First Year Struggles of New Barça Strikers.

Luis Suarez’s sluggish goal scoring start to his Barça career has been a bit disappointing, but at the same time, he is not the first to do so either. Compared to other new Barça goal scorers, he’s actually doing quite well.

FC Barcelona is a unique club. Unique when it comes to being coached and unique in how the team plays. That is why not every great player does well after joining the Blaugrana. We have seen the likes of Vítor Baía, Zambrotta, and Hagi arrive at Barça and then fail to impress. Goal scorers are also not exempt from this list. From Mark Hughes to Maxi Lopez, and even Ibrahimovic to some, Barça has seen its share of disappointing strikers.

In all fairness, Luis Suarez did not get to fully integrate with the team before the season started. Because of his idiotic and gross misconduct during the World Cup, Luis Suarez was banned for the early part of the season. That killed any chance of gelling with his new teammates and new team style but he has slowly improved his performances since his debut in El Clásico. Yet, some are a bit upset with his lack of goals. However, when compared to other Barça goal scorers debutants, there is no reason to be upset.

Here are the statistics of first year Barça goal scorers after their first 19 matches for the Blaugrana:

Thierry Henry: 7 goals & 8 assists.

Ibrahimovic: 12 goals & 4 assists

Pedro: 10 goals and 1 assist

David Villa: 11 goals & 5 assists

Alexis: 8 goals & 2 assists

Neymar: 6 goals & 9 assists.

As for the Uruguayan international, he has scored 6 goals and provided 11 assists in his first 19 matches. So, if one wants to compare, Suarez is basically following in the footsteps of Neymar in terms of goals scored. It’s true the other names on that list have scored more, but then again, all of them, with the exception of Henry, played during Pep’s era where the team was considered one of the best in the world.

 

Nevertheless, keep in mind that Luis Suarez’s goals and assists combined were the most when compared to those other players. He may not be scoring as much, but he has been directly involved in 17 goals in his 19 matches. That is more than those players did during their first 19 matches.

Last season, we were told to be patient with Neymar and look how good he has been this season. So let’s be patient with Luis Suarez too. After all, it could be worse; Santi Ezquerro only scored one goal after joining Barça fall of 2006-2007 season.  So let’s hold judgment till after the season has concluded.

2013-2014 End of Season Awards.

The 2013-2014 season just concluded and our beloved Barça competed for four cups. In the end, they succeeded in winning the first one out of the four competitions they competed for; the Supercopa. After an impressive first half of the season, Barça ended the season on a sour note by getting eliminated in the Champions League Quarter-Finals stages to Atlético Madrid, losing to Real Madrid in Copa del Rey final and failing to retain the league crown at home on the final day of the season. So, as we enjoy the summer break and get distracted with the upcoming World Cup before another season is upon us, it’s time to hand out the awards.

 

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MVP: Messi.

It’s easy to say we have been spoilt by Messi’s performances over the year. Most players would dream to have a season like the one Messi did. True, Messi’s season was not as superb as his other seasons but this man still put in a great season. Sadly, he, and the rest of the team looked sluggish, as they did the last two seasons, down the stretch. However, Messi played a huge role in making sure this team was still fighting in the final months of the season. 

His final stats for the 2013-2014 season were 41 goals from 46 matches. Yet, there were some who wanted to sell the legendary player becuase of this season. Here’s hoping next season, and many more seasons, will give us more of Messi’s magic with great triumphs.

 

Best Goal: Alexis vs Real Madrid.

Perhaps his goal against Atlético last week was better but the bitter result made me choose this one. It was one of those flashes of brilliance from Alexis that we have been waiting more out of the Chilean international. Neymar provided Alexis with the through ball and Alexis got by Pepe before chipping it sublimely over Diego Lopez who was far off his line. It was the insurance goal that the team needed to ensure the victory.

Best Assist: Neymar to Alexis vs Espanyol.

These were some good choices for this category. Messi to Iniesta for the opening goal in El Clásico in Madrid and Iniesta’s through ball to Neymar against Atlético in the Champions League are some of the most memorable ones. Heck, the best pass we saw all season long was Messi’s through ball to Neymar in El Clásico that resulted in a penalty. However, the best one was Neymar’s effort against Espanyol where he managed to nutmeg two players for Alexis to time his run perfectly and direct it on goal. Hope we see more of that next year.

