The Future of Dani Alves with Barça.

Dani Alves is entering the final months of his career as a Barça player. His contract ends at the conclusion of the season. He is free to talk to other teams since January as he was hoping to stay with the Blaugrana. That might be different as of last week since both, the club and the player, differ on terms for a new deal. Either a compromise must be reached or this relationship will come to a sad end.

Dani Alves will go down in Barça’s history as the greatest right back to have ever played for the club. At one time, he was considered one of the best in the game. However, those days feels like a distant memory. He was such an offensive asset in the past as he partnered with Messi down on the right flank while the club won all those titles under Guardiola. When Barça captured the league and Champions League double in 2010-2011 season, Dani had 18 assists. However, he has not reached double digits in league assists since the 2011-2012 season. Furthermore, we have been witness to his gradual decline over the years with no hopes of improvement as he has become more known for his ineffective crosses as a running gag with followers.

Charts courtesy of Sarah Khoury @SarahKhoury2

Last week, Barça president Bartomeu and Dani Alves’s agent, Dinorah Santana, sat down for one last meeting to try to come to an agreement after initial talks began following El Clásico. Santana, also Dani’s ex-wife, spoke to the media from the passenger seat of her car, after that meeting ended, to inform the public that no deal had been reached. She disclosed that the fullback was seeking a three year deal and that Barça offered a new contract based on conditions. Santana stated, “Barça said three years if the player plays at least 60 percent each season, if he doesn’t, it won’t continue year-on-year.” She added, “That for me is not three years. It is one year”.

VÍDEO: Ya puedes escuchar las declaraciones de la agente de Alves tras la reunión con el Barça http://t.co/JgJa4DEM7f pic.twitter.com/kVveU8HhGZ
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) April 8, 2015

Santana was not finished. She then mentioned that she had spoken with Barça presidential candidates about his future. “I’ve spoken with some of the presidential candidates at Barça and they’ve told me think differently.” She was now trying to use political propaganda against this current board. That makes sense seeing as the club seems to be only attracting bad publicity and this would be another setback for them come elections time.

Alves' agent: "I've spoken with some of the presidential candidates at Barça and they've told me think differently."
— SPORT English (@Sport_EN) April 9, 2015

Santana told the world that Barça offered Dani Alves a 1+1+1 deal, but Barça countered that they had offered him a 2+1 deal instead. It was the classic he said, she said between two parties negotiating. The problem was Santana was taking this to the media in hopes of winning public sympathy. Santana stated that Dani Alves was sad, although he sure caught many fans off guard when he later posted a photo of himself on Instagram smiling with his pants at his ankles. If a photo is worth a thousand words, then that photo was the epiphany of dropping the ball at the worst moment in terms of garnering more sympathizers on his side.

Tw Alves: "Life is a great game and I'm a small player #goodvibealways #lovelife" [danid2ois] pic.twitter.com/goIbqYiikU
— barcastuff (@barcastuff) April 9, 2015

This unexpectedly turned into a game of Poker when Santana tried to use other teams’ offers as leverage against the board. Barça cannot sign new players thanks to the FIFA transfer ban, so if Dani Alves leaves, the club is stuck with Montoya and Douglas as the only first team fullbacks for next season. Santana tried to use that to her client’s advantage when she said, “Dani has a concrete offer on the table for a three-year deal plus the option for an extra year with a better wage than he has here and a signing on fee.”

By no means am I a fan of this current Barça board. I detest them and want them gone. However, they were right to balk at this proposal. Just because Barça are in this predicament because of the transfer ban does not mean that they should held hostage and be forced to give Dani Alves the deal that he wants. If other teams have offered the fullback a three-year deal with better wages, then call their bluff in this poker game. How can you justify giving Dani Alves a raise when he has regressed over the years?

Furthermore, this month’s issue of Four Four Two had an article indicating the top 50 paid footballers in the world. Dani came in 16th with a weekly salary of £182,341 (roughly $268,000 a week). Mind you, Philip Lahm came in 43rd, earning $210,000 and makes you wonder who really deserves a raise but that is a different story. The fact that Dani Alves thinks he can force the club to give him a raise since they cannot replace him till 2016 is not exactly in the club’s best interest. They are planning on giving the likes of Pique, Jordi Alba and Neymar new wages in the near future and that budget cannot be feasible if includes paying Dani more than what he is earning now.

