Barca losing yet again away to another bottom half team.
Think Real Madrid will win the league by default this year.
Think Real Madrid will win the league by default this year.
La Liga 2019/20
- Thread starter carvajal
- Start date
I fancy Barca to come back and win this one today by a couple of goals, but we'll see.
At this point I think Griezmann is trying to solve the problems of our team, and Messi is just making them worse by making everything depend on him.
Predictably, the one redeeming feature of Valverde's tenure (the league form) is going down the drain.
1-1, Suarez with the header, assist by Messi. what's the issue with Arthur? why isn't he playing?
2-1, Vidal somehow scores after corner.
Barca with another hard-fought away win.
Atleti will be lucky to finish top 4 the way they're playing
Ramos wtf
World class backpass from Ramos there...
Same as last season, Willian Jose scores after three minutes at Bernabeu.
Same as last season, Willian Jose scores after three minutes at Bernabeu.
Ramos mistake
Bale whistled furiously before the game according to the commentary, no real surprise there.
La Real are comfortably one of the best teams around atm for passing through the lines from one end of the pitch to the other. Confident and calm passing with of course Odegaard at heart of it. Making Madrid look very static atm.
Should've been two nil there, Willian misses from five yards.
Bale got a terrific reception from the home fans
Real Madrid miles better in the second half, sometimes when you see the number 7 dribbling past a few players you still think it's Ronaldo there rather than Hazard.
Honest question here (might be better for a thread) is Benzema possibly the most underrated footballer of this era? The guy is an incredible player but seems to have gotten little credit or even scorned at times.
He's inconsistent as feck. Granted if he weren't he'd have been the best player in the world
He's inconsistent as feck. Granted if he weren't he'd have been the best player in the world
To be fair, he's been quite consistent last 14 months or so. I think he plays with more freedom since Ronaldo left so he can show all his skills better.
Exactly. He's like a new player, it's crazy.
Today I liked the game a lot.
Valverde is getting better every day.
At present he is irreplaceable and he continues to lose his shyness, which, according to himself, will lead to show his great long distance shot more frequently.
He looks like a player for many years. Hazard very well too, every day better. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the big games, Clásico, Champions League knock out, etc.
And about Benzema...all Madridistas would have to apologize to him(except that Madrid poster,whose name I can't remember that defended him to death).
Nowadays one of the best strikers in the world, very madridista and always giving advice and helping, as was seen the other day with Mendy.
Valverde is getting better every day.
At present he is irreplaceable and he continues to lose his shyness, which, according to himself, will lead to show his great long distance shot more frequently.
He looks like a player for many years. Hazard very well too, every day better. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the big games, Clásico, Champions League knock out, etc.
And about Benzema...all Madridistas would have to apologize to him(except that Madrid poster,whose name I can't remember that defended him to death).
Nowadays one of the best strikers in the world, very madridista and always giving advice and helping, as was seen the other day with Mendy.
I am so conflicted when Barca wins sometimes because it means Valverde lives to see another day.
Some teams Cross and Inshallah
Some teams shoot and Inshallah
Some teams counter and Inshallah
but Barca are just Inshallah
Some teams Cross and Inshallah
Some teams shoot and Inshallah
Some teams counter and Inshallah
but Barca are just Inshallah
Strange to see a manager who everybody seems to want gone seemingly be untouchable.
Isn’t it? I think the players like how laid back he is in regards to training and they can run it like a boy club with him in charge.
I had issues with Luis Enrique but the 6-1 comeback never happens with Valverde and Enrique actually had balls from time to time. He wasn’t the greatest tactician, but he could actually light a fire under the team.
The board that runs Barca is woeful.
6-1 doesn't happen with Valverde because prime Messi-Suarez-Neymar with Iniesta and Alves still balling and Busquets and Rakitic in their primes is a time far away in history. And even then it was mostly a Neymar individual show when everyone else on the pitch had already congratulated PSG when 3 goals where needed with 2 minutes to go. Hardly Enrique lighting a fire under anyone.
Let's not attribute every occurance to the coach. Players are probably 80 % of everything. There are few coaches who are bigger than that like SAF.
When you go from Neymar to glorified Douglas Costa aka Démbéle, from Alves to Semedo/Sergi Roberto, from Iniesta to Arthur (who is a good talent but nowhere near Iniesta obviously) and have to count the days of Suarez' and Messi's retirement, this is how a team will look like.