 

Best Game: Getafe 2-5 FC Barcelona

This was an easy choice for me. This was one of the most memorable games of the season along with the two Clásico wins. This one stood out for me for two reasons. It was a great comeback by the team that was without Valdés, Messi and Neymar, and found themselves down 2-0 after 15 minutes. It looked hopeless yet these guys battled back through a Pedro hat trick before the halftime whistle and then Cesc scored a brace in the second half for a 2-5 win. This was the game were the guys battled hard when they didn’t have their best weapons and showed guts and determination. Unfortunately, this match also stood out because it exposed Barça’s weaknesses that would plague them the rest of the season.

 

Best Youth Player: Bartra

For two years, I have been campaigning for this young player to get valuable playing time.  Well, he sure got his minutes this season under Tata Martino. I want to say it was by merit but it was because the club failed to buy defenders for depth and because of injuries to Puyol, Pique and Mascherano. In the end, Bartra made 30 appearances and even scored two goals, one of them coming in the Copa del Rey final while he played on one good leg. Sadly, the Bale goal afterwards took away much of that brave performance. Nevertheless, he played well when he was fit and hurt and here’s hoping Luis Enrique doesn’t ignore come next season.

 

 

Most Disappointing Player: Neymar.

This was supposed to be the Cesc award after I awarded him this award the last two seasons. We have now seen back to back to back seasons where Cesc puts in a great performance in the first half of the season and then disappears down the stretch. However, Neymar earned this one with his own dreadful second half performance after the winter break. The goals, the assists, the scoring chances all but disappeared after the new year.

Was it because of the injuries, the controversy surrounding his transfer that saw his price tag almost reach 100 million euros and saw Sandro Rosell resign as club president? Was it the expectations that came with the new price tag? It didn’t help that he returned from Brazil supposedly out of shape and began to play his way and not the team way. Neymar’s price tag brought a lot of expectations and pressure which will only increase come next season after what Gareth Bale did with Real Madrid this season. As Shakespeare once wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." 

 

 

Here's to a better campaign for 2014-2015. Visca el Barça!

 

Barça Needs To Clean House.

Barça’s disappointing culmination on what seemed to be a promising season is coming to a bitter end. The hopes of capturing the league crown remain miraculous at best since it is no longer in their hands. With the FIFA transfer ban on hiatus now, the club can make new signings. If the club’s proclamation that new players will be bought is true, then it’s time they clean house; from top to bottom.

This season has been a roller coaster for Barça fans with lots of highs and lows. It was also nostalgic to the 2003-2004 and the 2006-2007 seasons to which I alluded to earlier in the season. 2003-2004 saw two new managers, Frank Rijkaard and Carlos Queiroz, take charge at Barça and Madrid, while 2006-2007 was a nightmare of a season for the Blaugrana where they saw their lead atop of the standings disappear down the stretch and finish runners-up.

I gave Tata Martino the benefit of the doubt earlier in the season but that sailed away following his questionable decisions that saw this team squander their five point lead atop of the standings and kiss good bye to any chance of silverware the past few weeks. Clearly, this hiring has back fired and is yet another black eye for Sandro Rosell who made the decision to hire Tata in the first place. To be fair to Tata, he did request new players which were never provided, much like what Carlos Queiroz endured back in 2003-2004. They both squandered big leads atop of the standings down the stretch, lost in the Copa del Rey Final and exited the Champions League prematurely. Now, Tata falls on the sword that was set in place by this board. In order to go forward, we still need someone new to manage these players and someone who has ties to the club.

Speaking of players, I have been always of the opinion that this team needed to be gutted for a long time. This team could easily see over ten players leave in the summer. Puyol already indicated his career as a Barça player was over and Valdés had his bags packed since last season before he suffered his injury. Injured players such as Jonathan Dos Santos, Afellay, and Cuenca are also surplus to requirements. It’s also time for the club to look into cashing in on Tello, Alex Song, Mascherano and Alexis. Tello hardly plays and if Deulofeu returns from his loan spell at Everton; then he should be getting those minutes instead. As for Alex Song, it was doomed from the start and if Napoli want him, and Mascherano, then cash in on them. Mascherano has played his heart out for the club but is not a defender and will hardly feature as Busquets’s substitute. There’s already talk of Alexis joining Juventus and after three years, it’s time to cut our losses and realize he has the energy of Eto’o but is not a factor against defensive minded teams. There are some fans who are also considering selling Cesc and I can’t blame them after he managed to pull off his disappearing act in the second half of a season for three straight years now. As for Dani Alves, he no longer is the player he once was and his mouth seems to be turning off the fans more than his endless crosses to no one and that could be his final season as a Barça player.

