Barça’s new problem is Koeman.

 

Well, the honeymoon period for Koeman ended last month and it doesn’t appear that the relationship between Koeman and the fans is going to improve anytime soon. The Blaugrana faithful have watched Barça stumble out of the gate thanks to poor performance, results and poor decision making from Koeman. Barça find themselves nine points behind Atletico Madrid with no optimism for a quick turnaround and a season going down the drain.

Yesterday’s loss to Atletico Madrid was Barça’s third loss from their opening eight league matches under Koeman. This equaled the Blaugrana’s their worst start to a league campaign since 1991-1992 season. That Barça team went on to win the league title by only losing three more games the rest of the campaign. Yet, it’s hard to see this current Barça team avoiding more losses under Koeman.

Koeman’s lineups and substitutions have not worked, with his tactics quite predictable and his adjustments are nonexistent. Koeman unjustifiably overlooks 21-year-old Riqui Puig while consistently playing the 17-year-old Pedri and 20-year-old Trincão. Koeman wanted Dest signed, only to keep dropping him for Sergi Roberto. With injuries piling up, it is a concern of what lies ahead. Of course, Koeman is not solely to blame for Barça’s demise. Watching Barça’s expensive signings of Dembele, Coutinho and Griezmann all on the pitch at once is a sad reminder of how Bartomeu has mismanaged the club’s finances and left the club in financial ruins.

Elections can’t come soon enough. The longer Koeman stays in charge, the more hopeless this season feels for the fans, and for the players. A fresh start is needed with a new board and a new manager because the results are not there to save Koeman. Koeman was presented as the solution, but he’s become part of the problem.

Thank You, Lightning.

 

Rejoice Lightning fans, your Tampa Bay Lightning are champions once again. Following many years of frustration and disappointment, the Lightning have reached the pinnacle for the second time in their history. This current Lightning team had dealt with comparisons with the 2004 team ever since they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 Stanley Cup Finals. Last year’s shocking and humiliating sweep in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets was on the back of the minds of many Lighting fans when the puck dropped for the 2019-2020 NHL season. It was Stanley Cup or Bust for this team that were consistent in disappointing their fans for the last 6 years. Thankfully, the pain is over as fans and the team can celebrate being the champions.

 Lightning fans can celebrate the team’s second Stanley Cup as a coronation of their many years of great results. There was talk that perhaps this team seemed destined to never get over the hump. Yet, the Lightning are the 2019-2020 Stanley Cup Champions. Some have alluded that this title should come with an asterisk, and somewhat lessen the achievement because it was won in a bubble. I beg to differ and would counter that the Bolts winning the Stanley Cup in the bubble was the most difficult grueling way to win the Stanley Cup. They absolutely deserve the recognition they deserve as worthy champions.

Speaking of recognition, many deserve praise and thanks for bringing home the second Stanley Cup.

Thank you, Jeffrey Vinik for being a great owner. Mr. Vinik bought the team from the ownership group headed by Oren Koules, the producer of the Saw horror franchise, and Len Barrie, who truly were a horror show. Thankfully, Mr. Vinik came in and changed the culture by surrounding himself with the right people and has done a magnificent job in giving back to the community and honoring others through the team's Lightning Community Heroes.

Thank you, Julien BriseBois, the General Manager who made the right moves in the offseason and during the season. Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Kevin Shattenkirk, Patrick Maroon, and Zach Bogosian were new additions to the team via free agency and trades. All these acquisitions helped snap the team from the doldrums following last season’s shock exit in the playoffs.

Thank you, players for a great historic season. Alex Barre-Boulet, Anthony Cirelli, Tyler Johnson, Cedric Paquette, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, Mathieu Joseph, Alex Killorn, Pat Maroon, Ondrej Palat, Gemel Smith, Alexander Volkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Barclay Goodrow, Nikita Kucherov, Mitchell Stephens, Luke Witkowski, Braydon Coburn, Cal Foote, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev, Zach Bogosian, Erik Cernak, Luke Schenn, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jan Rutta, Spencer Martin, Curtis McElhinney, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Scott Wedgewood. They were hitting on all cylinders from January until the lockdown. Once the playoffs started, they were dominant and lost only four lost games in all four rounds. Special mention to Steven Stamkos whose only shift in the entire playoffs was one for the ages. The captain had been  struggling with his recovery from hernia surgery, but that one shift where he scored was inspirational to the team. It had to be difficult for the captain to not be able to be on the ice and deal with all the talk about his whereabouts, but the face of the franchise can now celebrate being a Stanley Cup champion.

Thank you, Jon Cooper for assembling a great staff of coaches and getting this team over the hump. An awesome coach who tolerated so much doubt from many, including from me, after so many disappointments these last few years. The comparisons with Tony Dungy are no more and he can celebrate joining Jon Gruden, and John Tortorella on the Mount Rushmore of Tampa Bay coaches. Anyone else notice a pattern regarding the coaches?

Thank you, Rick Peckham for being the voice of the Lightning on the TV since my arrival to this country in 1995, which coincidentally is when Peckham was hired by the Lightning. Lightning games will be different without Peckham's voice, and he missed by many. The Bolts winning the cup is the perfect sendoff for him and I wish him a happy retirement.

Thank you, Canada, for hosting these games. 

And finally, thank you, Steve Yzerman for building this. As I eluded to earlier, when Mr. Vinik bought the team, he surrounded himself with the right people, and one of those people was Yzerman, who as the General Manager until he stepped down during the offseason, played a significant part in the turning the team’s fortune around. He is responsible for a majority of the names that will be engraved on the Stanley Cup. Lightning fans owe him a huge debt of gratitude that will d never be forgotten.

In Frank We Trust?

The Frank de Boer era is underway. Ronald Koeman’s departure befuddled many and the choices to replace the now Barcelona boss were even more befuddling. Ultimately, the KNVB opted for Frank de Boer much to the chagrin of many. Was the hiring of de Boer the best option going forward?

