Luis Enrique

It's not just that windkick. There's a visible change in the motivation of the entire team, most notably Messi. Don't think I've seen the team play with such intensity since Pep, or in rare isolated matches like when you overturned our 2-0 lead a couple years back. That has to come back to Enrique; as clueless as he may have seemed he's gotten the team fired up.

messi has been playing like this since the first game of the season and people said his "hunger" will die down, which has been untrue he has been constantly pressing since day one.

enrique has been hot and cold, first couple of games were okay, the loss against madrid and psg in the first match were stumbles and whatever the hell happened during the week of real sociedad was the lowest point but he's slowly making up for it.

have to see how this guy finishes up the season.

I really hate it when people bring up the "Enrique played 25 different line ups in 25 matches" stat (if it's even true, I'm pretty sure some starting elevens were repeated, just not consecutively) because this is exactly what Pep did and back then it was a virtue and now it's somehow a weakness. Not to mention, a lot of those were conditioned by injuries that prevented those first elevens from being repeated.

wasn't just a starting 11 difference though, was that sometimes messi on the right sometimes midfield sometimes middle.
we would sometimes play 3 a the back, mascherano in dm, mathieu in lb.

or we would do double pivot..
so much inconstancy i assume it was lucho testing out all his options in the first half but it really did cost us several points.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

AS wrote:What has changed at Barca? Have you talked amongst yourselves to bring Barca forward?

Some truths have been told to improve the situation. There were some frictions between Leo and the mister. They are moments that every team goes through at some point during the season. The good thing is that the manager was able to manage the tension well and everything has come back to normal. It helped that the victories came at this moment and that has helped us a lot too.

You speak of tensions. Were they strong? What were they, exactly?

Above all it was during a training at the beginning of the month. Just after the return from the vacations. Suddenly, because of a foul not called by the coach in a training match, Messi got his wires crossed and there were frictions between the two. The things that must be said were said. Luis Enrique went to speak with Leo after in the changing room and everything was fixed. I repeat, this is something that happens in every team, but since it happened at Barca it got a lot of attention and was blown out of proportion.

http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2015/01/29/primera/1422543377_104157.html?id_externo_promo=canchallena-dsp-as

Mathieu pretty much confirms that  the crisis started with a disagreement over a foul that LE did not call on Messi

Mathieu is out for remainder of the season with a mysterious injury

Jeremy not so smart, is he?

Mathieu.
LOoOoOoOoOoOoOL.
When will these guys ever learn? Even I can predict barcas actions from my couch ffs.
I suspected something was coming to him after that comment.. Barca becoming like a cult ffs.

Bankz wrote:Mathieu.
LOoOoOoOoOoOoOL.
When will these guys ever learn? Even I can predict barcas actions from my couch ffs.
I suspected something was coming to him after that comment.. Barca becoming like a cult ffs.

What are you talking about? If you're referring to Maravilla's post, it was a joke lol.

Are people still doubting Luis Enrique?
Barca beat Atleti comfortably THRICE in a row, in la Liga, in CdR, at Camp Nou, at Calderon, is one point off Madrid and pretty much in the CL quarters as City is a joke in the CL.

LOL at blaming him for Real Madrid and PSG losses. Main reason Barca lost those is because they conceded 2 goals from set-pieces in both matches, hardly Luis Enrique's fault.

Donuts wrote:wasn't just a starting 11 difference though, was that sometimes messi on the right sometimes midfield sometimes middle.
we would sometimes play 3 a the back, mascherano in dm, mathieu in lb.

or we would do double pivot..
so much inconstancy i assume it was lucho testing out all his options in the first half but it really did cost us several points.

Mathieu was signed as a CB/LB option, nearly half this section has wanted to see Masche in DM at some point over the seasons, many here wanted to consider 3 at the back, etc.

In either case Pep screwed around with the formation a lot too, a lot of times without prior warning in big matches, and again when he did it he was praised for it.

With Tito we always complained he would start the same eleven, then Martino came and we praised him for rotating, then LE came and we complain that he's rotating. Wut?

I have 0 problems with his rotations. Maybe for the goalkeeper spot (but even that works well so far). Apart from that he didn't do much wrong in that regard. Xavi is 35 and can't play every game so he gets rotated => logical. Rafinha is too young and inexperienced (not to mention also injured from time to time) so he doesn't walk into the starting lineup => logical. Iniesta was injured for 4+ weeks so in that time we've used Busquets-Mascherano in some big games (e. g. away to Valencia, the only team to beat them there). Suarez was suspended so we experimented with Munir, Sandro and Pedro. Mathieu at leftback was something that HAD to be tested. Didn't work but in theory it should have.

Maybe you can criticize that he experimented in tough games (PSG, Clasico, Valencia away) but meh. Experimenting against Elche is pointless. Gap in quality is too big to analyse the tactical modifications in such games. You could play Jordi Alba at CB and get away with it against Elche.

I've said it before and I say it again. The improvement in set pieces is amazing. Both defensively and offensively. 20 league games, 1 set piece conceded and Pique is scoring from set pieces now. Even scored one against Atletico, fss.

If Iniesta doesn't improve and we're going to play as direct as in the first half in the Calderon I'd pick Busquets-Mascherano-Rakitic in midfield for tough away games.

people praised pep because it worked
it's only natural for lucho to get backlash on experimenting in the hardest league game of the season (madrid away from home)

there is also a difference between rotation and changing a players overall position, with a team of what could be 4 new starters (suarez, GK, mathieu, rakitic) constant rotation / changing position makes it hard for them to get even gel with the team.

tbh rakitic is finally hitting massive form but it's really only because xavi got injured and he finally got to play 2+ games in a row.

my 2 cents is that rotation isn't LE's problem, its when he does it. I honestly think you guys would be above madrid in the table atm if he started Messi and Neymar at the Anoeta for example. One of the toughest games of the season and he starts Munir, Pedro and off form Suarez.

