Treblelicious Barça Conquer All.

What a way to bring down the curtains on FC Barcelona’s career. Chaos and confusion in January had us all thinking that this season was going down the drain. Yet, here we are celebrating an unprecedented second treble by Barça. Credit goes to the manager, his staff and the players for regrouping and working together to find glory.

Barça were the phoenix this season after arising from the ashes and sitting atop of the world. It seemed that this season was heading to a disappointing end and now, Barça won the treble for the second time in history. With the exception of Barça, no other team in Spain has won the treble and now, they have accomplished that feat twice.  

2014 was an ugly year for the players and the club. They lost Tito Vilanova to cancer and went trophyless for the first time since Rijkaard’s final year. The World Cup was painful for both Spain and Argentina. Real Madrid seemed like an unstoppable force at the end of December but in 2015, Barça found their mojo and ended up winning it all while Madrid lost theirs and never recovered.

Like I have mentioned on here over the years, “it’s not how you start; but how you finish.” Well, the Blaugrana and Madrid proved that was the case this season. While the Blaugrana aired out their differences in January and worked as a team for the same goal, Madrid seemed to be tired, injured and not hitting all cylinders with some unhappy players. The end result was the Blaugrana hoisting the cups while Madrid went home empty handed.

So credit goes out to Luis Enrique and his staff for having the team in shape, which was a concern last season. Furthermore, Luis Enrique knowing that this is a partnership, and not a dictatorship, was also key for this team’s success. He could have ignored the players’ demands but instead, they worked together and the rest is history. Football history!

Next season will be tougher for the Blaugrana with the target back on their backs. However, it’s too early to think about next season. Enjoy the titles, the upcoming elections and Copa America action. Congratulations fans. Visca Barça!

No love for El Cholo and Tito?

On October 29, 2013, FIFA released the names of the candidates for the FIFA World Coach of the Year. Upon further review however, there was a head scratcher or two when the names were released. Where was the love for Diego Simeone and Tito Vilanova? Surely they deserved to be on the shortlist over some of their counterparts.

Per FIFA’s official website, the candidates for World Coach of the Year award were Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benítez, Antonio Conte, Vicente Del Bosque, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jupp Heynckes, Jürgen Klopp, José Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, and Arsène Wenger. I was a bit disappointed not to see Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone or Barça’s former manager, Tito Vilanova on the list ahead of some of these other names on the list.

Tito Vilanova managed Barca to the Spanish league title by capturing 100 points and finished 15 points clear of Real Madrid who were managed by none other than José Mourinho. Both managers got their teams to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before being eliminated by German clubs. Yet Mourinho ended up on the shortlist while Tito did not. Mourinho ended up leaving Real Madrid after failing to win a major trophy while Tito had to step down for health reasons. Yet Mourinho ended up on the shortlist while Tito did not.  For the sake of playing Devil’s Advocate, I’ll give Mourinho his due that his side did not lose to FC Barcelona in the league and Copa del Rey. However, was his season better than Vilanova’s?

Furthermore, how can someone like Diego Simeone be ignored from this list? He has completely turned Atlético Madrid around and made them from laughing stock “Pathetico” to a respected side that are currently second in the league and are off to an excellent start in the Champions League where they have won their first four group stage matches. Simeone continues to build from his side’s third place finish from last season which also saw them defeat Mourinho’s Real Madrid in Copa del Rey final. Since then, they have defeated Real Madrid in their first league encounter, with Ancelotti under the helm, and battled Barça to two draws in the Supercopa that saw them lose out the trophy on away goals rule.

Yet, Mourinho once again is on the shortlist while El Cholo is not. It is very disappointing and appalling that both Simeone and Vilanova did not make the shortlist. These men had a great season and won more than Mourinho. Better yet, can someone explain to me how Wenger made it to this list because I can’t recall what Arsenal won last season.

Rosell’s Biggest Decision Ever.

It has been a difficult period lately for FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell. Friday’s announcement that Tito Vilanova was going to step down after suffering a relapse with his medical problems was perhaps the most difficult act he had to do during his entire time with the club. Now comes the most challenging and difficult decision for him to make; finding the next FC Barcelona manager.

During the 2011-2012 season, Rosell discovered Pep Guardiola was not going to return to manage FC Barcelona. He handled that situation by appointing Guardiola’s then assistant, Tito Vilanova, to be the next FC Barcelona manager. However, Rosell is now going to see FC Barcelona have their third manager in as many years for the upcoming 2013-2014 season. The media was all over this and their list of candidates shrunk from ten to two but the decision delegated to Rosell will be an enormous task.

Rubén Uría mentioned in his latest column that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. The point he was making was that FC Barcelona are witnessing history repeat itself.  Back in the mid 90’s, Barça’s successful manager Johan Cruyff was let go and his successor, Bobby Robson, lasted only one season before Louis van Gaal replaced him. Fast-forward to this decade where the Blaugrana faithful also witnessed Guardiola leave the club after a successful spell only for Tito to last for a season before someone else was hired to manage the club.

If you believe the media stories, the list of choices to be the next Barça manager is down to two names. They are beloved former Barça player, Luis Enrique, and former Newell's Old Boys manager, Gerardo Martinez. Supposedly, a decision will be made as soon as tomorrow and at least before the end of next week. There are positives and negatives if the club hires either one of these candidates.