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Frankly speaking, KNVB had their work cut out for them when Koeman suddenly resigned to become FC Barcelona’s manager. Dwight Lodeweges stepped in as the caretaker till the KNVB found someone on a permanent basis and the less said about how the Oranje played in those friendlies, the better. Their coaching search though left much to be desired when Frank Rijkaard’s name came out of nowhere as if we weren’t living in the Twilight Zone already. Surely, they can do better than Rijkaard who last managed in 2013. I am just glad we didn’t get a third go with either Dick Advocaat or Louis van Gaal as Oranje managers, especially the latter who went pragmatic in World Cup 2014 knock out stages and squandered a good chance at reaching the Final.

To be frank, de Boer’s availability made it an easy choice for the KNVB. It wasn’t the best option, but it was a safe option. There were no other options unless we want to give others a try as caretakers. Imagine Co Adriaanse being in charge for a couple of games. Marco van Basten can do it for a couple of games if he wants. But seriously, de Boer had success with Ajax and is familiar with some of the current Oranje players (Joël Veltman, Daley Blind Jasper Cillessen, and Ryan Babel). Just hope he doesn’t call up and try to shoehorn Davy Klaassen into the starting eleven with Kevin Strootman.  

Today’s dull 1-0 loss to Mexico was disappointing but it was a friendly to give some players their debut while Matthijs de Ligt is recovering from an injury and Luuk and Frenkie de Jong were on the bench. Premature to think of doom and gloom after one game and let’s wait till he has all the players at his full disposal. However, the Oranje hotseat could be warm for Ronald Koeman when he’s most likely to be out of a job in Barcelona before Euro 2020 kicks off. That’s when we will know if the KNVB truly trust Frank.

Wrong Time for Koeman to coach Barça.

Barcelona and Netherlands fan Ibrahim Ayyub gives his opinion on the news that Ronald Koeman will be leaving his post as Oranje boss to take over at the Catalan giants.

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The news that Ronald Koeman was going to become FC Barcelona’s new manager was surprising and disappointing. Koeman ended the Oranje’s ordeal of mediocrity when they qualified for an international tournament for the first time since 2014. This summer was supposed to be the pinnacle of his time with the Oranje, with him stepping down upon the conclusion of Euro 2020 and seeking new challenges. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted his plans, and everyone else’s, and his international competition debut as a manager was put on hold for another year. Furthermore, Koeman suffered a scare when he was recently hospitalized with heart problems, which made 2020 an unusual year for the manager.

For those who were not aware, Ronald Koeman’s nickname during his playing days was Tintin. The popular character from The Adventures of Tintin has been on many adventures, but none will be as daring as Koeman’s new adventure as Barça’s manager for the upcoming season; Tintin in the land of Dumpster Fires. It pains me that Koeman would abandon his post as the Oranje manager to join FC Barcelona, especially when this is the worst time to join Barça.

It seems that Koeman is following his heart, and not his brain in making this decision. It has always been Koeman’s dream to become Barça’s manager. The former Barça player is a legend who was always linked to the Barça job, following his successful tenure as the Oranje manager. However, this is the worst time to join FC Barcelona who is in the midst of a crisis. Koeman is accepting to take over Barça with hardly any time for a proper preseason; the Spanish league kicks off on September 12. He is inheriting an awful squad and because of Barça’s dire financial situation, it is rather doubtful they’ll be making any good signings. Oh, and the team’s starting goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, will be undergoing knee surgery and could be out three to four months.

Lastly, the club will be having elections in March 2021 for a new president, so his stay in Barcelona could be short-lived if a new president opts to hire his own manager. Koeman’s heart scare probably made him realize that life is too short and he should not pass up the chance to manage his former club. However, this job is not for the weak of heart and perhaps Koeman should think twice before accepting Barça’s offer and keep his word that he will see out his contract with the Oranje. Then again, he may be out of a job before Euro 2020 kicks off next summer and who knows, maybe the Oranje would take him back.

Time for Bartomeu to Resign and Call for New Elections.

 

Mission Accomplished. Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu have reached their goal of creating their own legacy apart from Joan Laporta’s legacy. They inherited one of the greatest teams to ever set foot on a pitch and set about on changing the club’s identity that of success to that of farcical failure, all in the pursuit of making the club profitable. This is the end. The masterminds behind the downfall of FC Barcelona must leave now so that the members can elect someone more competent to run this club.

Yesterday’s embarrassing defeat should bring down the curtains on Bartomeu and his stooges. Pique spoke to the media following that demoralizing loss and had this to say, “We can’t be in Europe like this. The club needs changes, structural ones, not players or managers. I’m the first to leave if new blood is needed, because now, we’ve hit rock bottom. We can’t keep covering it up any longer.” Barto also spoke to the media, calling the loss a disaster and that “we have not been the team we are, or the club we represent. We are very sorry for that.” It was great to see him squirm in front of the cameras, after the Barça players and Setién were a public humiliation for the whole world to see.

Nonetheless, it's too late for apologies from Barto. This president and his board have become experts in incompetence, and the idea of allowing Barto and his board from making more decisions that shape Barça's future would be grossly negligent. For far too long, they have been allowed to run this club to the ground with their poor decisions not just how they ran the football team, but with La Masia, the basketball team and the other professional teams. The time has come for them to leave now.

Barça continue to regress, with every Champions League exit worse than the last one. Last year, Jordi Alba responded to criticism from fans after their 4-0 loss to Liverpool by saying that Barcelona have spoiled people by winning so many titles. Yes, we have been spoiled. We have one of the greatest footballers in history and the club surrounded him with mediocre players and coaches. Barto’s blueprint for success resembles a house of cards next to an open window during a tornado. The time has come to for someone else to run the club.

Barça Clause delivering gifts.

You better watch out.
You better not cry.
You better not pout.
I'm telling you why.
Barça Clause is coming to town.

Barça, the club that keeps on gifting to other clubs. Over the years, Barça have become jolly old Saint Nick, by sending gifts in terms of money, blown leads, and points. Three straight seasons where Barça fans felt like they only got coal in their stockings.

