Making the case for Ernesto Valverde as Barcelona Manager
How can Ernesto Valverde be a great manager for FC Barcelona? Here, we make the case for the former Athletic Club boss.
Since Luis Enrique announced that he was going to resign a the end of the 2016-17 season, one name has resurfaced multiple times to fill the vacant managerial position at FC Barcelona. That name is Ernesto Valverde. The current manager at Athletic Club de Bilbao, Valverde has been rumored for the past several months to be the heir apparent to Luis Enrique.
As so many Culers do, I see Valverde as a “safe choice” as opposed to a Thomas Tuchel or an Oscar Garcia. However, his style and charisma may not be the most appealing. Despite that, Valverde is the right person to lead this current core of Barcelona players. Here are a few reasons why Valverde is the right man to lead Barcelona.
Experience
If there is one thing Valverde brings to the table, it is experience in Spanish football. With over 300 appearances as a player in both the Spanish first and second divisions and over a decade coaching in both Spain and Greece, Valverde has seen his fair share of action as both a player and manager.
Though often on the losing end, Valverde knows what it takes to go up against the likes of a Real Madrid as well as the club whose job he is currently linked to. In Spain, one of the most vital things for any manager is understanding the culture of Spanish football. This includes the style of play and the competition week in and week out in all parts of the table.
At Barcelona, Valverde will walk into the job knowing the expectation and what will come week in and week out in La Liga.
Working with his hands tied
For those that do not know, Valverde’s current club has a unique transfer policy. The club only signs players from the Basque region at both the youth and senior levels. What does this mean in Layman’s terms? Athletic Club’s pool of talent is smaller than that of any club in La Liga.
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This by and large means Valverde has to rely on youth and signing the few Basque players available each window. Despite this, Valverde has kept Bilbao in the top flight(they have never been relegated in the history of the league) and has challenged for European spots.
Should he get the job in Barcelona, Valverde will now be able to sign players from wherever he pleases to fit the style that both he and the club want to play. At Bilbao the team is built around getting the ball to striker Aritz Aduriz and pressing the opponent. At Barcelona, he will have more freedom to make the attack versatile.
Using the youth available
As previously mentioned, Valverde had to rely on youth heavily at Athletic Club with the likes of Inaki Williams and Iker Muniain: doing quite well in the process. With La Masia at his disposal, Valverde can once again trust his youth. That is not to say rely on it strictly but rather mix it in with the signings that he may make in his first summer on the job.
Should Valverde be announced as the manager of the club, it will happen on May 29. Ernesto Valverde may not be the manager we want right now. However, he is the manager that this club needs for one last hurrah with this current crop of talent.