Barcelona finally looked a bit more like their usual self last night, but that was mainly down to Lionel Messi’s brilliance rather than any tactical genius from Ernesto Valverde.
As soon as the Argentine has an injury or an off day, you would fancy the team will struggle yet again. All of this does make it look like this by Valverde’s last season in charge.
A few names have been touted for the job, Ronald Koeman does seem to be the most logical given his connection to the club, but he does have a good job at Holland that he might not want to leave.
READ MORE: Video: Luis Suarez knocks the ref down after hitting him IN THE HEAD with the ball
A recent report from AS indicated that River Plate boss Marcello Gallardo would be replacing Valverde by December. While that may not be true, the River boss has given an update on his future.
He might still be raw after their stunning late defeat to Flamengo in the final of the Copa Libertadores, but it seems like in trying to say nothing he’s actually said quite a lot:
Marcelo Gallardo: “Yo no vine a hacer ningún anuncio, si esa era la expectativa. Es una habitual conferencia de prensa. No cambia absolutamente nada. No tengo nada para anunciar. Lo definiré cuando lo tenga que definir, con tranquilidad. Un resultado no cambia mi pensamiento”. pic.twitter.com/GRXZdelPNz
— VarskySports (@VarskySports) November 28, 2019
He’s basically saying he hasn’t decided on his future yet and will let everyone know when he knows, but he’s calm about the situation for now. Those aren’t the words of a manager who is committed to his current job for the long term.
It’s possible that he’s taken River as far as he possibly can, so taking the Barca job should be an opportunity he can’t turn down. There’s nothing to suggest he’s been offered the chance of managing at the Nou Camp yet, but River fans should be worried that he might be going somewhere else soon.