Re: Match Day Thread 21-22

[BarcaLearning]

Alex I want explanations XD

Yea for those cules who hadnt realized it, this is how far we've dropped. Benfica n Otamendi level opponents we should be brush aside, cos Messi factor obviously. Koeman is brave to play kids, but this game clearly showed they are out of their depths, not there level at all. In the league we might get away with it vs the weaker teams, but not a decent team in the CL, even though Benfica arent all that top tier, we still got raped. It was way worst after Koeman decides to play no midfield and bring kids on XD We will be seeing these kinds of results n performances for a while to come, not b4 we bring in a proper manager who actually knows how shit work TODAY, n not some oldie past it ones.

Anyway, Im pretty sure now Koeman will be fired. Finally we get start to have some sort of progression I hope...we been wasting time with a few poor manager appointments for several years.

[BarcaLearning]

Love how Alex posts up there with an "Told you"

Sorry cant help but over do things again, I'll stop XD But I do want to hear ur bs explaining how come we are so shit now that even though Messi is gone? EXPLAIN to us again plssss? Looooool

Anyway, as for Garcia, coaches tend to favour their countrymen, even top ones, Pep likes Ferran Torres ffs, says it all, even Zidane likes Hazard, etc. Garcia I think Dani was it explained its cos hes ball playing CB which is a strength them coaches like I guess. But hes clearly not a good defender. Same goes with Alaba sort of.

-25% insulting other users

[alexjanosik]

Please mind the language and kindly bleep off to PSG. We don't need fans like you who take pleasure in the team losing.

[BarcaLearning]

Ok apologies. But u have explained WHY? WHY do we still get raped in the CL? Come on, awwww, dont disappoint me man, been looking forward to this XD

[Hapless_Hans]

What is it that 3 coaches see in Garcia? I get his usefulness in certain games like Levante but he is not an undisputed starter.
Yet, undisputed starter for us. Even if we assume its poilitics with us, he is an undisputed starter for Spain. Pep also rates him extremely highly.
What do they see in him that casual fans dont?

Why do you think Pep rates him extremely highly? He let him go without thinking twice.. With Pep, you can't go by what he says.

[Mamad]

I think Barca's problem is not Messi leaving. it's not having a single world class player anymore.

Messi is the best ever and he carried Barca for so many years. but i do think lately he couldn't do anything either. so him leaving is not the reason Barca sucks right now.

also i'm a firm believer of getting rid of star players when they reach 34 or above. because 99% of the time they are helping you when you have the ball. without it they are a liability.

[Casciavit]

Garcia only ever played in 19/20 because Laporte was injured, Kompany was gone, and Stones was getting ostracized. Their only CB options were him and Otamendi who was injury prone himself. So there were times he started in defense alongside Fernandinho or Rodri.

When Dias came around and Stones had his turn of form he was never going to start ahead of them when those two were benching Laporte. Maybe if he had decided to stay he would've been 4th choice ahead of Ake, but Ake is left footed so I don't think he would have started ahead of him either.

[Cruijf]

I think Barca's problem is not Messi leaving. it's not having a single world class player anymore.

Messi is the best ever and he carried Barca for so many years. but i do think lately he couldn't do anything either. so him leaving is not the reason Barca sucks right now.

also i'm a firm believer of getting rid of star players when they reach 34 or above. because 99% of the time they are helping you when you have the ball. without it they are a liability.

I actually do agree tbh. At least in the CL, I think they would’ve lost these two games with or without Messi. The thing I’m objecting to though is that alex had been saying forever (quite confidently) that Barca would “magically improve” and there would be “no more humiliations” if Messi left. Simply ridiculous claims and he still hasn’t backed down.

[neuro11]

Wow! some people suddenly are more happy and content with creating good chances, creating openings, some god knows what linkup between Depay and Dest etc. etc.. That's a huge improvement in terms of common sense and a reality check about the post-Messi era conversation. And i see no talk of how Fati is going to lead us to glory and ability of Depay in finishing. Because we are in all-time low with 0 shots in two games even though stat-padding vs Levante makes us happy.

Eric Garcia was rated by Pep so much so that he played only 19 games in 3 seasons, wondering how many of them as a starter. The guy is only 20 years, even if he had talent Koeman is destroying him by regularly playing him without correcting his errors.

[The Franchise]

I didn't bother watching the game, the truth is when I heard the starting 11 I knew we would be playing 5 at the back again and decided my evening would be better off playing football instead of watching.

I came back in time for Fati to be subbed on and us immediately concede a 2nd goal.

