La Liga 2017/18

New signing Own Goal putting in a shift tonight.
 
Douglas Luiz looks canny, be interesting to see how he does through the season
 
Good win. I feel Valverde is a very good manager. 2 goals conceded in the first 6 rounds no matter the opponents is impressive.
 
It's important to rack up all these wins before the hard games arrive.
 
I was very sad watching that Barcelona game. The team plays based on individualism and still no basis on the collective. Non existent use of the positin game, poor spatial coverage of the field. With a bit more quality Girona could have done a bit more.

Messi is having to be judge, jury and executioner. Little options when he has the ball resulting in him having to create by himself constantly leading to turnovers. No one spreading the pitch for him and dragging players away. It's a sorry state of affairs. Nothing has really changed from Enrique.

Maffeo did failry well but should have been sent off earlier for his constant fouling.
 
totaalvoetbal said:
I was very sad watching that Barcelona game. The team plays based on individualism and still no basis on the collective. Non existent use of the positin game, poor spatial coverage of the field. With a bit more quality Girona could have done a bit more.

Messi is having to be judge, jury and executioner. Little options when he has the ball resulting in him having to create by himself constantly leading to turnovers. No one spreading the pitch for him and dragging players away. It's a sorry state of affairs. Nothing has really changed from Enrique.

Maffeo did failry well but should have been sent off earlier for his constant fouling.
Click to expand...

TBH i doubt Barca will ever go back to the Cruyff blueprint. That love story ended when they kicked him out lol

Agreed on this side not being that much different to Enriques side. Only difference now is they have the GOAT Semedo Cafu as RB.
 
serghei said:
Good win. I feel Valverde is a very good manager. 2 goals conceded in the first 6 rounds no matter the opponents is impressive.
Click to expand...

Luis Enrique's team in his first season kept 8 consecutive clean sheets at the start of the season.

So far I don't see any improvements in Barca's play at all. Semedo makes the right flank more lively, Paulinho provides some brute force and the schedule's been kind. That's about it from my view. Girona man-marked Messi and Barca had to rely on scrappy own goals.
 
Cait Sith said:
Luis Enrique's team in his first season kept 8 consecutive clean sheets at the start of the season.

So far I don't see any improvements in Barca's play at all. Semedo makes the right flank more lively, Paulinho provides some brute force and the schedule's been kind. That's about it from my view. Girona man-marked Messi and Barca had to rely on scrappy own goals.
Click to expand...
It might not last long but they're pressing very well this season and to good effect. Also, Alba, Semedo, Rakitic and Busquets are playing really well. Suarez can't get much worse than he already is and Dembele hasn't even started playing yet so things should only improve.
 
Cait Sith said:
Luis Enrique's team in his first season kept 8 consecutive clean sheets at the start of the season.

So far I don't see any improvements in Barca's play at all. Semedo makes the right flank more lively, Paulinho provides some brute force and the schedule's been kind. That's about it from my view. Girona man-marked Messi and Barca had to rely on scrappy own goals.
Click to expand...

We won the treble in Lucho's first season, so it's fine if we play like that.

There are many improvements. Team is more focused, more determined, Messi is even better, Semedo is a top adition, Paulinho is doing fine, the defense has been improved compared with last season, tactics are also improved.

It's a work in progress, but Barca are now 7 wins in a row, and they could be very well be 9 next week. If they win vs Atletico and make it 10 La Liga is theirs to lose.
 
wr8_utd said:
It might not last long but they're pressing very well this season and to good effect. Also, Alba, Semedo, Rakitic and Busquets are playing really well. Suarez can't get much worse than he already is and Dembele hasn't even started playing yet so things should only improve.
Click to expand...

Commentators claim that but it seems a case of "wanting to see changes" under a new coach rather than actually seeing changes.

I don't see super pressing at all. Bottom teams like Getafe, Eibar and even Girona today, who haven't scored in their last 3 games, create quite a lot.

Statistically, Barca concede 10.3 shots per game so far this season (remember, they didn't play any top opposition so far). Under Luis Enrique in 14/15 they conceded only 8 shots per game (the whole season, Real Madrid, Atletico, Sevilla, Valencia etc. included).

Alba, Semedo, Busquets are playing well. Rakitic not so much.

They'll improve and most likely win the league with confidence and momentum but did Valverde's tactics improve much? I don't see it.
 
serghei said:
We won the treble in Lucho's first season, so it's fine if we play like that.

There are many improvements. Team is more focused, more determined, Messi is even better, Semedo is a top adition, Paulinho is doing fine, the defense has been improved compared with last season, tactics are also improved.

