Barça’s Historic Clásico Victories in Madrid.

 

Barça’s demolition of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu was a thing of beauty. Even though it was not a “Manita,” it still ranks as one of the greatest wins on enemy ground.

Barça’s 4-0 win against Real Madrid was surprising and very pleasant for the Blaugrana faithful. It was one sided as Barça dominated their arch enemy on enemy grounds. We are used to seeing the Blaugrana clobber their arch enemy at the Camp Nou, but at the Bernabéu, well that’s a different story.

 

There’s the Johan Cruyff inspired5-0 victory during the 1974-1975 season which was one of the first “Manita” in recent history. Barça would claim another “Manita” during the “Dream Team” era but that took place at the Camp Nou. That team was managed Johan Cruyff.

 

The next big victory on enemy ground would take place during the 1998-1999 season. Barça were victorious in a back and forth encounter that ended in 2-3. Current Barça manager Luis Enrique scored the team’s second with the Brazilians Rivaldo scoring the opener and Giovanni scoring the game winner. This game is also remembered for the “Butifarra” goal celebration by Giovanni after he scored what ended up being the goal winner and thereby infuriating the Madrid fan base.

Ten years ago, we would see the Madrid fans give a standing applause to a Barça legend. Barça defeated Real Madrid 3-0 with Eto’o scoring the opener before Ronaldinho scored a brace in the second half. It was a one sided affair and the match is mostly remembered by Ronaldinho’s display of magic as he scored two amazing goals. After Ronaldinho scored his second goal, some Madrid fans got out of their seats to applaud the player. This was an act that had not occurred since Maradona’s goal in the 2-2 draw in the first leg of the 1982-1983 defunct League Cup.

Nevertheless, the most memorable result is the 2-6 victory during the 2008-2009 treble season. The buildup to this match was immense with both teams neck and neck in the standings and the league title was bound for whoever would win this match. Madrid took the lead before Barça scored three unanswered goals through Henry, Puyol and Messi. Madrid pulled one back early in the second half to make it 2-3 before Barça scored three another unanswered goals through Henry, Messi and Pique.

Pique was furious when Munir scoffed his chance at scoring the fifth goal during the last Clásico. Barça’s 4-0 win was too easy from the opening whistle and that was with Messi on the bench. Suárez and Neymar scored the first two goals in the first half before Iniesta and Suárez scored the other two goals in the second half. It could have been, and should have been, five had Munir converted on his chances or left his first chance to Pique to score from close range.

Those results are Barça’s “Manita” of big wins on their arch enemy’s grounds in recent history. Which one is your favorite?

Cautiousness Regarding Barça Reboot.

 

Last season culminated with Barça’s cycle coming to a crashing half. The system was in dire need of a reboot with someone new to take over command of this team. Thus, Barça fans will see their beloved club managed by a new manager yet again this upcoming season. Hopes are high while Barça attempt to reboot this club like Hollywood does with a movie series. The problem is, much like Hollywood, rebooting is no guarantee of duplicate success and fans need to be realistic with their expectations.

As the old saying goes, “Sequels Suck”. FCB is embarking on a sequel, or a reboot of a successful franchise that had lost its appeal. Barça struggled last season and lost two leaders, Puyol and Valdés when the season was over. Tata Martino’s era was brought to an end after one season and Barça went back to their roots by hiring a former Barça player, and their former Barça B manager, Luis Enrique to be their manager. Seems similar to Laporta’s era when the team made numerous changes to the squad after appointing a new manager.

I was a big fan of Luis Enrique “Lucho” when he played for Barça. I loved his spirit and his never die hard attitude. However, I think it is a bit naïve that people think Barça hiring Luis Enrique to manage the team means he is going to be another Pep and we’re heading back to the glory days. Just because Pep and Lucho played together for Barça doesn’t mean you’re getting the same type of manager; Far from it.

Lucho will bring back the discipline and intensity that was lacking last season under Tata. However, Lucho comes from a different school of thought than Pep. Pep had the luxury of playing under Johan Cruyff. Lucho played under another Dutchman, Louis van Gaal and he also played under Bobby Robson and other, and less, successful managers too. So it was no surprise to me when Barcelona sport dailies were reporting that Lucho might go with three at the back or five at the back, like van Gaal did with Holland this summer in Brazil instead of the traditional 4-3-3 we are used to seeing from the Blaugrana.  