If Dani Alves wants to stay, then accept the new deal. He once posted on his Instagram account, “… felicidade está nas coisas mais simples e não em notas de cem” which basically means happiness comes in the simplest things, and not in $100 bills. Well, Dani, practice what you preach! If he does not want to play for Barça next season with his current salary, then thanks for the memories and good luck wherever you go.

Dani Alves commented that he will think about his future after the season is over. However, if both sides want Dani to remain, then he should accept the offer or else the club will go with a platoon of Montoya and Bartra at that position (forget about Douglas), or even 3-4-3 formation till the transfer ban ends. That’s a four month gamble risk till Barça can sign new players in the January 2016 winter transfer window. Since Dani Alves is suspended for the upcoming match against Paris Saint-Germain, we will get a glimpse of life without Dani. There is still time for both sides to reach to some sort of an agreement and the current Barça offer seems fair enough. If Dani Alves wants to stay with Barça, then he should accept the offer and not try to bluff his way into a raise.

Ibrahim Ayyub – @IBES16

* Special thanks to Sarah Khoury for the Dani Alves charts. You can follow her on her twitter @SarahKhoury2 for statistical charts regarding FC Barcelona and their players.

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

The Malaise of Having Zubizarreta as Barça’s Sporting Director.

It’s no secret that the current FC Barcelona board is not highly popular among the FC Barcelona fans at this moment. Out of all the directors and members of this administration, Zubizarreta stands out as one of the most disliked figureheads at this club. Zubizaretta’s tenure as Sporting Director at this club will go down as one who has been ridiculed on social media for his inept handling of his position. The thought he will remain with this club till 2016 is stomach-turning for some and one can only hope he does resign soon.

Zubizarreta, or Zubi, is a legendary Barça goalkeeper who was in goal when Barça captured their first ever Champions League title in 1992. Sadly, he was also in goal for the 1994 Champions League Final when Barça were embarrassed 4-0 by Milan. That was his final match for the Blaugrana, in which he committed a comical error that killed any chance of Barça making a comeback. Since that gaffe, Zubi has been more known for his mistakes for Spain, World Cup 1998, and for his mistakes as Barça’s Sporting Director.

Zubizarreta inherited the position of Sporting Director from the outgoing Txiki Begiristain following the 2010 Barça elections. Simply put, Zubi inherited a diamond mine with Pep in charge and the team were on top of the world as one, if not, one of the best teams in the world. Prior to becoming Barça’s Sporting Director, Zubi had the similar position with Athletic Bilbao. Of course, the requirement of Basque only players handcuffed Zubi in his ability to wheel and deal. Sadly, his ability to wheel and deal with Barça leaves much to desire whereas Txiki has enjoyed some success in a similar position with Manchester City since joining them in 2012. Meanwhile, Zubi’s diamond mine has become full of coal.

Zubi’s disheveled appearance (put a tie on!) makes one wonder if he is a director at the club or a Western Humanities professor on a sabbatical. His failure to dress for the part does not come close to his failure in performing his duties.  In the past, whenever there was a Barça transfer rumor, the running gag has been that Zubi is taking a nap and missed out on finalizing the deal. The man falls asleep once on a plane and it comes back to haunt him. Of course, images of him falling asleep at the Amsterdam airport while the plane was delayed just gave us more fodder to enjoy. His way of handling the media leave much to desire. Just recently, he was asked about the upcoming clash against PSG, and he replied he has not watched much of the French league this season. One of those “insert foot in mouth” moments from a man who has experience hoofing the ball down the pitch.

Nevertheless, the overall performance of Zubi as Sporting Director has been a big failure. Under his watch, FC Barcelona have seen the likes of Sergi and Oscar Garcia leave the club as coaches in the youth setup and coach elsewhere while Eusebio is still underwhelming at Barça B. Some would say most players under Eusebio have regressed and not improved, with unfavorable lineups and tactics. Speaking of the youth, the FIFA transfer ban occurred because Barça did not follow the rules in signing these some young players. Again, this was under Zubi’s watch.

Nonetheless, Zubi offered to be the fall guy and resign following the transfer ban. The club disagreed, which would prove to be a grand mistake by the club. Zubi had shown he is not up for the job thanks to his numerous mistakes when it comes to signing and watching over players. Under his watch, the young starlet, Thiago, did not play enough minutes to trigger the big buy-out clause and Bayern swooped in for his signature at a fraction of his buy-out clause. Meanwhile, the club failed to sign the likes of Ozil, Isco, Kroos, and most recently young player Asensio while opting instead to sign Cesc and Alex Song.