Luis Enrique, Lucho, was a popular player, former Barça B manager and even a former teammate of Xavi, Puyol, Valdés and Iniesta. He knows the style and the expectations of the club and perhaps will give the B players more opportunities. However, his one year with Roma did not leave a positive lasting impression. Furthermore, will he be able to cope with the pressure of managing FC Barcelona in all competitions especially with his lack of experience coaching in European competitions. My concern is whether he can transition from being a former teammate and friend to being the man in charge.

Gerardo Martinez, also known as Tata, managed Paraguay to the Copa America Final a few years ago and gave Spain a big scare in their World Cup Quarterfinal encounter. He recently stepped down as Argentinean club Newell’s Old Boys manager after guiding them to Torneo Final title and the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores. Although his style with Paraguay leaned on the defensive side, Newell’s Old Boys were more known for their offensive goal scoring style. Another significant factor is that he was a disciple of the one and only Bielsa. However, my friend Alex Hoy expressed his big concern of whether he can control the egos of players at a big club like FC Barcelona. Thus, will he be able to cope with the pressure and handle the egos too?

The big question will be answered soon. Rosell has a big decision to make, perhaps the biggest he has ever had to make as President, and Vice-President, of FC Barcelona. He has only three years left in his term as president so this decision could leave a lasting impact on his legacy. Hopefully history will not repeat itself where the club will descend back to the pits.  Barça’s future is at stake and the entire football world is eagerly awaiting the news of who will be the next FC Barcelona manager. Rosell’s next move is no small task indeed.

In Tito We Trust?

Tito Vilanova’s first year as manager saw him recapture the league title from Real Madrid. Finishing with 100 points and 15 points ahead of Real Madrid were a historic first for the club. Nevertheless, there are issues swirling over the club regarding Tito Vilanova and if he is the right managerial choice? Issues range from not resting his players, ignoring the bench and the younger players and his overall health? Thu, is Tito still the man to lead this club?

Without a doubt, Tito is going to be managing FC Barcelona next season. His first year was successful what with the club recapturing the league crown from arch rivals Real Madrid in historic fashion. The 100 point milestone and finishing 15 points ahead second place Real Madrid was one for the ages. Yet, the season ended on a sour note following Barça’s elimination by Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals and getting hammered by Bayern Munich 7-0 aggregate in UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals. Doubts remain about whether he is the right manager to lead the club due to issues regarding his tactics, lineup selections, health, transfer plans and his handling of Barça B players have warranted plenty of second guessing.

The most important issue is his health. Tito’s first year put his health back in the spotlight when he had to seek medical treatment in New York. Fortunately, he was able to return and finish the season as FC Barcelona’s manager.  However, there will be lingering doubts of whether Tito’s health will suffer a setback just as it did last season. The club perhaps addressed that when they signed Girona’s manager, Rubi, to be one of Tito’s assistants for next season. The train of thought is that Rubi would step in, instead of Jordi Roura, if Tito would have to take another medical leave of absence. However, will that be a step in the right direction if we witness the club struggling again while Tito is in New York?

The other issue is Tito’s style of coaching. The transition from Pep Guardiola to Tito Vilanova saw the team change their style a bit and be a bit more direct. Their defending though regressed as they leaked plenty soft goals far too often.  Yes, they did end up winning the league title and made it to the semi-finals of both Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.

Yet, questions still linger about his coaching. Tito stepping into the shoes of Pep Guardiola reminded me a lot of Barry Switzer taking over of the NFL Dallas Cowboys from Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy Johnson had taken his team, from being an irrelevant team, to two consecutive titles before leaving on bad terms with the team owner Jerry Jones. Barry Switzer came in and won the title in his second year. However, Switzer’s accomplishment was downplayed because of the talented players he inherited from Johnson. The same argument could be made for Vilanova.

Barça’s great start to their league campaign was simply one for the ages. Barça managed to record 55 points out of a possible 57 from their first 19 league matches. Tito received a lot of the acclaim for that feat but the players also played a significant role in that achievement. Graham Hunter indicated that Barça players were still upset at how they lost the league to Mourinho’s Real Madrid and during the preseason, they “made an informal pact” to seek revenge on all those clubs that they dropped points to away during that 2011-2012 season. So was it the Tito factor or Barça players hell-bent on revenge factor?

Furthermore, one of the main criticisms of Tito’s coaching was his lack of plan B. Many times, we saw Tito stick with the same plan and just switch players. That was evident while he was away in New York and after he returned to the dugout.  Many thought that Roura was not up to the task of coaching this talented bunch of players but Tito’s coaching after his return just made it seem obvious that Tito was the one calling the shots at all times. However, his management was met with many second guessing.

For far too long, the Blaugrana faithful have witnessed their team struggle in the second half of the season. Players were fatigued and on the brink of exhaustion brought on from appearing in too many matches. The lack of players’ rotation and resting of key players were on display when Bayern Munich destroyed Barça in both legs of their UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals.  To many, that could have been avoided just by Tito rotating his squad more often, especially after the title had been somewhat secured halfway through the season once Barça enjoyed a 12 point lead over Real Madrid.

Moreover, Tito’s treatment of the Barça B players and his bench bordered on the line of stubbornness or neglectful. There was no reason that Messi should have featured in insignificant matches such as the final group stage match against Benfica were he suffered an injury scare or playing him so soon after returning from international duty. Why didn’t the likes of Bartra, Montoya, and Tello play more often? Tello did not feature against Bayern Munich and wasn’t even on the bench for the 1st leg, played only 10 minutes against PSG and a total of 35 minutes in the Cup and league Clásico encounters that fell on the same week back in late February/early March.

