João Laporta

Respekt_III said:

Would of still got top 4 with koeman as well... You forget how many injured players we had and 0 reinforcement there was for the team during that period.
He was made a scapegoat even though he was never fit for the job in the first place.

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Unlikely, we would be playing in Europa again.

We had to beat a lot of top teams to get to our current position, basically most of top half of the table. Koeman couldn't do that last season with Messi.

iniestaGOAT said:

Unlikely, we would be playing in Europa again.

We had to beat a lot of top teams to get to our current position, basically most of top half of the table. Koeman couldn't do that last season with Messi.

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Koeman wouldn't have done it simply because it is impossible to manage with the board and president undermining you, it is extremely toxic and means players didn't need to respect him.

Respekt_III said:

Would of still got top 4 with koeman as well... You forget how many injured players we had and 0 reinforcement there was for the team during that period.
He was made a scapegoat even though he was never fit for the job in the first place.

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Well said. Koeman wanted reinforcements and got nothing.Xavi got four signings amidst a financial crises while Koeman had to make do with kids. We also lost Messi. The only reason Koeman wouldn't make top four is Laporta not proving any signings. Laporta should have gotten rid of Koeman in the summer. The way he treated him was disgraceful. He never wanted him in the first place. I never wanted Koeman as manager but the man is a genuine club legend and deserves respect.

ajnotkeith said:

Koeman wouldn't have done it simply because it is impossible to manage with the board and president undermining you, it is extremely toxic and means players didn't need to respect him.

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He took it out on the players though. Some of the shit he said was disrespectful to the players.

Besides, it's well documented that he's an average manager. Got sacked and got in conflict at most clubs he went. Got sacked by both Valencia and Everton after he led both near relegation. He's not very likable as a manager and often loses the locker room because of his bitterness and conflictual attitude.

He's a bit like Mourinho and Conte but with 10% of the skill to back it up. Hence why instead of motivating his players and making them work harder to prove themselves under a manager they value and respect for his leadership, he ends up turning them into his enemies with his bitterness and unfair treatment.

Also Koeman as a player was twice a good as that overrated prick Pique.

Barcilliant said:

Also Koeman as a player was twice a good as that overrated prick Pique.

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True, but some elite players make average managers and vice-versa. It's well known. Koeman is one of those many many cases where as a player he was elite, but as a manager, he's as average as they get and should never be in charge of a top-tier club.

And since you guys like to complain about Barca-DNA, realize that if he wasn't a Barca legend he never even gets as much of a sniff at being the Barcelona manager, based on his career prior to getting the job.

Xavis work isn't exactly spectacular so far but i don't think we would've done it with Koeman. Clearly didn't work out between coach, team and board - unlikely that would've just magically fixed itself, that pretty much never happens. Transfers and players returning from injury of course helped, but we would've probably fallen behind even further with Koeman.

Was a mistake to even keep Koeman in the summer, we all knew where that would be going anyway. Don't think Laporta ever really trusted him, he always wanted to bring in his own guy. Keeping a coach just to sack him at first opportunity is never a good idea.

MTL_Barca said:

Xavis work isn't exactly spectacular so far but i don't think we would've done it with Koeman. Clearly didn't work out between coach, team and board - unlikely that would've just magically fixed itself, that pretty much never happens. Transfers and players returning from injury of course helped, but we would've probably fallen behind even further with Koeman.

Was a mistake to even keep Koeman in the summer, we all knew where that would be going anyway. Don't think Laporta ever really trusted him, he always wanted to bring in his own guy. Keeping a coach just to sack him at first opportunity is never a good idea.

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Never had a beef getting rid of Koeman but it should have been done in the summer. Also they didn't back him so it's no wonder he's bitter.

"We have signed many sponsorships and the club is increasingly alive, as there are many brands and investors who want to invest in Bar?a," Laporta confirmed.

Like who, other than Spotify?

This man is so full of it.

Luftstalag14 said:

"We have signed many sponsorships and the club is increasingly alive, as there are many brands and investors who want to invest in Bar?a," Laporta confirmed.

Like who, other than Spotify?

This man is so full of it.

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What is up with you about Barca-related topics lately? You are one of my favorite posters, but what you want is not realistically possible. We all have to adapt to current events. I also joined Barca in times of world domination (Ronaldinho and Eto'o era circa 2005 or so). It was always bound to happen, that we'd be shit. Happens to every single club, even Madrid. I liked Barca since before that, but only from Ronnie's era did losses and failures affect me in any way.

Among all that, we still haven't been trashed by Madrid, like 3-0 or more. The way things are going with Madrid singing Mbappe and such (almost official) we'll check that missing piece pretty soon. The forum will probably become some sort of new level of toxic then.

This is basically the first deep crisis we have to face as fans and we're acting like spoiled rich-parents kids who don't get the latest new toy. Imagine supporting Liverpool and being 30 years without a Premier League title.

This is how things are. Bartomeu is like the football equivalent of an arsenist setting a whole building on fire. Except he wasn't crazy or sick, he was just thick as a brick.

serghei said:

What is up with you about Barca-related topics lately? You are one of my favorite posters, but what you want is not realistically possible. We all have to adapt to current events. I also joined Barca in times of world domination (Ronaldinho and Eto'o era circa 2005 or so). It was always bound to happen, that we'd be shit. Happens to every single club, even Madrid.

Among all that, we still haven't been trashed by Madrid, like 3-0 or more. The way things are going with Madrid singing Mbappe and such (almost official) we'll check that missing piece pretty soon. The forum will probably become some sort of new level of toxic then.

This is basically the first crisis we have to face and we're acting like spoiled babies. Imagine supporting Liverpool and being 30 years without a Premier League title.

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A lot of our fanbase is gloryhunters. Same way an even higher proportion of the RM fanbase is gloryhunters.

In fact, I recently saw a post from some lad from Redcafe who goes to Milan games in person and is a Milan fan...while also being a RM fan. There was a time when Milan had 5 CLs and RM had 6 CLs (in 1996), and I suspect this gloryhunter wanted to support both because he wasn't sure which of the 2 would end up with more

serghei said:

What is up with you about Barca-related topics lately? You are one of my favorite posters, but what you want is not realistically possible. We all have to adapt to current events. I also joined Barca in times of world domination (Ronaldinho and Eto'o era circa 2005 or so). It was always bound to happen, that we'd be shit.

Among all that, we still haven't been trashed by Madrid, like 3-0 or more. The way things are going with Madrid singing Mbappe and such (almost official) we'll check that missing piece too soon.

This is basically the first crisis we have to face and we're acting like spoiled babies. Imagine supporting Liverpool and being 30 years without a Premier League title.

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I am not spoiled at all serghei. I am very aware of the shit situation we are in, when it comes to both financial and sporting and I am not expecting us to compete with the big boys soon. I am adapting very well, albeit painful.

Which has NOTHING to do with my criticism of Laporta and to a lesser degree, Xavi. I can't stand dishonesty and shady stuff, which Laporta represent. He doesn't appear to be a sound leader to turn this club around with all the stuff he said and did. Xavi? I have said, despite the result (that he took the team to the 2nd place), he has displayed nothing and we are playing like shit, plus some of his tendencies and obsessions are very worrisome.

I don't have the rights to criticize the club for not being competitive enough, we are all in this together. However as a fan I have the rights to call out Laporta's (and Xavi's) bullshit.

KingLeo10 said:

A lot of our fanbase is gloryhunters. Same way an even higher proportion of the RM fanbase is gloryhunters.

In fact, I recently saw a post from some lad from Redcafe who goes to Milan games in person and is a Milan fan...while also being a RM fan. There was a time when Milan had 5 CLs and RM had 6 CLs (in 1996), and I suspect this gloryhunter wanted to support both because he wasn't sure which of the 2 would end up with more

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So all of sudden I am a gloryhunter who can't stand Laporta and Xavi because we are not winning titles?

Luftstalag14 said:

So all of sudden I am a gloryhunter who can't stand Laporta and Xavi because we are not winning titles?

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I'm not saying it's you. My post is targeted towards posters who do nothing but post negativity and toxicity the moment we're not winning big titles. I know from your posts that you're an actual fan who's even contributed to the club's finances by buying Barca merch (more than what many of us here can say).

We've been a joke in Europe for 5-6 years now, and that's fair game for criticism. I hate a lot of elements about the club right now such as the insistence on dinosaurs like Busquets and Pique and Alba. And insistence on mental midgets like MATS.

But it can be MUCH worse and I suspect for us, it will get worse before it (hopefully) gets better. Last time AC Milan won a big KO tie in CL was some 15 years ago and same with United (12 ish years except that PSG fluke but its PSG). Liverpool were everyone's punching bag for nearly 25 years.

Even clubs we associate with CL "dominance" like RM didn't win that trophy for 32 years straight. And for Bayern, for 25 years.

KingLeo10 said:

I'm not saying it's you. My post is targeted towards posters who do nothing but post negativity and toxicity the moment we're not winning big titles. I know from your posts that you're an actual fan who's even contributed to the club's finances by buying Barca merch (more than what many of us here can say).

We've been a joke in Europe for 5-6 years now, and that's fair game for criticism. I hate a lot of elements about the club right now such as the insistence on dinosaurs like Busquets and Pique and Alba. And insistence on mental midgets like MATS.

But it can be MUCH worse and I suspect for us, it will get worse before it (hopefully) gets better. Last time AC Milan won a big KO tie in CL was some 15 years ago and same with United (12 ish years except that PSG fluke but its PSG). Liverpool were everyone's punching bag for nearly 25 years.

Even clubs we associate with CL "dominance" like RM didn't win that trophy for 32 years straight. And for Bayern, for 25 years.

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Thanks. From my perspective in order for any club to turn things around we need good leaders and from what I have seen Laporta said and done in the past year or so, not very promising, to say the least. He has a very daunting task, make no mistake about it but I am afraid he doesn't have what it take to lead both the financial and sporting recovery of this club, and on that, I am very worried.

Everybody on this forum knows I am not a fan of Laporta's anyways.