Ernesto Valverde

crossy1686

career ending
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
31,717
Location
Manchester/Stockholm
The board themselves are clueless. The club has lost its way. I think @totaalvoetbal said this a few seasons ago as well. They don't even play the 'Cruyff way' and stopped that since like 2015 at most.
Their recruitment has been as poor as ours in recent years also. Countinho, Malcom, Dembele have all come in for big money and flopped.
 

Keeps It tidy

Hates Messi
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
17,638
Location
New York
Looked completely clueless on how to stop the Liverpool momentum. Had no idea on how to change the game and allowed Liverpool to keep coming at them and gaining belief with every goal.

Good news is he'll get sacked on the back of this, that's if Barcelona can convince Klopp to join them...
Barca rarely go for big name managers.
 
Joined
Feb 12, 2018
Messages
19,800
The board themselves are clueless. The club has lost its way. I think @totaalvoetbal said this a few seasons ago as well. They don't even play the 'Cruyff way' and stopped that since like 2015 at most.
I think the style is an issue but can be fixed with a change of manager, the recruitment has been very good though.
 

Keeps It tidy

Hates Messi
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
17,638
Location
New York
Probably but if he did go there and win a treble people would start talking about him being the best manager around, better than Pep. Depends on his ego I guess.
If you want to be praised as a manager you want to be in England. That is the country where managers get the most credit.
 

Schneckerl

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
Messages
2,704
They never go after the name people expect them to go for. I would not be surprised if Quique Setién gets sacked by Betis and gets the Barca job.
Yeah, Setien might get it. He wouldn't be that unexpected either though - have seen his name thrown around as a potential Barca manager frequently last year.
 

JazzG

Resident Arse.
Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
2,682
To be fair Barca did create more than enough chances to score yesterday, if they score at 1-0 I think it is game over.

Second half though he didn't make the right changes, Barca just didn't get going. The two quick goals completely stunned them, never were able to recover after that.
 

RedStarUnited

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
8,136
Have you watched Neymar for PSG? He rarely puts a sweat. This isn’t 2015. There’s no striker as good as Suarez was back then now.
Suarez has always had a terrible record for Barca in KO games. PSG indulge Neymar, Luis Enrique didn't.

The problem isn't the attack. It's being unable to defend a 4 goal lead.
This is true. He should be sacked for not being able to defend these first leg leads.
 

Champagne Football

New Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
4,187
Location
El Beatle
He's a mid-table level manager like Moyes was, who has been able to mask his deficiencies as a coach due to some really top players at the club.
You put a Moyes or a Hodgson in charge of a big club and they usually get found out pretty quickly.
 

Lash

Full Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
12,171
Location
Buckinghamshire
Supports
Millwall, Saint-Etienne
Fair play to Liverpool, but this has to be up there with one of the worst managerial set ups at Anfield - along with Di Francesco's Roma last season. Did absolutely feck all when it was going to pot as well. Jank manager, they need a new one ASAP.
 

HisDudeness

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
728
Supports
Rangers
Suarez has always had a terrible record for Barca in KO games. PSG indulge Neymar, Luis Enrique didn't.



This is true. He should be sacked for not being able to defend these first leg leads.
at certain places you cannot just defend. liverpool just had a bad game at anfield versus bayern. pep, even though 3:0 up, would have all out attacked.

liverpool in the camp nou attacked... they tried to win the game over there. and very unlucky to not get a result. barca were nervous at home.
 
Last edited:

André Dominguez

Full Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
6,381
Location
Lisbon
Supports
Benfica, Académica
People are being quite tough with him: his substitutions in the first leg were actually very praised.

I actually rate him very high, is not easy to keep a squad like this motivated in both La Liga and Champios League for two seasons in a row, but he managed to make it. His team suffered a couple of goals due to lack of concentration, you can't really blame Valverde for the players to turn off their brains during some moments of the match.
 