Barça’s fall from the best club in the world in 2011 to their current status of good enough to be in the top eight of Europe is not surprising. Mistakes have been made since Guardiola left the club and allowed it to be run by the board and Zubi. A perfect example of gross negligence by the club was the recent comments by Bojan Krkic Sr., who had worked for the club as a scout, in which he indicated that the club could have signed Thibaut Courtois and Raphael Varane in the past. However, the club opted to allow those players to be signed by Chelsea and Real Madrid instead. There is nothing like watching good talent slip through Zubi’s fingers to the opposition.

This past summer was going to be one of the biggest summers in club history. Barça knew they were facing a transfer ban and had to splash the cash to strengthen the team. One would think that they would do their best to have a strong team for now and for the future in case the transfer ban was upheld. Although Barça signed Claudio Bravo, ter Stegen, Rakitic and Luis Suarez, it was a surprise that the club ended up signing Mathieu, Vermaelen and Douglas as defensive reinforcements. For the past few seasons, Zubi neglected to sign proper defenders so it was not that big of a surprise to see these players signed after all.

Mathieu is a good signing for depth reasons but Vermaelen and Douglas are a different story. During the summer, the club was trying to offload Dani Alves but his suitors balked at his wage demands. Signing Douglas did not make sense seeing as he was not highly rated in Brazil and Montoya seemed to be the right back of the future. Fast forward to today, and it is rumored Dani Alves will not be given a new deal and thus will leave the club at the end of the season while Montoya will be heading off to another team in the winter transfer window because of lack minutes that no one knows for sure why. The idea that Douglas, who has failed to impress in his few outings, is the only bona fide right back for next season is another example of Zubi not doing his job.

The fiasco that is the Vermaelen transfer should be enough to give Zubi his marching orders. I was never a fan of the Vermaelen signing due to his history of injuries. We only got to see Vermaelen in one friendly with Barça B against Indonesia’s U19 team back in September. He was indisposed the rest of the time as he trained individually because of physical discomfort before succumbing to surgery this month that will rule him out for four to six months. What makes this infuriating is the alleged knowledge by Zubi that Vermaelen was not fit to be signed. There were reports during Vermaelen’s medical examination that club doctors informed the club that Vermaelen needed to be operated on. However, Zubi decided to ignore medical advice and finalize the transfer anyways for a player who will not be counted on this season.

All I want for Christmas is for the current FC Barcelona board to resign and bring forward early elections. Zubi being fired now would be a Christmas stocking stuffer for me. However, this board and Zubi will remain with the club for 2016, which is like finding coal inside your Christmas stockings. It is the equivalent of getting socks as a Christmas gift and unfortunately, that is what we are left with thanks to this inept board.

Time to drop Dani Alves?

Barça’s disappointing loss to PSG on Tuesday showed that Lucho still has some work to do. Perhaps one of the things he needs to do is drop Dani Alves. After wowing us his first few seasons, has the time come for Dani Alves to be dropped following some subpar seasons of late.

When FC Barcelona kicked off the new era of Pep Guardiola, one of the biggest signings back then was the Brazilian fullback, Dani Alves. He was 25 years old and fresh from some amazing performances for Sevilla in which he played a part in helping the club capture back to back UEFA Cup titles. He exploded on the scene during that magical Barça treble season as he clicked well with Messi down the right flanks. He was considered one of the best at his position in the world during his first three seasons with the club as the club rose to the top and became one of the greatest sides in football history.

Fast forward to today and Dani Alves is 31 years old and no longer the force he once was. His assists are down and he has become comedy fodder for fans when they count the number of times he whips in a cross to no one. He has become careless with the ball in the attack and has become too sloppy with the ball as evident by him after losing the ball 15 times against PSG. Unfortunately, his turnovers in the attack lead to counter attacks and his lack of hustle down the other side of the pitch leaves much to be desired. Even defensive minded Luiz Felipe Scolari dropped Dani for Maicon in the latter stages of the most recent World Cup so it’s no surprise he’s become a defensive liability.

