We need good amount of squad depth, if we see all FC Barcelona main first team players are ageing almost 30 and no good back found yet in our first team and those who are there and have had shown the class, Valverde is not giving them enough time on field and I think that many will just leave the club one by one. My favourite Denis Suarez, he is a good class player and Valverde must and should give him enough playing time. Same goes with Paco, he is a good finisher but no playing time is making him dull. The important thing here is the rotation, Rotation of starting 11 must and should be there in FC Barcelona. Last season the main reason for quarterfinal defeat to AS Roma was that Valverde didn’t rotate the team against Leganes in a home game and the same rotation policy didn’t work in game against Levante when there was no need for important player to get rested, it was the second to last game of the season damn it. We all can argue that rotation policy will work only if your second choice player of that particular position is good enough to carry the team and for that they too those players need playing time. It’s not FIFA game that just put the players and push the start button, those players should have the mentality and form and the manager must show he believes throughout the season not just in the second last game of the season in an away game. Next season Valverde must try to give some playing time to youngsters and give rest to ageing key players. If we see our starting eleven, Messi – 30, Suarez – 30, Busquets – 29, Rakitic – 30, Iniesta – 34, Pique – 31 and Jordi Alba – 29, it will get over in maximum 2-3 seasons that time we just can’t buy players to play Barcelona way, we have to train them or if they are coming from La Masia then even better.
Who and Why
It’s time for some players to leave the club and for the club too to move on and find the next generation players who can carry forward the FC Barcelona legacy. A player like Gomes, who is my favourite and I always had a belief on him and we all know he got talent but he is not able to mould himself to Barcelona way, he is too slow to decide the pass, he is not agile enough for that one touch pass and move situation. Last season I remember all the team and Valverde gave all their support to him on the field and even in press conferences. For him, its time to move on now, a player of his quality must not suffer this way and because of that, he is not in Portugal World Cup squad. Next will be Deulofeu, the 24-year-old winger got talent and the best part is he is from La Masia but his work rate to be in the team is not correct. He lacks defensive qualities and most of the time makes the wrong decision for the final cross in the box. no doubt that he is fast and skilful and good in one on one situation but all this means nothing if u don’t cross the ball at the correct moment and to correct place. About Rafinha who is on loan at Inter, and the way he is been performing there I think its time for him to get regular playing minutes in Barcelona. He must discuss with Valverde about the playing time and depend on that only he should decide to stay or to leave Barcelona and it’s time for Valverde also to give him playing time after what he did in Inter in short time period. He can play in any midfield position that’s the plus point for him, he can cross, dribble pass players he can intercept the passes and got good long shot too. Aleix Vidal, he is a must sell player for FC Barcelona, he couldn’t fit and find his correct position in the team, is he a winger or a right back winger or a right back? he in last three season he is just confused and alone with him a must sell player is Douglas. When he went to Benfica for the loan, I had a hope that he will improve and learn because it’s Benfica the breeding ground for the South American player to lean European football style but he couldn’t. Talking about South American players the big Colombian Yerry Mina, he is yet to convince the team and to Valverde that he is Barcelona type. His performance against Levante, which Barcelona lost and ended the unbeaten run for them, was pathetic. He played 5 games in La-Liga starting 4 of them and 1 in CRD against Valencia. I think he shied get one more season to prove himself just like Varmaelen and Barcelona shouldn’t send him out n loan. Thomas Varmaelen stays all depends on the arrival of Lenglet from Sevilla, if the Frenchman arrive in Barcelona then its time for Varmaelen to leave the club. Same circumstances for Lucas Digne too, if Barcelona get good and a satisfying transfer bid from him then we must let him go and promote B team Marc Cucurella, he is a big favourite for me. He is just like Jodi Alba, Fast good engine and good crossing qualities. The keeper Cilessen, until we get a proper and good bid for him there is no way we will let him go, but a bit hard t keep a keeper of his quality and play him only 9-12 games per season and it’s all up to him too.
The Change
Let me start from Defence: As mention, the Frenchman Lenglet from Sevilla and B team Marc Cucurella will be a great addition. The most work need to be done is in midfield, the void left behind by Iniesta can’t be filled by any player in the footballing world that’s for sure but Coutinho will try that. Then a perfect replacement for Busquets for me will be 18 years old Oriol Busquets from B team but I think we should give him one more season to grow in B team and the arrival of 21-year-old Brazilian Arthur Melo will give Oriol Busquets a good time to develop. In addition to Arthur Melo, I think we must go for one more attacking midfield and this all depends on what Rafinha and Denis decision and promotion of Carles Aleñá from B team. In attack we need a good amount of money to invest, as of now the rumours is that Antoine Griezmann will join no doubt he is a world class player but for me, I think we going for the wrong Frenchman. I will go for my personal favourite and the player who can truly replace Luis Suarez in term of physical stature, speed, ball control, taking player one on one, aerial ability and with a plus point of being young which help him to learn and grow is Anthony Martial. The Manchester United player has been ignored enough and has refused to sign a new contract leaving him only 13 months to become a free agent and have tough competition after signing of Sánchez and potential signing of Bale from Real Madrid. He and Dembele will a speedy upfront along with Anthony Martial we must try to give enough playing time to B team player Arnaiz the 23-year-old centre-forward is a good fit for false 9 positions. The rumours which coming out of Barcelona boardroom is that they will try to sign back Thiago Alcantara from Bryan Munich which will not be easy if we see Bryan transfer policy, they are very quick and well planned whom to buy and who to sell. They do there shopping as quickly as possible in the transfer market, this time its getting delayed due to the manager position is not yet decided. So it will be along negotiation process with them if Barcelona really wants to go for Thiago Alcantara. The second major signing news is Eriksen, and the negotiation with Tottenham Chairman Mr Daniel Levy wouldn’t be easy since he is a hard negotiator, but this option is only if Barcelona fails to land Griezmann from Atletico Madrid.
At the end as Xavi mention recently, it’s all about winning Champions League for FC Barcelona which they are not able to and that too in Messi Era. For example, since the 2013/2014 season, Barcelona have earned 408m euros from player transfers, but have spent 765m on new signings, leaving a negative balance of 357m. In that same time period, Real Madrid has made 403m on player sales and paid only 461.5m on new signings, resulting in a negative balance of just 58.5m. I still remember the final of world cup winning Spain team in 2010, in the starting 11 of Spain team 7 were from FC Barcelona and out of 7, 6 from La Masia. Gone those days for FC Barcelona and Cruyff’s dream not because of the lack of talent but due to board policies toward La Masia kids. Less wage, No timely contract renewals, No playing time guaranty in the first team. As I have noticed and observed that the current board is willing to let go kids for the loan or sell them with buyback options to other LaLiga teams or to a different country league but what they don’t understand is the way of Barcelona playing style is different. Its style is Cruyff’s Total FootBall. I have hope on Jordi Cruyff if only he arrives in FC Barcelona as the sports manager.