It's absurd how everything is attributed to Valverde, like they only have to change from Valverde to Setién or Koeman and Barca are gonna rule the world again.
Let's not attribute every occurance to the coach. Players are probably 80 % of everything. There are few coaches who are bigger than that like SAF.
When you go from Neymar to glorified Douglas Costa aka Démbéle, from Alves to Semedo/Sergi Roberto, from Iniesta to Arthur (who is a good talent but nowhere near Iniesta obviously) and have to count the days of Suarez' and Messi's retirement, this is how a team will look like.
It's absurd how everything is attributed to Valverde, like they only have to change from Valverde to Setién or Koeman and Barca are gonna rule the world again.
Barsa is going to have a huge problem the day Messi retires or leaves.
“If they can score 4, we can score 6”
that’s a famous quote from Enrique before the second leg.
barca with a better coach would absolutely do much much better. There are good players on the team. It would help if they weren’t always being played out of position. Like Griezmann on the wing. Valverde absolutely hinders Barca. No question about it.
Of course this team isn’t as good as 2015, but teams often take on the personalities of their manager and the difference between Enrique and Valverde is night and day.
Barca need to retool their back line, the squad isn’t perfect, but if it was Klopp instead of Valverde at the helm the 4-0 never happens.
Enrique also had Barca be very fit, he ran intense training programs. Valverde has Barca having the least amount of training sessions per month than any other manager they have had this decade.
I do think Barca need to make some squad adjustments, as the squad is long on the tooth in some areas, but a competent manager would go a LONG way from the absolute DIRE football they are playing right now. That is 100% on the coach.
"In United locker room they say that Pogba does not play to be able to go to Madrid in winter"
"According to direct sources of the English team dressing room, the French player, who has not been playing since September 30th, is already recovered from his injury but does not want to play to be let out. The lesion was a microfissure in a toe, without breakage.
Two sources of the club confirm to COPE the version given by Paco González in Tiempo de Juego, although the club keeps another public version. According to that information, Solskjaer, who did not want to sell Pogba in summer, would accept the transfer now in January for as much money as possible."
"According to direct sources of the English team dressing room, the French player, who has not been playing since September 30th, is already recovered from his injury but does not want to play to be let out. The lesion was a microfissure in a toe, without breakage.
Two sources of the club confirm to COPE the version given by Paco González in Tiempo de Juego, although the club keeps another public version. According to that information, Solskjaer, who did not want to sell Pogba in summer, would accept the transfer now in January for as much money as possible."
Celtia winning under their new manager, Aspas predictably with the winner.
Aspas 
Famous quote? Enrique's coaching had little to do with that. LITERALLY Barca players were congratulating PSG players on the field around the hour mark, some PSG players have confirmed this. There was no motivation, fire, whatever. Congratulating the opponent with 30+ minutes to go is the complete opposite of "never die" attitude. Neymar individually put them back in within 3 minutes at the end.
Furthermore, why did Enrique lose 0-4 in the first place away to PSG? Then proceeded to lose 0-3 away to Juve? Despite having a much better and younger Barca team back then, including Neymar. While being such a great motivator and doing intense training sessions?
The only difference, apart from Valverde having a declined squad, is that Valverde always had the away leg as the 2nd game. If the Liverpool game last year were to be played first at Anfield, Liverpool would not try to score 4 goals. The game would be played more cautiously as it's only the first leg. At best Liverpool would win 2-0 but not throw the kitchen sink in to make it a 4-0. Then in the return leg Barca would have to chase a score infront of their 99000 fans while being the strongest home team in Europe and Liverpool would be put on the backfoot. They'd win or make it at least very close to a successful comeback and the narrative would be completely different, even if they only made it close and failed. These little details make huge differences.
Valverde is easily a better manager than Enrique. Valverde reached top 4 with Athletic Bilbao, a team made of local Basque lads and won them their frist trophy in decades. Enrique finished 7th with Roma who went on to finish in top 3 for 5 seasons straight after Enrique quit.
Valverde is a HORRIBLE manager. He is a mid table manager and nothing more. When Barca lost 3-0 to Juventus, Juventus managed 2 wonder goals from outside the box, and then a header off the post into the back of the net. That Juventus had allowed the second least amount of goals in CL history heading into the UCL final. The other teams that knocked Barca out were also teams who set up with a low block like Atletico. And even then, it wasn't a humiliation but a one goal deficit against a fierce rival.
