Barça Chasing History On The International Stage.

For the fourth time ever, Barça are participating in FIFA’s Club World Cup since its incarnation. Another successful conquest would be a vital accomplishment in the club’s long history regarding their short history of winning on the international stage.

Before FIFA decided to launch the FIFA Club World Cup in 2005, football fans were entertained by the Intercontinental Cup which pitted the champions of Europe against the champions of South America. It was the Super Cup of Super Cups for us football fans. It started out as a home and away two legged cup clash that then became a one match final held at a neutral site in Japan.

Even with Barça’s rich football history, they only featured in this competition once during the 20th century. That was during the Johan Cruyff “Dream Team” era in 1992 after Barça finally ended their long wait and won the European Cup against Sampdoria. Barça would face Brazilian side São Paulo back then in Japan and took the early lead through Hristo Stoichkov. However, the very talented, and in my opinion historically underrated, São Paulo side equalized in the first half and scored the game winner in final 15 minutes of the match. Thus, Barça were denied their first ever Intercontinental trophy.

Barça’s failure to win another Champions League meant only Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid were the only Spanish clubs to win the Intercontinental trophy. Real Madrid won it a record three times while Atlético won it once even though they were European Cup runners-up because European Champions Bayern Munich declined to participate. The trophy back then was considered too dangerous to play for because of the tendency of South American’s clubs to play rough and dirty in these matches.

Barça’s long wait to win another Champions League title ended when they defeated Arsenal in 2006 under the management of Frank Rijkaard. This triumph meant that Barça booked their first ever ticket in the new FIFA Club World Cup where they defeated Mexican side Club America 4-0 to face another Brazilian club, Internacional in the final. Unfortunately, Barça’s long wait in capturing this elusive trophy would have to continue as they fell to their Brazilian foes 1-0. Barça’s two bites at the apples were denied by Brazilian opposition much to the Blaugrana faithful’s chagrin.

However, Barça proved that the saying “Third time’s a charm” is true when they finally captured their finally ended their wait in 2009. Under the guise of Pep Guardiola, Barça won their first ever treble and then continued their winning ways by capturing the UEFA and Spanish Super Cups. All that was left was for the club to end their hoodoo at this stage and bring home the sixth and final cup of the “Sextuple”. Barça defeated another Mexican side, Atlante, in the Semi-Finals before facing Argentinian side Estudiantes in the final. Barça were down before halftime and it seemed that Barça were going to miss out on this trophy for the third time. Fortunately, the Blaugrana did not relent and  Pedro scored in the 89th minute to level the score and thus became the first player to ever score in all six competitions. Messi’s legend grew when he scored the game winner in extra time with his chest and was awarded the player of the tournament.

Finally, Barça had captured the missing piece for their museum. They would not wait too long to add another one as Pep and the players were back in 2011 after defeating Manchester United, just as they did in 2009, in the Champions League Final. Barça defeated Qatari side Al Sadd 4-0 while resting a few of their key starters. The venue was Japan and Barça’s opponent in the Final was Brazilian side, Santos, which featured a 19 year old Neymar. There was some concern as to whether Barça can end their short comings against Brazilian sides in this competition with the bitter taste of 1992 still in the minds of many fans. Whatever concerns existed were soon eradicated when Barça demolished Santos with three goals in the first half alone through Messi, Xavi and Cesc. Messi scored his second in the second half for Barça’s fourth and final goal of the Final. Messi would win his second player of the tournament which no other player has ever accomplished in this competition’s brief history and also matched Pedro in becoming the second Barça player to ever score in all six competitions.

So here we are in 2015 and once again, Barça are back in Japan. Their Semi-Final opponents are Asian Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande who are coached by former Brazil’s World Cup winning manager, Felipe Scolari. Scolari was once rumored to be the next Barça manager if the Blaugrana had fired Rijkaard during his first season in charge. Fortunately that did not happen and the rest is history. Also featuring for the Asian champions is former Real Madrid player, Robinho, so we will get to see another duel between him and Messi which was widely debated in the Spanish media during Messi’s early years. Messi is also only one goal away from tying another Argentinian, “El Chelito” César Delgado as the competition’s top scorer with 5 goals.

If Barça succeed in defeating Guangzhou Evergrande, they will face Argentinian side River Plate in the final. It’s not too often teams from the world’s two biggest Clásicos get to face one another. In 2000, Real Madrid lost to Boca Juniors in Japan and now the other two Clásicos teams might face one another. There will be a reunion of some sorts if both teams meet in the final since former Barça player and teammate to some of the current Barça players, Saviola, is now a member of River Plate. Saviola was a member of the 2006 Barcelona team that came up short.

Barça will be chasing history and making history this week. Success would mean they would be the only side to ever make it to a fourth Final and also become the first club to win the FIFA Club World Cup for a record third time. This would also mean that they would be only one title behind Real Madrid who won this trophy last year. A loss in the final however would also make them the first side to ever lose in a final twice. But before we think ahead to the final, Barça also have to make sure they do not become the first European side to fail to make it to the final if they fail to handle their business against Guangzhou Evergrande.

Luis Enrique and his players are hungry for success and this trophy will help quench their thirst for more titles. Barça are about to embark on a new adventure where unwritten pages of the next chapter in their history book are about to be typed. Here’s hoping they fill those pages with success and new records.

Thanks for the Memories, Pedro.

We look back at Pedro's time with Barça with his most memorable moments.

With Pedro bidding farewell to Barça, Blaugrana fans will loss a player who might not have been the most talented player to ever play for Barça, but one who played his heart out for the club. We look back at his time with the club with his most memorable goals that he scored for Barça.

UEFA Super Cup Shakhtar 2009-2010

This is the goal that put him on the map. Not many knew who Pedro was when he came on the pitch to replace Ibrahimovic. Nevertheless, he broke the scoreless deadlock and began the path to become the first player to score a goal in six different competitions.

2009 FIFA Club World Cup Estudiantes

The equalizing goal that seemed unlikely to happen. Pedro’s header in the 88th minute forced the game into extra time where Messi would score the game winner against Estudiantes. The latter would not have happened if not for Pedro’s goal.

El Clasico 2009-2010

The insurance goal that sealed victory and all but clinched the 2009-2010 league title for Barça. Xavi once again with the superb through ball and Pedro timed his run perfectly and somehow did not lose the ball as two defenders tried to close him down but he somehow managed to get an effort on goal that got past Casillas.

El Clasico 2010-2011

Pedro was thorn in Madrid's side twice that season. He scored the second goal the night the Manita took place. He also scored the only goal at the Camp Nou in the Champions League Semi-Finals that was the nail in Madrid’s coffin.

2011 Champions League Final at Wembley

This was the opening goal in the 2011 Champions League Final. Superb through ball from Xavi and Pedro showed great calmness by controlling the before before slotting it in for the opening goal.

2012 Copa del Rey Final

Guardiola’s final match as Barça manager. During the season, Pep had somehow ignored Pedro for the likes of Alexis and Tello. Pedro scored a brace in the first half and Pep had this to say about him afterwards. "Pedro is a fantastic player. I was just asking myself why I didn't play him more.” 

2012-2013 PSG Champions League Quarter-Finals

Second half equalizer that ensured that Barça would advance to the next round. Messi came off the bench and found Villa inside the box who then somehow passed it to Pedro with his first touch. Pedro blasted it in and the game would end in a 1-1 draw that helped Barça advance on away goals rule.

2-5 Getafe Pedro hattrick 2013-2014

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 a2-5 win. Hat trick in 8 minutes.His first goal was from outside the box with the keeper halfway inside his box. He managed to get a hand on it but that was not enough. Equalizer, cuts in from the left side and right footed it into the top corner. Third goal was the difference as he got onto a rebound and blasted it over a sprawling defender and past the keeper with a strong blast.

