Hans-Dieter Flick

[jamrock]

Right now all of PSG, RM, Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Bayern have better squad than us, and I would add Chelsea as well

Count (all of you) how many world-class (not just good) players we have that could be said to be able to slot into an XI of another top team. IMO only 2: Pedri and Lamine.
Others (like Raphina) are system players that suck when the system sucks

Flick has not only overachieved (beating Madrid to all domestic titles last season, and reaching SFs in CL) but he has
over-over-overachieved

If he had a squad stacked with quality at every position (like he did at Bayern) he would streamroll everyone and lift the cL with ease.
The disrespect he gets here is astonishing

How many WC players do those other teams have, seriously?

4 max

 

[jamrock]

Also need another 10 at least close to Fermin level

I'm good with fermin or most likely gavi If he returns to play that role, we need someone who can fall back to Midfield

 

[Birdy]

I only looked at this match, but I can tell you Flick's pressing is much more energy consuming than the variant of Luis Enrique. At least in this match.

Not at all AGAIN.
You could say the exact opposite: Flick should add more intense pressing to reach the levels of PSG's press we saw last season...

Problem is: you need all 10 outfield players to do that.
Last season with granny uptop, we could not. That's why Flick was trying schemes such as Lamine and Raphina pressing CBs and GK, with the tractor following the DM

 

[Birdy]

How many WC players do those other teams have, seriously?

4 max

4 is more than 2

And then there is the issue that at Barca we rely on our academy products, like Cubarsi and Balde which can be good, but many times they are not as good as the top (even not world class) players of the top 7 teams in the respective positions

 

[Birdy]

Flick has done more than enough to put him on the map of a lot of top clubs. Depending on the outcome of the PL, there might be a few top coaching jobs available end of the season. Clubs where he can have an open budget on transfer and actually build a team.

Why would he stay here?

Flick built a great team here but can’t sign the players to bring it to the next level. Instead we are seeing it regress this year as a result.

Must be demoralizing.

It is fairly simple.

If that fat fuck fucks us up AGAIN, and keep lying, and we are not in the 1:1 in January (when the Crowe audit is completed), then Flick has good reasons to walk

He has been given peanuts as transfers for 3 windows in a row.

 

[Birdy]

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

Agree.
Essentially play a 3rd CM, make Raphina the AM, and drop the striker altogether

That should be the way to go against top teams without changing anything in Flick;s core principles.

Doesn't exactly suit the squad, but with Olmo's form and the need for more compactness against top sides, it could make us more competitive

PS: without that trash Kounde at RB. Eric to play there

 

[jamrock]

4 is more than 2

And then there is the issue that at Barca we rely on our academy products, like Cubarsi and Balde which can be good, but many times they are not as good as the top (even not world class) players of the top 7 teams in the respective positions

At most 4 and that's PSG and Madrid, if raphinha isn't work class you're the only person on planet earth who thinks that, like wtf Seriously.

Liverpool, Allison, VVD, salah ( most Liverpool fans would say fuck no this season) Isak.

City: Donna, Rodri, haaland maybe Diaz(no)

Bayern: GK, Kane, olise is playing at that level, maybe kimmich.

Chelsea: no one, or 1 max.

Madrid: Courtois Mbappe, Vini, Bellingham

PSG: Hakimi, Mendes, vitinha, dembele, maybe Krava?.

Barca: Yamal, pedri, raphinha.

We good on that front

 

[jamrock]

Challenge anyone to name 5 teams with two better fullback that us, DM me your info I'll send you $500.

PSG
Chelsea

Who else lol

 

[MonteCuler]

Challenge anyone to name 5 teams with two better fullback that us, DM me your info I'll send you $500.

PSG
Chelsea

Who else lol

Balde is injury prone and never plays big games

So, Kounde-Martin

Pretty much any team from top 5 leagues

 

[Birdy]

We good on that front

You forgot how RAphina played under Xavi, when all of us were cursing him?
Short memory...

