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Much was anticipated and suggested on the July 20, 2011 when Udinese starlet Alexis Sanchez turned down Manchester United to join FC Barcelona. He was well hyped, as any prospective Catalan player would, with many pundits suggesting that he would be an able deputy to Barca hit man Lionel Messi. His transfer was worth €26 million (plus €11m in certain bonuses), thus making him the first Chilean to ever play on the Camp Nou pitch.
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“He can play in all three attacking positions, he shows intense defensive skills, he’s direct and from what I’ve been told, he’s a very nice kid,” is what the then manager Pep Guardiola had said to the press. Expectations were extremely high.
Fast forward to January 2014, and the Chilean lives up to every notion that Guardiola used for him. When Lionel Messi was sidelined for two months following his match against Real Betis, many anticipated the eerie return of the end of last season, when Barcelona lost to Real Madrid and were humbled by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. It was well anticipated that even the arrival of Neymar hadn’t removed the so called ‘dependence on Messi’ by the Catalan club. Coach Tata Martino asked his boys to step it up a notch, and rallied his men for further Liga and Champions League encounters. Victory was all they needed, and without any doubt, they got it.
In the 2013-14 La Liga season, Alexis Sanchez has netted 11 goals in 14 appearances, and was Barcelona’s top scorer this season along with fellow winger Pedro, until his position was re-occupied by none other than Lionel Messi, who scored 2 goals within a span of 2 minutes, in his return match against Getafe. Sanchez has also provided 5 assists this season, which is remarkable.
One would ask, how come a player who was extremely low profile and inconsistent until last season start scoring so freely and play exceeding everyone’s expectations? The answers are many. The purchase of Neymar, which was well anticipated, sent shockwaves through the global football fraternity, as the best upcoming talent in football belonged to the Camp Nou dressing room. Rumor mills started to churn, with reports suggesting that either of Sanchez or Pedro would be on their way out. However, none took place.
After the injury of Messi, when the players were asked to step up, it was understood that Fabregas would play as a Center Forward/False Nine and Neymar would cover the left flank while Sanchez/Pedro would cover the right. This was juggled around a lot by Martino, who once played Neymar in a central role, causing him to score a hat-trick in the 6-1 rout of Celtic. Fabregas, as always, impressed in this role too, scoring many crucial and beautiful goals. But, the spotlight had fallen on Alexis Sanchez, who, after scoring his delightful and incredible chip against Real Madrid that sent Diego Lopez making an acrobatic jump, announced his presence and skill in FC Barcelona.
It would be wise to assume that competition for a berth in the Starting XI brought out the best in Alexis Sanchez, who had to fight with Pedro, Neymar and Cristian Tello for a spot in the team, rather than warming the bench. He has impeccably picked up where he left off at the end of last season, and as of now has created his own comfort level with the Catalans. He knows what is expected of him as a Barcelona player and that phase of him ‘learning’ and ‘settling in’ is now gone. While many thought he would be shown the door at the Camp Nou at the end of last season for his disappointing performances, the fans and the management supported him, unperturbed by the rumours and transfer bids.
From the beginning of the season, Alexis Sanchez has more or less found himself a berth in the starting XI. He has got the much needed flair and playing time, which was lacking last season as the then coach Tito Vilanova had to choose between Iniesta, Villa, Pedro, Sanchez and Tello for deployment on the wings. Interestingly, his roles and positions changed a lot last season. He didn’t quite have a permanent position to focus and play on. With him tormenting defenses on the right flank this season, he has left no room for doubt that he will be Barcelona’s first choice Right Winger in games to come.
He worked a lot on the pitch last season, gave it a lot, but the efforts didn’t quite pay off. He kept his cool and kept on working, and the same continued this season too. And Sanchez scoring the first few goals of the season got the ball rolling for him. He got the much needed confidence, the basic necessity of any professional footballer. Coming to the current season, one can observe that he takes his chances more and more, buys the ticket and more than once has won the raffle.
In his first two seasons with the Catalans, Sanchez was used on a rotation basis, and more of a defensive winger, somewhat like Antonio Valencia, rather than an offensive winger, which he is being used upon as now. Tata Martino has successfully managed to instill the confidence in him, which was utterly lacking. He has emerged as one of the central figures in FC Barcelona, and when he steps on the pitch, you know what to expect.
Alexis Sanchez has finally arrived in Barcelona, lads, and he is here to stay.