Chilena v Real Sociedad 2014-2015

The goal that some would say clinched last season’s league title for Barca. Off the bench, Pedro came in and scored this amazing Chilena goal to remind us that he still some magic in his goal scoring shoes.

2015 UEFA Super Cup Sevilla

With talks of Pedro wanting to leave and Neymar out with the mumps, it seemed like he would start this past UEFA Super Cup. Instead, he was on the bench just as he was six years ago and once again, Pedro came off the bench and scored the game winning goal in extra time. His final golden moment and goal for the club.

Pedro Will Be Missed.

Pedro is no longer a Barça player. The player that no one expected to amount to much leaves Barça as a legend.

The player from the Canary Islands that exceeded everyone’s expectations. Not many were aware of Pedro back in the summer of 2008. Pep Guardiola was in charge of the first team and had called up Barça B players to be part of the summer preseason and although Busquets turned out to be the revelation from La Masia, Pedro was not that far behind. Guardiola promoted Pedro the following season and his career took off.

Pedro’s career is what dreams are made of. When Pedro was on the first team, he had the likes of Henry, Bojan, and Ibrahimovic all fighting to play up front with Messi during the 2009-2010 season. Yet, just a year later, it was #17 who was starting up front with Messi and David Villa and scored the opening goal for Barça in their 3-1 victory over Manchester United at the new Wembley stadium.

Pedro’s first three years with Barça were magical for the player and the club. During his first season, 2009-2010, he became the first player to ever score in all six club competitions in one year. Only Messi was able to reach that feat two years later. Pedro was clutch in most big games and he was also one of the least selfish players when he stepped on the pitch. He always put the team first such as his pass to Neymar during the Champions League Final against Juventus. He could have tried to score but opted to do what was the best for the team, and pass it to Neymar instead who did score. That’s the sort of player that he was. During that period, his performances for the Blaugrana earned him a call up to the Spanish national team. Although he did not play a huge part in the team’s success, he was a member of the Spanish national team that won both the World Cup and European Cup. His rise from nowhere to the top was all but complete.

I will always remember Pedro for his relentless work ethic on the pitch. Pedro was not just about goals. Far from it! He provided many assists to his teammates and also played his heart out on both sides of the pitch. He was always a machine out there by never letting up on both sides of the pitch. He was the first guy to chase after the other team’s goal keeper if he had the ball, and was usually one of the few forwards to track back to help out on defense. His work ethic was second to none and hopefully Munir and Sandro can at least bring that sort of effort on the pitch for Barça this season.

Even though he was not the superstar caliber player such as Messi, Henry, David Villa, Neymar and Luis Suarez, Pedro still shined along with those players. Unfortunately, his good run started to slow down in 2012. Injuries and too many games saw Pedro lose a bit of his scoring touch and minutes become harder to come by when the club signed Alexis, then Neymar before signing Suarez. It’s hard to shine when you cannot play as much and his departure was in pursuit of more minutes in hopes of getting another call up by Spain for Euro 2016. Barça’s loss is Chelsea’s gain. Chelsea are getting a very good player; just not a very good scorer. However, he is a very hard worker which is the type of player that Mourinho likes and hopefully, one the fans there will appreciate. It is somewhat fitting that the guy that not many expected to shine leaves Barça just one goal shy from 100. He is the sort of player that stats cannot justify or tell the complete story of just how important he was to the team. In the end, Pedro is a Barça legend in my book. Thanks for everything, Pedro.

Thanks for the Memories, Pedro.

We look back at Pedro's time with Barça with his most memorable moments.

With Pedro bidding farewell to Barça, Blaugrana fans will loss a player who might not have been the most talented player to ever play for Barça, but one who played his heart out for the club. We look back at his time with the club with his most memorable goals that he scored for Barça.

UEFA Super Cup Shakhtar 2009-2010

This is the goal that put him on the map. Not many knew who Pedro was when he came on the pitch to replace Ibrahimovic. Nevertheless, he broke the scoreless deadlock and began the path to become the first player to score a goal in six different competitions.

