Ernesto Valverde: Double-winner and on course for a Treble, but the Barcelona coach is still not good enough for the critics

De February 07, 2024
Ernesto Valverde: Double-winner and on course for a Treble, but the Barcelona coach is still not good enough for the critics
There are many legitimate criticisms to be made over how relevant Barcelonas ‘more than a club’ motto is these days, but what undoubtedly remains true is that the question of style of how Bara should go about winning is still more important than for any other team.Its for that reason Baras announcement earlier this week that Ernesto Valverde would be extending his contract as head coach was met with mixed reviews.Virtually anywhere else, the decision to continue working with a coach who won a league and cup double in his first season, and is still on course for a treble in his second, would be seen as a no-brainer.But not at Camp Nou; or at least, not for a vocal section of the Barcelona support.

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The Blaugranas 1-0 win over Valladolid on Saturday will have done little to change the minds of Valverdes critics.Bara got the job done, taking a victory that ensured their lead at the top of La Liga remains comfortable, but it wasnt exactly a performance to tell the grandkids about in years to come. Peppered with moments of quality but at other times disjointed and lacking the zip on the ball Bara are known for at their best, the win was, in part, built upon individual excellence from key players like Gerard Pique, and also upon Valladolids chronic lack of quality up front; their ability to squander excellent counter-attack situations was often perplexing.For much of the match Barcelona played with a number of second-string players, and it is hardly a revelation that Kevin-Prince Boateng does not deliver the same qualities as Luis Suarez, nor Arturo Vidal the same as Arthur.Boateng completed a shock move to Barcelona last month4
Boateng completed a shock move to Barcelona last month
But the fans who long for the Bara football of old would argue that these days even a full strength XI is still too far away from the clubs positional-football identity.One extreme take on Saturday was that the reigning LaLiga champions are now ‘tactically lost’.With Valverdes record in his 97 official games now extending to 66 wins, 22 draws and only nine defeats, that seems harsh to say the least. A near 70 percent win percentage is not achieved without a thorough grasp of tactics and a clear plan, even if they arent the tactics some would prefer.Valverde has had to deal with the lofty weight of expectation4
Valverde has had to deal with the lofty weight of expectation
And, crucially, the players are happy enough with the approach of their current boss for dressing room heavyweights to back the club’s decision to extend Valverde’s contract.The same squad veterans who have the benefit of first-hand experience of what it was like to play for the best Barcelona sides are perhaps more realistic about how difficult it is to repeat the levels of performance from those days than some fans are.Valverde has the support of his senior players, such as Lionel Messi4
Valverde has the support of his senior players, such as Lionel Messi
Even if disgruntled observers complain that Valverdes team isnt excelling enough, straw polls suggest his detractors are far less certain, however, about who could do any better.Of the few names that tend to be put forward, there is always at least one significant caveat to be added.Real Betis boss Quique Setin, for example, favours an exciting style of football but has struggled to produce consistent results from his top flight teams; Betis have not won back-to-back games in LaLiga since December.Home-grown options such as former Bara Juvenil A coach scar Garca or current B team boss Garca Pimienta tend to be founded in a romantic view that they can repeat the exceptional step up made by Pep Guardiola, but that likely wouldnt stop the knives from coming out should results not quickly be delivered to match the more palatable brand of football.Results are what Valverde produces better than most, and even if the displays may not be as consistently dazzling as Guardiolas team, or as electric as the best of Luis Enriques, the ridiculously high standards in the Catalan capital make the current side out to be far more simplistic than it truly is.Valverde has been forced to follow era-defining Barcelona teams – and the expectations that come with thatgetty4
Valverde has been forced to follow era-defining Barcelona teams – and the expectations that come with that
It is tempting to think that many of the purists are in reality simply swayed by one solitary result in particular – Barcelonas dramatic collapse to Roma in last seasons Champions League quarter-final.If Valverde can right that wrong and bring home the clubs sixth European Cup later this year – continuing with tonight’s visit to Lyon, which is LIVE on talkSPORT 2 – will the same critics of his Barcelonas style still be as vocal?
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