F.C Barcelona — How to become a giant once again
A once behemoth club in world football, Barcelona’s slide from prominence was cemented in their recent 8–2 demolition by Bayern Munich in this year’s Champions League quarter final tie. This was only the tip of the iceberg for the club’s failures over the last 3 years, having a rather lacklustre time in both domestic and international competitions. Having allowed Roma and Liverpool to come back from impossible odds in their two previous Champions League outings, the club has been in decline ever since Neymar left the side for Paris Saint-Germain. There are a variety of reasons why the side is failing to maintain their previous success, but instead of looking at the glass half empty and identifying the reasons why, I believe it would make more sense to instead look at how the Catelonian club can bounce back and regain their throne as the most exciting club in world football.
1. Overhaul the Board
It is clear that the problems occurring at the football club are coming from the top. Barcelona’s President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has been in charge of the club from the start of 2014. Whilst there have been several highlights in that time period, including a Champions League and multiple league titles, this is due to Real Madrid’s transition post-Ronaldo and the management of the club since 2017 has still been questionable. The club doesn’t seem to have an idea of how to run, or how to replace its ageing players, or what formation to utilise.
In this time period, several major components of their early decade success have retired or moved on, but not one has been replaced. The players the club are bringing in are either in their prime or over 30, which then means they are both past their peak and close to retiring. The squad’s average age is increasing, and more and more youth players who could actually be integrated are being sold. For example, this summer’s swap deal of potential Xavi regen Arthur Melo (aged 24) being swapped for Juventus’ aging freekick specialist Miralem Pjanić (aged 30). Whilst the Bosnian is far from finished, his longevity is not guaranteed like the Brazilian’s.
Not only are their recruitment targets too old, but they don’t seem to fit the classic Barcelona system. Barcelona typically play a 4–3–3 set-up, with a holding midfielder, two creative lynchpins and two wide players supporting the striking focal point. Messi, similar to Wayne Rooney before him, has moved from the wing to the midfield, taking up Iniesta’s role of creator. Therefore, Barcelona need wingers. Whilst there has been a genuine attempt to fill this void (with Malcolm and Dembele’s signings), Coutinho’s best position is where Messi now occupies and Griezmann’s preferred position is similar. For the club to move forward, an election for President must be ran and Bartomeu must be relieved of his duty, with a suitable replacement lined up to focus on youth rather than Real Madrid-style ‘Galacticos’.
2. Appoint a Manager who can lead
Before Barcelona’s revival under Frank Rijkaard, the club burnt through 4 managers in 3 years at the start of the millennium. Clearly, there are high expectations, but they are failing to replicate their former glories with the current transfer policy and style of manager involved. This is because, like Newcastle United, the manager is becoming a yes man, and this effects the team negatively. To revolutionise the club, they need a manager with total unadulterated access to the club, and Barcelona must trust their appointment to rebuild.
In my mind, the club has two prime candidates to replace Setien with his imminent sacking. Firstly, there is former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who would be a great addition and is currently available. The fact he does not rely on chequebooks and has rebuilt other teams is perfect for what the club is aiming to do, with some bargain signings along the way. Plus the fact, his philosophy of high pressing and playing from the back is what Barcelona were famed for in their infamous 09–13 run of trophies. Finally, the fact he bloods young players and nurtures them into superstars, such as Harry Kane and Dele Alli at Tottenham, shows he trusts youth. However, this would not be a popular appointment, due to Pochettino’s connections to local rival RCD Espanyol.
The second, less likely appointment would be Ronald Koeman. Currently the manager of the Netherlands National Team, it is unlikely he would jump ship, especially one year before the suspected reset date for the 2020 World Cup. On the other hand, it would allow another to take his place and have a year to work with the squad, plus the fact the Dutchman was a popular player for the Spanish outfit means he would be the fan’s first choice. The only question mark would be whether he is the right man to lead the rebuild, since he has not had a rebuild of this size before, and at such a decorated team.
Finally, I would like to offer my dark horse candidates for the job. For these to work, I would install Xavi as this season’s interim manager, and even if there is a chance they do not make the Champions League places, I believe this transitional period may set up these targets perfectly. Firstly, the more believable would be Pep Guardiola. With his Manchester City contract running out in 2021, and his stint somewhat faltering at present, leaving the English club at his contract’s end would be a good way to part ways, especially if he can manage to clinch the Premier League or even the Champions League. Whilst it is uncertain whether he could replicate his success at the club, he is a manager who would have his say at the club. My final pick would be Belgium manager Roberto Martinez. After World Cup 2021, the former Everton man has the experience, and his style of play would be more suited to the Spanish giants than Koeman’s defensive setup. The main thing is that the manager must be both father and disciplinarian to the players, and not let the main stars run the show, as has been the case in recent years.
3. Get Rid of Expensive Deadwood
As addressed earlier, the last half a decade has saw Barcelona waste large amounts of money on players, with not one being an outstanding signing. Since 2015, the club has spent £800 million on 29 players, with their only expensive sale being Neymar’s world record transfer. These players are not bought to fit the system, but instead are brought in due to having stellar campaigns with their previous club. Why have Barcelona become a club who makes expensive signings? Surely La Liga rivals Real Madrid fit this bill?