PSG had one of their finest performances of the decade in UCL in that first leg versus Barca. And in that second leg, Barca KEPT FIGHTING. Something you almost NEVER see from Valverde in UCL. They didn't roll over and die like they constantly have in UCL under Valverde. Even Pep had issues with Barca in away legs during his tensure, but neither he nor Enrique were this awful in away legs. He plays some of the most awful dire football of the big clubs. Enrique played completely different football in barca compared to his bad stint in Roma. He bypassed the midfield and got the ball as quickly as possible to his front three. It wasn't exactly "the Barca way" but it worked. Valverde completely stunts his players when they come in. Coutinho was a failure who managed to flourish everywhere else, Griezman inexplicably played on the wing is moronic, and Athur falling out of the rotation is also stupid.
This is the most static Barca team of the past 15 years.
Valverde has been getting annihilated in the media year after year, Valverde wouldn't have won the treble in 2015 because he would have had his team pack up shop once they went up 1-0. He's far too pragmatic for a team like Barca. His teams have no fire, no killer instinct. He's a poor manager for a top tier club. The fact that there is anyone left defending him at this point is bizarre. He's been at the helm for two of some of the biggest CHOKES in UCL history. The players certainly deserve part of the blame, but it starts with the manager. He can't inspire anyone, certainly not at this level that Barca requires. He's a total dud.
He's a midtable manager whose tenure will always be remembered as one of the most miserable Barca teams to watch thanks to his anti-football style.
I once wrote that Valverde is Spanish Moyes, but I'm actually beginning to think he's worse. we all laughed at our famous game vs Fulham and all those endless crosses, but Valverde's brand of football is almost equally underhelming except he doesn't work with washed-up Rooney, Fletcher, Valencia, Young and Januzaj. I mean, on saturday he had Messi, Suarez, Griezz, De Jong and Dembele on the pitch at the same time yet struggled badly to create anything. if you can't work with that, then you're simply clueless. most of their goals in recent weeks came from set pieces, either from corners, Messi's free kicks or penalties. they concede in every game, more than goal per game yet he continues to play Busq and De Jong together like it's working perfectly.
as for Atletico, I honestly think Simone is done there. fair play for recent years, but that brand of football simply doesn't make sense anymore. it made sense when they were against best Barca & Madrid sides and with prime Godin and Miranda to actually defend their leads, but they actually have decent players and shouldn't be so hopeless at attacking. that's all on Simeone and just when both Barca and Madrid seem to be in their most vulnerable states in years, it looks like Atletico won't even try to take advantage of that and will just persist with their shitty defensive style that will only make them battle for top 4 finish.
Simeone is 50 years old, he'll stay here for another year or two perhaps, then he'll probably manage Inter and Argentina and that would be it I think. neither Barca, neither Madrid, neither City, Liverpool or Bayern would ever consider him so he'll just return to Argentina and take charge at Velez or some of their other domestic clubs before retiring.
about Benzema... he accepted a specific role at Madrid and in a way "sacrificed" a bit his best years because of that, but what he has shown since Ronaldo left is nothing surprising. everyone knew he had it in him and had he joined Chelsea or Juventus in right time, or any other club that was willing to give him key role in attack, most likely we would be talking about him today the same way we're talking about Lewa or Aguero. it's a shame his NT career turned out to be such a disappointment.
as for Atletico, I honestly think Simone is done there. fair play for recent years, but that brand of football simply doesn't make sense anymore. it made sense when they were against best Barca & Madrid sides and with prime Godin and Miranda to actually defend their leads, but they actually have decent players and shouldn't be so hopeless at attacking. that's all on Simeone and just when both Barca and Madrid seem to be in their most vulnerable states in years, it looks like Atletico won't even try to take advantage of that and will just persist with their shitty defensive style that will only make them battle for top 4 finish.
