Ronald Koeman - Barcelona First team coach

Libano

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He's not really competing for those places. He's positionally more Xavi or Iniesta. The issue is that Pjanic was bought prior to Koeman and he insists on a double pivot so any chance of a classic 4-3-3 to fit him in is difficult. He does need a loan, I agree, which I'm certain he'll knock out the park.
A seasoned leader like Koeman isn't going to let Pjanic determine his style of play.
 

Guy Incognito

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No structure at that club. Sooner Messi leaves, sooner they face reality.

But they'll probably sack Koeman first.
 

FootballHQ

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Wonder what the odds are him being sacked by xmas and back in charge of Holland before euros start.
 
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He should have stayed with the Dutch squad, it looked like he was building something special there.
 

Galactic

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He’s building them up again. If they’re not giving him time, it really is stupid to have started with this route in the first place.
 

giorno

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Pedri and Busquets were bad choices and he was too slow to react and change

Other than that, well, that's the quality of his team. If Messi isn't a monster, that's just not a great side. Lots of very good youngsters, but they're youngsters still. They still look better than last season, more compact and less vulnerable

Busquets is done at this level, and in all honesty while he was still a great player in the MSN years, that's one player who got to perform in ideal conditions for years with Xavi and Iniesta and it's clear he never would have been that good in a different context(tbf, that goes for a lot of great players, but Busquets has been widely seen as an all time great, and individually he just wasn't, ever)
 

Madridista2000

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He took over Barcelona at worst possible time. The President itself is not wanted and will lose the election soon. The new president will want his own coach irrespective of how Koeman performs.

He got the worst Messi as well of all Barca coaches. Koeman is doomed.
 

Pretzels81

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Weak links: Neto, Lenglet, Busquets, RFW unless it's Messi.

De Jong seems average in a 4-2-3-1 unless his partner is world class, something that Busquets isn't anymore.

Koeman seems like a very conservative manager that only makes subs when his teams are losing in the 2nd half, but just concedes more goals as a result (Barca ended today's Clasico with 5 attackers if not mistaken). Koeman won't be sacked as long as the squad remains Top3 and alive in the UCL but with the upcoming elections he won't be around for 21-22 (and perhaps trophyless).

That said, Dest, Pedri and Fati are the future.
 

Big Ben Foster

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Will be sacked soon.
I'm seeing parallels with his time at Valencia.

Comes in and immediately sidelines some of the more popular figures at the club, pissing off the remaining senior players.

Won't end well. The next president after Bartomeu will want his own man in charge anyway.
 

Morty_

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You never know quite what you get with this Barca-side under Koeman, at times they look quite good, but then the next game they look painfully average.
 

Cait Sith

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They sacked 3-seasons-in-a-row top of the table manager midseason because he didn't win treble only to hire a manager who loses 2-8 to Bayern followed by another manager who loses 1-3 against the worst Madrid in a decade at home while sitting at 10th place in the table. Beautiful.
 

RashyForPM

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They sacked 3-seasons-in-a-row top of the table manager midseason because he didn't win treble only to hire a manager who loses 2-8 to Bayern followed by another manager who loses 1-3 against the worst Madrid in a decade at home while sitting at 10th place in the table. Beautiful.
And one who got the best out of Messi and Suarez, and by all accounts, was loved by the dressing room. Another Bartomeu masterpiece.
 

cyberman

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Pedri and Busquets were bad choices and he was too slow to react and change

Other than that, well, that's the quality of his team. If Messi isn't a monster, that's just not a great side. Lots of very good youngsters, but they're youngsters still. They still look better than last season, more compact and less vulnerable

Busquets is done at this level, and in all honesty while he was still a great player in the MSN years, that's one player who got to perform in ideal conditions for years with Xavi and Iniesta and it's clear he never would have been that good in a different context(tbf, that goes for a lot of great players, but Busquets has been widely seen as an all time great, and individually he just wasn't, ever)
Busquets has been shocking for 5 or 6 years now which is abysmal since he's only 32.
 

Morty_

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Busquets has been shocking for 5 or 6 years now which is abysmal since he's only 32.
5-6 years; really?
I think i started seeing complaints about him maybe since 2017, certainly not back in 2014.
 

dev1l

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And one who got the best out of Messi and Suarez, and by all accounts, was loved by the dressing room. Another Bartomeu masterpiece.
Sacking the manager won't solve anything if you have fundamental problems elsewhere.
Many presidents in other to divert the attention from their incompetency, resort to sacking manager after manager.
As long as a considerable section of the fans are dimwits and do not realise this, presidents/chairmen will continue doing the same thing.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Dead man walking since day one. He’s well out of his depth but will have complete Van Gaal-esque confidence in his ability and will not be afraid of showing it to the players.
 