I can't talk much about the game, as I've not bothered to find it and watch it over. Koeman is not up to task on a tactical level. 5 at the back will not work for us, we don't have the profile to play this way and why Koeman has insistence to the contary is beyond me.

It already failed vs Bayern, what evidence did that game provide to make him think it would fair any better against Benfica, or any other team?

He killed every bit of good vibes from that Levante game before we even kicked off. Do you realise he didn't play anyone who had a great game or if he did, in a different position (Dest, Mingueza, Nico, Gavi Memphis all changed)?

I'm also sick of his post match quotes, full of nonense. No doubt he'd already be sacked if we could afford it.

As for Eric Garcia, judging him on the evidence so far I could see why he could play in certain games. But those games are quite few and far between.

If the opponent is going to apply high pressure, he does have a very high level of compsure and his short passes are usually at the right speed, done quickly and accurately. He also seems to have natural leadership skills.

But, all this is offset because we don't have good build up structures and defensively he is awful in duels and 1v1s against any forward with speed or power, let alone both.

I'm annoyed he and De Jong have come in and given such a priority by Koeman. They haven't proven a damn thing to be given such rope.

[BarcaLearning]

So I lost 25% n still didnt get an explanation from Alex... awww... disappointing

Anyway, good thing u didnt watch it Dani, but basically Koeman started out wrong, n those triple subs made things even worst. Imagine thinking moving Frank back, then proceed to take both Pedri n Busquets off, ie. 0 midfield XD Epic decisions from Koeman.

I also gotta point out, imho ppl rate Barca youngsters very quickly for some reason, even just after a game or two. Obviously they are decent n have potential, but I just dont think its right to judge so soon. We've had so many of these examples over the years, even youngsters that had proved themselves even more so n over longer periods of time, still turned out to be failures. N Thats why I been pessimistic when it comes to them, or I like to calling it being realistic. To do well in a La Liga game or two is one thing, to be really good enough to play for Barca's first team vs top oppositions regularly is another thing altogether.

[danyjr]

We were never going to get an explanation because there is none. Worst start to the season since I remember watching football in my teens and somehow we're meant to believe this team has been improved from last season solely because of the departure of their all-time high scorer.

But @BarcaLearning I think you got a warning from the moderators so it is time to drop this talk. Even I got tired of it lol

[BarrileteCosmico]

We've been saying for half a decade that barca are a mid table team without messi. The amount of times that he single handedly saved us was ridiculous. We are seeing that play out unfortunately.

Of course it didn't work in the CL, and I do think there are legit criticisms there, but those were the games where he typically did make an effort I'm contributing to more aspects of the game.

[BarcaLearning]

Yea I got it, wanted more laughs thats all

[futbol]

You can't be too mad. Barca is just back where it always was throughout its history bar a few golden years here and there. Provincial club that celebrates Copa del Rey final anthem whistling and Clasico victories as the season highlights.

Normality resumes after the error in the Matrix that was 2006 - 2015.

Rock bottom has still not been hit though. That comes in 2 or 3 years when the few legit talents like Fati won't renew to play in the Europa League. THEN, Barca has my permission to die.

[Myesyats]

The squad only knew about the 3-5-2 system a few hours before the game against Benfica. Training sessions weren't focused on preparing on the tactical aspect of the game at all. [sport]

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 1, 2021

this team has way more potential than koeman allows to be unleashed

zero tactical preparation, i believe this 100%

[CM Pep]

That kind of info is either fake news or leaked intentionally by players/insiders.

Koeman has clearly lost approval from within looks like. Either the players or the board or both.

Funny because it looked like Laporta wanted to trust him and allow him to rebuild us. It's all down on Koeman I feel - he's too defeatist and he has backed himself into a corner.

You don't need to be tactically astute to avoid these defeats. Get the basics right and trust the players. OR drill a system. Can't play a half-assed system with players out of position and then hope something happens.

We might be seeing Xavi sometime soon. In a way it's good to get him mid-season because he will just be required to rescue and not really thrive. I just hope he doesn't fully crash and burn in his first season.

[Myesyats]

Laporta never trusted Koeman, wanted to sack him in the summer but didnt have the funds or anyone to replace him with. Their relationship was quite cold from the start.