Lash

Full Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
12,171
Location
Buckinghamshire
Supports
Millwall, Saint-Etienne
People are being quite tough with him: his substitutions in the first leg were actually very praised.

I actually rate him very high, is not easy to keep a squad like this motivated in both La Liga and Champios League for two seasons in a row, but he managed to make it. His team suffered a couple of goals due to lack of concentration, you can't really blame Valverde for the players to turn off their brains during some moments of the match.
He did nothing to address this though. He took an age to bring on someone like Arthur to hold onto the ball. Also Alba was not the player to have at Anfield away. He just let his team ship 3 goals and thought, it's fine, we can just get one goal and it's all good. It was obvious from 5 mins into the first half it was the wrong set up.
 

Xaviesta

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2014
Messages
11,799
Location
Camp Nou
Supports
Barcelona
One bottle-job/choke can happen, a second one is unforgivable. A golden opportunity to qualify for a Champions League final and potentially win it has been blown in unacceptable circumstances by a conservative, dour manager.
 

Vialli_92

Full Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
2,676
Location
Ireland
Supports
Juventus
He hasn't learned anything from last season's elimination by Roma

Defensive approaches in the modern game normally get found out because teams like Liverpool have so much attacking quality that if you allow them to hav the ball they will dismantle you before you even know what has happened

Definitely need to be an attacking team to win the CL since the Pep era has come in, very rarely does a defensive team win the CL anymore
 

Xaviesta

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2014
Messages
11,799
Location
Camp Nou
Supports
Barcelona
He hasn't learned anything from last season's elimination by Roma

Defensive approaches in the modern game normally get found out because teams like Liverpool have so much attacking quality that if you allow them to hav the ball they will dismantle you before you even know what has happened

Definitely need to be an attacking team to win the CL since the Pep era has come in, very rarely does a defensive team win the CL anymore
Agree. Atletico got close but unless you're a team of destiny like Chelsea you won't see a defense oriented team win the Champions League.
 

Hoof the ball

Full Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
12,310
Location
San Antonio, Texas.
This one is on Valverde, really.

Messi scores 12 goals in 10 games in the UCL this season. Six goals in six games in the final stages. Last night Messi registered almost every shot attempt at goal and created every single clear chance in that game. You have to look at the productivity of everyone around him, and quite frankly it was poor. It really is Messidepencia.

Valverde didn't set up the team with any courage at all. Rakitic was poor and it was he that should have came off instead of Vidal, for Arthur. Semedo should have started the game and Malcom probably should have been introduced much earlier in the game.

Valverde has to go. Either Barca need to somehow pry ten Hag away from Ajax, or they need someone like Xavi who understands the Barca DNA.
 

André Dominguez

Full Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
6,381
Location
Lisbon
Supports
Benfica, Académica
Agree. Atletico got close but unless you're a team of destiny like Chelsea you won't see a defense oriented team win the Champions League.
Chelsea eliminated Barça with a solo goal by Ramires. I repeat: a solo goal by Ramires.
 

Hoof the ball

Full Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
12,310
Location
San Antonio, Texas.
Agree. Atletico got close but unless you're a team of destiny like Chelsea you won't see a defense oriented team win the Champions League.
I've always maintained that low-block teams that put men behind the ball rely far too much on a combination of flawless defending and good fortune. If you invite pressure, these elements come into play so much more.
 

André Dominguez

Full Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
6,381
Location
Lisbon
Supports
Benfica, Académica
I've always maintained that low-block teams that put men behind the ball rely far too much on a combination of flawless defending and good fortune. If you invite pressure, these elements come into play so much more.
Low block teams are effective, but if the opposing team has defenders that have good skills and have overlaps well drilled, the low block will start to fall apart because the attacking team will corner you.
 