Another negative lasting impact from that Bayern Munich drubbing was Vilanova waiting till the 83rd minute before he made his first substitution when Barça were down 4-0. Was that a testament to his lack of faith in his bench, and if so, will that change next season? Why did he not make his changes sooner and keep the score at a respectable level rather than trust his men and watch them surrender two more goals?  Additionally, why did he not play the younger players in the second leg that had the energy to perhaps rise to the occasion? Tito did not give the start to Tello, Montoya and Thiago and instead opted to go with the likes of Xavi who had already thrown in the towel after the first leg when he admitted that a comeback was “practically impossible”.

Speaking of Thiago, Barça are now about to lose him to Manchester United because his buy-out clause went from €90 million to €18 million because of a contract clause was not triggered after he failed to complete 60% of Barça’s games. Thiago was not too pleased with the lack of playing time from Tito, and the club now faces the possibility of losing a prized gem for a low amount because someone did not read the fine print. Thiago is not alone with the likes of Tello, Bartra, and diamond in the rough Gerard Deulofeu also rumored to be going on loan to other teams.

Finally, the other issue of concern is Tito’s taste for players during the transfer window period. Barça’s need for a center back was obvious last summer and yet the club signed Alex Song. The project to see the defensive midfielder perform as a center back was a failure and with Puyol’s health and career in doubt, along with the club not bringing back Abidal, center back position has to be addressed. Word has it that Tito only wants Thiago Silva and is not considering any other player. If true, then his fixation with the Brazilian center back is a big cause of alarm when you take into consideration the player’s age, price tag and history of injuries.  You would expect a manager to be open-minded and look at the big picture.

Next season will be very interesting indeed. The tide has shifted this summer since Barça’s opponents have improved with the likes of Bayern Munich hiring Guardiola, Manchester City hiring Manuel Pellegrini, Chelsea has Mourinho back, and Real Madrid hiring Carlo Ancelotti. The competition has improved and Barça, along with their fans, will discover whether they have the right man to lead them.  Thu, is Tito still the man to lead this club? Hopefully Tito learned from his first season in charge.  If not, then Barça face the risk of playing catch up by searching for a new manager and wasting away the talents of Messi and company.

Give Abidal A Chance.

With all this talk about changes and players leaving, there is one player who deserves a second chance with Barça after winning a second chance at life. Barça’s biggest Achilles heel this season was poor performance by their defensive back four.  Those poor performances stemmed from the absences of Puyol and Abidal. Abidal has had a difficult year ever since he had to fight his battle against cancer. Now that he is back, there is talk that he won’t be brought back for the upcoming season. However, with all that this club went through this season, Abidal deserves a chance to win a spot on this team for the upcoming season.

Abidal’s amazing return to action this season has been well documented. It was courageous and inspirational. Prior to his medical problems, Abidal was well liked for his on pitch performances as a left back and as a center back. Abidal though became a beloved icon for his courage battle in beating cancer and his inspirational attempt to return to the playing field. Abidal has laughed at the face of death not once, but twice.

Obviously, what Abidal went through this past year took a toll on his body. You don’t need a medical degree to know that Abidal was not going to be back to his old self anytime soon. His return was going to take time. However, it is disheartening to read rumors that the club is not interested in having Abidal back for next season.

I understand that the club wants to make some changes with the roster but I don’t agree with the club asking Abidal to quit and take a position with the club. I am a firm believer that Abidal still has something to offer. Perhaps Rosell and Zubizarreta should give Abidal a chance to win a spot on the team during the summer preseason games. If he shows he is fit enough and can play at this level, then he deserves a shot on the team. On the other hand, if he struggles or seems to have a lost a step, then the club would be justified in asking Abidal to retire and take a position with the club or allow him to play for another club.

Abidal has been through a lot these past two years. The least the club could do for him is just give him a shot and see if he still has what it takes. Right?

 

Changes Need To Be Made At Barça.

The shocking 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich rocked the foundation of FC Barcelona last week. Sure, there had been hiccups along the way this season but this was a colossal wake up call for the Blaugrana. Issues have to be addressed from the top all the way down to the players on the pitch. Changes have to be made with regards to transfers and the change of guard with regards to the veterans at the club. By no means am I saying this is the end of era but perhaps the cycle has run out and the club needs a transformation.

Bayern Munich’s 4-0 victory was a bitter pill to swallow albeit a deserved victory for the German club. Sure, there were some iffy calls and perhaps Barça’s Wembley dreams would still be alive if those goals were disallowed. Nevertheless, Barça’s effort that night was one to forget. Barça just never really got it going in the second half of the season. Barça hasn’t caught fire these past few months. Better yet, it’s safe to say the match hasn’t been struck. Last week, their lackadaisical showing cost them dearly.

Football simply comes down to scoring goals and defending well. If you can do either one well, then you have a chance at winning. If you fail to do either properly, then you will fail miserably. That was exactly what we saw in Munich last week. After that final whistle blew in Munich, the calls for end of an era started rearing its ugly head ahead once again. However, the same was said last season and the club once again was chasing a treble till last month.

Spanish media referred to “Era” as “Cicolo” which can also mean cycle. I think cycle is a better term to use here. The team has had a great run, cycle, but some changes need to be made for this team to continue to remain among the best. It first starts with club president Sandro Rosell. Rosell has made this club follow other clubs’ model with shirt sponsors, tours, deals with Arab sheiks and so forth. However, it would be nice for the club to actually sign players that the club needs and not gimmicky players who are midfielders but probably can be defenders. The club lacked a center-back and the club did not sign anyone during the summer break and are now paying the price. Rosell has to learn from this season’s mistakes and not repeat them again.