Year one of Mister Valverde, Barça almost went unbeaten in league. Paid Liverpool about €160 million for Coutinho, and enjoyed a three-goal aggregate lead against Roma, only to squander it in Rome. It felt like a fluke, but the worst was yet to come.

Year two of Mister Valverde, Barça win the league again. Semi-Finalists once more in Champions League Football. Defeated Liverpool 3-0 at the Camp Nou, only for them to gift that lead and lose 4-0 at Anfield. Coutinho was a non-factor, while Liverpool used the €160 million to sign Virgil van Dijk and Alisson to go on and win their 6^th Champions League title. Proceeded to lose the Copa del Rey Final to Valencia which allowed them to celebrate their first domestic achievement in a decade.

Year three of Mister Valverde, he didn’t make it past January. Setién was now the man, although were dumped out of Copa del Rey by Athletic, and lost El Clasico in Madrid, Barça enjoyed a two-point lead before the pandemic break.  Barça gifted the lead back to Madrid and finished five points behind Los Blancos as runners-up. Champions League is all that’s left with Barça an away goal advantage following their 1-1 draw in Naples. Will they overcome Napoli or gift them a spot in the Quarter-Finals?

Messi sees what the board has been doing.
It’s unsure how much more he can take.
He’s seen the board do more bad than good.
So please Barça, be good for goodness sake!

Setién’s Honeymoon is Over.

My how quickly we lose our interest in someone we had a crush on. Quique Setién was welcomed into our Blaugrana hearts as new Barça manager with hopes of joy and happy moments. Yet, just a few months after his appointment, it seems that the romance with Setién has faded and this love affair might be short lived.

Setién was the Don Juan of Barça fans who wanted a return to the Cruyff style of play that most love. He whispered lovely romantic words in our ears and won us over with his promises. We fell for it like most fall for those who come over as guests and prepare a magnificent dinner. However, with time, that romantic spell with the fans has eroded and Setién now feels like the lazy significant other whose idea of a romantic dinner is to order pizza and watch TV.

Setién’s future with the club depended on winning the league this season. Thus, any expectations of seeing the rising stars of La Masia, Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig play regularly, were dashed early on with Setién preferring to rely on the old guard and not experiment with the youth. Poor away results ensued that see the Blaugrana occupying second place in the standings behind Real Madrid. He did finally get around to featuring Puig and Fati but it might be a little too late and, in the process, managed to upset not just the fans, but the Barça players as well.

After his hiring, we witnessed the manner in how Setién manages a game along with how he speaks, which as a result, ruffled numerous feathers. The way he spoke of Arthur and his struggles at the club, coupled with other sound bites about not playing the younger players left much to desire. Recently, the video of Messi walking away from Setién’s right hand man, Eder Sarabia, while giving out instructions during a water break in the past weekend’s Celta Vigo 2-2 draw, indicated that there indeed a rift between the players and the manager. After the draw with Celta, Luis Suárez spoke to the media and shifted the blame to Setién by replying “you'll have to ask the coaches, they analyze these situations”.

Supposedly players are unhappy with the demanding training sessions full of intensity, conducted by Sarabia. The players preferred previous manager Ernesto Valverde and his easy-going approach so this new approach is not much to their liking. It’s similar to a classroom who disliked their hard as nails teacher, but enjoyed the laid-back substitute who allowed the students to do whatever they wanted. Well, the substitute teacher is gone and the players are not too happy with new manager and his demanding approach.

Fans are upset. Players are upset. The Barça board are caught in the middle showing yet again their lack of leadership and proper planning with regards to signings and managerial hirings. However, this does not bode well for the players either. Perhaps things would be different if Suárez had not missed that sitter against Sevilla, or had Messi actually had a shot on target during his last two away matches. The team’s away form was woeful under Valverde too, lest we forget how great they looked away in Champions League second legs. So, if two managers can’t succeed in getting the team to play better and win, perhaps it’s not just the managers who are at fault.

Setién was not the first or even second choice to replace Valverde. At the moment, it’s hard to see who would want to coach this club if players tune out their managers unless it’s a big-name manager with a resume full of success. The Lakers of Shaq and Kobe tuned out Del Harris and Kurt Rambis since they were nobodies in the coaching world, yet succeeded when the legendary Phil Jackson was hired. Sadly, Setién is not a legendary coach for the Barça players to listen to, so expect broken hearts when all is said and done.

Where are they now? Netherlands triumphant Euro 88 squad.

We love to romanticize the past and it doesn’t get any better than the summer of 1988 when the Oranje finally ended the Netherlands ’ long wait for glory at the international stage. 32 years ago, the Oranje tasted success after defeating the Soviet Union in the Euro 88 Final. We look back at the starting eleven of the Euro 88 Final and see where are they now.

The General, Rinus Michels, was back as the Netherlands manager. At his disposal was a collection of superb players such as Milan’s Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, Real Zaragoza’s Frank Rijkaard, and PSV Eindhoven’s Hans van Breukelen, Ronald Koeman, Berry van Aerle and Gerald Vanenburg who had just won the European Cup a few weeks before Euro 88 kicked off along with Ajax players such as Jan Wouters, John van ‘t Schip and Arnold Mühren. Without further ado, we look back at the starting eleven of the Euro 88 Finals Oranje side.

Hans van Breukelen

Berry van Aerle – Frank Rijkaard – Ronald Koeman – Adri van Tiggelen

Gerald Vanenburg – Jan Wouters – Arnold Mühren – Erwin Koeman

Ruud Gullit  – Marco van Basten

Hans van Breukelen – GK

Hans van Breukelen was the imposing goalkeeper for the Oranje during the 80s. He made his debut in 1980 while with FC Utrecht. He had just won the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven before joining up the Oranje for Euro 88 where he pulled off a memorable penalty save in the final to keep it 2-0. He would continue to represent the national team until after Euro 92 before retiring from football in 1994 after a stint with Nottingham Forest. He later became a technical director at Utrecht and was a  motivational speaker. In June 2016, van Breukelen was appointed technical director of the Dutch FA before he returned to PSV in July 2019 as one of their Board of Directors.

