Blame me for being a romantic cule , but what I always thought set us Barca fans apart from ordinary mortals was that they followed a team that not only won games and trophies but did so in a way that was exemplary in terms of solidarity, creativity, and general human conduct- it is what makes FC Barcelona mes que un club.
Of late, I am struggling to retain this sense of association. Not only does the politics of the club seemed characterised by egos – witness the totemic refusal of Johan Cruyff to attend the Barca-Ajax match at the Nou Camp-but there seems also to be a distinct lack of transparency and accountability behind Sandro Rosell’s key decisions, from the club’s ongoing relations with Qatar to the transfer of Neymar and the choice of Tata Martino as coach, among other transfer decisions.
As for the team itself, I don’t what it is right now. Gone is the defining presence of Xavi and Iniesta in midfield, and that seamless transition play of fluid passing and interchangeable positions.Instead we are seeing long balls being played from the back with increasing frequency by a defence that is shambolic under pressure and would have conceded many more goals had it not been for Valdes making some spectacular saves. As for alternatives, we are expected to wait for Pujol’s mythical return as if he alone can provide redemption.
I hope that there is a method in the madness. Perhaps Tata is rotating more to ensure that key players do not reach the second half of the season exhausted. Certainly Pedro seems to be stimulated although both he and Ces seems happier playing for La Roja. There is an air of disfunctionality in the way that Barca currently plays which is worrying. The best one can say about Tata’s Barca at present, apart from the fact that it is scoring goals, is that it is unpredictable –and therefore difficult for the opposition to plan against- with even the brilliance of Neymar and Messi lacking consistency in when and how well it will manifest itself.
There are individual acts of genius, but a team ethos seems to be lacking . Barca is playing like Real Madrid, with a strong dose of Argentina.
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