The other issue is Tito Vilanova. His coaching has come into question recently with regards to lineups, tactics and substitutions. One fatal mistake was not giving Montoya and Bartra more minutes and now, these two are set to start in the second leg of Bayern tie after gathering rust following a handful of appearances since January. What caught the ire of the fans the most was his choice of using his first substitution in the 83rd minute after the game in Munich was out of reach. Was that an indication that he did not trust his bench and subsequently, has he lost the team by ignoring the non-starters as a result?

Furthermore, Rosell and company will have to discuss with Tito whether or not his health will prevent him from coaching next season. If so, then they better start preparing their list of candidates for the coaching seat of FC Barcelona. If he does feel healthy to return, then he has to ensure that some changes will have to be made. This past weekend’s draw against Athletic displayed how Tito does not have a “Plan B” and would rather stick with “Plan A” even though it has been known to be ineffective at times. Why did he bring on Iniesta when he could have brought on another defender and have him play alongside Song to congest the midfield and support the back four?

If Plan A is not working, then sticking with it without any minor changes is not an upgrade either. Sticking to the same style is not a step in the right direction when it costs you points and victories. Perhaps he should take a page from Rijkaard’s book where for that one season he had van Bommel partner Motta or Rafa Marquez as the two defensive midfielders. If Barça keeps making the same defensive errors, then it is on him to address those problems and not ignore. As my buddy told me after Sunday’s draw, Pique is one of the most undisciplined players the club has when it comes to errors, so address it and make him better.

Sadly, I think the upcoming season will see a changing of the guards. Puyol may be retiring because of his numerous leg injuries while Valdés wants to leave the club in 2014 and Barça might want to cash in on him this summer. Also, Xavi’s legs cannot allow the legend to play week in and week out anymore. As I mentioned in the past, Achilles injuries are impossible to overcome and perhaps it’s time to slowly put him to the pasture, i.e. the bench. Xavi simply cannot play week in and week out and next season will be no exception where the club will play more midweek league matches. Xavi just doesn’t perform like he used to and most of the time, the possession and passing is more of keeping the ball than delivering that well placed sublime through ball for opponents. Rarely do we see those assists like the one he provided Villa with against Milan.

Barça cannot afford to rely to on the old guard to always be there. A perfect example would be the late 80’s/early 90’s Boston Celtics and the current Boston Celtics who relied on their veteran players on their last legs for far too long much to the detriment of the team.  Barça needs to mix it up with veterans and youth along with players in their prime. So it’s time for Puyol and Xavi to be slowly taken out of the lineup and have the team entrusted to other players such as Bartra, Thiago or even Cesc (why was he signed again?). FC Barcelona needs to start planning for the future without destroying the future.

Yet again, we are also witnessing a tired team with Messi fighting through a Semi-Final with an injury while other players seem to be sluggish and short of freshness. The talk of the club shortening the squad next season has to be re-examined after what we witnessed down the stretch the past two seasons. We need quality depth and quantity in depth.

Furthermore, a lot of attention was given to the fact that FC Barcelona have struggled recently without Messi. Some would blame it on Messi being greedy. I blame this more on the manager. It is no coincidence that Barça became more Messi reliant ever since he started trying to break goal scoring records left and right. I am not blaming it on Messi but perhaps bad habits set in with the rest of his teammates because they were interested in assisting Messi break records and haven’t shaken off the bad habit. I long for the days when Messi, Villa and Pedro were the M-V-P trio that scored 98 goals combined in the 2010-2011 season (22 goals for Pedro, 23 for Villa and 53 for Messi). Again, have they forgotten how to score or were too occupied in making sure Messi broke every record that it became a bad habit that resulted in most players standing idle as they watched Messi.

I haven’t completely given up on Barça’s chances on overturning this 4-0 result. Bayern has 6 players who are one booking away from missing the Final. Perhaps, that will be on the back of the Bayern players’ minds and slightly make them a bit more cautious. If the score is 2-0 at the half, then Barça has a strong chance. If they are losing of it is a scoreless draw, then expect a long ahead.

Overall, the era is not even close to coming to an end. It just needs some minor tinkering here and there from the top to the bottom. It’s time the club changed the mentality on how things are done in the front office and on the field. We cannot afford to waste the talent and youth of some of these players. This club can do better and should be better.

 

Caution ahead for Barça in lieu of 2013

Barça head into the New Year with a great domestic advantage against their arch rivals, Real Madrid, and their closest rivals to the league crown Atlético Madrid. The 16 and 9 points cushion provides our beloved Blaugrana wonderful breathing room in their league conquest and allow them to focus on the Champions League and Copa del Rey. However, Barça should head into the new year with extra caution and not repeat past mistakes and beat themselves.

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Cules are ending 2012 on a spectacular note as they find their club 16 points ahead of arch enemy Real Madrid. Lost in all of this is the fact that Atlético Madrid are 9 points behind. That too is a great lead but Barça need to remain focused the rest of the way especially with two difficult matches coming up against Espanyol at the Camp Nou and away to Malaga. Espanyol have found a new bounce in their step under “El Vasco” Javier Aguirre while Malaga defeated Real Madrid not too long ago and have conceded the fewest goals thus far in the league. A few hiccups here and there and their lead might shrink down again for Atlético to somehow catch up to them.

I have always been a firm believer that Barça’s biggest enemy is themselves. Last season showed us how Guardiola didn’t prepare for the season with a very difficult and congested fixture that sprung fatigue and injuries towards the end of the season. When Tito returns in mid-January (fingers crossed) he has to ensure that these mistakes do not play out again.