There was talk all summer long that Luis Enrique wanted to sign Cuadrado to be a weapon on the right side. One doesn’t have to wonder why when you see performances like this from Dani Alves these past few seasons. His drop in form coincided with his marriage ending in December 2011 and he hurt his stock with his attacks on the Blaugrana faithful last season.  He still has those flashes of brilliance here and there but the days of when Dani Alves bossed the right side of the pitch are over.

This is why Luis Enrique needs to decide whether to keep going with him or go with his younger understudy, Martin Montoya. However, Montoya can’t seem to get a game, let alone find a spot on the bench under Lucho. He did perform well against Athletic in subduing Muniain but the way Athletic have been playing this season, it’s not saying much. The less said about Douglas, the better, following his average debut and his medical ailments that followed that forced him to miss his next few games. Montoya attacks well without whipping in useless crosses to no one and are a pretty good defender.

Dani Alves will go down in history as the club’s greatest right back of all time. However, Dani Alves is being remembered more for what he says off the pitch than for what he does on the pitch. So why not give Montoya a shot and not be subjected to more of Dani Alves’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act.

No Club For Old Men?

Barça suffer two consecutive defeats in a week and suddenly Barça are in a crisis. It’s too soon for me to scream out the sky is falling but there have been signs of fan displeasure regarding Barça’s style of play. Tata Martino has made some changes but perhaps the one change he should consider is initiating a youth movement. In other words, time to give less minutes to Puyol and Xavi.

Sport mentioned yesterday that Puyol was still not 100% fitfor their Copa match even after he hadknee drained a few days ago. Meanwhile, Barça’s new system has made Xavi a shadow of his former self. Xavi’s performance and assists have decreased the past few seasons and it’s no coincidence that is when his Achilles problems began to plague him. Clearly these guys are not the same players from a few years ago. 

Sandro Rosell’s presidency has ushered in a new era for FC Barcelona where it could be deemed as a ruthless business approach. Nevertheless, their off the pitch ruthlessness has not correlated with their on the pitch structure of the football club. They seem reluctant to get away from the past. Perfect example, last season’s epic performance against Milan featured the same lineup that won the Champions League Final at Wembley with the minor exception of Alba starting in place of Eric Abidal.

Is it time for Barça to start focusing on the younger players and put the likes of Xavi and Puyol on the bench on a permanent basis. Puyol is 35 and his body can be the Catalan version of the image of the classic game “Operation” while Xavi is 33 and seems more interested in passing the ball sideways nowadays. As much as I love those legends, perhaps Barça needs to look to the future and not be stuck in the past. 

Barça already lost one phenom, Thiago, because someone like Xavi played in 60 games last season while the young player could hardly feature. Barça has a rough in the diamond in Marc Bartra who has performed well when called upon which merited him a call up to the Spanish national team. However, he has to play second fiddle to Puyol and Mascherano, who happens to be 29. Meanwhile, his fellow colleague, Montoya, is also finding it a tough go to get minutes while he plays second fiddle to Dani Alves and Adriano. Dani Alves is 30 and Adriano is 29.

Players with determination and ambition also want minutes. So Barça have to ask themselves, can they afford to lose more younger players and lose a piece of their future? Or will they still clutch to the past by playing players who might not be up to the task anymore? Now, unlike Rosell, I’m not a heartless guy. I would love to have both players stick around till they retire when they hit 40, albeit with different roles. Perhaps Puyol can start the occasional game here and there, at center back only, whereas Xavi should also start the occasional odd game but more importantly, I can see how useful he would be in games where Barça would require his presence to protect a lead by allowing them to stay in control in the final 15-20 minutes of a match.

Other teams are getting younger and Barça need to realize that it’s just not the style of play that they have been far too deeply reliant on, but it’s their reliance on the old guard as well. Barça have to move with the times and keep the squad young and fresh and not lose their young players to other teams. It’s not an easy decision but Barça need to start looking ahead or else they might find themselves stuck in the past.

Barça’s Young Defenders’ Quandary.

Another season with a new manager yet the outcome for Barça’s young defenders Martin Montoya and Marc Bartra remains unchanged.  The duo have been rotating their seats with the bench and the stands. With the season now rolling into the insane cycle of two games a week, these young players have to play. The club cannot take for granted that since they came through La Masia, these players will not complain and seek an exit. Such wishful thinking could lead to familiar problems yet again.