Vialli_92

Full Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
2,676
Location
Ireland
Supports
Juventus
I've always maintained that low-block teams that put men behind the ball rely far too much on a combination of flawless defending and good fortune. If you invite pressure, these elements come into play so much more.
100% this, you can no longer nullify the opposition teams in the later stages of the CL against good teams because they will score the only question is how many?
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,944
Location
France
I suppose that some will laugh at the suggestion after his miss but Dembélé should have started both games. The thing about Dembélé is that for all his flaws, he creates chances for himself and others on a consistent basis and in a team that has Messi it's a great thing, you don't even need him to be efficient but just threatening, that way Messi isn't the only player that opponents have to account for. In his short cameo Dembélé had as much touches in the box than Coutinho.
 

Hoof the ball

Full Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
12,310
Location
San Antonio, Texas.
Niall Quinn is drunk

Quinn believes Messi’s team-mates looked to him to make the difference too much when they were up against it.

"You know, they were on a downer, all looking rounding, hoping that Messi would come along," Quinn told Virgin Media Sport.

"And I’m gonna make a point here, maybe tonight’s the night it happens. But there’s been undercurrents coming out, as good as Messi is, he is stopping other players from producing their best.

"And I think tonight was a classic example of that and we may be coming to a time where players like Coutinho, other players in there that always seem to want to do what he needs to do.

"I believe there’s a feeling around some Barcelona fans, and some ex-players and pundits that Messi is causing too much negative effect on the abilities of the other players.

"[There is nobody who is a big enough personality] to do their own thing."
 

Casanova85

New Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
4,183
Location
Northwestern Mediterranean
Supports
Cruyff/SAF
One thing I like about Floren, although many consider it a flaw, is that he's not afraid to go full-on Michael Corleone when necessary. His pride and quiet anger drive him forward. He had already decided to sack Solari after the Ajax debacle, that night, on the spot, in the dressing room, but some member of the board convinced to at least wait for another Liga defeat (Barça).

I'd have personally sacked Valverde in Anfield; seems legit, the site of his fecking tomb.

If this joker manages to be on board by 19-20 Bartomeu will be exposing his ass and neck for no reason at all. Scapegoating was invented for a reason, and the press and most fans seem to agree that Valverde is the reason for the existence of this ridiculous, unreliable, slow, conservative, scared wet rat Barça.
 

VBI

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2017
Messages
681
Supports
Celtic, Barca
There's no way he can continue next season. The Copa final is not a given, we can only hope Valenca are knackered by then.

Liverpool are probably the most aggressive team in Europe when it comes to their running and effort. You KNOW they are going to come out flying at home. You can either combat that by matching their effort and running, which is almost impossible with the players Barca have, or you combat it by passing the ball around them. Their midfield is arguably their weakest point, yet Barca didn't play a midfield set up to control the ball. Rakitic, Busquets and Vidal are all really slow players. Why would you do that when you know one single goal effectively ends the tie, but you haven't put a midfield that can create that goal?

I remember one time when Rijkaard had just got in, against Madrid at home, he lost his nerve and played all the destroyer players in the team. Madrid went 2 up, and when he subbed in 3 attacking players Barca got one back and dominated the rest of the match. He learned that lesson and generally didn't make that mistake again, which is why he ended Barca's trophy mini drought, became the first coach in the club's history to win two league games at the Bernabeu and won the Champions League.
 

RedStarUnited

Full Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
8,136
at certain places you cannot just defend. liverpool just had a bad game at anfield versus bayern. pep, even though 3:0 up, would have all out attacked.

liverpool in the camp nou attacked... they tried to win the game over there. and very unlucky to not get a result. barca were nervous at home.
By 'Defend' I meant see it out. You are right.
 

VBI

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2017
Messages
681
Supports
Celtic, Barca
God damn it Valverde, we would have been playing Spurs in the final!

PLEASE COMMIT GO DIE. :mad:
 

Bojan11

Full Member
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
33,115
God damn it Valverde, we would have been playing Spurs in the final!

PLEASE COMMIT GO DIE. :mad:
feck off you tosser. Wishing someone death over a game of football has to be one of the most stupidest things I read on here.
 

VBI

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2017
Messages
681
Supports
Celtic, Barca
It's a meme, professor. :nono: