in a team that was trying to win the league and just moved two strikers. Pep himself put his best DM as CB rather than promoting one in his last season.
4-I won't argue abuut Rijkaard quality (whom I believe we own him much btw) and I won't argue your opinion about some of our players during his time (like Iniesta who was winning votings as our best player in Rijkaard last season) but those are all mute point to the discussion, if those weren't good like Bojan and Dos Santos then the fact remains that Rijkaard didn't take it slowly with Barca B. As you didn't add a single thing to prove such discussion.
Again you are blaming him for not promoting Pedro & Busquets who were starting their career in Barca B in his last year? Pep himself didn't trust Pedro until 09/10. Then you are talking about quality of the players he has promoted,well Pep has promoted Jeffren,Tello & Cuenca. And before all of that blaming him for Pique & Cesc departure when one of them left before he was appointed, but then again Icardi,Bellerin & Keita Balde all left during Pep era. should we blame him for that?
Because based on this standards every coach we had was slow with La Masia
PS: video isn't working