Berry van Aerle – RB – @BVanaerle

Right-back Berry van Aerle made his debut for the Oranje in 1987 while with PSV. He was also another PSV player who had won the European Cup prior to Euro 88. He would go on Was on the national team for Euro 92 (on the bench during the Denmark game) and his final Oranje appearance was against Poland in October 1992 for WC 94 QWF. He retired from football in 1995 after leaving PSV for Helmond Sport before retiring from the game. He is currently a scout for PSV and was also recently involved in a campaign sponsored by Philips, visiting elderly homes and standing outside their windows with the European Cup.

Frank Rijkaard – CB –

Frank Rijkaard lined up in the heart of the defense for the Oranje during Euro 88. He made his debut in 1981 while with Ajax Amsterdam. However, he was on loan with Real Zaragoza after a falling out with Ajax manager Johan Cruyff. Rijkaard would then move to Milan to join his Oranje teammates, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit before retiring from the Oranje after World Cup 1994. He returned to Ajax and helped them win the 1995 Champions League with the Final being his last match. He managed the Oranje for Euro 2000 and managed Barça to two league titles and the Champions League in 2006. He had coaching stints with Galatasaray and Saudi Arabia later on. He was hired by the Florida prep school, Montverde Academy, as their advisor of player development but in December 2016, Rijkaard announced he would no longer pursue a position as manager. On March 5, 2020, Rijkaard and Gullit opened their own Cruyff Court in Amsterdam

Ronald Koeman – CB – @RonaldKoeman

Ronaldo Koeman was the dynamic defender who was a terror to opposing goalkeepers thanks to his powerful long-range strikes. Koeman made his debut in 1983 while with Groningen. He was also one of the PSV stars who just hoisted the European Cup and would win it again with Cruyff’s Barça. Koeman retired from the Oranje after World Cup 1994 and retired in 1997 with Feyenoord. He went on to manage Vitesse, Ajax, Benfica, PSV, Valencia, Feyenoord, Southampton, and Everton. He is currently the Oranje manager and was recently hospitalized with heart problems.

Adri van Tiggelen – LB – @adri34246926

Adri van Tiggelenwas the other Oranje fullback for the Euro 88 Oranje team while with Anderlecht. He made his debut in 1983 while with Groningen and retired from the Oranje in 1994as a PSV player. He retired from football in 1995 after leaving PSV for Dordrecht’90 for one season before retiring from the game. He had stints with Sparta Rotterdam as an assistant and interim manager and also managed VV Zuidland in the lower Dutch leagues. He returned to Sparta Rotterdam as a scout back in April 2018 and has an account on twitter which he hasn’t used since 2013.

Gerald Vanenburg – RM –

Gerald Vanenburg operated on the right side of the Oranje midfield during Euro 88. Gerald made his debut for the Oranje in 1982 while with Ajax and his final Oranje appearance was against Poland in October 1992 in a 1994 World Cup qualifier. He would go on to have spells with PSV, Júbilo Iwata, Utrecht, Cannes before retiring in 2000 with 1860 Munich. He quickly took up coaching as an assistant manager and manager with 1860 Munich, PSV U-19 team, Helmond Sport and FC Eindhoven. His final coaching job was that of assistant manager of Willem II Tilburg until June 2009 and since then, he has been out of the spotlight with the occasional interview.

Jan Wouters – CM –

Jan Wouters one of the two central midfielders for the Oranje who made his debut in 1982 while with Utrecht.  He retired from the Oranje after the 1994 World Cup. He would go on to play for Ajax, Bayern Munich before retiring with PSV in 1996. He wasted no time getting into coaching soon afterward with stints as an assistant, caretaker, and manager with Utrecht, Ajax, Rangers, PSV, and Kasımpaşa. He was an assistant coach at Feyenoord until 2018.

Arnold Mühren – CM –

Arnold Mühren was Wouters’ partner in the central midfield of the Oranje. He made his debut for the Oranje in 1978 while with Ipswich Town and retired from the Oranje after Euro 88, with his cross to Marco van Basten being his final assist for the Dutch; what a proper way to end your national team career. Arnold played for Volendam, Ajax, Twente, Ipswich Town, Manchester United before retiring from the game in 1989 with Ajax. Unlike his other teammates, Arnold did not venture into coaching but still is available for the occasional media appearances with interviews here and there.

Erwin Koeman – LM –

Erwin Koeman, the brother of Ronald Koeman, was in charge of the left midfield of the 1988 Oranje side and made his Oranje debut in 1983 while with Groningen and his final Oranje appearance was in January 1994. He would go on to play for PSV and Mechelen before retiring in 1998 with Groningen. He too would follow in his brother’s footsteps and get into coaching with stints, at both club level and international level, with RKC Waalwijk, Feyenoord, Hungary, Utrecht, Eindhoven, RKC Waalwijk, and Fenerbahçe. He was fired as Oman’s national team manager back in December 2019 and he and his brother along with other Oranje players were part of the campaign to support their former club Groningen by buying season tickets to offset club financial losses suffered during the pandemic.

Ruud Gullit  – CF – @GullitR

The Captain of Oranje during Euro 88, Ruud Gullit played upfront with Marco van Basten and scored the opening goal in the first half of the Final, courtesy of a van Basten cross. Ruud made his debut in 1981 while with HFC Haarlem and his final Oranje appearance came right before he abruptly retired prior to World Cup 1994 after falling out with manager Dick Advocaat. His magnificent career saw him also play for Feyenoord, PSV, AC Milan, Sampdoria, and Chelsea where his final days as a player was as a player-manager with Chelsea before he was sacked in 1998. He went on to manage Newcastle, Feyenoord, LA Galaxy, Terek Grozny and oddly enough, he was an assistant coach of the Oranje when Dick Advocaat was in charge back in May 2017 until Ronald Koeman was hired as the new Oranje manager in February 2018 and Gullit wasn’t retained. Nevertheless, Gullit has established himself as a pundit for BBC, Sky, ESPN, and other TV networks and as stated earlier, he and Frank Rijkaard opened their own Cruyff Court in Amsterdam on March 5, 2020.