Sleigh

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I wonder if they’ll allow him the time to rebuild. It’s not a short term project.
 

Sanchez7

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Was too slow with his subs, should have brought on Dembele, Griezmann earlier. It isn't like Coutinho was having a great game.
 

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Dead man walking since day one. He’s well out of his depth but will have complete Van Gaal-esque confidence in his ability and will not be afraid of showing it to the players.
He's a an average coach, but he's not a narcissistic psycho like Van Gaal honestly. Vangle is a much better coach though.
 

Cait Sith

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I wonder if they’ll allow him the time to rebuild. It’s not a short term project.
What project would that be? He wanted to bring in averageness like Wijnaldum and Depay while the squad is already average as it is. Fati is promising but 17, De Jong has reputation based on little and the rest of the squad is dispensable. There is no clear project, they are just rolling the dice and waiting for something to stick.

Messi-Suarez partnership with Valverde doing the logical and pragmatic stuff, considering the squad handed to him, kept the illusion alive that this Barca is still a juggernaut only held back by Valverde. The irony.
 

giorno

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Well at least he knows the place. Already blaming losses on refs and VAR :lol:
 

FootballHQ

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Easily worst Barca I've seen since 2000-02 period.

Like a few it's not all Koeman's fault given the chronic way they've been run off pitch last few years and it's certainly all coming home to roost now Messi dosen't want to be there and paper over the cracks any longer.

Already dropped 16 points this season (in 09/10 they dropped just 15 points and then 18 points the following season although that more shows the insane standards them and Real Madrid had a decade ago).

12 points behind Atletico Madrid already. Only saving grace is 4th is just 6 points away for now.
 

Pep's Suit

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He's a joke but until they improve financial situation Barca won't win anything important.
 

FootballHQ

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BTW just had had a look at their upcoming fixtures and how the hell do they have three straight home games?! :lol: I'm guessing one of those home games is what they were supposed to have start of the season but their first match of season was home to Villareal.

Anyway got 4 of their next 6 at home and their aways are at Valladolid and Huesca so Koeman is done if they don't win most of those.

Huesca match is first of four league away matches so La Liga fixture list is a bit mad this year.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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To be fair. He hasn’t got much option with this unbalanced team. Messi plays on the same role as Griezmann. Pjanic & De Jong are also playing in the same role. They have nobody as no 9. And nobody as centre back backup. Man, they are being robbed with Pjanic’s deal. It’s also probably better with Griezmann as no 10 and Suarez as no 9 than trying to keep Messi and sold Suarez.
 

Pep's Suit

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To be fair. He hasn’t got much option with this unbalanced team. Messi plays on the same role as Griezmann. Pjanic & De Jong are also playing in the same role. They have nobody as no 9. And nobody as centre back backup. Man, they are being robbed with Pjanic’s deal. It’s also probably better with Griezmann as no 10 and Suarez as no 9 than trying to keep Messi and sold Suarez.
Doesn't Artur play for Juve even less than Pjanic for Barca?
 

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I actually find both goals comical. Especially when De Jong slides to protect the goal but he gets nothing...
 

Nani Nana

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Koeman wanted the Barcelona job for years but he took it at worst possible time. No coach could pick up that side which lost miserably to Bayern 2-8.

Should have stayed in PL a couple more years. No silverware at all is a poor CV even by Barça's current standards.
 

JPRouve

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Koeman wanted the Barcelona job for years but he took it at worst possible time. No coach could pick up that side which lost miserably to Bayern 2-8.

Should have stayed in PL a couple more years. No silverware at all is a poor CV even by Barça's current standards.
Koeman isn't a good coach, he doesn't get the Barcelona job if they are not in turmoil.
 

Ludens the Red

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How is he still in the job? Barca are usually quite pro active in getting rid of a coach taking them nowhere.
 

2 man midfield

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Genuinely want us to draw them if we progress in the champions league. Think we could get our own back for our 4-0 drubbing a couple years back.
 

Bojan11

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Braithwaite starting for them. :lol:

The rest of the starting 11 and add Dembele to that should be pissing La Liga. They just don’t have a good squad like they used to.