Hans-Dieter Flick

[serghei]

That's what I said. The difference was Raphinha and Yamal bailing us out. Otherwise we are not this football machine that everyone thinks we are. It's that our matches have way more drama, with goals on other side.

Nobody except PSG is tbh. Most are well aware we are not a great team.

I even say repeatedly winning La Liga is hard. Today just showed it again, what can happen if you are showing your poor version at a complicated ground.

You can get beaten, sometimes badly.

 

[gasgas]

Just play 4-3-3 man what's the harm in that?

When everybody is fit it would look like this

.........................Garcia
..Kounde...Eric..........Christensen....Balde
........Pedri..........Casado...........De jong
Lamine........Raphinha.....Rashford

 

[jamrock]

Casado as single pivot would get destroyed so would De jong hard pass.

Love that front line though

 

[MagIX]

This year we’ll see how much we’re really worth. Last year, Flick did an outstanding job, exceeding even the most optimistic expectations. The financial situation is well known, the squad is what it is: we’ll see. Surely, repeating a season like last one is practically impossible.

 

[gasgas]

Casado as single pivot would get destroyed so would De jong hard pass.

Love that front line though

Consider the midfield 3 like a triple pivot of sorts, rotating positions like PSG do with Neves- Pedri and Vitinha.

I am advocating killing the #10 position and tru #9 position because we got bums in there. I think it better we shore up our midfield solidity

 

[kush]

Can't say that I'm surprised by what is happening. The year after the treble, Bayern were a disaster under flick the following year.

It's why not winning CL last year is so disappointing because it looks like Barca is not winning anything this year.

 

[serghei]

I am not trying to be argumentative for the sake of it. Again, you raise very good and fair points.

But, football fans are like the GF that always tells you that while you are great partner, you need to change X & Y in your personality, and keep insisting on it, until it makes the relationship about why you aren't changing for her. Instead of enjoining the good stuff.

Flick is who he is, he isn't going to make amendments of his coaching style. He always goes all in, he sticks to his beliefs to the core.

He has his shortcomings, and it is well pointed and documented. And the truth is, he isn't the best coach in the World, and there was a time when we were used to even better coaches.

But he is the best that we can get, that sticks to Barca number one principle: being entertaining.

He is stubborn, like plenty of great coaches, and there will come a time when we either have to make a significant changes in the team, or go in a different direction (likely more pragmatic) because as you say, it isn't sustainable.

The squad is good, probably between 4th to 7th best in the World, depending on who you ask. I think PSG, RM & Liverpool are safely better overall. Bayern & Arsenal are more complete but we have bigger difference makers, City I think is below us a bit though bigger depth again. We are ahead of the rest.

But we have the same ambitions of the top 3, which is a bit unrealistic. And he is fairly overachieving and allowing us to dream big for the most part.

Defense needs overhaul, we need at least one more difference maker in attack. We might need to sell in order to buy, but it is something we are allergic to.

All true... but... I am hoping Flick can be a long term manager for us, not just a step in our rebuild. But someone to stay here for longer than the usual 2-3 seasons. I'd like him to get the stadium at full capacity for example.

 

[gatsu]

Flick leaving would be a great mistake. As several members have said, he is the most suitable coach for Barça. Let’s not forget that the team is still in a restructuring phase (last year was an exception), and Flick should remain at the heart of it. It will take as long as it takes.
The best Barça in history didn’t come together in a year or two, it took time, patience, and vision.

 

[serghei]

Flick leaving would be a great mistake. As several members have said, he is the most suitable coach for Barça. Let’s not forget that the team is still in a restructuring phase (last year was an exception), and Flick should remain at the heart of it. It will take as long as it takes.
The best Barça in history didn’t come together in a year or two, it took time, patience, and vision.

Unfortunately, big managers often leave themselves if they see that progress is not made and the team is stalling. He might leave on his own if the season is a failure and the team doesn't respond well.

Need a good response from the team after the NT break as he said.

 

[jairzinho]

Him leaving on his own is possible if he feels team isnt being strengthend sufficiently. He's been asked to work magic and tbf he did that last year when we exceeded expectations by a mile. After the break Raph, Lamine, Fermin and Joan returns and we'll bounce back.

 

[zanela]

If he resigns at the end of the season, I was wondering if there are any interesting options available or will Belletti be just promoted. That seem to have worked in the past. May be Iraola? Inigo Perez is someone to keep an eye on for the future.

 

[serghei]

Don't think he gives up so easily. But hard to see him staying after his 3rd season. Unless he implodes, I think he stays another year after this one and that is it.

 

[Birdy]

We do. Nobody presses like we do.

As said, I analyzed the PSG game for hours. Show me another team where the CB follows the other attacker in pressing up until near his own box. Or one fullback pressuring another fullback near his own box. Those are 80m runs. Of course you don't get back in time and the backline is in shambles.

This does not happen.

Not at all.

You take an instance (of a mistaken really application of pressing principles) and you generalize

 

[Birdy]

But, football fans are like the GF that always tells you that while you are great partner, you need to change X & Y in your personality, and keep insisting on it, until it makes the relationship about why you aren't changing for her. Instead of enjoining the good stuff.

LMAOL

Top quote

 

[jamrock]

He won't resign, he's here for 3 seasons, after that it's anyone guess.

We'll most likely strengthen in the summer, this summer we did the two most important positions

LF & Goal Keeper

Next summer it's

FB subs (depending on jofre), CB, ST.