Marco van Basten – CF –

Marco van Basten, the final member of the starting eleven of the magnificent Oranje eleven, and Ruud Gullit’s partner up front who scored the second goal in the Final that many consider one of the greatest, goals of all-time. The “Swan Of Utrecht” made his Oranje debut in 1982 with Ajax and retired from the Oranje after Euro 1992. Van Basten’s legendary career saw him shine with Milan while winning the Ballon d’Or three times. However, injuries took their toll on Marco as he stopped playing football at the age of 29.  Marco would also go into management by starting off with Jong Ajax, and then Ajax before taking the Oranje to World Cup 2006 and Euro 2008. He would then go on to manage Heerenveen, AZ before stepping down to become an assistant coach because of stress issues. He would return to the Oranje as an assistant coach under Danny Blind. In August 2016, Marco became a technical director for FIFA and works for Fox Sports as an analyst.

What will Barça do after Messi’s Last Dance?

ESPN’s The Last Dance miniseries about the one and only Michael Jordan was well received by many when it aired recently. The miniseries discussed Michael Jordan’s career and his final season with the Chicago Bulls. Of course, talk on Barça social media was how much they looked forward to a similar miniseries made about Lionel Messi when his playing days are over. Yet, as much as I look forward to enjoying a miniseries about Messi, I am also concerned of about Barça after Messi’s last dance with the Blaugrana.

The idea of Messi walking away from football struck a nerve last December when Messi addressed the media after winning the Ballon d'Or for a record-breaking sixth time. Messi said, "I'm aware of how old I am. And I enjoy these moments so much because I know that retirement is approaching. Time flies." Barça fans have been under the illusion that Messi was eternal and would play on forever. Yet, that December night woke Barça fans from their stupor and made them realize that nothing lasts forever.

All good things must come to an end, and the day Messi walks off the pitch as a Barça player will be one of the most gut-wrenching days as a fan. Messi has been representing the Blaugrana for almost 20 years, ever since his arrival from Argentina as a young teenager who made his way through La Masia ranks before reaching the first team and becoming a married 32-year-old man who is also a father to three children. Throughout those years, the one constant was Messi representing FC Barcelona. Eventually, we will have to bid farewell to Messi when the wonderful magician walks off the pitch as for the final time as a Barça player. However, is the club ready for when that day arrives?

Since I started following my beloved Blaugrana, I have seen a couple of great eras and great players come and go. The club survived after they sacked Johan Cruyff and survived after Pep Guardiola left the club in 2012. The club survived after Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho departed the club. But there is a cause for concern about of FC Barcelona after the departure of Messi.

The Chicago Bulls never tasted success before Michael Jordan’s arrival and have not since his departure. The Bulls allowed their successful coach, Phil Jackson, and Dennis Rodman to walk away while trading Scottie Pippen to Portland. The Bulls began a new era with Toni Kukoč as their best player with the hopes of enticing other players to join their team. However, players ignored the Bulls and their history and opted to join other teams while the Bulls slowly slid into an abyss of failure. Also, the successful Boston Celtics of the 80s paid the price for not having players ready to step in for Larry Bird and Kevin McHale when they retired in the early 90s and would struggle for many years until becoming competitive again. I am concerned that Barça seem to be following in the footsteps of the Bulls and Celtics regarding future planning of the squad at the moment and when Messi retires. Luis Suárez and Gerard Piqué are both 33, and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are both 31. While Frenkie de Jong seems to be Busquets’ successor, the club still lacks the necessary successors for those other players, and for Messi as well.

The grand plan of former Barça president, Sandro Rosell, was for Neymar to be Messi’s heir apparent, either after they sold Messi or after Messi left the Blaugrana. However, that plan went down in flames when Neymar opted to join Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in 2017. Barça received quite the windfall, €222 million, from Neymar’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain but the club squandered that fortune on expensive transfers that have failed to deliver. Barça splashed €105 million on Ousmane Dembélé whose bad luck with injuries have frustrated the fans. Coutinho cost €145 million and lasted a season and a half before being sent out on loan. Meanwhile, Liverpool used that €145 million to sign Virgil van Dijk and Alisson and win the Champions League.

While looking ahead to determine what signings Barça need to make, one has to wonder how dire is Barça’s current economic situation when they cannot afford to sign Neymar or Inter’s Lautaro Martínez without selling other players first. They were able to gobble up players before, but now, Barça seem to have tightened the belt across their waist twice. Will they have the financial capability to sign other “Cracks” when Messi leaves or is the financial hole they’ve dug themselves into is far too deep to crawl out from?

We lived through this financial mismanagement under Joan Gaspart’s presidency and it took Joan Laporta a year to clear the club’s deadwood. Elections are next year and will the next Barça president have the funds needed to replace Messi and strengthen the team? Moreover, will the next Barça president be brave or crazy enough to contemplate the thought of selling Messi to recoup the funding needed to pay off the club’s debts and sign new players. Besides Messi, the only players that could warrant a big transfer value are Marc-André ter Stegen, Arthur Melo, Frenkie de Jong and a healthy Ousmane Dembélé.

If Messi walks away, careful planning will be needed to usher in the new Barça project. This club will always rebound but the appropriate decisions need to be made to ensure a smooth transition to life without Messi and not become what Manchester United and A.C. Milan are today. Failure to do so will be catastrophic for this club.

Pinch Me, Tom Brady is a Buccaneer.

On March 20, 2020, Tom Brady officially became a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. The man who quarterbacked the New England Patriots to six Superbowl titles was joining my beloved Bucs. Was I living in Bizarro World where a great player decides to leave a great team to join a team mired in garbage? It still hasn’t kicked in that Tom Brady will be a Bucs player but at the same, I’m not getting carried away with expectations for the upcoming season.

Tom Brady is a Bucs player still sounds surreal. Now I know understand how Angels fans felt when Albert Pujols joined the Angels, Chiefs fans after the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, and Wizards fans when Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play for them. Those were legends of the game who joined another team that many didn’t foresee would happen. All those players and Brady, share the same uncanny similarity of joining teams, in their final years, that had only won the championship in the teams’ history. Heck of way to ride off into the sunset.

