How Valverde managed to win the hearts and minds of Barcelona supporters
- Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
There is no doubt it was also a special night for La Blaugrana supporters, though one man surely enjoyed it more than most. Who, you might be wondering? Well, despite the fact his team is closing in on another historic treble, manager Ernesto Valverde has been subjected to a fair bit of criticism this season due to his implementation of what is perceived by many as a negative style of play.
Is he a more pragmatic tactician than the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique? Yes. Does that make him a so-called ‘defensive’ coach? Most certainly not. His decision to use a 4-4-2 formation so frequently has been effectively forced upon him, given the non-arrival of a like for like Neymar replacement last summer.
Indeed, the injury problems suffered by Ousmane Dembélé since he signed from Borussia Dortmund made it nigh on impossible for him to work on a more attack-minded 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, which was his default system during his spell in charge of Athletic Bilbao. That said, there is every chance he will revert to type next season once he has had the luxury of working with Dembélé and Philippe Coutinho over the course of a full pre-season.
Valverde has done a magnificent job under the constraints of such a severe lack of depth within his squad – particularly in attacking areas – and it was fitting for the Camp Nou faithful to recognise that by chanting his name towards the final whistle against the Blues.
They may not be the same swashbuckling side they once were – much of that is down to the age of several key players – but history is theirs for the taking yet again once the trophies are presented in May. For that, Valverde surely deserves a massive amount of credit.