It's a work in progress, but Barca are now 7 wins in a row, and they could be very well be 9 next week. If they win vs Atletico and make it 10 La Liga is theirs to lose.
Click to expand...

More focused/determined? Maybe. I cant meausure it. But if you let your main rival win back-to-back CLs and then get trashed in the Super Cup by them and you aren't focused afterwards you should hang up your boots as a footballer, probably.

Semedo looks a top addition, I agree.

Anything else remains to be seen.
 
totaalvoetbal said:
I was very sad watching that Barcelona game. The team plays based on individualism and still no basis on the collective. Non existent use of the positin game, poor spatial coverage of the field. With a bit more quality Girona could have done a bit more.

Messi is having to be judge, jury and executioner. Little options when he has the ball resulting in him having to create by himself constantly leading to turnovers. No one spreading the pitch for him and dragging players away. It's a sorry state of affairs. Nothing has really changed from Enrique.

Maffeo did failry well but should have been sent off earlier for his constant fouling.
Click to expand...

Maffeo, Aday & Luiz all could've/should've been sent off were it not for a less tolerant referee, of course the offside calls against Barcelona were probably impacting the final result more than anything else IMHO. Girona's high line presented a problem Barcelona often have and while several were just offside, several were not even close. Of course, while Girona are impressive and I'd like to see them thrive in the Primera they will need to bring in a goalscorer because they cannot find the back of the net

But I would agree that tactically they looked every bit what I had expected when Valverde was rumoured to take over for Lucho, a rather tepid performance where Girona outpassed & looked more in control than Barcelona despite the scoreline. The width issue is a problem which is probably why Valverde experimented with Vidal as he looks to find options in Ousmane's absence. The Semedo rotation however is odd and if believed is linked to add ons in his transfer based on matches played. The lack of a legitimate backup to Busquets was pretty clear with Paulinho predictably unable to have much of an impact on the match. Iniesta in his 6th straight start is hard to understand but they are susceptible in midfield without him. At least Sergi showed how valuable he can be in midfield with a great run & assist for Suarez

Been awhile since I've seen Leo visibly frustrated on the pitch to get annoyed with Rakitic for failing to spot his run sooner. With Ousmane injured and Luis Suarez marginalized with this false 9 approach, Messi is back to relying on players far below his quality to support the team. He's not alone, I'm frustrated as well
 
Barca dominated Girona without problems. Valverde changed it up a bit this game to make us play effective without Busquets. Went for a more direct approach this game, skipping the midfield to pick up runs with longer, more direct balls to Messi, Suarez, Vidal and Paulinho.
 
FCBarca said:
Maffeo, Aday & Luiz all could've/should've been sent off were it not for a less tolerant referee, of course the offside calls against Barcelona were probably impacting the final result more than anything else IMHO. Girona's high line presented a problem Barcelona often have and while several were just offside, several were not even close. Of course, while Girona are impressive and I'd like to see them thrive in the Primera they will need to bring in a goalscorer because they cannot find the back of the net

But I would agree that tactically they looked every bit what I had expected when Valverde was rumoured to take over for Lucho, a rather tepid performance where Girona outpassed & looked more in control than Barcelona despite the scoreline. The width issue is a problem which is probably why Valverde experimented with Vidal as he looks to find options in Ousmane's absence. The Semedo rotation however is odd and if believed is linked to add ons in his transfer based on matches played. The lack of a legitimate backup to Busquets was pretty clear with Paulinho predictably unable to have much of an impact on the match. Iniesta in his 6th straight start is hard to understand but they are susceptible in midfield without him. At least Sergi showed how valuable he can be in midfield with a great run & assist for Suarez

Been awhile since I've seen Leo visibly frustrated on the pitch to get annoyed with Rakitic for failing to spot his run sooner. With Ousmane injured and Luis Suarez marginalized with this false 9 approach, Messi is back to relying on players far below his quality to support the team. He's not alone, I'm frustrated as well
Click to expand...

Is it that or that he just doesn't trust him in away games? He seems to be playing all the home games atleast.
 
Two fantastic results in a row for Getafe.

A hat-trick of assists for Sisto in the Celta game.
 
Missing a whole week on the board and Real have slipped 7 points behind Barca :drool:. Is Zidane's luck finally running out?
 
NSjYeXp.jpg


Both Pereira and Januzaj on the bench
 
wr8_utd said:
Is it that or that he just doesn't trust him in away games? He seems to be playing all the home games atleast.
Click to expand...

I can't say I know what Valverde thinks but I would find it hard to imagine that there is a trust issue as he has been far & away the best performer for the squad outside of Messi so far in the season. Also clear that Valverde will do what the board tells him to do
 
You must log in or register to reply here.