Is it time to end the Diego Costa Experiment?

With only a handful of matches with the Spanish national team, is it time for Vicente Del Bosque to end the Diego Costa experiment? There clearly is a clash of styles and one has to wonder if Costa’ presence is a hindrance on the team as they plan on getting over their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward that many teams would be lucky to have. He commands the attention of opposing team defenders and is the type of player you would rather have on your team than face. In other words, you’d hate him if he was on any other team except your own. Nevertheless, it seems that Spain and Diego Costa are not hitting on all cylinders which is perhaps a sign that this experiment was not meant to be.

Diego Costa’s inclusion to the Spanish national team prior to the 2014 World Cup seemed like a masterstroke by Del Bosque. He managed to obtain the services of one of the most dangerous forwards in the game and at the time same, deprive a contender of his services. One has to wonder what might have happened if that was Diego Costa out there, and not Fred, playing for Brazil this past summer. However, one team’s loss was not another team’s gain.

Diego Costa, along with many other players representing Spain, suffered a grueling a domestic campaign that saw Atlético Madrid capture the league title and make it to the Champions League final. However, Diego Costa was forced to leave the pitch in two pivotal matches at the end of the season, very early into the game, because of injuries. It was no surprise that he was a non-factor for Spain at the World Cup afterwards. Yet, watching Costa play for Spain is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

As I indicated before, he has played a handful of matches for Spain. However, in the five matches he has played he has failed to score and quite frankly offer anything. To be fair, Diego Costa did indicate that he needs to adapt to the team’s style.  Del Bosque also indicated that the team must connect with him.  However, that train of thought is hurting Spain’s progress from their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward as evidenced by his four goals already with Chelsea in just three matches. He has shined under Diego Simeone and is likely to do well for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. However, those two managers are known for relying on a style of football that is quite the contrast that Spain has relied on over the years. The two styles cannot mesh together and deliver a beautiful product.

Thus, it’s time for Del Bosque to admit defeat and pull the plug on this experiment.  He does not have to drop Costa off the team but perhaps he can bring him on as a plan B substitute much like he used Llorente against Portugal in World Cup 2010. Speaking of Llorente, what happened to him and why does Del Bosque not even call him anymore is another mystery in itself.  One mystery at a time, but the solution to what’s ailing Spain was shown in their victory over Macedonia.

Spain just needs to go back to basics and rely on players who can move around the pitch in a way that gets teams dizzy. False number nine or not, their style is only suited for those who can adapt to it. Diego Costa’s style is more suitable for the direct approach which clashes with this style and hence it cannot work. Even though Metallica managed to make heavy metal and symphony orchestra work, you cannot expect it to work all the time. That is why Del Bosque needs to do away with the Diego Costa experiment and stick with what made this team successful in the first without experimenting.

Luis Enrique’s First Big Test Arrives.

Well, Luis Enrique’s era as Barça manager has gotten off to a perfect start by sitting atop of the league standings. Barça are the only team to win their first two matches of the season but with the international break coming to an end, Luis Enrique will now encounter his first big test as Barça manager.

So far, things are going alright for Luis Enrique. His faith in the Barça B players and bench players has come in handy as he deals with numerous starters suffering injuries. Munir has stepped in adequately into the starting lineup and Sandro came off the bench to score the only goal in their victory over Villarreal. We will see how long he will continue to rely on these young players when the likes of Neymar and Suarez are fit for action in the near future.  The international break provided Luis Enrique with a superb opportunity for the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Pique, Ter Stegen and Vermaelen to recover from injuries or knocks by staying home and not be subjected to international duty full of additional wear and tear.

Luis Enrique will need all his players healthy due to the upcoming brutal schedule. Barça are set to play six matches in the next three weeks. This means that there will be limited rest for the players as they recuperate on a few days rest between matches. One can only hope that Luis Enrique will juggle lineups to keep everyone fresh as they embark on the 2014-2015 UEFA Champions League campaign while trying to remain league leaders.

