Ernesto Valverde's incompetent squad management may cost Barcelona dearly

Sooraj Kamath - Writer 22:45 04/12/2018
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  • Poor squad management has been a major factor behind Barcelona facing a crisis – at least by their high standards – at the business end of the season over the past few years. 

    The quarter-finals defeat to Juventus in the 2016/17 edition of the Champions League was a case of surrendering to a better side. But being knocked out at the hands of Roma last season had more to do with poor management of players and fatigue. 

    The fact that Ernesto Valverde has failed to learn from his past mistakes is not a good sign for Barcelona and may prove costly as the season takes shape. 

    Txingurri – as he’s popularly known – has disappointed with his team selection and substitutions so far. The Spaniard’s reluctance to escape his comfort zone and dependence on his first XI is stark. 

    Overused

    Overused

    The five outfield players to have played the most minutes in the league this season are Gerard Pique (1260 minutes), Jordi Alba (1190 minutes), Sergio Busquets (1112 minutes), Luis Suarez (1110 minutes) and Ivan Rakitic (1084 minutes). The average age of these players is 30.2; clearly not a good sign for old legs. 

    The extent to which the Spaniard relies on his first-choice players is definitely unhealthy. Valverde wrung out every last drop of sweat from Rakitic in praticular as fatigue has been evident in his recent performances. The Croatian sustained an injury in the international break in November and started against PSV Eindhoven just nine days later. The Catalans had a strong hold on the group already and fielding the strongest line-up was completely unnecessary. 

    Philippe Coutinho’s return from a hamstring injury last month was unnecessarily rushed and the Brazilian’s performance against Villarreal was particularly woeful. 

    The important point here is that Valverde had able alternatives at his disposal and he ignored them completely. Carles Alena or Denis Suarez could have taken Rakitic’s place against PSV. The former is a budding star and the latter – despite having a difficult time at Barcelona – has enough quality to at least start a game in relief. 

    Malcom has been treated unfairly

    Malcom has been treated unfairly

    Malcom was roped in from Roma’s clutches but the Brazilian has been treated unfairly by Valverde. The former Bordeaux winger has a mere 97 minutes under his belt in the league this season. Starting the winger ahead of Coutinho – who just returned from injury and had to play out of position – against Villarreal would have been a reasonable call that Valverde should have taken. 

    Ousmane Dembele has enjoyed a fair share of playing time lately. The Frenchman’s involvement has earned Barcelona nine points in the league this season and he has always played a decisive role in crucial moments. The fact remains that Dembele’s inclusion in the line-up has had more to do with circumstances such as Rafinha’s and Suarez’s injuries than Valverde’s preferences. 

    The substitutions are extremely predictable and variations are purely coincidental. Arturo Vidal coming on for Coutinho after 70 minutes is followed by Malcom enjoying 7-8 minutes at the expense of either Rafinha or Dembele. 

    Valverde’s substitutions are pre-determined and usually independent of the state of the game. This pragmatism and the need to follow the same script every game renders Barcelona’s success unsustainable. Another quarter-final exit in the Champions League then is possible, when weary legs trudge into March. 

    The former Athletic manager must be less rigid with his choices and trust his second tier of players more. 

     

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