Hindsight isn't 2020 - The 2019-20 Season Thread [R]

MD claims that both Messi and Suarez will be fit to face Valencia next weekend.

Talk about reinforcements! pic.twitter.com/GaJkXd4VGU

— total Barça (@totalBarca) September 5, 2019

 

finally we are at full strength

 

Umtiti came back injured as well

 

No comment

 

So we will really be at full strength then if he misses the Valencia match.

 

We'll be full strength when Messi comes back. It doesn't matter who he plays really, it decides our season if he can carry the team the whole season, I've lost my hope for other players helping long ago.

 

There’s also a story circulating that Frank DeBoa says that Valverde is playing FDJ out of position and hasn’t got a clue how to get the best out of him !!

Who knew !!?

 

He just played two amazing games for Oranje (possible MOTM for both) in his natural position. Lots of talk in the Netherlands about him being completely misused at the moment by Valverde.

With that being said there are also some people who think it can play out to the benefit of De Jong. He has always been amazing in transitional play but his play in the final third leaves something to be desired. He notched a top quality goal vs Germany and some people think being played more offensively by Barca could help him develop that side of his game more.

But definitely in the short-term I think you aren't benefitting optimally from Frenkie in his current position. Fortunately the season is young, we'll see what happens!

 

Its actually a good thing he missed out few games in begining of this season. He played almost maximum number of games last season, followed by maximum number of game in CA. He looked really slow throughout CA, now he should be well recharged.

 

Lots of quotes from de Boer in this piece, where he also acknowledges a big part of the issue is Busquets quality:

Frenkie de Jong is playing too far from the center at Barcelona, according to Frank de Boer.

“I saw the last games of Barcelona and Frenkie was playing almost on the wing. I don’t believe that’s his position; he should play in the centre or as a holding midfielder,” De Boer said.

The Netherlands legend and former Barcelona and Ajax player is now Ajax’s youth coach.

De Jong has not had the best start after joining Barça from Ajax last summer, although to be fair, the whole team has struggled in the first three games of La Liga, in the absence of Lionel Messi.

“I don’t know what Valverde will do. What I do know is that Frenkie may have to be patient. Sergio Busquets is already getting on, although he continues to play with the same quality as always on the pitch,” De Boer continued.

“The philosophy of Barcelona is not new to him. What happens is that the other players have to complete their understanding of his game.

”Frenkie is a different type of player to Busquets. His teammates have to adapt to him and Frenkie to them. What is clear is that he has a talent that has not been seen in a long time.

”That is why I am convinced he will end up being a success there,” a confident De Boer said.

AS goes into more detail: https://en.as.com/en/2019/09/08/football/1567951848_415659.html

 

Not really though because we dropped 5 points, which will be with the team for the next 35 matches.

 

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are still training away from the rest of the Barcelona squad and are unlikely to be ready to face Valencia this Saturday 🤕 pic.twitter.com/0rNsB55rg2

— GOAL (@goal) September 10, 2019

 

we are finished

 

pretty much sum up the last season but at least we need a decent defense so we wont suffer that liverpool defeat again

 

Unfortunately, just really difficult to stop Liverpool once they get rolling. Same thing almost happened to Man City in the Charity Shield last month. Through sheer luck the scoreline didn't reflect how much City were getting overrun in that second half, and that wasn't even at Anfield.

 

📰 [AS] | Messi will also be out for the Champions League debut against Dortmund

🔶 Ernesto Valverde assumed that he will not be able to count on the Argentine striker on Tuesday for the match against Borussia pic.twitter.com/A7wLRDMzC0

— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) September 13, 2019

 

Damn, Messi needs to get back playing so his off-the-field whinging can stop.

 

Umtiti is out for 5-6 weeks.

 

As much as can’t stand the checkered home shirt, the second and third kits more than make up for it. I’m loving that third shirt. Tempted to buy one.

 

We have Ansu Fati. Calma calma

 

A few of us saw this coming ...