In fact, bar a few major signings (such as Eden Hazard last summer), Real Madrid are making plays that Barcelona are famed for. For example, the current Spanish champions are buying young players for mostly under €50 million, and promoting players from their B team, with the bought players being integrated and the younger B team players gaining vital experience on loan. Using this method, they have won 3 Champions Leagues, 2 La Ligas and several domestic cups. Not only this, but if you look at their under 25 squad, it is better than most teams in the world, meaning the club has a secure future with a solid base for now.
Using Guardiola as the Barcelona standard, he would sign relatively young players who were yet to reach their peak for a reasonable price, and who he could nurture into stellar performers. For example, Pique and Dani Alves, two vital players during his era, were 25 or under when bought for less than €40,000,000 combined. This is how Real Madrid now operate, although they seem to sign more players than promote them. Looking at Barcelona in the last 5 years, they have signed major superstars who are all in their primes and therefore likely to be useful for a few years, and overpaid for each one, producing some of the most expensive signings in history. All this, whilst failing to have one academy graduate from the last 5 years starting, with the closest being Puig or Fati. This means the team has no solid base for now, and also has little future when 6 or 7 starting 11 players are over 30.
The answer is simple — the club needs to change their transfer strategy and offload the players who do not work. The club will not be able to make any marquee signings until they offload some of the deadwood, which may actually be a blessing in disguise. Barcelona have one of the highest wage lists compared to their revenue in world football, and this needs to be addressed. Players like Coutinho and potentially injury prone winger Dembele should be moved on, to fund moves for players who fit their system and are still young, allowing them time to integrate into the team. Whilst this may be hard due to the current pandemic, Coutinho’s wage should be covered whilst on loan at yet another club, whilst older players like Vidal and Suarez could be moved on to accommodate other players, such as Puig and Griezmann.
4. Promote Youth from La Masia Academy
La Masia, the Spanish club’s famed academy, has produced some of the best players of the last 20 years. Whilst a lot of these players came from the 2000s, even now you can see some of Barcelona’s former youth players being integral parts of good teams, such as the keeper Onana at Ajax and winger Traore at Wolves. The club has failed to implement youth players into their starting 11 since 2010, minus Sergi Roberto, who is percieved as one of the weak links in their current squad.
That is another problem with Barcelona — signing established players who have been at other clubs for a span of time means they cannot gain chemistry with their teammates, and instead of a team you have 11 individuals who do not know the system. Again comparing to Guardiola’s team, half of the team had grew together at the academy, and the other half were players who he trusted, occasionally adding the odd player who was young enough to adapt to his system. Therefore, the answer is obvious — the youth is key.
There are definitely players coming up who deserve their chance to break into the first team, such as midfielder Puig and winger Ansu Fati. Barcelona also have made several smart acquisitions, such as centre-midfielder De Jong, centre-back Lenglet and left-back Firpo. The way the team is currently performing, these players and other younger players should be experimented with, and certain underperforming older individuals should become less regular starters in order to give the youth experience. For example, Puig should be in over Vidal, Griezmann should be the starting striker over Suarez and Fati should start over Sergi Roberto. More and more academy players should be promoted when older players are shipped off, meaning Barcelona can balance the books easier whilst also allowing academy products to develop in their system.
The most successful manager in the club’s history, Pep Guardiola, followed the club’s blueprint set down by Johan Cruyff, but was given the freedom to both make sensible signings and trust the La Masia academy products to be integral cogs to his system. The next manager must have the same freedom to make his mark.
5. Be Patient
The key to all of this working is patience — this is not a job doable in a season. At present, the philosophy seems to rely on Messi, but he is 33 and needs players capable of magic as well. This change has happened over time, with Barcelona relying on his individual brilliance rather than a team effort. To remedy this, the coach will need at least a couple of seasons to acquire the right type of players to take the burden off his shoulders. Looking back, Barcelona had players like Sanchez, Neymar, Pedro and prime Suarez who could produce quality. However, who in that team can drag their teammates over the line now?
Whilst it is not common at big clubs now, the manager must be allowed time to slowly improve the core of the team. Look at Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure as Man United manager. He joined in 1986, and they failed to win a trophy for four years. They did not set the world alight, and he could easily have been let go. In spite of this, they stuck with him, and now he is the most successful British manager in history. The same could be said with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, who had an even harder rebuild than Barcelona have currently. In his first season, he finished 8th and got to the Europa League final, but that is certainly not what Liverpool fans expect from their club. Now, he has finished in at least the top 4 in his last 4 seasons, winning and being runners up of both the Premier League and Champions League and has built arguably the best team currently in world football.
Whoever takes over, the new board must realise that integrating the youth players and gradually signing promising youngsters will take a while. Not finishing in the top 4 or not doing well in the cups does not matter, as long as there is promise on the field and the morale and confidence returns in the ranks.
Will this work?
The short answer — it has to. The club’s greatest ever player, Messi, will most likely retire within 3 years. The cracks that have been appearing in the club for several years have been papered over by the Argentine’s unbelievable ability, but Barcelona have no identity. The new board must appoint a manager with a long term plan and experience with rebuilding, and this manager has to offload flops and prioritise youth. The most important thing is that the right managerial appointment is made, as this man will shape the club’s destiny.
Would this team even be in the top 10 of world football if it was not for Messi? What style do they play? Who breaks the lines and links the different areas of the pitch? These questions need to be answered, otherwise the club will become yet another fallen giant, like AC Milan’s slump down Serie A.