However, it doesn’t seem that Tom Brady joined the Bucs to enjoy the Florida beaches and golf courses. Brady is taking it seriously and not resting on his laurels as evidenced by working out with his teammates at ahigh school recently. He is the best quarterback to ever put on the Bucs helmet, and the addition of his buddy Rob Gronkowski has lifted spirits in this city that has been let down by their beloved Bucs team for far too long.

Nonetheless, fans and experts need to taper their expectations a bit, especially since the upcoming Super Bowl will be in our own backyard in Tampa. Vegas already listed the Bucs with 13-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, which is tied for 4^th best with the Saints. I realize Tom Brady is a walking living legend but this is a team sport and requires many players to pull their weight. There are still many weaknesses on this team that need to be addressed, such as the defense and its secondary which gave up third worst 270.1 passing yards a game, the offensive line that gave up 45 sacks and their running game that averaged only 3.7 yards a carry. Let’s not get into the unpredictable kicking situation that has plagued this team over the years. Tom and Gronk are not enough and this will truly have to be a team effort to get this team back on the winning track and into the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Obviously, this depends on how the league will decide how the season plays out during this COVID-19 Virus pandemic. The world was rocked by this pandemic and as much as we value having sports back in our lives, we have to respect the lives of the players and coaches too. Time will tell when the NFL will kick off and when fans can return to stadiums but right now, let’s stay safe and be smart. Bucs fans have waited this long for some optimism, so let’s not rush it and risk more grave health issues.

Winston’s Woeful Era Is Over.

The era of Jameis Winston is over in Tampa. Once hailed as the savior of the Buccaneers franchise, he is now off to be a backup with a divisional rival, the New Orleans Saints. Watching quarterbacks depart this team after being drafted as the quarterback of the future is something that we have grown accustomed to in Tampa. So, after five seasons, we say farewell to the inconsistent but enthralling Jameis Winston.

Since 1976, the Bucs have drafted Doug Williams, Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, and Josh Freeman in the first round of the NFL Draft, and Steve Young was the overall first pick during 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players. Winston joined that exclusive group of quarterbacks five years ago and expectations were high after helping guide Florida State to their third national title. Hopes were high that Winston could make the team competitive and successful as it was during Doug William’s era. But alas, Winston joined the likes of Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, Josh Freeman and Steve Young in not being the long-term solution thanks to his numerous turnovers and his costly poor decision making that resulted in zero playoff appearances and just one winning season.

Winston leaves the Bucs as their all-time passing leader with 121 Touchdowns and 19,737 passing yards that included throwing for over 5,000 yards with 30 Touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his final season. Without a doubt, Jameis Winston is a great talent, but he has also shown that he is not a great player. Perhaps joining the Saints will help him improve as a quarterback with the likes of Sean Payton and Drew Brees mentoring him, but he is no longer our concern in Tampa Bay.

Perhaps Winston’s career would have turned out differently if he had been drafted by another team coached by someone such as Andy Reid or by a successful team that wouldn’t expect Winston to carry the burden all on his own. Former NBA player Jalen Rose discussed in his autobiography the role of luck and fate regarding a professional athlete’s chances in the NBA. In his own words, Rose stated that “Get put in the right situation, with the right coaching and support around you, and it can do unspoken wonders for your career.”

Jalen Rose’s statement is true in any sport. Steve Young was a disaster with the Bucs but became an NFL great after joining the 49’ers under the tutelage of the genius Bill Walsh. Would Tom Brady have been as successful if he was drafted by the Chicago Bears instead of the Patriots or would Michael Jordan be the great one had he not had Phil Jackson as his coach or was drafted by the Clippers instead of the Bulls? Joe Montana was a third-round pick and had Bill Walsh as his coach and the rest is history.

Winston’s departure is rather unfortunate because Bucs fans are tired of disappointments and embracing yet another new project. Fortunately, the arrival of Tom Brady immediately made Bucs fans overjoyed and thinking ahead to a positive future, once the COVID-19 pandemic issues have been resolved of course. As for Winston, time will tell if he improves as a quarterback following his stint with the Saints or will he forever be classified as a great talent that could never become a great player.

My Favorite Football Podcasts.

A few months ago, I moved to a new city which meant my drive to work became a 45-minute journey. During the drive back home at night, I decided to give podcasts about football (soccer) a try. The first podcast I listened to was “The Gab & Juls podcast”. I was hooked and since the, I would listen to 5 to 6 different podcasts during those five days driving back home from the office. These podcasts, all in English, were from folks who cover the game for ESPN, Sky, La Liga and even for themselves independently. These podcasts range from over half an hour to an hour,  which allowed me to start another one before I got home. Overall, these podcasts have been entertaining, educational and at times hilarious, and I would suggest give the following podcasts a listen.

The Gab & Juls Podcast

I have been a huge admirer of Gabriele Marcotti’s writing ever since he started writing for ESPNFC his Marcotti’s Musings every Monday discussing the recent results and news in the football world. If you enjoy reading Marcotti's Monday Musings, then you'll enjoy The Gab & Juls Podcast. The expanded audio version of Marcotti's Musings consists of Gab and his French podcast partner, reporter Julien Laurens, who can be seen regularly on ESPNFC, discuss those topics with more details.  This podcast also has special guests such as SidLowe and Graham Hunter to discuss La Liga and Mark Ogden to discuss  the Premier League and Manchester United.

For Barça fans like myself, it was a joy listening to Jules, who is also an ardent supporter of Messi, share our anguish about Barça's performances under Valverde and rip him to pieces. Gab though is usually spot on with his insight and is also hilarious whenever he calls out players or managers when they so fully deserve it while brilliantly sneaks in a put-down when you least expect it. It is a fantastic podcast that usually ends with Gab peaking my interest with professional wresting trivia and Jules delivering intriguing useless trivia. Since football is currently on hiatus, these two are trying to keep us entertained with their podcast by selecting starting lineups consisting of players starting with the same letter in their last name. It is by far my favorite podcast to listen to every Monday.