Simeone is 50 years old, he'll stay here for another year or two perhaps, then he'll probably manage Inter and Argentina and that would be it I think. neither Barca, neither Madrid, neither City, Liverpool or Bayern would ever consider him so he'll just return to Argentina and take charge at Velez or some of their other domestic clubs before retiring.
about Benzema... he accepted a specific role at Madrid and in a way "sacrificed" a bit his best years because of that, but what he has shown since Ronaldo left is nothing surprising. everyone knew he had it in him and had he joined Chelsea or Juventus in right time, or any other club that was willing to give him key role in attack, most likely we would be talking about him today the same way we're talking about Lewa or Aguero. it's a shame his NT career turned out to be such a disappointment.
His CV suggests he's good actually
I'm not even sure even one of juventus goals came from outside the box, but regardless, that game was a proper ass-whooping. Similar to Liverpool-Barcelona 4-0 in fact. The second leg too shared similarities with the liverpool-barca tie, in that it was patently clear to everyone with eyes that Juvetnus were just plain better, a level above barcelona, and that was MSN barcelona. Luis Enrique was very much one of the main reasons they failed to win more than 1 CL with that trio
Biggest loss on aggregate remains Juventus-Barcelona 3-0
@Cait Sith has a point. The optics of second leg collapses make it look worse, but things haven't really changed all that much compared to the Luis Enrique era. The main difference is the players are worse now
Game was over after Cavani's goal. What happened next was an all time fluke on the level of istanbul
Optics. Where was the fight against juventus? Needing to turn around a bad loss and ended up getting little brother'd
We can go back to 2016 against Atletico too if you prefer. Complete limp dick performance and they even went into it with a lead. Thouroughly and deservedly beaten. In fact, that season the whole month of April saw a near historical collapse that very nearly cost them the league as well. And once again, this was a team with 3 of the 4 best players in the world in it
They totally did
So did Luis Enrique, who in fact quit his job over it
Luis Enrique was a dead man walking on January 1st 2015. Then he got into a fight with Messi and to his credit, he managed his one big success as a manager, that is, he got Messi to agree to play from the right for th3 next 6 months. And thanks to that they went on to win the treble.
Then Messi moved back to the middle and Luis Enrique went right back to looking like the overmatched bumbling tinkerer he's been his whole managerial career
I"ll take the second leg against Juventus and the second vs atletico over second leg performances against Roma and Liverpool. You're nuts if you think those performances were worse than the ones under Valverde. Barca weren't great in that second leg vs Atletico in particular, but I'd take it over a majority of what we saw in the away legs with Valverde. And Juventus goals were fluky in that first leg, they did have two at the edge/outside of the box wonder goals. Second leg they understandably just parked the bus while Barca had 19 shots but couldn't finish at all. There was FAR more fight in the second leg vs Juventus than the second legs vs Roma and Liverpool combined. You're just trying to rewrite history if you think otherwise. Juventus was frustrating but EVERY Barca fan will tell you Juventus was the better team. We never felt like we let it slip away like we did these past two seasons. We shouldn't have gone out to Roma in the second leg because of our cowardice tactics that Valverde often employs, and Liverpool's B squad has us looking like a deer in headlights.
Juventus had allowed the second least amount of goals in CL history, Roma and Liverpool were FAR more embarrassing.
The work rate WAS MUCH better under Enrique, when Barca was thumping and little brothering Real Madrid like they often have this decade in the 4-0, it felt like a proper whooping instead of weird games like the 5-1 under Valverde which were extremely flattering scorelines.
And to call what happened after Cavani's goal a fluke is just dumb, I'm sorry. You can't score THREE goals as a "fluke". One goal, sure, but not 3. PSG collapsed and panicked as bad as Barca did in their recent chokes. Madrid's title runs were just as fluky like the second leg vs Juventus getting bailed out.
Valverde's team would've just given up after Cavani's goal like they did against Liverpool and Roma.
Enrique would've done much better this season than Valverde. We wouldn't be having some dire football, we would actually be watchable. Enrique thrived in wanting to attack while Valverde prefers to be Mourinho lite.
There is no comparison between the two, Valverde is a midtable manager. Barca also had poor away form with Pep. But at least with Enrique they went down swinging.
That 2016 Madrid were penalty shots away and an offside Ramos goal from winning, Juventus imploded in the final, but I'd take both of those teams over Liverpool's B squad, and Roma of 2018.
Valverde is awful, the worst manager Barca have had this decade. He just doesn't fit the team at all.
Last edited:
I just cannot understand VAR at times.
Ramos
0-1
0-1