This weekend will see the Blaugrana host Athletic on the 13^th which will be no walk in the park between two teams playing in this season’s Champions League. Following this clash of Champions League teams, Barça will kick off their Champions League campaign when they host Cyprus side APOEL on the 17^th. Barça will then switch their attention to back to back away fixtures to Levante on the 21st and then Malaga on the 24^th.  The month then concludes with the Blaugrana hosting Granada on the 27th before traveling to France to face Paris Saint-Germain on the 30^th.

As clearly shown, that’s a lot of games and traveling and not enough time for rest and recovery for the players. Luis Enrique’s first test will be how he handles this month. Will he 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? This test will show us if Luis Enrique can handle the demands of this job and for the sake of the Blaugrana faithful, we hope he can.

International break a blessing in disguise.

Once again, the poorly timed international break is forced upon us by FIFA. Countries playing in meaningless friendlies just two weeks after the domestic leagues have started never ceases to rile up club supporters. It disrupts the rhythm of the players getting used to playing with new teammates or under a new manager, or in Barça’s case, both. It also can lead to injuries which impacts the clubs they play for. For once however, this international break came at a good time for Barça.

Usually, the international break usually means Barça see their players coming back from international duty full of extra wear and tear along with some small knocks or serious injuries. However, this time around, a few Barça players were knocked out of representing their national teams because of pre-existing injuries. Messi suffered a hamstring injury against Villarreal while Iniesta has some discomfort in his knee, Ter Stegen is recovering from a back injury, Pique isn’t 100% fit and is feeling some discomfort while Vermaelen is on his road to recovery from his thigh injury. With Barça’s next game in another week, this week off has been a blessing for them to recuperate.

Barça’s next match is at home to the ever dangerous Athletic Bilbao on September 13. For those who are hurt or recovering from small knocks, this week off is a godsend. Barça are off to a perfect start to their league campaign while their arch-rivals Real Madrid already sputtered by losing 4-2 to Real Sociedad. Barça will need their best players to beat Athletic, who are considered one of the best teams to fight for a Champions League spot after finishing 4th last season and qualifying to this year’s Champions League group stages.

With Barça set to play 6 matches in 3 weeks, this extra rest will come in handy. They face Athletic on the 13th, kick off their Champions League campaign at the Camp Nou against APOEL on the 17th, play away to Levante on the 21st and also Malaga on the 24th, host Granada on the 27th before concluding the month with a trip to France to face PSG. Not a lot of rest between games so Luis Enrique will have his work cut out for him and a well-rested and healthy squad is clearly beneficial for him. The only concern is that we hope that this break does not result in injuries to the current Barça players representing their countries. The FIFA Transfer ban is in effect so it’s either stay healthy or rely on the Barça B players for Luis Enrique. Fingers crossed we have all the players healthy for this month.

What Next For Barça After Transfer Ban Upheld.

Yet another appeal for Barça. Barça seems to be as busy on the pitch as they are off the pitch. Last week, FIFA rejected FC Barcelona’s transfer ban appeal regarding the transfers of youth players into La Masia. The punishment was that the team could not sign players for two transfer windows. Thus, Barça risk the chance of not signing any new players next season which makes you wonder why didn’t they plan ahead and do more this transfer window.

Last Wednesday, FIFA made the decision to maintain their original decision of banning Barça from signing new players. This stems from FIFA’s decision back in April to ban Barça, and the RFEF, after they ruled that both had “violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club, as well as other relevant regulations with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in national competitions. The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”

I won’t waste much time arguing FIFA’s position. I don’t think these kids are subjected to child slavery by being a part of La Masia. Also, it does seem silly that FIFA cares for children playing at academies but at the same time, do not seem to care for the children of those men who have died building World Cup stadiums and those children who work in awful conditions making shoes and kits that are worn by players for their football clubs and countries.

Barça dropped the ball in the way they handled this issue from the beginning till now. They probably should have hired a very good law firm to help them with the initial inquiry and followed up to see if it was adequate. Also, Barça claimed that they were expecting the appeal to be turned down. If so, then why are they putting all their eggs in one basket by relying on the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn this decision and risk being shut out from signing new players?