Thiago was a perfect example of players exhibiting ambition by seeking a new change in order to gain minutes. Many assumed that Thiago would stay put and accept being a bench player who hardly features since he came through La Masia and thus, was loyal. The club then saw the young phenom pack his bags and head to Bayern Munich. Barça face the same dilemma with their two young defenders Montoya and Bartra. Both have hardly featured this season when they should be.

It’s no surprise that there have been media reports that the young players are upset at their lack of playing time which is why they are reluctant to sign new deals with the club. Some would say that they should be patient and their moment will come. Some attributed that same argument to Thiago and complained that he should have been patient like his peers Xavi and Iniesta. However, those two did not have legends playing ahead of them and actually made more appearances at Thiago’s age than he did.

Bartra has also been rotating from bench and the stands. He is the number one choice if either Pique or Mascherano get hurt. Yet, he has not played since representing Spain this summer. One would expect the club to learn from last season’s mistakes of not giving the young defender more playing time to prevent him from making an appearance in case of an injury to one of the center backs, while in a rusty condition. Based on the situation, I thought Bartra did the best that he could against Bayern seeing as he was not constantly playing. However, if Puyol is to make a healthy return, where would Bartra’s minutes come from?

Yesterday, Montoya was on the bench and Bartra was in the stands collecting rust yet again. The club made the big mistake of not signing center backs this summer and so they need to rotate as much as they can in a season as this where the calendar is congested with far too many games without ample time for rest. This is when you depend on the youth to give the veterans some games to rest and keep everyone healthy.

We will soon see whether Tata will go ahead and implement those moves. If not, then expect these young players to continue to be frustrated and perhaps seek an exit in the winter transfer window. That could spell trouble for the club and could also cast a negative reflection for the young players with Barça B who might contemplate their futures too.

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.

In La Masia We Trust?

For years, many praised FC Barcelona’s youth academy as the back bone behind their success. The club has always made a point of having players from the youth setup be a part of the first team. Us fans have always pointed to the likes of Puyol, Xavi, Valdés, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro and Busquets as players who came through the La Masia ranks to become starters and key players in many triumphs. However, it seems that the talk of La Masia being significant is becoming more of folklore and a great marketing gimmick than actual fact. Worst of all, it seems that La Masia is becoming more and more irrelevant for Barça.

Barça fans, myself included, always relished mocking Real Madrid and their lack of belief in their youth setup. They had plenty of talented players in their academy but would end up selling them to other teams and not using them i.e., Soldado, Borja Valero, Negredo, and Mata just to name a few. Ultimately, Real Madrid have been financing their youth setup by selling their young talent and not profiting from these players on the pitch instead.

Back in November, history was made when Barça had an entire team on the pitch who came through the youth academy. For years, many praised FC Barcelona’s youth academy as the back bone behind their success. The club has always made a point of having players from the youth setup be a part of the first team with the likes of Puyol, Xavi, Valdés, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro and Busquets as players who came through the La Masia ranks to become starters and key players in many triumphs. Nevertheless, Barça seems to be following in their footsteps in terms of neglecting their youth. They may not be cashing in on them, as their arch rivals would, thanks to the loans deals with buy back clauses as was the case recently with Botia and Romeu. There was no strong likelihood that Barça ever planned to buy back Botia when he was on loan with Sevilla and now plies his craft for Sevilla while Romeu is still with Chelsea and he indicated he was in no hurry to return to Barça.

Back in February, I complained about how Barça was treating its youth players by promising them promotion to the first team without providing them adequate playing time. I argued that this was not helping them mature as players, but instead regress. Well, it looks like the powers that be at Barça realized the error of their ways and will implement another strategy. Thus, players such as Gerard Deulofeu, Montoya, Bartra and even Tello might be loaned out to other clubs to gain experience if rumors are to be believed. It sure beats sitting on the bench or in the stands.

On the other hand, this might not be a long-term problem. La Masia is being horribly mismanaged by the current regime. Under the supervision of Amor and the coaching of Eusebio, the quality of Barça B has regressed. Barça B finished their league campaign in the second division in 9th place; one place behind Real Madrid B. They managed to win 15 games out of 42 matches with only 4 victories in the final 19 matches. Tito hardly called up players from the B team to play with the first team so Eusebio had a full team to coach all season long.