 

First, Tito has to cut down on the matches Messi is playing. Mission impossible, I know, but one has to consider the amount of wear and tear that Messi is racking up. Last season was a perfect example where Messi had finally hit the wall near the end and struggled against Chelsea and Real Madrid. Sure, the minor injury he picked up at Stamford Bridge didn’t help but you could tell that he and his teammates were almost running on fumes. Thus, Tito has to continue rotating his players, including Messi to keep them fresh especially with the treble on the horizon.

Another issue that has to be addressed is the dependency on Messi. We have seen the likes of Pedro, Alexis and David Villa struggle to get into rhythm, or minutes for the latter, and have not had the best of seasons when it comes to scoring. These upcoming Copa games have to be used for them to snap out of their funk and get their mojo back. Perhaps, they were focused on helping Messi break the Muller record but everyone’s hearts was in their necks when Messi went down in the Benfica match. That was a match he had no business playing in and was a perfect example for the others to step up and gain from those minutes. Had that injury been severe, how optimistic would you have been to know that those trio, along with Tello and a returning Cuenca, as the other players up front? We need those players to be sharp and in goal scoring form and not watch teams shut down Barça by hounding Messi.

 

Another issue Tito has to address is David Villa. Clearly the #7 is still #1 in many hearts of the Blaugrana faithful and many, including myself, wonder how long can Villa remain patient with his lack of minutes and starts? The last thing this club needs is unhappy players. Either sell him in January or start playing him. Sure, he doesn’t drop back and defend like Alexis but he does something that Alexis and Pedro cannot seem to be doing much of lately; scoring. The club says he will be a winter signing.  Well, he better be used as such or else it will be a distraction for the media to keep addressing if he finds himself on the bench often.

Finally, the rotations should consist of the youth players getting more minutes. Bartra showed he can fill in for Pique and Puyol and is a better fit than Song as a centre-back. Let him get the occasional starts over Puyol and Pique to keep them fresh ahead of the bigger encounters such as Champions League where Puyol’s presence is much more vital. Same can be said for Montoya who has been sensational this season who might see more minutes if Dani Alves and Adriano keep picking up injuries. Thiago and Cesc are now healthy so that should mean Xavi and Iniesta should get a breather from time to time too along with Song giving Busquets some time off. We need our best to be fit and fresh for the big games.

Although it’s too soon to talk about the treble, it’s already on every Culet’s mind and New Year’s wish list.  Tito has a deep squad so he has to make the most of it for all three competitions to be prepared for all situations and not drop points which will force Tito to keep using his starters more often. 2012 has had its share of ups and downs, with it ending on a positive note. Hopefully 2013 will have mostly more ups and fewer downs. For my 100th blog entry, I wish you and your family a Happy New Year and may 2013 be wonderful to you all.

 

Root for Tito and Root for Barça.

The news about Tito needing to take some time off from coaching to treat his cancer medical problem caught us all by surprise. Nevertheless, we all need to root for Tito. At the same time, we also need to root for Barça. This is a tough situation for the club but it’s not the first time. Barça went through this before during Cruyff and came out as winners and nothing should change that as these current players strive to win titles this season.

Barça’s Tito is going to take some time off to deal with his medical condition. It is a dangerous condition. Cancer is one of those words where you really stop in your tracks whenever you hear it being uttered by anyone. We all are worried about Tito and his health. This is a serious medical problem that unfortunately Tito has to face again. Everyone will be and should be rooting for Tito to beat this again. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. What’s important is that he beats it and is fully recovered for his and his family’s sake. Football is secondary.

Nevertheless, us Cules still love our football and the show must go on. The club did the right thing by allowing Tito’s right hand man, Jordi Roura, to take over in the meantime. There was no need to start panicking and hire another manager such as Pep or Luis Enrique. This is still Tito’s team and unless otherwise, it will be his team when he returns in six weeks if the medical predictions go through. Tito still needs to take his time with his recovery and not rush it.

As for Jordi Roura; I highly doubt this is how he envisioned managing Barça someday. With that said, he is now the man in charge. Fortunately for him, he’s not the first to take the hot seat following the manager’s illness. Back in the 1990-1991 season, Johan Cruyff had to undergo an emergency procedure on his heart that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. His right hand man, and also club legend, Carles Rexach took over in February and took the team all the way to the league title. Just like today’s team, that team back then were also league leaders after 16 matches and never relinquished their spot atop of the standings.

This is not the time to panic and lose hope. The team is full of players who are also leaders so I don’t expect a dip in performance from this bunch. This players will want to win for Tito. This is the time when the team needs its supporters. This is when we need to show our love and support for the club more than ever. This club has been in a similar position before and overcame the difficult situation. It won’t be easy without the watchful eyes of Tito but the leaders on this team won’t squander this great lead that they have over Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. We still must support them and this is a stern reminder that no one is invincible so don’t put off seeing your doctor or changing your diet or unhealthy lifestyle. Life is too short to throw it away, especially when you’re a Barça fan and have many reasons to follow what this team is on the cusp of accomplishing.

 

Messi - Caution v Obsession

Messi finally did it. 86 goals in one calendar year is truly a remarkable achievement by the 25 year old player who keeps finding ways to astonish us with his record breaking feats. However, perhaps it’s time for us to be cautious now and focus on what is best for Messi and the team. The obsession for this record might have affected Messi and his teammates' style of play. Now that the record is over, there should be a shift to caution.

