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Barcelona have witnessed a gradual changing of the guard over the last few years.
From iconic players such as Xavi and Iniesta to a spectrum of managers from Guardiola to Valverde, the vicissitudes have been ineluctable even though it has been gradual.
History shows it took some time to reestablish order from Cryuff’s dream team to Pep’s magicians. The Catalan giants are on another crest of upheaval.
Over the period, the famed playbook of the Camp Nou has relatively adhered to the Barca football philosophy, although the ‘Tiki-Taka’ days are in the past. The much-acclaimed possession-based football has given way to a more dynamic and physical approach. The acquisitions of Paulinho last year and Vidal this season represent an ecdysis of the old enchantment with a continual circulation of football. The personnel are different so the strategy is different too.
Transfer roulette
The Catalans giants have garnered much revulsion and criticism with regards to their transfer tactics over the summer. Scuppering the seemingly done deals for Vidal (Inter) and Malcom (Roma) have put the spotlight firmly on their transfer conduct. The stratagems have certainly knocked some of the gloss that the club is usually accorded.
Brazilian midfielder Arthur scored a stunning debut goal against and looked at home in a Barca shirt. He completed the entire game against Milan to get more miles under his belt. New signing Malcom also impressed against Spurs and got a goal against Roma. He looks energetic and boisterous on the wings.
Arturo Vidal signing has attracted some stinging criticism owing to his age and injury record. He has just recuperated from a grueling 4-month injury layoff. However, Vidal comes with rich experience having won league titles in Italy, Germany, and Chile. He brings much-needed steel and nous to the young midfield bereft of Paulinho and Iniesta.
New €35.9 million signing from Sevilla, Clement Lenglet will provide defensive cover. The French centre-back has a release clause of €300 million which reflect how much the club hierarchy values him. Senegalese fullback Moussa Wague also joins the club backline after eye-catching World Cup displays.
Andres Iniesta, the darling of the fans has finally left Camp Nou. He will ply his trade for the Japanese club Vissel Kobe for the next 3 years. After a glittering and trophy-laden spell at his mother club, he leaves an unmatched legacy as its second most capped player (674). In the likes of Hulk, Torres and Podolski, all currently located in the land of the rising sun, he does have a few familiar faces to look forward too.
Javier Mascherano also called it quits to his scintillating spell at Barcelona. He now plays for Chinese Super League side Hebei Fortune having literally played all across the defense and midfield lines, his gumption and sacrifice will be difficult to replace.
Paulinho joins Mascherano in China. His industry and goals had won the Barca fans over after a frosty beginning last season. He returns to his former CSL club Guangzhou Evergrande.
Aleix Vidal has left the club after joining in 2015. Vidal found it impossible to break into Barcelona’s first team with only 51 appearances.
Balancing the books
Barcelona's new signings have had encouraging showings in the preseason. However, there remains a nagging problem of the quota of foreign players in the team. La Liga rules direct that a club can have only three non-EU players in their books. Barca currently has six. The axe has to fall.
New arrivals Arthur, Vidal and Malcom are immune to such consideration. Coutinho is the much-vaunted replacement for Iniesta and a vital cog in the whole machinery. He has even applied for a dual-citizenship of Portugal and is confident of getting it approved before the new season gets underway.
Luis Suarez has an Italian wife and acquired the same benefit in 2014. Rafinha has also returned from his loan spell at Inter amid overtures from Tottenham and Fenerbahce.
This leaves Marlon and Yerry Mina surplus to requirements. With Everton’s fresh overtures for Mina and Lyon in reported pursuit of Marlon, all could be resolved before the first ball is kicked on the pitch.
Expected lineup
Germany international Marc-Andre ter Stegen will retain his number one spot in goal for Barca. The rearguard too is likely to see the regulars in Alba, Pique, Umtiti and Sergi Roberto. Sergio Busquets will again assume the role of the fulcrum. Ivan Rakitic and Vidal will occupy the right and left central midfield spots.
Brazilian international Philippe Coutinho will be afforded more attacking freedom in the forward line. Obviously, Luis Suarez will take the striker’s role. That just leaves Leo Messi to grace the line up again with a license to thrill.
The likes of Ousmane Dembele (if he stays), Rafinha, Malcom, Lenglet and Arthur Melo will likely occupy the bench as the new season rolls on.
Tactical overhaul
Much has changed from the hypnotic possession-based football under Pep. The rapier-like counter-attacks with MSN under Enrique and improved tactical awareness under Valverde has brought an intriguing change to the Barca playbook.
Last season, the directness in offence led to goals galore (99 in the league). There were crucial goals from set pieces as well. Obviously, the goals were aplenty under Enrique too but Valverde has brought in a harmony of attack with defensive frugality. The stability in structure resulted in 19 clean sheets.
For a decade, Barcelona has employed 4-3-3 formation under Pep, Tito and Enrique but it has been superseded by 4-2-3-1, aiding their pressing intent. In other words, it is more like a defensively solid form of 4-3-3.
Valverde’s Barca represents an amicable syncretism between Pep’s and Enrique’s ethos. Speed has been replaced with precision and potency has been ceded for more control. Valverde has annealed the teamplay into a more mature and rounded form, relative to the gung-ho trail-blazing trident under Enrique.
Messi, however, remains the creative catalyst of Valverde's Barcelona. Having hugged the right wing under Luis Enrique, Messi comes alive at the heart of what is essentially a 4-4-2 system in attack. It helps Messi to float behind the two strikers and affect games from deeper positions.
Messi’s playmaking ability is often overlooked behind the penumbra of his dribbling or goal-scoring prowess. Since football is all about space, he can thrive in this enhanced wriggle room to cause panic in the opponents’ ranks. The grit in midfield will only be reinforced through the signing of Vidal. Moreover, either of Busquets and Rakitic is perfectly stationed behind Messi in order to intercept or break up opposition’s play and ping more passes to spring up counter-attacks. The full backs can bomb up and down the flanks and Suarez can find more pockets to exploit up top.
The shock departure of Neymar last season has brought more balance and restraint. This season, Rakitic, Busquets, Coutinho and Vidal are expected to morph into a more narrow formation, further battening down the defensive hatches.
Xavi and Iniesta had their age of dominance. Without them, the erstwhile ‘Barca style’ seems both illogical and nigh impossible to execute. MSN also had their heyday and now only Messi remains in the same vein of form. Obviously, we all dread the coming of the day when Messi finally draws the curtain over his Catalan spectacle. Until then we celebrate his genius and hopefully witness another glorious chapter of the beautiful game.
The changing of the guard often crystallizes with periods of barren and arduous returns. Therefore the league success last season was even more impressive. The insertion of players such as Arturo Vidal, Coutinho and even Pogba (potentially) is symptomatic of a transmutation.
But, there is the change, the acceptance of the change and then the management of it. It remains to be seen how the Catalan faithful respond to the call for continued belief in a season where the metamorphosis finally culminates.