The Spanish Football Podcast

Another superb Podcast is  “The Spanish Football Podcast” featuring the one and only, Sid Lowe and Phil Kitromilides and Alex Kirkland. Sid is one of the best English journalists covering La Liga for The Guardian, while Alex is the Madrid correspondent for ESPNFC and Phil works for La Liga TV. This is one of the best podcasts that covers Spanish football, with updates about Real Oviedo in the second division and it's usually half an hour long. A great source for those who want to know more about what’s going on in La Liga since our reliable source, Revista de La Liga, went off the television airwaves a couples of years ago.

What makes this fun podcast so unique is that it was recorded inside a car before the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to record the podcast from their respective homes. There is also a special Q&A podcast for VIP paying members. This is a must listen to for Barça fans, even though we all know about Phil’s past with Real Madrid media, it’s still highly recommended.

El Tel & Jon’s La Liga Weekly

Since I am a Barça fan, I need my fix of La Liga news and insights from those who watch my Blaugrana. The “El Tel & Jon’s La LigaWeekly” podcast features Terry Gibson, one of the regulars from the days of Revista de La Liga, and Jon Driscoll. Terry, also commonly known as Gibbo, is a former player and assistant coach and scout who used to commentate on La Liga games and was a regular on Revista. He is now working for La Liga TV and Jon’s voice is a familiar one for those who watched La Liga on Sky Sports.

It is quite refreshing to hear two guys from England speak fondly of La Liga. It's worth listening to it just for Jon’s hilarious introduction to each show. However, what makes this podcast exceptional is that it allows us to hear insight from a former footballer’s insights, Gibbo, regarding the performance of the players and teams. This podcast also does a Q&A from questions sent on social media from their listeners, so you won't be ignored. 

Bombazo

The next podcast that I quite enjoy is “Bombazo” that discusses Spanish football with a Scandinavian twist. This podcast is hosted by Lee Roden, who has a history of covering Barça and La Liga and does so currently with Talk Sport, and a name well known to most Cules, Alexandra Jonson. Alexandra’s presence on twitter is well known dating back to her days on Total Barça and is currently working for La Liga TV co-host.

Yes, I know. Another La Liga podcast, Ibes? Absolutely. What makes this podcast unique is its theme about focusing on Scandinavians players currently playing in Spain. Listening to this podcast was very helpful in getting acquainted about Martin Braithwaite before he joined Barça from Leganes. Furthermore, they also managed to interview Alexander Isak after his great performance against Real Madrid which saw Los Blancos get eliminated from Copa del Rey. They not only discuss La Liga and Alexandra’s trips to different parts of Spain, but they also have special episodes such as the one about Michael Laudrup being the greatest Scandinavian ever to grace La Liga. Hopefully, Scandinavians and non-Scandinavians will give this podcast a try and enjoy it as much as I do.

The Football Oranje Podcast

Besides Barça, my other passion is the Netherlands national team; the Oranje. The Football Oranje Podcast is hosted by Mike Bell, editor and founder of Football Oranje website (which I occasionally write for), and Dutch Football writer Michael Statham. Both discuss the Eredivisie and the Dutch National Team which helps fellow fans as myself stay up to date on recent developments.

The podcast episodes tend to be between 35-40 minutes long. They also have special interviews and will have a Q&A segment based on questions their listeners ask on social media. Absolutely a must listen to if you an Oranje fan such as myself.

The Serie Awesome Podcast

The last superb Podcast is another one from ESPNFC, "The SerieAwesome Podcast". This podcast also features my favorite sports writer, GabrielleMarcotti and also the superb sports writers  Mina Rzouki and Nicky Bandini. All three do a great job in discussing Italian football with their biases/team loyalty with some banter. This wonderful collection of personalities with Mina, the Juventus supporter, and Gab, the anti-Juve persona, clashing at times with the soft spoken Nicky, the Inter fan, playing the peace maker. If you are a fan of Serie A and the on-goings with Italian football, then this podcast is for you.

The almost hour long podcast is a recap of the latest results in Serie A and it was enjoyable tuning in every week to hear about Atalanta’s magical run in the Champions League and Lazio’s magnificent run in Serie A as they challenged Inter and Juventus for the Scudetto. Right before they went on hiatus, the podcast discussed the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy and how the Italian league was poorly handling it until all football action came to a halt.

Stay safe and if you want to find new ways to stay entertained at home, then give these podcasts a chance.

Barça continues to be a Circus.

Although the circus no longer comes to town, Barça have a done a great job in making sure the circus is still alive and well for the entire football world. The month of February saw the Barça board and the team perform quite a few circus acts. Consequentially, that caused mixed emotions from the Blaugrana fans and followers consisting of eye-rolls, anger and bitter disappointment.

It all started in early February when Barça’s sporting director, Eric Abidal said in an interview that the Barça players were not satisfied nor worked hard under previous manager Ernesto Valverde. That drew an immediate rebuke from his former teammate, Lionel Messi who dared him to back up that statement and name names. Whenever Messi responds to comments made by the board, you know it’s bad, and it once again showed the poor management by this club.

When that storm quietly died down, the equivalent of a hurricane hitting a volcano happened when the Cadena Ser radio network reported that the Blaugrana paid a social media company  €1 million to attack those who are against the board such as future presidential candidate Victor Font, former Barça players Carles Puyol and Xavi, former Barça player and manager Pep Guardiola, and even some Barça players such as Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique. The club immediately denied the story but as of March 3, 2020, president Josep Maria Bartomeu has yet to face the media and give us some real answers. Perhaps that €1 million could have been put into good use elsewhere, like bringing back former Masia player Takefusa Kubo and not letting Real Madrid outbid us for the Japanese Messi.