2009 FIFA Club World Cup Estudiantes

The equalizing goal that seemed unlikely to happen. Pedro’s header in the 88th minute forced the game into extra time where Messi would score the game winner against Estudiantes. The latter would not have happened if not for Pedro’s goal.

El Clasico 2009-2010

The insurance goal that sealed victory and all but clinched the 2009-2010 league title for Barça. Xavi once again with the superb through ball and Pedro timed his run perfectly and somehow did not lose the ball as two defenders tried to close him down but he somehow managed to get an effort on goal that got past Casillas.

El Clasico 2010-2011

Pedro was thorn in Madrid's side twice that season. He scored the second goal the night the Manita took place. He also scored the only goal at the Camp Nou in the Champions League Semi-Finals that was the nail in Madrid’s coffin.

2011 Champions League Final at Wembley

This was the opening goal in the 2011 Champions League Final. Superb through ball from Xavi and Pedro showed great calmness by controlling the before before slotting it in for the opening goal.

2012 Copa del Rey Final

Guardiola’s final match as Barça manager. During the season, Pep had somehow ignored Pedro for the likes of Alexis and Tello. Pedro scored a brace in the first half and Pep had this to say about him afterwards. "Pedro is a fantastic player. I was just asking myself why I didn't play him more.” 

2012-2013 PSG Champions League Quarter-Finals

Second half equalizer that ensured that Barça would advance to the next round. Messi came off the bench and found Villa inside the box who then somehow passed it to Pedro with his first touch. Pedro blasted it in and the game would end in a 1-1 draw that helped Barça advance on away goals rule.

2-5 Getafe Pedro hattrick 2013-2014

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 a2-5 win. Hat trick in 8 minutes.His first goal was from outside the box with the keeper halfway inside his box. He managed to get a hand on it but that was not enough. Equalizer, cuts in from the left side and right footed it into the top corner. Third goal was the difference as he got onto a rebound and blasted it over a sprawling defender and past the keeper with a strong blast.

Chilena v Real Sociedad 2014-2015

The goal that some would say clinched last season’s league title for Barca. Off the bench, Pedro came in and scored this amazing Chilena goal to remind us that he still some magic in his goal scoring shoes.

2015 UEFA Super Cup Sevilla

With talks of Pedro wanting to leave and Neymar out with the mumps, it seemed like he would start this past UEFA Super Cup. Instead, he was on the bench just as he was six years ago and once again, Pedro came off the bench and scored the game winning goal in extra time. His final golden moment and goal for the club.

Luis Enrique’s Flexibility Helping Barça and Himself.

It’s amazing how one’s future can change in a matter of weeks. It wasn’t that long ago when Luis Enrique was coaching for his job. Now, all is well for now at the Barça kingdom thanks to Luis Enrique being more flexible and listening to his players.

It takes two to tango and Lucho and the players are currently engaged in a wonderful tango that has seen the Blaugrana win 11 consecutive matches in all competitions. Coaching is a bit like dancing. One person leads and the other dance partner follows. However, there has to be an understanding between the one who leads and the one who follows. It cannot be a dictatorship where every command has to be obeyed and unquestioned or else a relationship will never fully blossom. The one who leads must be open to suggestions from their dance partner or else they will be dragging their feet in an ugly dance.

That ugly dance finally came to fruition on that cold night in the Anoeta when Barça lost to Real Sociedad 1-0. Messi and Neymar were rested since they arrived later from the winter break than the rest of the players because their manager gave them permission to do so. Barça were losing and both players came off the bench in the second half, but could not help guide their team to a comeback victory.

The storm that followed this loss was considered the storm of the century for Barça. Lucho’s neck was on the line as unfounded rumors that Messi was going to ask for a transfer began to grow. Fortunately, things changed for the better after that loss. Much of that has to do with Luis Enrique dropping the general act of insisting it was his way or the highway. Like what all good managers do, Luis Enrique became flexible and listened to his players. Suddenly, the new lineup every match stopped. Luis Enrique’s insistence of playing Messi in the middle of the attack, with the other two players up front coming inside to help Messi came to a halt. Messi and Neymar now play out wide with Luis Suarez, or Pedro, play in the middle. Midfielders went from covering the space left by the attacking fullbacks to actually being involved in the buildup of the attack.