There are players like Raphina that can shine when a coach plays them CORRECTLY in the right system, and there are players like Lamine and Pedri that will shine no matter the system and the coach.
Big difference

In any case, let's say Raphina belongs to the 'top tier' and not to 'world class tier'.
I have corrected your list with top tier players in parenthesis, and the difference is stark between Barca and the others:

Liverpool: Allison, VVD, salah, Isak, McAllister (Wirtz, Gravenberch, Konate)
5 WC, 8 in total

City: Rodri, haaland, Reijnders (Donnaruma, Gvardiol, Savinho, Doku, Foden)
3 WC, 8 in total

Arsenal: Saka, Rice (Zubimenti, Eze, Saliba, Calafiori, Havertz)
2 WC, 7 in total

Bayern: Kane, Olise (kimmich, Diaz, Musiala, Davies)
2 WC, 6 in total

Chelsea: Palmer, Caicedo, Enzo (Joao Pedro, Reece James, soon Estevao and Gittens here)
3 WC, 7 in total

Madrid: Courtois Mbappe, Vini, Bellingham (Tchouameni, Militao, Trent, Mastantuono)
4 WC, 8 in total

PSG: Mendes, vitinha, dembele (Doue, Kvara, Neves, Ruiz, Hakimi)
3 WC, 8 in total

Barca: Yamal, pedri, (raphinha, Joan Garcia, Rashford, FDJ)
2 WC, 6 in total

We are the lowest in WC players (together with Arsenal and Bayern), and the lowest in top players in total (together with Bayern)

 

[jamrock]

You forgot how RAphina played under Xavi, when all of us were cursing him?
Short memory...

There are players like Raphina that can shine when a coach plays them CORRECTLY in the right system, and there are players like Lamine and Pedri that will shine no matter the system and the coach.
Big difference

In any case, let's say Raphina belongs to the 'top tier' and not to 'world class tier'.
I have corrected your list with top tier players in parenthesis, and the difference is stark between Barca and the others:

Liverpool: Allison, VVD, salah, Isak, McAllister (Wirtz, Gravenberch, Konate)
5 WC, 8 in total

City: Rodri, haaland, Reijnders (Donnaruma, Gvardiol, Savinho, Doku, Foden)
3 WC, 8 in total

Arsenal: Saka, Rice (Zubimenti, Eze, Saliba, Calafiori, Havertz)
2 WC, 7 in total

Bayern: Kane, Olise (kimmich, Diaz, Musiala, Davies)
2 WC, 6 in total

Chelsea: Palmer, Caicedo, Enzo (Joao Pedro, Reece James, soon Estevao and Gittens here)
3 WC, 7 in total

Madrid: Courtois Mbappe, Vini, Bellingham (Tchouameni, Militao, Trent, Mastantuono)
4 WC, 8 in total

PSG: Mendes, vitinha, dembele (Doue, Kvara, Neves, Ruiz, Hakimi)
3 WC, 8 in total

Barca: Yamal, pedri, (raphinha, Joan Garcia, Rashford, FDJ)
2 WC, 6 in total

We are the lowest in WC players (together with Arsenal and Bayern), and the lowest in top players in total (together with Bayern)

So it's your opinion that isak is WC but Raphinha isn't.

I would love to hear how you would explain that.

 

[jamrock]

Balde is injury prone and never plays big games

So, Kounde-Martin

Pretty much any team from top 5 leagues

Probably can't named 5 better than that either 😂😂.

Balde plays enough, but we really need to figure out what's up with him, we need him to be fit at the business end of the season

 

[Birdy]

Challenge anyone to name 5 teams with two better fullback that us, DM me your info I'll send you $500.

PSG
Chelsea

Who else lol

Plus all of these:

Arsenal: Timber and Calafiori
Madrid: Trent and Carreras
Bayern: Laimer and Davies

Even Spurs have Porro/Udogie. Not sure Kounde/Balde is better

The only two top teams that have problems in FBs are currently Liverpool (Frimpong/Kerkez) and City (kids like O Rially and Rico Lewis play)

 

[Birdy]

So it's your opinion that isak is WC but Raphinha isn't.

I would love to hear how you would explain that.

I explained it already: Raphina sucked under Xavi for 2 years.
Coach's fault of course, but that sets apart WC from merely top players

Isak killed it at all levels he played so far.
If he does it again at Pool, he is certified WC

 

[jamrock]

Plus all of these:

Arsenal: Timber and Calafiori
Madrid: Trent and Carreras
Bayern: Laimer and Davies

Even Spurs have Porro/Udogie. Not sure Kounde/Balde is better

The only two top teams that have problems in FBs are currently Liverpool (Frimpong/Kerkez) and City (kids like O Rially and Rico Lewis play)

What has Carreras done to be considered better than balde? 😂

2 times league winner balde, who played a important role in both those titles.

Same for calafiori

Spurs have better FB yea okay 😂😂.

Birdie you can't just be saying things to fit your opinions dude.