In between those two circus acts, we were informed that winger Ousmane Dembele’s return from injury was a quick act because he suffered another injury and was ruled out for six months after undergoing successful surgery on a hamstring injury. With the team short on players, what does the Barça board do? They sell two forwards, first teamer Carles Perez and Barça B player Abel Ruiz, and also loan out center back Jean-Clair Todibo. Perhaps this was their magic act of less is more.
But Barça did have a trick up their sleeve and managed to sign Danish international Martin Braithwaite from Leganes after paying his €20 million buy-out clause. So why did the club spend €20 million on a player who can only play league games when they could have saved €20 million and relied on Carles Perez and probably Abel Ruiz if he ever had a call up with the first team? The juggling act of the club when it comes to roster decisions continue to baffle many.

On February 22, 2020, Barça fans were afforded the chance to see Braithwaite in action for the first time against Eibar. However, it was the fans who were the spectacle of the Camp Nou, and not the team, when prior to kick-off, man fans waved white handkerchiefs and chanted "Bartomeu, resign!" for about seven minutes before the game finally kicked off. The message from the spectators to the ringmaster was heard and seen by the world. Barça though won 5-0 with Messi providing a great performance by scoring 4 goals while Braithwaite came on as a substitute and played a key role in setting up the final two goals which gave the fans short term amnesia as the club were back in first place in the league table.

Whatever jubilation the Blaugrana faithful were feeling was evaporated when Barça played Napoli to a 1-1 draw last Tuesday. The match saw Busquets get booked which meant he would miss the second leg. With the team already short a midfielder for the return leg, Arturo Vidal decided to be a clown by getting a late red card. After the game, the usually quiet Busquets hinted at how poorly assembled this team with his comment “We are a little short at the moment.”


This past weekend, Barça were to perform the impalement art by being knife throwers at the reeling and spinning Real Madrid. Instead, Barça failed to deliver and took a pie to the face by losing to Real Madrid 2-0 and relinquishing the league lead back to their arch rivals. We have been watching this circus act since 2010 when Sandro Rosell became the Barça president before stepping down over the Neymar transfer saga before Bartomeu succeeded in becoming his successor in 2015. Since then, it’s been more of bring in the clowns as the club wastes away Messi’s talents. In a few months, we will see if Bartomeu and this board will step down in the summer for early elections. If they don't, they may be successful in making us watch this circus become a carnival.

Reflections on NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

The NFL Completed its 100^th anniversary with another memorable season full of excitement that did not disappoint. I have been fortunate to be a fan of the NFL for the last 30 years since following the league back in 1990 as a kid. As they did in 1995 when the league celebrated its 75^th anniversary, the NFL released their greatest 100 roster in NFL history, with the main difference being head coaches were part of the 100. I was glad to see a couple of my favorite players from the Buccaneers make the selection, but the list also seemed incomplete and too loyal to the old guard.

Since I was living in the Tampa Bay area, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became my team. Sadly, they were a poorly run and awfully coached team back then, and unfortunately, that is still the case based on these past few seasons. Thus, I developed a soft spot for the San Francisco 49ers when the likes of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Roger Craig, and Ronnie Lott played for them since the Buccaneers’ season would be over after 6-7 games. Watching that 49’ers team play the West Coast offense with their tough defense helped me fall in love with the game.

During those 30 years, I have followed the league in different continents and can’t imagine my Sundays without it. For 100 years, the NFL has entertained its fans and the future looks bright for this league. The NFL celebrated its 100^th anniversary with the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team through a series presented on the NFL network. The players and head coaches were voted on by a panel consisting of media members, former players and league personnel. The series was enjoyable and I agreed with most of the selections, disagreed with a couple, and didn’t care for some of the players from the old guard.

Have no fear, I won’t be going over all 100 men selected. I first want to celebrate the fact that my Bucs, the punchline of the league for most of the last 40 years in NFL history, had two full-time Bucs on this list and one short-term Bucs player. I was elated when Lee Roy Selmon, the first ever Bucs legend, and Derrick Brooks, my all-time favorite Bucs player, made it on the list. The other player was former Vikings legend, Randall McDaniel who played for the Bucs for one season before he retired.

Selmon and Brooks were greats of the game during their eras and will now be part of NFL history as part of this team and future anniversary teams. They are now immortal and it would have been great if Brooks’ teammates of Warren Sapp, John Lynch and Ronde Barber could have been a part of this group. Nonetheless, a good argument can be made for all three making it on the NFL’s 125th Anniversary All-Time Team, if the NFL does one in 2045, when the team expands from 100 to 125.

I thought Warren Sapp was an obvious choice to make it to the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team based on the fact that he was a member of both the NFL's All-Decade team of the 90s and 2000s. Yet, John Randle, who was a phenomenal player, got the nod over Sapp. Perhaps Sapp lost some votes because of his personality during and after his playing concluded. Nevertheless, he should be on the next All-Time Team.

Another surprise omission had to be not seeing Terry Bradshaw as one of the quarterbacks on the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Without a doubt, many wanted to see which quarterbacks were going to make the list. On the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, only four were selected while ten quarterbacks were going to be selected for this team. Bradshaw was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls in the Super Bowl era, yet he was not deemed good enough to make it on the list. However, Roger Staubach made it on the list, even though he lost in two Super Bowls against Bradshaw. This was an odd choice seeing as they played in the league at the same time and Bradshaw’s stats were slightly better than Staubach’s. Hopefully Bradshaw won’t be overlooked in the next team.

Overall, I agreed with most of the selections made for the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. NFL kept the players they chose for the 75thAnniversary All-Time Team and just added 25 more players and head coaches. My only complaint about the team was the inclusion of players from the early years of the league such as Sammy Baugh, Elroy Hirsch, Dan Fortmann, Cal Hubbard, and Bill Hewitt. I understand the league wants to show respect to those who were pioneers in their positions in the old days of the NFL, but were they better than those who played their position in the last twenty years? Perhaps the NFL should have had an honorable mention to those who impacted the game such as Bo Jackson and those beforementioned players.

100 years of the NFL are now in the books. The 100th Anniversary All-Time Team was certainly interesting and we will have twenty-five more years of entertaining football before we debate who will be on the 125th Anniversary All-Time Team. Until then, we should enjoy the NFL one play at a time.