Its Xavi or no-one for me. Get the deadwood out and give him time. Can't afford to half-ass things anymore. Hire proper specialists, scouts etc. Trust the process

[Myesyats]

Xavi:

It makes me laugh to see all these GPS that they put on our bodies. Because when they look at the data, statisticians say to themselves: 'On 100 passes, 80 were accurate. ' Oh really? And how do you know they were good? Do you know how they count them? For them, it's valid from the moment the player controls the ball that I sent to him. This is a good pass for the GPS. So yes, the guy may have controlled the ball, but he has four opponents on his back. So no, that's a bad pass. The good pass was elsewhere, to the one who was free of marking, the GPS doesn’t detect that. If it was enough to get rid of the ball in any way by putting the other in difficulty, I do not see the interest of statistics. I have the responsibility not to lose the ball, but I also have the one that my team-mate does not lose it. The difference between big teams and mediocre teams lies in the quality of the network of passes. The problem is that statistics will never replace sensations.

[BarcaLearning]

Yea at this point in time I dont see any alternatives then Xavi, its time. Previously he didnt wanna come in, but I really believe there isnt a better time for him from the clubs POV since we wouldnt be able to afford a top coach anymore n Im really sick of second rate ones at best. Xavi is still unproven but there is enough there to warrant him coming in n give him time to start the rebuild. This season n prolly the next one at least are goners anyway so no other time is better.

[danyjr]

Xavi:

It makes me laugh to see all these GPS that they put on our bodies. Because when they look at the data, statisticians say to themselves: 'On 100 passes, 80 were accurate. ' Oh really? And how do you know they were good? Do you know how they count them? For them, it's valid from the moment the player controls the ball that I sent to him. This is a good pass for the GPS. So yes, the guy may have controlled the ball, but he has four opponents on his back. So no, that's a bad pass. The good pass was elsewhere, to the one who was free of marking, the GPS doesn’t detect that. If it was enough to get rid of the ball in any way by putting the other in difficulty, I do not see the interest of statistics. I have the responsibility not to lose the ball, but I also have the one that my team-mate does not lose it. The difference between big teams and mediocre teams lies in the quality of the network of passes. The problem is that statistics will never replace sensations.

This is exactly why I laughed off the Arthur comparisons. He would rarely lose the ball but he would constantly put his team mates under pressure with very difficult passes. Absolutely mediocre player with better than average shielding who was overhyped massively.

[The Franchise]

That's also a problem Puig has, he plays 3 types passes. The one which the receiver is in a lot of pressure, the very good line breaking pass or a un-pressured giveaway trying the spectacular.

But that kind of understanding is why I have hopes for Xavi over the likes of Lampard. Lampard was a great player and a relatively smart one, he also had some decent ideas as a coach, but hearing him talk, he didn't have this kind of understanding.

But for Xavi to do anything, I really hope he is allowed to remove the cancers of this team. It's so obvious, it's the same players over and over who consistently perform poorly in the high pressure moments.

@Barcalearning I don't think the young players are overrated at all. Pedri has shown his quality in the European Championships aswell as his overall game last season. Araujo has shown himself already to be one of the top defenders in the league this season.

Fati is an obvious talent.

Gavi has earned himself a call up already, at just 17.

I don't know who else you refer to as hyped too quickly.

As for the lack of preparation for Benfica, I can only hope its fake. It simply cannot be possible they didn't run through tactical scenario's in preparing for this game. What else have they got to do at this stage?

[BarrileteCosmico]

Laporta wanted him out, but was unable to get anyone else to pick up this mess so he figured he's the best option left. Which I agreed with at the time, tbf, but Koeman is not proving to be the guy that can safely shepherd us to to top 4 finish while the club's financials recover.

[Myesyats]

The fact that E.Garcia came in and repeatedly found a place in the starting XI over Mingueza tells you all about koeman


Theres also no doubt that the tactical preparation is minimal. Koeman is a simpleton and there's no ambiguity here.

[BarcaLearning]

Dani, well theres been too many to list really over the years, i was referring the likes of Bojan way back, Afelley, Deulofeu, Bartra, Alena, Munisea, Puig, bad memory but there r many more. Its just simple math really, naturally as good as La Masia is in the past even, only a few can ever go on to become a truly WC player that our first team need.

I vividly remember watching Deulofeu for how every many games he played for us while Dembele was injuried, this was after Neymar left I think. He gave 100% every game, but nothing productive, becos he was his ceiling. And then Dembele comes back half fit and still raw, bang and makes so much impact. Sure his inconsistent but my point is the difference in true potential/ceiling or a La Masia youngster compared with a young star we buy in the market, the rate of success is so different. Of cos we have no choice now but to play our youngsters, but just from experience I know many of them wont turn out as good as we think they would.

[moutinho98]

instantly better


no more humiliations in CL


comedy gold

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