Eusebio, another disliked Barça figure gone.

FC Barcelona fired Eusebio today follow a long disappointing season. He is the second disliked figure, after Zubizarreta, to be let go by Barça and this leaves just president Bartomeu as the last disliked man standing.

After 150 matches, the era of Eusebio is over. For many Barça fans, including myself, this day could not come any sooner. With Barça B hovering over the relegation zone, his sacking was a must. After 24 matches this season, the team had just 7 victories and failed to win back to back games since their fourth match, which was a three game winning streak in September. Thus, the B team had won only 4 matches since September and now find themselves two points from the relegation zone.

Eusebio never won the fans over with his lineups, formations and tactics. For over three seasons, he got to work with a superb group of young players but never inspired them or us. One of the biggest criticism of his era was that he never truly developed players for the first the team like Pep and Luis Enrique did during their time as Barça B manager. Actually, you could make the argument that Barça B players regressed under him. Donguo has been there for a few seasons and has yet to show us any legitimate progress.

The fact that he won 74 matches out of 150 and guided the team to third place last season is irrelevant. His handling of the team is what mattered and he came up short there. The fact that he benches the likes of rising stars such as Sergi Samper and Adama is inexcusable and with the current Barça regime unpopular as they are now, it was time for Bartomeu to ax Eusebio. His replacement will be Jordi Vinyals, who helped guide Barça U-19 team to winning the UEFA Youth League last season. With elections coming up, it’s doubtful that this is a long term job for him but hopefully he can help steer the ship around, or avoid relegation at least for the next guy to take over next season.

The Fate of Barça’s Future?

Back in April, FC Barcelona  displayed a huge banner in the Camp Nou prior to a league match kickoff that read “La Masia No Se Toca” which meant, La Masia is not to be touched. However, those words may have fallen on deaf ears under this regime. With the Montoya fiasco, following the Thiago fiasco, one has to wonder if the La Masia players wonder if their future lies elsewhere.

It’s been a difficult time for Barça fans what with the transfer ban and the way the club has been run by this current administration. It equally has to be tough for the Barça B players who are supposed to learn their craft from an dreadful manager such as Eusebio. The Blaugrana faithful used to take pride in watching players from the academy get called up. However, it seems that this club is more interested in picking players outside the club over those from within. So it is ironic that FC Barcelona’s response to FIFA transfer ban with the huge “La Masia No Se Toca” banner when they seem to be neglecting it as well.

The perfect example is the current situation with Martin Montoya. For the past few years, quite a few considered the young fullback as the heir apparent for Dani Alves. That belief was enhanced when Luis Enrique was brought on as the new first team manager. Montoya was a starter under Luis Enrique during their time together at Barça B. However, for reasons no one quite knows why, Barça decided to sign a nobody, Douglas, who has failed to show he is Barça material. Nevertheless, Montoya was put on the back burner and now he wants out in the winter transfer window.

Barça fans already had to go through Thiago leaving the club for Bayern and now Montoya is next to follow as another promising player who must play elsewhere. With the transfer ban still in effect, how can Barça afford to lose Montoya when Dani Alves is rumored to be leaving the club when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Douglas has been a nightmare of a signing where he struggled against S.D. Huesca.

Far more concerning for me is what will other players think about their chances with the first team? Deulofeu is out on loan again for the second year running and Adama is still working his magic with Barça B. You also the same situation with midfielders Denis Suarez and Sergi Samper. Denis is also on loan with Sevilla, with Deulofeu, while Samper is shining for the Barça B team. Barça did capture a diamond in the rough with Alen Halilović’s signing so the future looks bright for Barça.

However, it does not seem likely that these young players command starting minutes away anytime soon. Tello knew that and that is why he is playing on loan for Porto. Barça spent over 150 million euros this summer to strengthen the team and by the looks of things, they might need to spend some more next season if the transfer ban is lifted. Where does that leave the kids?

It’s easy for everyone to say that the kids need to be patient before their time comes. Montoya has been with the club for 15 years and he has had enough of sitting in the stands. I don’t blame players who are ambitious and want to play. Thiago did what he thought was the best for him, and if not for the injuries, he would he excelling with Bayern as he had when he was fit, and no one would fault him for making the move there.  Jonathan Dos Santos remained patient and loyal but no one wanted to play him and in the end, the club just wanted him gone.

My biggest concern is what are the Barça B players and the younger players thinking after what has transpired with Montoya. Do they think their future lies elsewhere? Just the other day, Eusebio lashed out on hisplayers following a loss and said they were interested in showcasing their talent for the winter transfer window. Well, to be frank, can you blame them?

Barça are currently a different system than the one Cruyff and Pep had installed. The same system that the youth players are supposed to be learning. So you have Luis Enrique playing a different style of football and you have Eusebio with his own style for Barça B. There is no clear cohesion from what the youth players are taught as they climb through the ranks. Barça hardly resemble the side that won the Champions League a few years ago while Barça B are hovering above the drop zone in the second division.

The idea of Barça B getting relegated would just be another step in the wrong direction for the club. People can say the players should be loyal. Sorry, but we have seen that both, clubs and players, are not loyal to one another. Figo was the Barça captain and he left for Real Madrid while Barça kindly showed Abidal the door. So spare me the loyalty speech.

In the end, the future of Barça’s future is not one to be messed with. This administration has made a mess of things during their time in charge and the way this Montoya situation has played out is alarming. If La Masia players see how the situations of Thiago, Jonathan Dos Santos and Montoya played out, how can we be sure that they are not thinking of an exit plan in the back of their minds. Better yet, can you blame them? You’d probably be weighing your options too if you were in their shoes since everything seems going backwards with Barça nowadays.

-@IBES16

Messi Is Mortal After All.

It was disappointing to see Messi come up just short in his quest for the World Cup trophy. He helped carry his team all the way to the Final but in the end; his pursuit of matching Maradona’s World Cup feats was sadly similar to Maradona’s 1990 World Cup and not 1986. Messi will now have a few weeks to recuperate and get ready for the upcoming season and hope he has the support from the fans and the board as Barça begins a new chapter in their history.

Not often many athletes can reach the status of immortality. Michael Jordan did it when he helped lead the Bulls to the NBA title to be considered one of the legends along with Magic and Bird. Messi had been one of the many Argentinians to be considered as the “Next Maradona” but was the only one to actually be a genuine contender for that title through his performances. The only thing missing of course was a World Cup title on his resume. Sunday could have been his coronation into immortality status along with Pele and Maradona.

However, it was not to be. Nevertheless, being associated with the likes of Johan Cruyff, Di Stefano, Eusebio, Puskas, Van Basten, and Raul is not bad company either. For years, we heard that Messi could not be compared with the likes of Pele and Maradona until he won the big one. Unfortunately, Messi’s performance was not good enough, along with his supporting cast for that matter, to beat Germany in the final.

Yet, it is ludicrous to believe that Messi cannot be considered one of the greatest of all-time because he did not win the World Cup. People make it seem that it was Pele and Maradona and 10 other men that won those titles. Pele had Garrincha and other superb players by his side.  Maradona had Jorge Valdano, Burruchaga and Ruggeri in 1986 and then Canniggia in 1990 on the national team among others. They are all-time greats but to say that those two players won it on their own is farfetched to say the least. It was a team effort and that’s why people need to cut Messi some slack. Messi did not have the talent, healthy or injured, that those two players had. Messi only had Mascherano that was dependable throughout the World Cup. Messi bossed the attack and Mascherano bossed the back.

This whole World Cup, everyone expected Messi to mimic Maradona and lead Argentina to glory. He sure did play that role early on in the group stages but his role changed in the knockout stages. He went from being Messi/Maradona and then played the roles of other World Cup winners. When Di Maria suffered an injury against Belgium, Messi became Zidane and Pirlo on the pitch and bossed the midfield and pulled the strings for Argentina while being hounded by two to three players at a time. It’s no surprise that he looked slow and sluggish against Germany. He looked human when he missed that golden scoring chance early in the second half. He has been carrying the team, and the expectations of his country and the world, on his shoulders with Mascherano but in the end, it seemed to be too heavy for his back and legs to pull off one last golden moment.

Messi will now have some time off to regroup before he rejoins Barça for another season and chapter in the history books. He’s been through a lot with the injuries, the loss of teammates, managers and the death of a manager he knew for many years. It is with the upmost importance that the club be on his side and support the man and also protect him. Messi has never been the same since his injury against PSG back in 2012-2013 season and the club needs to ensure he is getting the right treatment and reunite him with Juanjo Brau to be his personal trainer again. The club also needs to protect him when the Madrid media attack him and by all means, not allow a repeat of club directors to insult him either. This is not just a team but a family where they should have everybody’s back.