It’s a good thing for both Luis Enrique and Barça that the manager dropped his “my way or the high way” act. Respect is a two way street and it seemed that Lucho thought it was a one way street and that this was about him and his way. Perhaps he thought he was inheriting a team that was in disarray and lacked discipline, like Guardiola did back in 2008, and had to be strict with them. He thought wrong since last season’s disappointment came down to poor coaching from his predecessor, a difficult emotional time for players dealing with the loss of their former manager Tito Vilanova, and in house controversies such as Sandro Rosell’s resignation, Neymar’s signing, and Messi’s tax case along with the board’s treatment of Messi with poorly made comments about a possible new contract.

Fortunately, the rumors of Luis Enrique possibly getting fired brought a change to his approach and it has been working. Suddenly, Messi is back to his dominating self and the team no longer look lost out on the pitch with 11 consecutive wins, especially three against Atlético Madrid. A perfect example of the change of atmosphere at the club was when the players asked Lucho to tell the club to cancel the friendly that was going to take place in Qatar. With the friendly taking place in Qatar, a few days before the away fixture to Athletic Club, Lucho probably thought it was poorly timed too. In the end, the friendly was canceled and Barça tasted victory on Athletic’s turf for the first time since 2010.

Of course, this does not mean the club is now perfect without any weaknesses but there is a contrast to how they were performing before and after that loss to Real Sociedad. Barça are still heavily reliant on the front three, but at least the supporting cast around them seem to have an understanding of their roles on the pitch. They appear more confident and more prepared than before. Moreover, it seems that Luis Enrique has an understanding of what his role is too. A manager is not just about winning, but also about listening to his players and finding the right solution for everybody. So far, Luis Enrique has done just that and only time will tell how far this approach will carry this team, with next week’s Champions League clash against Manchester City will be a litmus test for both manager and players.

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.

Lucho’s First Test for Barca Reveals More Questions.

September has bid us farewell and October is now upon us. Nevertheless, this new month begins with more questions than answers being provided by FC Barcelona and their manager Luis Enrique. These past few weeks were the manager’s first big test and although he passed his first big test, he still has much work to do.

Back in September, I discussed Luis Enrique’s first big test of the season that awaited him that month. I asked if he would be able to have his players perform well in both competitions and can he keep his players well rested? Will he rotate players and perhaps drop Messi from the odd game and continue to rely on Barça B players? The answers were a mixed bag of yes and no. Overall, this test, which culminated in the PSG loss, was to show us if Luis Enrique can handle the demands of this job. Unfortunately, we are left with more questions than answers after this first test.

The first issue Luis Enrique has to address is his goal keeping situation. Claudio Bravo has performed well in the league without conceding a single goal. I expected Bravo to start yesterday seeing as you should always go with the player who is in hot form. Marc-André ter Stegen has only featured once this season, and that was in the first Champions League match against APOEL two weeks ago.  I had some concern that perhaps he would be a bit rusty for PSG and I would have opted for Claudio Bravo instead. Unfortunately, ter Stegen did not perform well, and neither did those in front of him, and now Luis Enrique has to decide what to do about that position. Should he rotate both more often so both feature at least once a week or just go with Claudio Bravo as his number one and let ter Stegen be the backup and feature in Copa del Rey? Obviously this does not leave third choice Masip with not many minutes at all but Lucho needs to make sure all his keepers are not rusty and in form.