Court of Arbitration for Sport already heard one appeal recently when they refused to reduce Luis Suarez’s FIFA four month ban; just eliminated the ridiculous “no football activity” ban. So I don’t like Barça’s chances in getting this ban overturned; perhaps reduced to one transfer window but I don’t like Barça’s chances in getting a complete overturn. Thus, there is the risk of signing new players in the future.

Which is why I am a bit disappointed, but not surprised, at the way the club has conducted itself this transfer window. I was expecting many players to leave and so far, that has happened with Alex Song and Dani Alves the only ones that have yet to find new teams. Alex Song won’t feature in any league matches for Luis Enrique as the club tries to offload him but Dani Alves seems to be sticking around partially because of lack of interest.

Of course, the Barça board promised change and with it, came many new faces. Barça’s new additions are Marc-André ter Stegen, Ivan Rakitić, Claudio Bravo, Luis Suárez, Jérémy Mathieu, Thomas Vermaelen along with former Barça B players coming back from loan Gerard Deulofeu, Rafinha. I don’t consider players coming back from loan as new signings although the Barça board deemed them as “signings”.  Ultimately, the list of new players is a mixed bag in terms of impressing me. Only Marc-André ter Stegen and Ivan Rakitić were the ones I was hoping for.

Since he is a Barça player now, I will hope that Suárez will come through and be an important player in the attack up front with Messi and Neymar along with not losing his cool and doing something stupid. The disappointment of going from seeing the club linked with the likes of Laporte and Marquinhos and then signing Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen while being also linked to Brazilian fullback Douglas is not exactly up lifting.

If Barça do end up being hit with the transfer ban, the team will have to rely on these players to defend the club’s backline for more than one year. Pique, Bartra, Mascherano, Mathieu and Vermaelen as our centerbacks with Dani Alves, Montoya, Jordi Alba and Adriano as our fullbacks is not exactly reassuring. Then again, this is the club that thought Alex Song was going to be a good signing. The most frustrating thing about all of this is the club not signing players on sign and loan deals in case the ban is not overturned. Instead, they now have to rush to finish these sorts of deals, if they want to, with a few days left in the transfer window.

Hopefully the likes of Ié and Bagnak and others from Barça B will get to their chances to play with the first team as Munir did this past weekend. If the ban is to remain in place, then Barça will have to rely on their youth and with Luis Enrique in charge, one can hope that the former Barça B manager will rely on them a whole lot more than his predecessor, with and without the transfer ban. Barça have always relied on La Masia as the backbone of their team and now, La Masia will have to be relied on more than ever.

Direction of Oranje under Hiddink?

With Guus Hiddink now in charge of the Dutch team for the next two years,what will the direction of this team be when he hands over the reins to Danny Blind. Will he be able to get them ready to win Euro 2016 or will he be laying the ground work for World Cup 2018?

• By Ibrahim Ayyub
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Guus Hiddink announced his first Netherlands squad recently and it did not contain any big surprises. All the usual suspects were back along with players such as Gregory van der Wiel and Rafael van der Vaart who missed out on the last World Cup because of injuries. Yet, is this the correct approach to move this team forward by still relying on the old guard?

With Euro 2016 two years away and Holland’s first match under Hiddink set for September 3rd in a friendly against Italy, is it not time to start planning ahead for World Cup 2018 and start relying on younger players? Vorm, Verhaegh, van der Vaart, Sneijder, Robben, Kuyt, van Persie, and Huntelaar are all 30 or older and were called up for the Italy friendly. They won’t be any younger in two years and one wonders how many can be still effective in four years’ time.

