Can Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde survive champions’ miserable away form?
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From Andy West
Spanish soccer writer
A couple of weeks ago, had you seen Barcelona’s excursion to Granada on Saturday in the La Liga program, you might well have called the team would be topping the desk at the conclusion of the day.
You wouldn’t have figured that team would be Granada.
But that is just what occurred, the newly promoted Andalusians getting a victory to leave Barca floundering in mid-table, using seven points out of their first five matches.
It is the worst start for 25 decades of Barca, but much more worrying as the men of Ernesto Valverde only managed two attempts on target than the outcome was the operation whilst always looking vulnerable at the other end.
What is going on? And what would the reigning champions do next? BBC Sport assesses a early-season crisis that is full-scale at the Nou Camp.
The very first point to note about the poor form of Barca is for outside trips their problems have been reserved.
The Nou Camp has stayed a near-fortress, together with Barca winning their last 12 straight home games and only losing two in their own patch because Valverde came as manager.
In recent months , however, they have been nothing short of devastating on the street, turning into a collection of performances much too constantly for it to become a mere exaggeration.
Valverde’s men have now failed to win any of their previous eight away games, with Saturday’s loss at Granada after a highly fortunate Champions League draw at Borussia Dortmund, at which they only escaped thanks to a set of good saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, wayward Dortmund finishing along with also the support of the woodwork.
After Saturday’s setback manager Valverde confessed:”I’m worried. Away from home people are not getting outcomes that are good and if that happens a few times, like now, it is a symptom of not [enjoying ] . We are not playing games that are good.”
For a variety of reasons, if Barca are from their own surroundings’ comfortable blanket, they look uneasy. What exactly are these reasons?
In defence of Valverde and his players, their groundwork for the new campaign was far from ideal.
Players missed a big chunk of pre-season because of their participation although the skeletal squad embarked on a programme of friendlies comprising games on three continents in 13 days.
Since the action commenced, as a result, they’ve endured a string of injuries. Skipper Lionel Messi was sidelined before the curtain-raiser in Athletic Bilbao, and there Also Have been absences such as Jordi Alba, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti.
Thus, use many players and also Valverde has been forced to shuffle his pack. Frenkie de Jong and new signings Antoine Griezmann, as an instance, have been lined up at each position in the line and midfield respectively – beneficial to their procedure.
Another self-inflicted disturbance was that the Neymar saga.
The club’s unpleasantly public courtship of their opinion-dividing former star, which continued straight until Spanish transfer deadline day in early September, was a significant distraction and made a strong impression that the group is composed of a couple of untouchables alongside a bunch of players (Dembele, Umtiti,” Nelson Semedo, Ivan Rakitic) who’d have been thankfully jettisoned in case a part-exchange bargain for Neymar was struck by Paris St-Germain.
Messi, particularly, is facing allegations – similar to those he’s regularly faced at global level – which he wields too strong an influence over group selection and the general rule, especially given the ongoing starting XI standing of his best friend Suarez, despite the Uruguayan’s inconsistent type within the last few years.
Any power granted to Messi is unlooked for, arriving as a of the expectations heaped on his shoulders, but the suggestions add fuel to the thought that the champions are far from a happy and united camp at the moment.
It’s indisputable that a group with Barca’s depth and caliber should still be capable of beating opponents such as Granada, Osasuna and Eibar.
For many observers, the fact they have neglected to do this can be attributed fairly and squarely on the tactical approach employed by Valverde, whose standing is again coming under severe scrutiny after he survived the dip in the aftermath of his team’s horrendous collapse at Liverpool in last year’s Champions League semi-final.
Valverde has at all times been accused of being an overly attentive coach, setting his groups up first and foremost to prevent defeat in a manner far removed from the principles espoused since the days of Johan Cruyff. According to his critics, he also puts everything in Messi’s foot.
An over-reliance about Messi – dubbed’Messidependencia’ by the Spanish press – has been a recurring problem for five or six decades, and it is certainly the case that Barca have appeared bereft of ideas during his absence in the opening weeks of the season: Griezmann, for example, has not managed one shot on target throughout his four away games for the club.
More stressing possibly, is the fact Barca have the defensive listing in La Liga, conceding nine goals in their opening five matches. The home games that they won (equally 5-2, against Real Betis and Valencia) were distinctly uncomfortable from a defensive viewpoint, along with the waters of space regularly available to Dortmund and Granada counter-attackers during the latest games was an alarming indication of a group which now knows neither how to strike or to defend.
Valverde appears especially concerned by his eponymous trio, running through four unique mixtures throughout his team’s six games and trying many more from the bench when they haven’t exercised, meaning seven gamers have received considerable playing time in the centre of the area – with no looking particularly persuasive.
Those failings have generated something of a vacuum, causing a scarcity of adequate support to some back four and a inability to provide a toothless attack with sufficient ammunition.
With the remainder of the group more or less picking itself, configuring a successful midfield is the largest task facing Valverde and it is one he has not achieved.
Barca start to the season, on boss Valverde, who admitted after Saturday’s loss at Granada that he has to take responsibility to the group’s form, is piling pressure to the back of an ending to last year.
Valverde’s favor is counted in by two factors that are important he is believed to enjoy the support of Messi.
Although social media has turned fiercely against the Barca boss (any mention of the title on Twitter is always followed by the word’out’), there have been barely any stirrings of discontent against him at the Nou Camp – likely as a consequence of the outstanding home form on his watch, significance fans who attend matches have only really ever witnessed his team winning.
That, however, could immediately change. Patience is running out and it will be fascinating to see the response when Barca come back in action at home to in-form Villarreal, who have already taken points, Valverde receives Tuesday night this year.
In case the worst happens, there are plenty of potential replacements – the very long list of now available directors includes Pablo Machin, Quique Setien, Abelardo, Massimiliano Allegri, Laurent Blanc and (surely not?) Jose Mourinho. (Marcelino, recently fired by Valencia, isn’t a choice because coaches in Spain are not permitted to manage more than 1 group in a season.)
Of those already in employment, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman would necessarily be heavily connected given his past for a playing great with the team, as would former midfield star Xavi Hernandez, although only just starting his managerial career with an appointment in Qatari side Al Sadd. It’s odds-on that Xavi will handle Barca at any stage – the only real question is if now would be.
Before long, we may find out.
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