 Thus, that’s eleven players who might not be a part of this team next season. However, before we discuss which players come in to reshape this team, we need to discuss the resignation of this board first. Current Barça president Bartomeu and his board need to resign after sitting on their thumbs and not reinforcing this squad when it was obvious last season. Zubizarreta has done an abysmal job when it comes to signing players and by all means should not be entrusted in future transfers. No, if a revolution is needed, then it needs to start from the top with the board stepping down and allowing someone competent to come in and hire a new manager and have a competent sporting director who knows how to scout and sign players to strengthen this team again. Unless that happens, this team will not progress and just continue to frustrate the Blaugrana faithful and squander the talents of Iniesta and Messi.

Barça Should Bench Neymar.

Barça’s second half seems to be spiraling out of control even though the gap between them and their arch rivals is only separated by four points. The team seems to be playing without much direction and without much chemistry. It’s time for the team to go back to basics and that starts with fielding players who are used to playing together over the years. It also means that it’s time to bench Neymar.

Just two months ago, I wrote about the challenges that lie ahead for Neymar for the second half of this season. Unfortunately, he joined the ranks of Ibrahimovic and Cesc in hitting the wall during the second half of their debut seasons. Obviously the injury he suffered back in January and the never ending controversy surrounding his transfer have played a part in his poor performances. With no proof that his slump will end anytime soon, it’s time to bench Neymar.

With no end in sight for Barça’s recent woeful performances, it’s time for Barça to return to their essence. Time for the players to go back to the philosophy that helped became not just league champions but conquerors of the world. The cast that entertained us need to remember what got them those accolades and if Tata Martino is unsure how to do it, then field the players that had won under Pep and Tito and let them solve it. Watching Neymar seem lost and unsure is making it more difficult for the team to be cohesive. Messi playing next to Pedro and Alexis will probably be more beneficial to the team right now than watching a lost Neymar find his way.

Should Barça Seek Reinforcements This Transfer Window?

 Barça’s recent struggles against defensive minded teams have reignited concerns about this team’s ability to compete for titles down the stretch. The areas of concern range from not having adequate depth in case of injuries along with the lack of having a Plan B for teams that park the bus. With Champions League clashes against Manchester City on the horizon, perhaps Barça need to look into getting some players through transfers or on loan during this winter transfer period.

Barça‘s scoreless draw against Atlético Madrid and their recent 1-1 draw to Levante saw them drop points against teams willing to sit back and relinquish possession. Sadly, all that possession didn’t result in numerous scoring chances. This has been a common trend that the Blaugrana have encountered over the years without much success.

These matches are even more difficult when key players are missing. Barça were without Dani Alves, Iniesta and Neymar against Levante while Messi and Neymar came off the bench in the second half against Atlético. It is tough to fathom how this team can cope with more injuries and then expect the likes of Tello and Sergi Roberto to be considered adequate replacements. They are not and that’s clearly a drop in quality.

These matches also displayed the team’s lack of a Plan B when they face teams content to sit back and absorb the pressure. Barça control possession without creating many scoring chances and the opponents try to catch Barça off guard and score on a counter attack. The fact that Barça have also conceded six goals from corner kicks also indicates that they have another area of weakness that needs to be resolved.

So perhaps the club needs to address both issues and look into making some moves during this winter transfer period. I grew up watching the club with forwards who were aerial threats such as Julio Salinas and Patrick Kluivert so perhaps they should make a move for someone like Miroslav Klose or Christian Benteke who could make Tata Martino’s tinkering with the long balls more effective. Their presence would attract the attention of defenders who could clear up space for other players much like Fernando Llorente did for Spain against Portugal in their World Cup clash. 

Furthermore, the club needs to add a center back to ensure they have adequate defending down the stretch. Mascherano is no center back and with Puyol still not fully fit, or dependable for that matter, the team is left with only Pique and Bartra as their only valid options. If one of them goes down with an injury, then the team is in a world of hurt. The team might also want to look into signing an actual winger to provide crosses seeing as Tello, Pedro and Alexis are not wingers either. Then again, Afellay is back from injury and he would fit in quite nicely under Tata’s style.

I did not expect the club to make a push for Mata but that would have been interesting to see him come in and share time with one of the midfielders over Sergi Roberto. Winter transfer period is not historically a time Barça signs players but perhaps they can catch lightning in a bottle again like they did when they added Edgar Davids during the 2003-2004 season. Ultimately, Barça cannot keep relying on the same old strategy without changing some ingredients along with bringing in some new faces or else they are going to make their second half of the season more interesting than it should be.