Hopefully we are not seeing the beginning the end of Messi, but rather, just watching a minor blip in his career. He has given so much for the club and for football and we should have his back. Of course, Messi also needs to realize that he is not 22 anymore and cannot play every day. We saw how Raul played himself to the ground and Messi is close to doing the same to himself. He is only 27 but the mileage on those legs is probably those who of one who is 32. However, that’s going to be easier said than done what with Copa America taking place next summer, followed by Copa América Centenario in the summer of 2016 and perhaps Confederations Cup in 2017 (if Argentina win the Copa America) and then the World Cup again in 2018.

Messi will not retire from playing for Argentina now but he has to start avoiding playing in meaningless matches such as international friendlies for Argentina across the globe, early rounds of the Copa del Rey, Champions League group stage where qualification and first place has been reached. He also should not play a full 90 minutes in games where the outcome has been decided by a four goal margin after 60 minutes. We are witnessing one of the greatest of all times who may play himself into early retirement if he keeps playing at this pace.

We do not know what the future will hold for Messi. However, it is time to stand by Messi in these difficult moments. If anybody has given us Barça fans so much glory and happiness in our long history, that no one else, not our beloved Kubala, Cruyff, and Pep could during their playing days. We will always be grateful and remember him for his legacy, for the trophies, and for being an overall good human being. If his best playing days are behind him, then so be it. In the end, we will still enjoy the magic for years to come even if he is not at his best and hope for more success.

Is Barça on the Right Path?

This season ushered in a wind of change with a new manager who has no ties to Barça’s philosophy or had any ties to the Michels-Cruyff Oranje style football. However, one has to wonder if the club is headed in the right direction in all aspects of the club. Change is always good, only for the betterment of the team.

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Barça has always been recognized for having a vision in how the team should play from the first team down to the youth level. It always made it easier for young players to make the transition from the youth setup to the Barça B team to the first team. This vision launched under Johan Cruyff and Guardiola restored it to some extent when he took over as manager too. However, that vision seems to be lost at the moment.

Barça B have struggled under manager Eusebio and quite frankly, have failed to impress as well. Barça B used to be fun to watch under the helm of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique and also won. However, ever since Eusebio was hired to take over Barça B, results and performances have been disappointing. One Barça acquaintance once told me that the most alarming thing about Barça B under Eusebio has been the lack of progress from players under his coaching. You have to really think hard as to when was the last time you saw a player actually do well under him and not regress.  With the likes of Rafinha and Deulofeu out on loan, it’s hard to fathom who else will go on loan next year?

Barça’s recent defeat to Ajax also made me wonder if the B players were better off playing for someone like Frank de Boer over at Ajax than for Eusebio. Eusebio’s style is not exactly one that is faithful to the first team style that we have been accustomed to seeing. However, that Ajax loss also made me wonder how good is it for this club to play Tata Martino’s style of football when the younger players are taught to play a different style of football. So not only do we have the youth playing an odd system under Eusebio, they are going to be exposed to yet another system if they ever get promoted to the first team to play for Tata Martino.

Barça’s vision seemed simple and plausible in the past. Everyone played the same system so they would not have a tough time adjusting when they get promoted. Now, it’s a whirlwind of exposure for the young players. They are taught one style at a very young age, and then are introduced to an uncertain and unpopular style when they make it to Barça B and exposed to yet another different style if Tata Martino is still around with the first team.

Even the basketball team seems a shadow of itself. It once went from a powerhouse in Spain and Europe to just an average side. The team dropped the ball in taking care of the basketball team who are still sponsor-less this season. There is a reason why this club has been successful for the past decade. They had a vision which applied to all levels at the club. However, that vision seems to be lost in the midst of Camp Nou renovations talk, sponsorship deals talk, bad press against the president and slow movement in resigning players.  It seems this club is more interested in the Bottom Line than it is with the direction of the team.

If Barça want to remain one of the powerhouses in Europe, let alone the world, then they need to go back to the basics. In order to do that, they need to go back to having a clear philosophy and vision of how Barça should be playing. You can change managers and players, but you should never change the vision and philosophy of what is Barça.