It is really hard to remember the last time Barcelona were looking into the new season with so many question marks over their head, probably not since Pep Guadiola was first appointed coach. Since then, Barcelona had two mini cycles. First was defined by Pep's legacy, in which the late Tito Vilanova managed to win the title but subsequently failed to repeat that level of performance in the Champions league, whilst dealing with a life threatening disease. Last season Tata Martino made a huge leap away from the Barcelona that was lauded as the 'best Barca team in history', installing new ideas … [Read more...]
GUEST POST: FC Barcelona – what went wrong this season
Despite the current media and pundit narrative, this season isn’t Barcelona’s Waterloo. Yes, the team lost the Copa Del Rey to Real Madrid, crashed out of the Champion’s League, and barring a miracle won’t win the league. However, taking a realistic view of this season, Barca’s results seem appropriate. Last year the team effectively had two managers as Tito fought his battle with cancer and before that, they lost arguably the best coach of the modern era after a historic four year run. With the hiring of Gerardo Martino this past summer, Barcelona is on its fourth coach in the last three … [Read more...]
What’s the future for Barcelona?
Barcelona are still reeling from the news that they have been handed a 14 month transfer embargo by FIFA. They have announced an appeal, but could this be turning into an annus mirabilis for Tata Martino's team, and if so how will they cope with it? Barcelona were always seen as being above the temptations that other teams succumbed to. They didn't chase sponsorship, instead supporting Unicef on the front of their shirts. They weren't interested in corporate Euros. The club was run by fans, and was famous for their spirit of fair play. They were, to coin their immortal phrase, more than a … [Read more...]
Martino Jumps To Messi’s Defence
Barcelona boss Tata Martino has jumped to the defence of star player Lionel Messi, saying that recent criticism had affected his confidence. Messi has experienced, by his incredibly high standards, a crisis of late. Famed for his dribbling and finishing, he hadn't scored a La Liga goal from open play since September of last year. A recurrent hamstring injury accounted for two of those months, but some fans, from Barcelona and beyond, were questioning if he would get back to his best. A double blow came last month, when Messi missed out on the Ballon D'or to his arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo, … [Read more...]