The second issue is the back four. Lucho wants his fullbacks to attack and be part of the offensive juggernaut of this team. Sadly, it’s not working that well. Dani Alves and Jordi Alba both lost the ball a combined 23 times against PSG, with the Brazilian guilty of losing it 15 times. To see Dani Alves still start is alarming seeing his work rate has dropped defensively and he still resorts to countless crosses which result in more turnovers than scoring chances. I have been a big proponent of letting Montoya start where he defends well and will not turn the ball over when he attacks. New signing Douglas had an average debut against Malaga followed by a case of the fever and a bruised foot that saw him miss some action. I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays as often as Dmytro Chygrynskiy did. Meanwhile, Adriano is a decent backup who has come up clutch at times but he is not good enough to replace Alba.

Furthermore, I thought this was the season we would see Mascherano play in the midfield but here we are, yet again, watching him playing center back and although he has great last ditch efforts, he was beaten by David Luiz on the first goal during a set piece. His partner, Mathieu had a subpar performance and has been shaky of late. One wonders why Pique is not starting more often and what does Bartra need to do to get more minutes? Moreover, Vermaelen is now deemed fit so how is Lucho going to handle the center of the defense. Lucho has his work cut out for him in how to keep these guys organized and focused. The clean sheet run in the league is impressive but not whole heartedly convincing. In other words, those clean sheets have been rather fortunate and not the work of a team that is shutting down teams with authority.

The midfield also poses some issues. Lucho wasted Rakitic on the flanks against PSG and didn’t play him in the middle of the pitch where he strives. Iniesta seems to be off to a slow start with some flashes of genius here and there. Busquets is paying the price with some sloppy play because of this new style mixed in with some Xavi-esque moments when it comes to superb passes. Speaking of Xavi, we have not seen enough of him and perhaps we should adjust the lineup to have him feature in a 4 man midfield, or as some would like, with Busquets and Mascherano instead. I never rated Sergi Roberto and if Rafinha is 100% fit, then he should be featuring more than Sergi Roberto.

Up front, Messi is back to his old self again and I am enjoying him pressure high and cause some turn overs after watching a more subdued version of him last season. The problem is that Messi still has to carry everyone on his back and none of the guys up front are doing that for him. Neymar is thriving because of Messi but he is not doing enough for Messi’s sake. Pedro, Munir and Sandro all have gotten to play and all have shown that this is Luis Suarez’s job to lose when he returns later this month.  The problem is the inconsistent ineffective play by the fullbacks in the attack, which probably explains why Lucho wanted to sign Cuadrado this summer, and there is no guarantee that Luis Suarez’s inclusion will solve these problems. These players cannot rely on Messi to bail them out and hopefully Suarez’s inclusion will do that and not become another player reliant on Messi.

The loss to PSG does not mean the sky is falling; Far from it. I expect this team to challenge for both the league title and the Copa del Rey. Champions League football is another story altogether. Lucho got outcoached in this loss and the team’s performance this past month showed that there is an issue of a lack of structure and organization by the players on the pitch. Furthermore, Lucho’s usual tactics leave much to desire when his plan B is to replace one player with another without changing positions or tactics. Perhaps it is a sign of things to come when he did throw us a surprise after he took off Dani Alves and put on Sandro with Mascherano attacking as a full back. That though didn’t seem like a well calculated plan but more of a gamble. This team went through two seasons of poor coaching on the pitch and can ill afford a third straight season of such.  Real Madrid can solve whatever issues they have by buying in the winter; Barça does not have that luxury. These issues have to be resolved by the manager and the players.

An additional element of concern for Lucho will be how he handles players returning from international duty. He was fortunate that many of his big stars missed out on September international duty. I can’t see Messi missing out on playing for Argentina in early October and mid-November; circle your calendars for November 18 when Argentina and Portugal face one another at Old Trafford. Will he be fortunate to have a well-rested squad for those two months like he did for September?

I will end this on a positive note. September was a harsh month that saw the team play 6 matches in 3 weeks with a combined result of four wins, a draw and a loss. That is still a great result and the team is still are league leaders. Also, October with only consist of three league matches, with El Clásico being one of them, and one Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam at the Camp Nou.  I don’t consider Copa Catalunya Final as a serious fixture and let’s see if it even takes place. Hopefully Lucho and the team will get their act together this month because there is still much to do.

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.

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.