Ernesto Valverde - Beginning to Leave His Mark on Barcelona

Laurence Grigorov has 15 years’ experience in residential property developments as director Laurence Martin Developments. The company specialises in high-end and luxury residential developments and homes. Laurence Grigorov enjoys watching football in his spare time and is an avid supporter of FC Barcelona. He follows the news on Barcelona closely.

After a turbulent off-season and transfer market, Barcelona have started the league season steadily and have 3 wins from 3 starts.

Guillem Balague, Spanish football correspondent and expert, had the following comments on the playing style of the team: “Barcelona are doing very well on the pitch - nine points from nine, none conceded, nine scored. They have shown traits of what this team is going to be like under Ernesto Valverde; they will press high, they will be physically strong, they have started the season in very good condition and with very clear ideas”.
“Without Neymar, Jordi Alba has more opportunities to go forward, and we started to see the old Jordi Alba that we had been missing for a while. Dembele will need a flank, probably the right-hand side while Nelson Semedo gets used to Barcelona. Those two can become a really powerful force on that right-hand side, and leave the left one to Jordi Alba”.

“As well as pressing high, there is a lot of play through the midfield and that brings the best out of Andres Iniesta. They have nine midfielders, all quite different, which gives them lots of versatility”.

“Lionel Messi continues to score for fun, and this could be a better goal scoring season for him than last because the team plays to his strengths. He's playing in what you may call a false nine position, but really it's wherever he wants, and he feels he is much better near the box, through the centre, with many midfielders around him moving the ball around, creating spaces and moving the ball early”.

Laurence Grigorov is pleased with the good start Barcelona have made to the season and is hopeful that the improvement in the playing style will continue over the season as Valverde has more time to impose his ideas and patterns on the players and the team.