Eusebio’s coaching of Barça B has been met with wide criticism. The criticism stems from not having the team play the right way; not getting the best out of his players; and not even using the players he is presented with. The club signed Edgar Ié and Agostinho Cá from Sporting Lisbon yet Edgar only began to feature recently after being medically cleared back in the fall while no one can really recall how many times Agostinho Cá has played. The fact that Eusebio was given another year extension just indicates that the club is completely out of touch with the youth setup or just don’t care.

10 players are rumored to be leaving the B team next season, including starlet Muniesa who was once considered a future defender on the first team. Then again, only Bartra and Montoya seemed to be the only graduates since Oleguer to be promoted and remain with the first team as defenders. On the other hand, those two might not be with the team next season. It does beg the question as to why haven’t Barça developed defenders, especially center-backs, from the youth setup.

Tito is not blameless in this matter either. His predecessor, Guardiola, always made it a habit of calling up Barça B players to train with the first team and also make an appearance with the first team. In his four seasons with the club, Guardiola called up youth players for the final league games once the league had been decided. During the treble season, Botia, Abraham, and Xavi Torres appeared in the final league match. Two years later, Romeu, Bartra, Fontas, and Jonathan Dos Santos got the same opportunity and at the end of last season, Pep had to rely on B players such as Cuenca and Tello because of injuries to others, and Bartra and Montoya also got to feature a bit. The only exception was the 2009-2010 season, where the league was won on the final match day.

Yet, Tito opted to stick with his regulars even though the league had been decided back in the spring, and some would say since December. With the league safely assured, where were the minutes for Gerard Deulofeu, Sergi Roberto, Rafinha, Ilie, and Dongou? Better yet, where were the minutes for Tello, Thiago, Montoya and Bartra but that’s another discussion.

When the club closed down the old Masia building and built a new facility, I wasn’t expecting the doors to also be slamming shut on Barça B players’ hopes of getting into the first team. As for the argument that there is no space for the current B players for the first team, then why is the club rumored to be signing players from other teams again such as Neymar. Unfortunately, this club has had mixed success with their transfers during the Rosell era so why not focus on players who know the system and will not cost a fortune. It should not be about marketability, but about performance.

Overall, this club would not be where it is today without its youth players. It was Puyol who was leading the team over the years. It was Valdés who came up big with key stops in those Champions League finals. It was Iniesta who scored that wonder goal against Chelsea. It was Busquets who filled in the midfield when Yaya had to play center back along with Pique in that Rome Final. It was Pedro who scored those big goals in important finals. Oh yeah, there is also this little guy who came through La Masia and became one of the greatest to ever play the game.

In conclusion, this club better pay attention to what is going on with Barça B. They cannot neglect its current state or else the club’s future will severely impacted. The foundation has been set for a prosperous future for Barça and they cannot afford to ignore it or mistreat it. If Barça fails to maintain the quality and integrity of La Masia, then the repercussions will be felt for many years. The club cannot afford to make La Masia irrelevant or just some marketing gimmick. This club is where it is today because of La Masia and the club best not forget it.

 

2012-2013 End of Season Awards.

The 2012-2013 season just concluded and our beloved Barça competed for four cups. In the end, they succeeded in winning one out of four competitions by capturing their 22nd league title and ended the season on a positive note when they managed to reach 100 points and finish 15 points ahead of Real Madrid atop of the standings. So, as we enjoy the summer break before another season is upon us, it’s time to hand out the awards.

A season in transition as Tito Vilanova, and at times Jordi Roura, managed the club after Guardiola opted not to return to Barça for another season. Nevertheless, FC Barcelona continued to add trophies to the trophy case with the capture of their 22nd league title.  Sadly, there is still the lingering sting from the Bayern Munich 7-0 aggregate thrashing in their sixth consecutive UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals. Furthermore, there were some sad farewells with Abidal not returning and perhaps other players too bidding farewell to their Barça playing days.

The season started off with the team losing to Real Madrid in the Super Copa with sloppy play from Valdés and the back four would turn out to be a common theme for the rest of the season. FC Barcelona did have enjoy a great first half of the season as they were still competing in all 3 competitions and enjoyed an astonishing 18 point lead over their arch rivals, Real Madrid by setting a new Spanish record of  accumulating 55 points from 19 matches.

Unfortunately, the club failed to make use of that great gap and once again, we saw an exhausted and unfit Barça struggle in the second half of the season. Barça were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals and could not defeat a makeshift Madrid team in league play the same week. Fatigue and injuries would also affect Barça, with Messi struggling with injuries, as they were manhandled by Bayern in the Champions League after struggling to eliminate the likes of Milan and PSG.

Barça though would end the season on a positive when they captured the league title by reaching 100 points although they would be without Messi’s services in the final month or so. Messi still managed to win another FIFA Golden Ball and won the league’s Pichichi top scorer award again. We also had to say a sad farewell to Abidal when the club announced they would not be offering the inspiration player a new deal and others might soon follow suite and leave the club as well. So, as we enjoy the summer break before another season is upon us, it’s time to hand out the awards.

MVP: MESSI.

Messi scored 38 goals from 29 matches halfway through the season. Although he was ruled out of action near the end of the season, he still managed to score 60 goals in 50 matches and win the Pichichi with 46 goals. I did state in my midseason awards that “Barring any injury, the sky is the limit for Messi as he keeps doing what he loves to do; win”. Sadly, the injury he picked up against PSG made him ineffective in the first leg of the Bayern 4-0 loss and would not feature in the second leg 3-0 loss. Nevertheless, he essentially was the big reason why this club won its 22nd league title and hopefully he will learn to take it easy next season and not play in every single match. He is human after all.

Best Goal: Messi v Athletic Bilbao

 This is usually a tough one but even though we saw some great goals so far this season from Adriano, David Villa, Iniesta, Xavi and Jordi Alba, Messi’s goal against Athletic Bilbao simply stood out from the others. It was artistic and the closest thing I have seen to resemble art in motion. Messi just simply took on four Bilbao players and displayed his amazing grace on the ball as he managed to glide each one of them before unleashing a powerful shot that Gorka could not stop. It simply was a footballing masterpiece by one of the all-time greats of the game who keeps making it look easy even when playing hurt.

Best Assist: Xavi to Villa against Milan

Barça’s style means we get to see a lot of assists but for me, Xavi’s through ball to David Villa against Milan was the best one for me this season. Barça needed a third goal against Milan and the ease with how Xavi delivered that through ball with his only touch, with such vision and precision, to find Villa inside the box was one of the best things I saw this season. Sadly, we don’t get to see too many of these superb through balls from Xavi and hopefully we’ll see more next season.

Best Game: FC Barcelona 4-0 AC Milan.

This game was nearly perfect. We saw the Barça of old that we were accustomed to seeing under Pep. Barça’s performance was daring, courageous, energetic, and totally in control. They hounded Milan all over the pitch and Messi scored a great brace in the first half before Villa and Alba scored in the second half to overcome the disappointing 2-0 first leg loss. Wish we saw more of than the rest of the way.

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Best Transfer: Jordi Alba.

Although his performance dipped a bit in the second half of the season, Jordi Alba still was a great transfer by Barça. As I said back in January, his arrival has been so good that people seem to forget about Dani Alves as the club’s most explosive fullback. Jordi has fit in perfectly without any adjustment period and already looks like someone who has been on this team for years. His goal against Milan will be remembered for quite a long time.

Most Improved Player: Tello.

Tello’s progression was one of the positives of the season. The young man went from the player who just aimed for the goal to one who could cause problems with his shooting and passing. Barcelona media compared some of his goals to those of Thierry Henry and it was fully justified. For some inexplicit reason, Vilanova never turned to him in the big games. He was in the stands for the first leg against Bayern and never left the bench in the second leg. The sky is the limit for Tello and here’s hoping he’ll continue to improve and that he is still with the team for next season.

Best Youth Player: Montoya.

Unfortunately, not too many young players got to play much with only Bartra and Montoya featuring when needed.  Cuenca won this last season with Tello also impressing and he did well this season too. Montoya, whenever he was not neglected by the manager, filled in for Dani Alves superbly on two different occasions against Real Madrid. He scored in the team’s final league match and one hopes he will feature more, along with Bartra, next season, and not be omitted from the squad when rotations are needed.

Most Disappointing Player: Cesc.

For the second year in a row, Cesc sadly wins this award. I was in favor of the club signing him from Arsenal but his time with the club thus far has been disappointing. He still stood out after the disappointing seasons from the likes of Pique, Mascherano, Pedro, Alexis and Dani Alves to name a few. He seemed to have finally snapped out of his funk only to fall back into during the second half of the season. Yes, it is true that he finished second behind Messi with his 11 league goals and finished the season with 14 goals and 12 assists. However, he was supposed to be a part of the puzzle for Barça. Yet, where was he for the big games? He did not feature in the 4-0 Milan win and 4-0 Bayern loss and was either a substitute or was subbed off against Madrid and PSG. This was the same problem last season but we’re still trying to figure out how to best utilize Cesc. He failed to impress on regular basis and now we have to weather a summer of transfer rumors linking him with a return to England.

2012-2013 started off with a bang and the club endured a blip in form near the end, but it was a successful one nevertheless. More importantly, we saw Abidal and Tito battle back from their medical problems and return to us which is the biggest prize of them all. Here’s hoping that next season will be even better where the awards will be less harsh on some of the players.

 

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.

 

Barça Needs To Re-examine Its Youth Policy.

Barça keeps praising the fact that their recent success is because of its reliance on its youth setup. Puyol, Xavi, Valdés, Iniesta and Messi all came through La Masia and helped the club become what it is today. However, young players who have been promoted to the first team from the youth setup recently have been ignored and neglected and this is a worrying trend that might become a problem in the near future.

This season was the commencement of a new era following the departure of Pep Guardiola. Tito Vilanova has stepped in and done well after the disappointing result in the Supercopa. The league is basically theirs to lose while they continue their quest for the treble. With such a commanding lead atop of the standings, one would expect Tito and his assistant, and current interim manager, Jordi Roura to rotate the players into the starting lineups.

Although rotations have been occurring with everyone, not named Messi ,being rested occasionally, a certain group of players have been slighted. Barça B defenders Montoya and Bartra seem to have been left out of the mix. They had featured occasionally a few months ago but neither has seen minutes in 2013.

These players are considered first team players and not Barça B players. Thus, they cannot feature for the B team anymore. However, if they are not even dressing for games, their talents are going to waste. This a pressing concern because the club has made it a habit to hold on to Barça B players by promoting them to the first team. However, that tactic appears to be stunting player development rather than aiding it.

Jonathan Dos Santos is a perfect example of promoting a Barça B player to the first team when the possibility of him playing is impossible. He is a midfielder who has the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Cesc, Song and Thiago ahead of him so minutes were going to be hard to come by. He could have went on loan to another team but refused to do so. That was a mistake on his part as he is basically forced himself out of action. Cuenca played it smart after he accepted to go Ajax Amsterdam on loan than stick around and fight for scraps of minutes. Jonathan Dos Santos should have done the same.

Nevertheless, Montoya and Bartra do not face the same the logjam in their respective positions. Montoya is a brilliant fullback who has to contend with Jordi Alba, Adriano and Dani Alves for minutes. There was no excuse not to see him start a few games here and there recently in order to give those three full backs a breather. Bartra is an up and coming center back who will obviously take a back seat to Puyol, Pique and Mascherano in his respective position. However, the minutes have been hard to come by for him when the club’s league position allows for it. Yesterday was the perfect example where Bartra could have started against a Granada side that had only scored 22 goals in 23 matches. Instead, Bartra found himself sitting in the stands.

These two defenders should be playing more often to gain experience so they can be ready to leap into action in case a player suffers an emergency. Instead, they are being left out of the lineup and are collecting rust. These were players who were promoted and cannot find minutes. The big cause for concern is that the club will be repeating the same mistake next season if the stories are true that Sergi Roberto and Thiago’s brother, Rafinha, will be promoted next season.

Barça needs to stop putting in the players’ contracts these conditions that promise B players to be promoted to the first team. Their promotion is met with plenty of sitting around and lack of playing time. This also affects Barça B when they keep losing their best players to the first team and suffer without those players who would be gaining plenty of minutes over sitting in the stands.

If Barça is that concerned about losing their young players, then they need to re-examine their policy. Promotion without gaining experience is not a step forward. Perhaps the club has to accept that the only way to keep players happy and gain experience through minutes is by loaning them out.  If staying with Barça B is not an option, then loaning them out to other clubs should be looked into. I don’t want to see Bartra, Montoya, Tello, Sergi Roberto and Rafinha sitting on the bench or in the stands next season. Experience is the best form of education and these players will never excel if they continue to be given few minutes here and there.