Messi should not play today. He would be making his fourth appearance in two weeks. There is no need to play the Copa match against a side that is not in La Primera. This game should be used to give players who are going through a tough spell in terms of performance or ending their goalless streak. Pedro, Alexis and David Villa should be playing these minutes. They need some goals to give a boost to their confidence.

Some would argue that their goal scoring is down because of injuries or bad luck. Perhaps, they were also too focused on making sure Messi broke that record. The obsession for this record might have somewhat affected his teammates but now that is over with, it’s time for others to step up. I would prefer to see the likes of Pedro, Villa and Alexis scoring 15-20 goals a season to Messi’s 50 than seeing him score 86 while David Villa and Alexis only have close to 10 goals each in all of 2012.

The injury scare against Benfica made us all second guess Tito’s decision to bring on Messi. He shouldn’t have stepped onto the pitch, record or no record. This was a meaningless game against a team desperate to advance to the next round. Sure, he wanted to break the record. Lovely! Imagine if he was gone for the next 6 months with an injury in a meaningless game. Sure, he could have been injured against Betis but if you want to get down to it, which game do you prefer a player to get injured in? In a game that counts or not? Let’s not forget how Eto’o got injured and how David Villa got injured. One was in a friendly and one was in a serious fixture. Injuries happen but if the game doesn’t mean much, then rest the player and decrease the chances of wear and tear which could lead to fatigue. Thus, rest Messi today, Tito.

 

Time for Barça to slay Madrid.

Barça have had their chances to put a big dagger into the hearts of their arch rivals, Real Madrid, under Mourinho while they were going through internal turmoil. Barça failed to do so on every occasion and allowed Madrid to stay alive and gain momentum. Tomorrow will see Barça face Madrid with an eight point lead over them and a win would only sink the Blancos even further away from the league summit. However, with Barça possibly playing without Puyol and Pique in the heart of the defense, will Barça give Madrid another stay of execution or finally slay them?

El Clásico has been called one of the biggest games in the world. It sure has become more prestigious, and at times infamous, ever since Jose Mourinho joined Real Madrid. Last season saw both teams face each other in the Supercopa, League and the Copa Del Rey before we hit the spring season. Barça got the better of their arch rivals in the Supercopa, the first league encounter and the Copa del Rey. It was the latter that I believe ultimately cost Barça the league title.

That was the first time that Barça had a chance to wreak havoc on Real Madrid. It’s no secret that under Mourinho, Los Blancos have had internal problems in the dressing room. Back in January, Mourinho and Sergio Ramos erupted in a huge row following Barça’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey in Madrid and things looked like they were about to unravel for them. The second leg saw Barça race to a two goal lead before the half for a 4-1 aggregate at the Camp Nou and you could feel that things were about to get more unraveling for Los Blancos if Barça piled it on and ran up the score.

This was their chance to drive a giant wedge between Mourinho and some of his players. Barça’s chance to slay the dragon though failed thanks to their lethargic second half that saw Real Madrid fight back and score two goals and claim a draw. The result meant that Barça eliminated Real Madrid but some, including myself, thought Barça would pay dearly for this result. They had them down and did not go for the kill and gave Madrid a boost of confidence.

Like the old sports saying goes, “Winning is the best deodorant.” Well, Madrid’s come back to draw 2-2 was the deodorant that masked their problems and allowed them to forget about their squabbles and focus on the league and Champions League. Barça could have made their lives more difficult by continuing the ongoing internal strife along with the negative press from the Spanish capital. Instead, Pepe stepping on Messi’s hands or Ramos’s leaked comments were a thing of the past because of their strong half performance and they recouped and moved on.

Barça’s second chance to slay the beast came a few months in April when Barça hosted Madrid in the Camp Nou. Madrid had seen their big lead of 10 points reduced to 4 before their clash at the Camp Nou. A Barça win would have seen them shrink Madrid’s lead to just one point with just a handful of games remaining.  Once again, there were stories of problems going on in Madrid after they dropped six points and Barça were presented with a golden opportunity to chop off the head of the monster and exert more pressure on their arch rivals by making them sweat it out the rest of the season. Instead, Guardiola’s lineup decisions back fired and Madrid and Mourinho finally overcame their lack of success in the Camp Nou with an important victory and raced away with the league.

Barça’s latest opportunity came in the most recent Supercopa. Unlike other editions, this year’s edition was scheduled after the league kicked off. Sandwiched between two league encounters were the two Supercopas ties. Madrid kicked off their season with a fortunate 1-1 draw at home to Valencia and then traveled to Barcelona where they lost 3-2 in the first leg of the Supercopa and then suffered their first league defeat when they lost away to Getafe 2-1.

This presented Barça with a great setting. Inflict more pain and trouble for Mourinho and Madrid in front of the Los Blancos fans. Instead, Madrid raced to a quick two goal lead thanks for some poor defending and withstood a Messi goal to defeat a shorthanded Barça side to capture the Supercopa. Once again, Madrid found the correct deodorant stick and briefly covered up the stench of their poor season start.

Tomorrow, Barça hosts Madrid while enjoying an eight point lead over their arch rivals. With Barça missing the services of Puyol and perhaps Pique, some are hoping for a draw to keep the gap at eight points. The idea of seeing defensive midfielders as centre-backs are not that reassuring.  However this is a must win game for Barça. Also, this is Barça; anything but a win in any game is unacceptable, especially in El Clásico.

Barça are presented once again with a great opportunity to add more misery to Madrid as they once again deal with internal issues between Mourinho and some of the players. A victory stretches Barça’s commanding lead to 11 points and one can only imagine the sort of backlash the Madrid press would unleash on Mourinho and his players.

A loss tomorrow means that another team from Madrid, Atlético, would become league leaders if they defeat Malaga in a game scheduled after the Clásico. So Barça have been presented with another golden opportunity to cause some serious damage to Real Madrid. Will they do it or will they give Real Madrid another reprieve and allow them to regain some confidence along with some mojo which could inspire them the rest of the season again? Opportunity is knocking again and it’s about time Barça answer.

 

Time to play Bartra.

Is there a Center-Back in the house? Barça’s great start to the season has suffered the disappointing news of losing both starting Centre Backs Puyol and Pique to injuries. Even though there was a need to sign another centre-back this summer, the club opted to sign another Defensive Midfielder who could play the role of a centre-back. Well, there is a young talented player on the bench waiting for his moment. The moment is now and it’s about time that the club played Marc Bartra.

First it was Puyol and then it was Pique. Barça fans have been accustomed to seeing their best players suffer an injury here and there over the years. However, we were not ready to see both our centre-backs out with injuries so soon. We went from a club that had two starting centre-backs and one young centre-back to basically one young centre-back in need of minutes with defensive midfielders sharing the load in the back. Marc Bartra has been patiently waiting for his chance to prove himself and the time has come.

I have never been a fan of Pep’s decision to rely on the likes of Yaya, Mascherano and Busquets playing in the centre-back position. Those were great ideas for a quick fix but not for the long term. As much as I enjoy watching Mascherano play, I think his time as centre-back should come to an end. The warning signs were there last season in the big matches where he was shown to be a liability such as his poor header clearance in the San Siro that lead to Prince’s goal against Milan; Ronaldo sprinting past him to scoring the game winning goal in the Camp Nou, not picking up Drogba during the counter attack that lead to Chelsea’s only goal of the game, his poor tackle on Lampard that resulted in a counter attack goal for Ramires; and more recently his poor clearance attempt in the second leg of the Supercopa. Just watching him partner Song against Spartak Moscow on Wednesday showed us that the club should have bought defenders to re-enforce the back four.

Mascherano has been a great player and person for Barça but he is not a centre-back. I don’t care that he helped the club win the Champions League when he started against Manchester United. A few good games do not wipe out a recent string of bad displays in big games. If his name was Oleguer or Rafa Marquez, fans would be all over him. The club should have bought a centre-back and I don’t believe the talk that the club never wanted to buy one because they have Mascherano so that’s why they bought Song. They wanted to get Thiago Silva or Javi Martinez but were scared off by the price tag. Unfortunately, they could have signed Botia, who is a former youth player currently on loan with Sevilla, Chico, former Barça B player who played for Pep and played a key part in helping the B team gain promotion and is currently playing for Swansea City, and Jan Vertonghen, former Ajax player who just went to Spurs for €12.5 million, for maybe half of the cost of one of those big named stars.

What’s been done has been done. Perhaps the club will sign someone when the winter transfer window opens or wait till next season when they go after the likes of Dortmund’s Hummels.  I hope the club does eventually sign a centre-back. I am tired of watching Barça repeat history by suffering from some dreadful defending too. We saw it during the final days of the “Dream Team” when Koeman was past it and it hurt this team. Rijkaard's last 2 years saw a lot of poor defenders around Puyol and now we are subjected to watching history repeat itself as we watch this team concede silly goals from poor defending. Pique still has his head in the clouds from time to time and Mascherano can't clear with his head and will get burned by a speedy forward.

If you think that this team wins on its offense alone, then look back at their triumphant Champions League titles and see how many blowouts they had in the semi-final stage, 0-1, 0-0 against Milan; 0-0, 1-1 against Chelsea; 0-2; 1-1 against Real Madrid. They relied on keeping clean sheets when they won those titles and not by winning 4-3 or 3-2 every game.

Barça’s legacy has always been on relying on their academy products. We have already seen that Montoya is ready to compete for the right-back position and in my opinion is the heir apparent to Dani Alves. Puyol was thrown in as a right back when he was young and he turned out alright. Chapi Ferrer, Pep, and Sergi were all thrown in as youngsters too and the “Dream Team” benefitted from it. Puyol was 21. Chapi was 20. Sergi was 22. Montoya is 21. I'm not saying bench Alves but I prefer to see Montoya start ahead of Adriano in that position and rotate with Dani Alves to give the Brazilian fullback some rest.

We have had a history of giving young players a chance. Xavi and Iniesta turned out alright. Messi turned out alright. Valdés turned out alright even with his odd brain farts. Busquets was how old again when he got to play ahead of Yaya? So it’s time to give minutes to Bartra. We've seen him play in Champions League games and Copa del Rey games before. He is a promising 6'0 centre-back who was also the captain of Spain’s national team at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. More importantly, he showed us that he's no Fontas with his decisions and his thinking. He deserves to be playing and he deserves playing minutes now that the club is without any centre-backs. Unfortunately, we will never know unless we see him out there on the pitch getting the minutes in matches. Today, Barça host Granada and this is the perfect moment to get him out there and gain some experience and shake off some rust. The moment is now and it’s about time that the club played Marc Bartra and not another defensive midfielder in the heart of the defense.

 

One Title Lost But Two More Left.

Barça’s loss over the weekend to Osasuna probably all but ended their hopes of winning their fourth consecutive league title. We can blame it on many things and complain as much as we want but, barring some unexpected collapse from Real Madrid, it’s time for the club and fans to focus on the two other cups and expect a cup double. However, there still some blame to pass around about how the league seemed lost in February and that’s aimed at Guardiola and all the way up to club President Sandro Rosell.

A 10 point gap is a lot to overcome although Real Madrid did squander a big lead back during Laporta’s first year as club president that saw Valencia win the league title. However, many, including myself cannot see Mourinho squandering that lead unless he rests his starters for the Champions League and as a result, somehow drop points. I suggested in my last blog that Pep had to rest his players by rotating them with the backups and Barça B players after Barça fell 7 points behind Real Madrid. Well, neither I nor others expected him to rest Xavi, Iniesta and Cesc from the starting lineup. Nevertheless, he did and on that cold freezing night, Barça tried hard but not overcome consecutive two goal leads.

Now many were upset by that decision but I thought it was a safe bet with Iniesta back from injury and Xavi and Cesc exhausted from playing in so many games. FourFourTwo’s Tim Stannard said it best in his column today,

"Wouldn’t Guardiola have received even more criticism had Iniesta and Xavi played for example and knackered themselves again, missing the Champions League games which Barcelona could then have lost?"

So the bottom line now is for the club to go ahead and capture the cup double by winning the Copa Del Rey and the club’s fifth Champions League title.

With Madridistas already celebrating the league title, the cup double would put a damper on their celebrations. What Mourinho will be accomplishing is a personal impressive statistic but Valdano, Capello and Schuster also won the league title managing Real Madrid. The thing is; they at least managed to defeat Barça on their way on claiming the league crown. Madrid will be coming to the Camp Nou in May, which coincidentally would be around the same time as the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals. The best way to really dampen the mood over in the Spanish capital would be if both teams end up meeting in the Champions League Quarter-Finals with Barça yet again getting the best of Madrid.

That early elimination would leave Madrid with just league football to look forward to for the rest of the season while Barça continue their quest to win titles. Of course it still is disappointing to see the league be determined so early but it was inevitable. Many fans thought the club should have made more signings during the summer and the winter break. I am not a fan of buying players during the winter break but I think picking up some players on loan would have been a great idea during the winter transfer window. However, I blame Pep on relying too much on having a small squad. That works in seasons where the schedule is more relaxed than and not as condensed as seasons such as this year that because an upcoming international summer tournament.

In hindsight, perhaps signing the likes of Kanouté, Botía, and José Ángel along with Alexis and Cesc would have benefitted the club in the long run. But alas, Pep trusted his players a bit too much and didn’t expect tons of hamstring injuries. It’s February and we can already see players are suffering from playing in too many games. Being champions took a toll on their bodies with trips to Monaco, Japan along with friendlies in numerous countries over the summer. Hopefully Pep learned from this season and will plan better for next season in having a slightly deeper squad. Additionally, maybe it’s best if club president Sandro Rosell doesn’t plan any upcoming summer tours that will see the team fly halfway across the globe.

This upcoming summer will see half the squad participating in Euro 2012. Thus, any ideas from Rosell about traveling to North America or Asia as part of their summer preseason/tour should be scrapped. These players have been through a lot these first four seasons under Pep and deserve some rest this summer. How about participating in European summer tournaments such as the Amsterdam Tournament, Emirates Cup, or the Wembley cup while also participating in domestic tournaments such as Trofeo Naranja or the one cup Pep has yet to win, Copa Catalunya. As much as I would love to see Barça come back to America this summer, I believe it’s time for Rosell and the club to ignore the dollar signs and let the players rest and adjust to one time zone for at least one summer.

I might as well vent some more since I’m mentioning Rosell since part of the reason why the club has fallen back 10 points behind Real Madrid also falls on his shoulders. We can’t ignore the obvious in that Madrid’s tactics of intimidating the referees has worked to their advantage. I mentioned it before that we need instant replay since referees are missing the obvious calls while Madrid seem to be getting the benefit of the calls. 11 consecutive penalties awarded without any given against them? I am not saying they don’t deserve getting penalties. I am more upset at how the referees seem to swallow the whistle if there is call against Madrid. Madrid’s away form hasn’t been that impressive either as evidenced by their recent struggles against Mallorca and Getafe where they benefitted from some bad decisions.

Of course this is mere speculation but it’s not that difficult to see that Madrid gained a lot from going after the referees via the club, manager, media and the fans. Meanwhile, Mr. Rosell opted to play the nice guy. Maybe it was worth going forward and filing complaints with the league against Mourinho after eye gouging Tito Vilanova and against Pepe after what did to Messi. Instead, Rosell put his faith in the league and in return, the league walked over him like Pepe did when he stepped on Messi’s hand. Perhaps then the league would have finally grown a pair and came down on both clubs and made it easier on their referees to make calls without fear of repercussions or backlash from either club. Nice guys don’t fare well when they are in a dirty fight and Rosell is being nice to a club that is trying its best to destroy our club by any shady means necessary. Madrid’s Allegations of doping, allegations of gaining favors from referees, allegations of favoritism, along with dirty cheap shots on Barça players from the Merengues makes this a dirty fight that requires a club president to fight back and not rely on the better judgment of league and its officials.

The club resumes its quest to win their fifth Champions League title tomorrow.  Now, for those who are upset or doubt this team can win the Champions League because of their poor showing in the league. Let me give you this bit of sports trivia. When AC Milan became the last team to win back to back Champions Cup under Sacchi, they did so without ever winning the league title during those two seasons.  Even Real Madrid won their 8th Champions League title while finishing fifth in the league table. So it is possible for Barça to win another Champions League title and here’s hoping that Pep and the players bring back El Quinto so we can celebrate a special brand of Manita Champions League success along with another Copa Del Rey triumph in May.