When you know what you're doing ...

[Yankee_Jack]

Barcelona: Why Quique Setien was appointed and why Xavi said no

For the second time ever in mid-season, Barca have just fired their manager when things were ostensibly humming along ...

Valverde had just witnessed Barcelona's best performance of the season against Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup (75 minutes of excellent football that ended up in defeat), had the club top of La Liga, unbeaten in the league since 2 November and in the last 16 of the Champions League, having finished top of a group that included Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan.

I would add that deeply rooted in the club's philosophy is the understanding and expectation that, although they aspire to excellence in what they do and expect to win every game, from time to time, they will lose. So the defeat to Atletico, as disappointing as it might be, is not a water-shed moment.

However ....

Many feel the side is going backwards, there are doubts being expressed about the physical preparation of the players and the substitutions during games, rumours of a charged atmosphere in the dressing room are rife and there seems to be a lethargy, complacency and general malaise about the place.

Does this sound familiar? Rumours of locker room unrest are not apparent, but everything else seems abundantly clear and applicable to us.

Values and standards: when you have them, you live up to them, or start going into decline. Barca cannot, will not let that happen! And then there's Andy Pandy!

 

[ivoralljack]

There's little doubt that our footballing DNA is being eroded. I mean, I've read hundreds of comments on the derby game, very many of them from Cardiff supporters who expressed surprise that their team matched us for possession (50/50) and also in the passing stats! If that's not a backward step from Swanselona I don't know what is!!

What amazes me is that Cooper, and some of his players, actually believe that we are playing some good stuff. I would sit Cooper down in a room along with his coaching staff and every single player on the club's books and make them watch replays of our best games under Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup and even a couple from Potter. Perhaps they would then get an idea of what proper football, real Swanselona, is about and realise that what they are serving up now is complete and utter dross in comparison. Oh, and I'd make sure that Trevor Birch had a seat in the front row!!

This lot haven't got a clue. Grimes stated last week that he was happy and satisfied about the way that we are playing. Deluded or what???!! He has only to watch a couple of horror movies about some of his own recent nightmare performances, including a dead ball ability that a LOW player would be ashamed to claim ownership of, to understand what a rubbish statement he made. And I won't go into his passing stats because that would REALLY irritate me. Routs also made a similar comment I'm told but then he's desperate for a new contract and doesn't want to rock the boat. As for Leon, well we all know that he knows better, so we can only guess what his motives are. I know what I think, which is that he's selling his footballing soul to toe the 'party line'. He's become another puppet for the owners imo and that is so sad.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Agreed @ivoralljack ... any comparison to what Martinez produced is laughable and that was at the beginning of the Swanselona era ... and even Sousa, who had many, many critics, produced superior football to what Andy Pandy's mob are delivering and believing that their shit don't stink.

 

[Jackflash]

Cooper and Co should be sat down to watch that memorable home game against WBA. No big names, just pure footballing technique bestowed on them by Laudrup on the training field, never imo to be equalled.But this was the football we had become accustomed to under Laudrup, until that fateful time when Jenkins started listening to that ginger, piggy eyed Monk and his cronies (two of which still draw a good wage from the club.) even though being party to the situation we find ourselves now.

 

[KVetch]

There's little doubt that our footballing DNA is being eroded. I mean, I've read hundreds of comments on the derby game, very many of them from Cardiff supporters who expressed surprise that their team matched us for possession (50/50) and also in the passing stats! If that's not a backward step from Swanselona I don't know what is!!

What amazes me is that Cooper, and some of his players, actually believe that we are playing some good stuff. I would sit Cooper down in a room along with his coaching staff and every single player on the club's books and make them watch replays of our best games under Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup and even a couple from Potter. Perhaps they would then get an idea of what proper football, real Swanselona, is about and realise that what they are serving up now is complete and utter dross in comparison. Oh, and I'd make sure that Trevor Birch had a seat in the front row!!

This lot haven't got a clue. Grimes stated last week that he was happy and satisfied about the way that we are playing. Deluded or what???!! He has only to watch a couple of horror movies about some of his own recent nightmare performances, including a dead ball ability that a LOW player would be ashamed to claim ownership of, to understand what a rubbish statement he made. And I won't go into his passing stats because that would REALLY irritate me. Routs also made a similar comment I'm told but then he's desperate for a new contract and doesn't want to rock the boat. As for Leon, well we all know that he knows better, so we can only guess what his motives are. I know what I think, which is that he's selling his footballing soul to toe the 'party line'. He's become another puppet for the owners imo and that is so sad.

It has been going in the wrong direction since Kaplan and Levien bought the team. It wasn't even that long ago they were on top. League Cup, Europa League, Michu.

 

[Jackflash]

It has been going in the wrong direction since Kaplan and Levien bought the team. It wasn't even that long ago they were on top. League Cup, Europa League, Michu.

The turning point was sacking Laudrup and appointing Monk, all the above were Laudrups achievments.