Get outta here.

Ganso just said it. The players did nothing for 2 weeks before, we struggle every game vs La Real away and he leaves the best two players on the bench.

And we are wrong to criticise that and say those rotations are stupid?

Nah. Thats well within normality. That was a stupid move without any excuse.

Theres a difference between getting one line up wrong and his entire rotation policy being wrong. Yes, Messi and Neymar should've started against La Real. Everyone agrees on that. But in general his rotations have made sense.

That wasnt the only game he got wrong, lets be fair.

That just the more recent and obvious one to chose from.

PSG was wrong, Pique on the bench. Mascherano in the middle, Alba starting..set peices...crosses...alrighty then..couldnt see this coming.

Madrid, starting Suarez was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Celta Vigo I wouldnt say was wrong, though we lost..but I mean, Rafinha and Rakitic starting together wasnt right but I aint mad at him trying it at that stage.

Valencia was certainly wrong. Mascherano and Busquets with Xavi...dont care if its away from home, thats rubbish in my opinion. Who in that midfield is gonna break pressure and carry the ball?


I wouldnt call this rotation, I dont think rotation is a problem..its how, its the choices. Pep was wrong occasionally..but like, wrong x times in 4 years. Enrique wrong same number of times in half a season. There is a difference is all.

Katy Perry wrote:Are people still doubting Luis Enrique?
Barca beat Atleti comfortably THRICE in a row, in la Liga, in CdR, at Camp Nou, at Calderon, is one point off Madrid and pretty much in the CL quarters as City is a joke in the CL.

LOL at blaming him for Real Madrid and PSG losses. Main reason Barca lost those is because they conceded 2 goals from set-pieces in both matches, hardly Luis Enrique's fault.

He is not good enough for us.Guy has us playing direct counter attacking football.We are not Mehdrid.We are Johan Cruyff's team.Route one football is for Mehdrid and not for us.
I dont give a damn that we won.If the ball is sailing way above Iniesta's head,then the coach is just not good enough.

alexjanosik wrote:If the ball is sailing way above Iniesta's head,then the coach is just not good enough.

There is an easy solution to this problem.



Won't have to worry about balls sailing over his head.

Lucho is slowly getting it right. Only one small step left. If he puts Mathieu at the back and Mascherano in midfield instead of Iniesta it's the perfect platform for the front 3. A physically competitive midfield to play direct football. Finally getting rid of the outdated Pep football, dilly-dallying in midfield with 90 passes to get a shot off until the opponent wins it back and causes trouble with 3 passes against Pique standing alone around the halfway line. Back to the modern, BALANCED Rijkaard principles.

Yeah,he does not belong on the bench.Iniesta is one of the GOATS who is now reduced to covering for the scrub Alba.
Iniesta is arguably the clutchest player in the history of football.
Basketball had Jordan,F1 had Schumacher,tennis has Nadal and Serena and football has Iniesta.
And yet now,he is a bystander in most big games.I wonder whose fault that is.

Regarding the football,to each his own man.You may find the dilly dallying in midfield with 90 passes outdated and boring. I find it mesmerizing.
There are 3 ways to play the game and as long as we play any of those 3 ways I am fine.
First,there is the Johan Cruyff way to play the game.
Second,there is the Johan Cruyff way to play the game.
And last but not the least,there is the Johan Cruyff way to play the game.
Cruyffist through and through.

alexjanosik wrote:Yeah,he does not belong on the bench.Iniesta is one of the GOATS who is now reduced to covering for the scrub Alba.
Iniesta is arguably the clutchest player in the history of football.
Basketball had Jordan,F1 had Schumacher,tennis has Nadal and Serena and football has Iniesta.
And yet now,he is a bystander in most big games.I wonder whose fault that is.

His own fault because without Xavi holding his hand he's useless. Can't control games on his own as a CM, doesn't create enough in the final third as an AM. Iniesta is arguably the most prominent sideshow assistant water carrier in the history of football.
Batman had Robin, Sherlock Holmes had Watson, Al Bundy had Peggy, Tarzan had Jane and Xavi had Iniesta.

Iniesta is a GOAT with or without Xavi.I know it and you know it so quit the trolling.Lets discuss the issue.
Are you denying that Enrique has Iniesta playing a role which is not at all suited to him?

Futbol stahp, Iniesta is one of the greatest midfielders ever the fact he's gotten old combined with playing a way that doesn't suit him doesn’t change that.

He performed at a world class level many many times without Xavi.

Edit: basically what Alex said lol.

I have to say though.Your posts do crack me up from time to time.Not everyone's cup of tea but I like your sense of humor.
And the way you spin things.You would have been brilliant working in the Blair administration.

alexjanosik wrote:Regarding the football,to each his own man.You may find the dilly dallying in midfield with 90 passes outdated and boring. I find it mesmerizing.
There are 3 ways to play the game and as long as we play any of those 3 ways I am fine.
First,there is the Johan Cruyff way to play the game.
Second,there is the Johan Cruyff way to play the game.
And last but not the least,there is the Johan Cruyff way to play the game.
Cruyffist through and through.

Meh. Playing long balls doesn't mean that he is ant Cruyff. In fact by the end of Guardiolas tenure, he was playing anti Cruyff stuff. Cruyffs teams always played the vertical pass, long or short when it was on and he hated horizontal passing. The only problem I have with Enrique is that the cms dont get involved at all and Messi is shouldering all the creative burden of the team.

Iniesta needs to be moved back into a media punta role. 0 triangles formed and there is no structure to the teams build up. If he wins it all I don't think anyone would care tbh. Who would you have had replace Tata out of curiousity?