The team seems to be in safe hands when it comes to goalkeepers. Fortunately, the biggest concern I had of the Oranje prior to the World Cup, was how their young defenders would do. Low and behold, they managed to do well in the presence of 29 year old Vlaar. The midfield though still seems reliant on the old guard if Sneijder and van der Vaart are still getting called up. Sneijder had a horrible World Cup while Memphis Depay was introduced to the world as an up and coming star. One can hope that the likes of Kevin Strootman and Stijn Schaars can overcome their injuries and return to form and get called up for the Oranje along with Adam Maher if he can get back on track and live up to expectations. There’s also van Ginkel if he can ever find playing time so the midfield seems to be well stacked for years to come if the time comes to bid the veterans goodbye.

Up front is another story altogether. I don’t expect Kuyt to be starting in Euro 2016 but then again, he is like the Energizer Bunny and just keeps going and going. Robin van Persie, Huntelaar and Robben are all in the 30 age group. Robben shines for both club and country while van Persie never did perform well enough for the Oranje to be enshrined with the greats such as Cruyff, Rensenbrink, van Basten, Gullit or Bergkamp when it comes to scoring in knockout stages of competitions. Moreover, Huntelaar just never got enough starts to prove himself in these tournaments as he has for Schalke. Unfortunately, it appears that the youth movement in this area is basically slim pickings.

Besides Jermaine Lens, the pick of the litter is rather unimpressive. Ricky van Wolfswinkel doesn’t seem worthy of being called up while the jury is still out on the likes of Luuk de Jong, Luc Castaignos, Jürgen Locadia, Ola John, Quincy Promes, Jean-Paul Boëtius. None of them stood out like Huntelaar did at the youth level and the only other Dutchman to be top scorer of the Dutch League since 2008 was Bas Dost and he too is playing in Germany. Which one of these men will be leading the charge in four years’ time?

The Netherlands is a small country compared to its footballing rivals but they always find a way to stay competitive. The road ahead is uncertain but this nation always finds a way to get it done. Euro 2016 is only two years away so some of these veterans can help them win this title for the first time since Euro 88. However, would that serve a proper purpose or would it better to start relying on the youth to prepare them for the World Cup in four years’ time? One hopes that Hiddink lays the ground work for Blind when he takes over in two years and not have Blind go through this situation with only two years to prepare. At least I will end this on a positive note, and that is there is hope.

Xavi Must Embrace New Role.

The hearts of the Blaugrana faithful were relieved when Xavi announced that he would be staying with Barça. It has been a very difficult season for Xavi who found himself on the bench for both club and country at the bitter end of both campaigns. As Barça enter a new era, Xavi must also come to grips to his role with the club as the leader, on the pitch and on the bench.

I was very glad, and so were many others, about Xavi staying with Barça and not heading off to the Middle East or the Big Apple.  His recent press conference indicated his frustration and disappointment of how last season ended coupled with the unpleasant World Cup that ensued right afterwards. One can’t blame him for thinking about leaving the club after last season. Yet, he made the right choice by not leaving the team.

Back in December 2013, I discussed how the likes of Puyol and Xavi should see their minutes reduced in order to lengthen their careers and give more minutes for the younger players. Sadly, Puyol decided to retire at the end of last season and not subject himself to go through another season of pain and disappointment. Xavi now has to start accepting that his role with the Blaugrana will be different. He cannot play 60-70 matches a year anymore and be counted on to start in the big matches anymore. It wasn’t a surprise that he suffered a minor injury after a Barça friendly recently. In other words, he has to take it easy.

I am a still firm believer that Xavi should also start the occasional odd game. However, I think his importance can be parlayed into the role of that of a closer coming off the bench.  Xavi can still be an asset in games where Barça would require his presence to protect a lead with his calming influence and control in the final 15-20 minutes of a match. That would not interfere with Barça’s philosophy that a good defense is a good offense and having his presence on the pitch to keep things from not going out of hand would be a smart move by Luis Enrique.

Furthermore, Xavi can also influential to the players as a leader, now that Puyol and Valdés have left the club. Xavi is now the father figure for the players and a mentor to the new and young midfielders too. The big question is whether Xavi can accept that role or will he opt to exit the club the winter. One can hope that Xavi remains with the club because legends like him should retire as a Barça player and not for another team.

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.