I also noticed that many fans were excited about Barça signing Luis Suarez and proclaiming that the front three of Neymar, Messi and Suarez would be akin to the days of Messi, Henry and Eto’o. Everything always looks great on paper but let’s not jump the gun and think this those three will score 100 goals between them and make this team a force to be reckoned with. We still don’t know how many matches Suarez will miss and the fact that he won’t have a normal preseason with the team, let alone train with the team, obviously will affect him getting assimilated with his new teammates and manager. We also have Neymar recovering from a back injury too so these three will have to find their chemistry on the pitch and probably won’t be hitting on all cylinders soon.

I hope the Blaugrana faithful will show more faith in this team that has a new manager and new players and give them time to adjust and gel. However, I do not have much faith in this inept board. Nevertheless, veteran players and new players will be introduced to new roles and positions under a new manager. Let’s not forget that even Pep’s treble team stumbled out of the gate at first and I expect Lucho’s team to also start slow. The season opener is just a few weeks away and it would be best to be cautious about our expectations with this team and get carried away. This is not Pep 2.0, but a cheap version of it so let’s not expect a treble and just take it game by game like Lucho and his team will. Just hope the board don't muddy things along the way and further complicate things.

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.

Barça need to dip into the transfer market.

Barça’s customary weaknesses reared their ugly heads again following some less than impressive recent performances in the league. Their inability to get the best of their opponents who prefer to sit back and be defensive along with not having a deep enough squad raised some red flags about their chances winning both the league and European crown. Perhaps the solution lies with looking elsewhere for players to provide Tata Martino with a successful Plan B and a deep enough squad to overcome injuries. Barça needs to be proactive and not reactive when it comes to transfer.

Barça’s recent draws against Atlético Madrid and Levante saw them drop points against teams willing to defend while only scoring one goal. With the first leg against Manchester City is less than a month away, these types of performances brought back memories to Barça coming up short in Champions League Semi-Finals against Manchester United, Inter Milan and Chelsea. In those ties, Barça enjoyed a lion’s share of possession but could only generate a few scoring chances which resulted in ever fewer goals.

Watching this team come up short back then and now means the club needs to address this problem.  Part of the problem lies with not having an adequate plan to confront these teams that park the bus. The other problem is also not having adequate squad depth to compensate if they lose players to injuries.  This team struggled to defeat Levante last weekend while missing Dani Alves, Iniesta and Neymar. Those who were asked to fill in failed to adequately replace those missing stars.

Furthermore, just relying on the same style with some tweaks is not enough. Sure, it is great to rely on the long ball at times to catch the opponent off guard, but merely swapping players while using the same system is no adequate backup plan.  Thus, the club’s best option is to pursue players in this transfer window period.

It’s no secret that I have always been a firm believer that this club has lacked a true aerial threat type of player who commanded a physical presence to attract defenders such as Julio Salinas and Patrick Kluivert in the past. Guardiola had his heart in the right place when the club signed Ibrahimovic but the player refused to adapt and was more inclined to score through amazing spin kicks and not by simply heading the ball in.True, Neymar was signed as the X factor to solve these types of problems. However, they can pursue players such as Miroslav Klose to be a weapon off the bench to help in implementing the plan B. He is not cup tied with regards to the Champions League and is at an age where he probably wouldn’t mind being a role player much like Henrik Larsson was.

Moreover, it is clear that the club is lacking adequate depth to compensate players who are injured. With Iniesta out, the club is relying on up and coming Sergi Roberto but he is not at the level to be considered as a sufficient replacement. Thiago’s departure is felt in moments like this where you wish the club handled his situation properly. Afellay has returned from his injury and perhaps can fill in for him but perhaps the club can scout and find someone of caliber, on loan even, to fill in for his absence.

The biggest pressing need though is for the club to sign someone in the hear t of the defense. Puyol still does seem to be fully fit which makes it difficult to rely on him being there down the stretch. That only leaves the club with just Pique and Bartra as the two centerbacks of this club along with Mascherano. If either of them suffers a long term injury, then this club would be handcuffed the rest of the season by relying on a few players to be the centerbacks. Bartra’s injury scare should serve as a warning shot for the club to scout the globe and bring someone in now.

It’s about time the club began to be proactive and not reactive to address the team’s needs. Barça cannot wait till someone goes down to a long term injury to start planning for the future. They need to realize that there are some needs that should be addressed now and not till the summer. Signing players now much like they did with Afellay a few years ago, or Edgar Davids, on loan back, in 2003-2004 season, should be looked into to strengthen this squad for the second half of the season and give this club other means of attack.

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 paying for transfer neglect.

An apparent need for Barça to strengthen its back line was discussed plenty this past summer. Yet, here we are, another season without any viable re-enforcements to protect Valdés’s first line of defense. Consequently, we have seen our beloved Barça continue their habit of conceding soft goals much to the dismay of many players and fans alike. Doubts about this club’s problems disappearing anytime soon have crept up again which begs the question why was this problem not addressed again.

Two summers ago, Barça were going to sign a center back and it didn’t happen. This past summer, Barça huffed and puffed and were going to sign a center back and it didn’t happen. We have a new manager and we’re seeing the same mistakes happening plaguing Barça’s defending. Cheap soft goals conceded at the end of a half or close to the final whistle have raised doubts if this club can eradicate last season’s performances against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The Champions League kicks off this week and with it, comes the difficult calendar that sees Barça playing featuring in plenty of midweek games which cuts down on the valuable rest between matches. Rotations of the players is vital to preserve the players but our back four are down to just five players now that Jordi Alba is out of action for three weeks. Thus, we’re stuck with Dani Alves, Montoya, Pique, Mascherano, Bartra and Adriano with the return of captain Puyol supposedly near the corner. Will this be adequate for the club to compete in all competitions or will they sign some new players to strengthen the back four? If so, the question would be who?

Sandro Rosell and Zubizarreta better start looking into this issue. Many would mention names of players but perhaps the club needs to re-examine their scouts. Why is it that the likes of Porto and Dortmund can sign players that many clubs become obsessed in signing while Barça buy the likes for Alex Song? I don’t expect Puyol’s return to cure the problems and that is why Barça needs to address this issue now in time for January or for next season.

Barça cannot allow this pattern to continue. Failing to address this issue yet again is a recipe for disaster and Barça have already been warned. Failure to do so is unfair to the fans and the players when the talents of Messi, Iniesta, Neymar and others are wasted because this team cannot protect a lead. Zubizarreta and the club are on notice; fix this issue.

Barça Continues to Neglect their Vulnerability.

For the past two seasons, there was an obvious need for Barça to sign another centre-back during the summer. Yet, the club continues to make a mess of things in their approach to address this glaring issue. Last summer, the club opted to sign defensive midfielder, Alex Song, hoping that he can also play the role of a centre-back, which did not come to fruition. This summer, they pursued players that were far too expensive with clubs not interested in selling. The league kicks off in a few days and Barça seems intent on letting history repeat itself by not doing the right thing.

George Santayana once said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Sandro Rosell and the men he has entrusted in running this club seem ignorant to such saying. Once again, FC Barcelona prepares for another season and once again, the pressing need to sign a center back seems to be failing miserably. The pursuit of Thiago Silva seemed desperate while the pursuit of David Luiz seems misguided. One player used it to get a new deal with his club while Jose Mourinho is in no hurry to assist Barça in strengthening their team without paying a heavy price. 

 Let’s not forget what many deem as Barça dropping the ball in their handling of Eric Abidal. Perhaps offering the veteran defender a year extension would not have been a bad idea. Yet, Barça opted not to retain his services and made it known before the end of last season. Well, here we are and they have yet been able to sign a center back with the league kicking off this weekend.

Much has been made of Barça’s style of play but history has shown that the club’s success did not come from its offense only. One only has to look back to their previous three successful Champions League titles and notice one common trait; their defending. This club continues to have problems scoring in the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals but at least their defending did not let them down. Back in 2005-2006, they won away 1-0 in Milan and drew the second game 0-0 to clinch a ticket to the Finals. A few years later, they played to a scoreless draw against Chelsea in the Camp Nou before drawing 1-1 away in the second leg. 2010-2011 Semi-Finals saw them grab a 2-0 away victory in Madrid before playing to a 1-1 draw at home.  Thus, Barça made it to the Champions League Final not by scoring plenty of goals, but by keeping clean sheets. 

 Their last two eliminations by Chelsea and Bayern Munich saw them concede 3 goals, and 7 goals, respectively, while they only conceded 2 goals in their previous three Semi-Finals. Even their elimination by Manchester United in 2007-2008 was by an aggregate score of 1-0. New manager Gerardo Martino needs to repair Barça’s defensive flaws by relying on his current players coupled with youth players. His mission would have been easier had the club signed a new center back.

However, all we keep hearing is the club continuing to pursue players who come with a big price tag. One hopes Rosell and Zubizarreta do not become desperate and actually pay Chelsea’s asking price. They dropped the ball and need to exercise some proper judgment and not lose track of their obligations of being fiscally responsible. As George Santayana also once said, “Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim.”

Martino’s Challenging Tasks Ahead.

Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino will be the man on the touchline for Barça’s upcoming season. He comes from Argentina with an impressive resume but without any European coaching experience. That is one of the many challenging tasks that Tata will face when the season kicks off this month.

Another season brings us another new face on Barça’s touchline yelling instructions to the Blaugrana players. Pep, Tito and now Tata will get to experience the hot seat of Barça manager. His experience overseas is not at all shabby. However, there was some concern about whether Tata is the man qualified to direct the side.

His first challenge will be to earn the players’ respect. It seems like he is slowly winning them over but preseason is preseason for a reason; it is not the real deal yet. Will he win them over when the going gets tough? Will he treat all the players equally or will he have his favorites? Respect is a two way street and it has to be earned. However, Tata needs to win these guys over quickly and ensure a good start to the season.

Another challenge for Tata will be strengthening Barça’s defense.  Barça’s Achilles heel these past two seasons has been their careless defending. The sloppy defending and lack of depth has hindered the team for far too long. He has to make sure Puyol is well rested. He has to make sure that Pique plays like a Barça leader, not as a Barça fan. Tata has to sort it out once and for all or else Barça will only continue to make it more difficult for themselves by conceding silly goals. He also has to make sure the club buys him a center back or two. As of this moment, that appears less likely to occur.

Furthermore, Tata will get the chance to rectify a problem that has plagued Barça for the past few seasons. Both Pep and Tito always seemed to watch their players struggle down the stretch with fatigue and injuries that caused them to come up short. Tata will have to ensure that players will be rotated in order to preserve them for that final push as they chase a potential treble. That means making sure Messi does not play every single match and giving Xavi and other key starters a game off here and there.

Additionally, Tata has to ensure the youth players are not ignored. Last season, we saw the likes of Bartra, Thiago, Montoya and Tello get ignored in big games. They were either glued to the bench or up in the stands watching their fellow teammates. Tata has to give valuable minutes to the youth players or else those with Barça B will start contemplating going elsewhere when they see they are shunned from the first team.  We cannot afford losing the likes of Thiago when they see minutes are hard to come by and have big clubs after their services.

Finally, the last challenge will be for him to win. As, Al Davis, the former owners of the NFL Oakland Raiders team, once said, “Just win, baby!” Whatever problems the club is facing, having Barça get off to a good start will beneficial to Tata. . I am always a firm believer that it is not how you start, but it’s how you finish. Last season was the perfect example of Barça starting great only to fizzle down the stretch.  Thus, Tata is tasked with this great responsibility of beginning a new chapter in the history of FC Barcelona. Hopefully his accomplishment will be worthy to fill the upcoming blank pages in Barça’s history books.

 

Testimonials for La Liga Legends Obsolete.

Images of Valerón in tears following Deportivo’s La Corona’s relegation signaled the sad state of the Galician club. It also signaled perhaps the end of a great career for the legendary Valerón. Injuries have deprived us one of the best midfielders Spain produced the past 25 years.  As the heart broken Valerón walked off the pitch, part of me thought that he would get a proper farewell with a proper testimonial match. However, the sad realization is that this event will never take place since it is not relevant for Spanish clubs as it is for clubs in other domestic leagues.

Club legends always seem to receive testimonials when they call it a day; unless they are Ryan Giggs who received his over a decade ago. Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial match christened Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Paul Scholes had his at Old Trafford back in August 2011 before he decided to opt out of retirement and return to Manchester United. Demetrio Albertini had his testimonial match with Milan back in 2006. Phillip Cocu will have his testimonial later on this month by PSV. Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial match will take place next month when Manchester United will host Sevilla on August 9th while Steven Gerrard will have his a few days earlier at Anfield when Liverpool host Olympiakos. Coincidentally, Real Madrid legend Raul will also be honored with a testimonial on July 27th.

However, that testimonial will be held in Germany thanks to his former club FC Schalke 04.  Yet, what is even more mind boggling is that Raul will have a testimonial held in his honor by FC Schalke 04 and not by Real Madrid. It is unfathomable that one of the greatest players to ever represent Los Blancos  has not received a testimonial. For some reason, La Liga clubs do not hold testimonials for their players; just participate in them. FC Barcelona played in Albertini’s testimonial in 2006 while Real Madrid participated in Majed Ahmed Abdullah’s testimonial match in Saudi Arabia back in 2008. Yet, former legends for both Madrid and Barça have not had any testimonial matches held in their honor recently.

You have to go back to the mid 90’s to recall any testimonials for legends of either club. Hugo Sanchez had his testimonial back in 1997while Johan Cruyff had one testimonial at the Camp Nou, and another at Amsterdam Arena in the late 90’s. However, the chances of seeing a testimonial for legends of either club who had retired last decade won’t be happening anytime soon. Pep Guardiola never got one when he retired. Redondo, Luis Enrique, Michel Salgado, Gabri and Morientes are just a few of who also never got a testimonial when they quit playing too.

I asked a friend of mine, Angel Iturriaga, why testimonials are not held more often for La Liga players. He informed me that they were common in the past but most Spanish clubs decided not to have them anymore. As for why, he was not sure but the basic explanation was there wasn’t enough time for clubs to host these kinds of games. Angel believes that this was a big mistake but indicated that that the mindset of the fans in Spain tend to focus only the players presently playing for their clubs and not look back on past players. So the chances that Valerón will have a testimonial held in his honor are pretty much slim to none.

Former Madrid captain Hierro did get some sort of tribute from Real Madrid after he retired in 2005. However, that tribute was a brief ceremony prior to the Madrid derby kicking off. Lately, we have seen retired Madrid stars team up in friendly matches against other clubs’ retired stars. There are also a La Liga Indoor Football league which features retired players. Those are great for brief moments of nostalgia in the same manner as watching retired tennis and golf players playing on the senior tour circuit.

 Hopefully La Liga clubs will change their attitudes towards testimonials when the likes of Puyol, Xavi, Valerón, Marchena, Albelda, Marcos Senna, and Palop retire one day. There was a testimonial held recently in memory of deceased Espanyol captain, Daniel Jarque, who was unexpectedly taken from us too soon back in 2009. Hopefully those types of testimonials become scarce and prevented as players’ health concerns will spotted by club’s medical staff. Perhaps though, it might kick start the trend of testimonial matches again to celebrate La Liga players and bid them farewell in a proper manner. Nevertheless, Raul cannot be ignored and Real Madrid should do the right thing and hold a testimonial match in his honor someday. The same applies to all those players in Spain who have served their clubs well over the years. They do deserve one final send off before they ride out into the sunset.

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.

 

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.

 

Fix Camp Nou or Build a new one?

To build or renovate? That is the question that Barça president Sandro Rosell brought up last month in the General Assembly was the suggestion of building a new stadium. This sparked a great debate about what should Barça do regarding their home. Should they renovate the Camp Nou or time to build a new stadium?

Last month, the club presented a proposition to the members about the status of the Camp Nou.  Javier Faus, the vice-president of the Economic and Strategic Area of the Club proposed two options regarding the home of Barça; Renovate the Camp Nou or build a new one. The first option would cost close to 300 million euros, and the second option wouldn’t surpass 600 million euros. He also assured that if a new stadium was built, it would not be built outside of the Barcelona city limits. Ultimately, 89% of the socios approved on having a referendum about this topic.

This topic struck a nerve with many passionate Blaugrana fans. Many, including myself, were not in favor of seeing Barça play at a new stadium, but to stay at the Camp Nou and just go ahead and renovate the stadium where it is needed. Others though believe it’s time for a new stadium.

The argument for the new stadium wasn’t just an argument about a new playing surface but it was also more of a sign that the club needs to step forward and become more modern like other teams. A new stadium would mean more VIP seats – reminds me of the Sky Box seats arguments US franchises used to build new arenas/stadiums – and could also generate more income by selling the naming rights of the stadium.  Bottom line, the new stadium would mean a step in a direction of the club becoming more of a professional organization and not just a club.

However, there are many, including myself, who believe that Barça’s only home should be the Camp Nou.  The Poll on the Miami Penya website saw 5 out of 20 in favor of building a new stadium. Most of the responses I got from fellow fans were that the club should stay in the Camp Nou. Why? The stadium is magical with such a vast history. This is stadium that has seen the likes of Kubala, Luis Suarez, Cruyff, Krankl, Simonsen, Maradona, Lineker, Stoichkhov, Laudrup, Romario, Koeman, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Guardiola, Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and the current crop of amazing talent such as Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi call home. We have also witnessed great games at this pitch with the likes of a few 5-0 wins against Real Madrid, the magical comeback of Barça against Atletico Madrid in 1996-1997 Copa Del Rey encounter, numerous Champions League victories, and many great celebrations.

I think part of the reason why some of the fans said don’t build a new one is because they have yet to experience a match at the magical stadium, including myself.  For those who have been to the Camp Nou on numerous occasions, perhaps the magic aura of the Camp Nou has rubbed off and it is just another stadium to them. So is that selfishness on our part not to have a new stadium built? Probably yes. However, I also have a tough time believing a new stadium is really needed. The current Camp Nou holds 99,000 seats and supposedly the new stadium will have 10,000 additional seats and of course, the ever so important VIP seats. However, the club only averages close to 75,000 fans in attendance so what guarantee is there that the new stadium will have more fans? Will there be more amenities?

If the club is averaging close to 75,000 fans to see one of a kind amazing talent such as Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and company, then I shudder to think what will happen in the new stadium when most of these players will be done with football and working on their golf games or working on their coaching badges.

The Camp Nou is not only the home of the football team, but it also contains the club’s offices, the Botiga – Official Barça shop, and the FC Barcelona Museu, the club’s museum. In the end, money talks, especially under this president who wants to make the club more fiscally responsible. However, I don’t know if spending 600 million euros for a new stadium is the right approach. The New York Yankees decided to leave their own Camp Nou and built a new Yankees stadium and some would say that the move has not been as successful with overpriced seats, empty seats, and a lackluster fan atmosphere that no longer intimidates opposing teams.

In my opinion, you can’t replace a landmark. VIP boxes area a great idea and great source of income but with the current state of the Spanish economy is going, what guarantee is there that those seats will be sold off to corporations since they are the ones who usually buy those types of seats and US teams suffered during the poor economy because companies couldn’t afford those tickets. Also, if the club is not selling out every match now with this great team, then what guarantee that a new stadium with 10,000 additional seats will have a higher attendance? By the time this stadium is built, the great era of this team might be over so fans won’t be paying to watch the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, and perhaps even Messi. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. However, if minor repairs are needed, then renovate.

In the end, the fans will have the final say on what should happen. Part of me wants to have the club remain at the holy grounds of the Camp Nou and part of me thinks that the club should always be proactive and reactive to change such as modern facilities and modern approaches in how a club should be run. So if you’re still waffling on when to go to the Camp Nou, you might want to do it sooner than later because it seems that the Camp Nou days are coming to an end.