4 reasons why Barcelona MUST NOT sack Ernesto Valverde

Ernesto Valverde has been under pressure

Ernesto Valverde, the former Athletic Bilbao boss, had everything going so well for him, as Barcelona fans began to dream of another treble-winning season. However, all that hope has gone out of the window following a testing last seven days.

A 4-1 first-leg win over AS Roma was supposed to catapult the Catalan giants to the semifinals of the Champions League with relative ease. It was not meant to be, though, as a drab performance in Rome not only gave the Italians a lifeline, but also saw them overturn the result to progress at the expense of Barcelona.

Many Barca fans have since laid the blame on the doorstep of Valverde, who in truth, cannot escape most of them. Others have also called for the head of the manager, pointing to the apathetic display the club put up against Roma as evidence that Valverde’s tactical nous is not up to scratch.

Below are four reasons why it will be wrong for Barcelona to sack their manager:


#4 Not too many better managers on the market

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Barca may lack options if they sack Valverde

Barcelona fans may be discontent with recent results and, more importantly, the football on display at Camp Nou, but the fact is that the club has seen progress since last season. Valverde has done very well to get the team challenging at the top once again.

A sack at this moment will be bad for the club because not many quality managers are currently on the market. Also, not many managers boast the CV to manage a club with so many demands like Barcelona.

Many may argue that Valverde was not in the category of A-list managers before he was appointed. However, he had a decent record at Athletic Bilbao before coming to Barca and sacking him now would be like taking two steps back.

Unlike other clubs, the Blaugrana hierarchy are very careful when it comes to selecting a manager. A lot of things are considered, with the club’s philosophy being paramount.

Currently, not many managers on the market have that Barca DNA. It will, therefore, be prudent to keep Valverde at the helm for, at least, one more year rather than sack him at this moment without a better replacement.

#3 Barca still in the rebuilding process

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Valverde too over an under-performing Barcelona team and has got them challenging for La Liga

Perhaps, Valverde has been the most harshly criticized manager in recent years. The Barcelona boss took over a side that was ageing and badly needed an injection of some fresh and young blood.

The out-of-debt Javier Mascherano who has played consistently as one of Barca’s first-choice centre-backs had to make way. In midfield, Sergio Busquets is no longer the assured anchorman of old, whiles Andres Iniesta has been off-colour in the last few months.

The acquisition of Paulinho was one of the shrewdest deals pulled off by the club – one which Valverde strongly pushed for. Barca may not boast the kind of players they used to boast, but the rebuilding process is going according to plan.

Young players like Lucas Digne, Samuel Umtiti and Nelson Semedo were never expected to kick into gear so quickly or walk straight into the Barca starting XI, however, their impact has been fairly noticeable.

For a club that struggled to compete with Real Madrid last season, going unbeaten in 33 la liga games cannot be classified as a mean feat. The quarter-final exit at the hands of Roma in the Champions League was definitely a bitter pill to swallow, but Valverde has done enough with the rebuilding job in just his first year and for that, he deserves another chance.

#2 Winning the double is not a bad season

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Barcelona are on course to win La Liga and the Copa del Rey

Expectations at a club like Barcelona are always very high, but the kind of flak that Valverde has been receiving is just overboard. The former Bilbao coach has led Barca to a flawless run in La Liga, with the club certain to claim the league title in the next few weeks.

Also, the Catalan giants are in the hunt for the Copa del Rey crown which means the club could still end up winning the double. The season is not as bad as many Barcelona fans see it despite the disappointing Champions League exit.

Valverde has been scapegoated for the club’s European failure, but he is on course to deliver a league and cup double at the Camp Nou outfit, and that, regardless of what anybody thinks, can never be termed as a bad season.

Winning the treble would have been ideal, but in all honesty, not many Barca fans even thought the club will be challenging on two fronts at the end of the campaign following Real Madrid’s dominance last season. Therefore, a double-winning season would actually be a good return for Valverde and Barcelona.

#1 More room for improvement

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Barcelona are primed to get better next season

Valverde is just in his first year at Barcelona and, of course, he could end the season with two major trophies. What many Barcelona fans have not considered is that things could get better in the coming months and years.

There is more room for improvement at Camp Nou, especially if you consider the wealth of young players at the club currently.

That, coupled with the fact that Philippe Coutinho would be available to play in Europe for the Catalans next season, only spells good things for the club. Even Valverde himself would have also learnt from his flaws this season and will definitely improve on his tactics and overall approach to games next season.

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram