Returning Messi to Barcelona would be a mistake
Xavi doesn’t need Messi on the pitch
Laporta has breathed in the credits and gone to scratch the heads of Barcelona fans who adore populism. Studies show that people love to be lied to. The previous sentence is written with malice. Perhaps there is no such study, perhaps Messi is not being returned. Then Laporta is lying to be loved and just believes it will work. Feeling euphoric. A dangerous feeling for an executive, talking about a “moral obligation” to Messi.
It is strange to make such statements if the Argentine is happy in Paris. So the words agree with the legend. Bad news for PSG and for Barcelona. Firstly, Messi has to be paid insane money again, and it remains to be seen how the loan scheme will affect the Catalan club. Secondly, Lionel has grown old and slow and is not needed in a team with Lewandowski in the center of attack. Dembele, Rafinha, Fathy and Depay are on the flanks. In the center Busquets, Kessier, De Jong, Gavi and Pedri, for the role of the third midfielder Messi also does not fit even in theory.
So why the statements? To please the public, because Laporta knows better than anyone what huge debts Barcelona has and how adventurous the current desperate transfer campaign is, built on the ability to say insincere things in the eyes and promise what is still doubtful – the success of Barcelona Xavi.
The Catalans have a luxurious squad
You don’t have to know a woman to like her. The naked beauty in this case is like an object of art. After the summer transfers, Barcelona’s lineup is like Bellucci in 1992, when Monica was the epitome of the concept of a woman with the settings turned up to maximum. But it is possible that the image of the Italian beauty and her as a person are different. And this is where love, or the lack thereof, comes in.
Perhaps Monica isn’t an angel at all, and Barcelona won’t play the way we expect. Baby Javi is like the ugly handsome Vincent Cassel, who had to live with Monica, get to know her unadorned. On your gadget screens you see a team with a horde of central defenders now. Kunde is like a new Puyol, because he plays in the center, on the right and in the middle of the field, backs up his partners, drops below everyone in the line. Next to Araujo, one of the fans’ favorites in the last difficult season. Then there’s Christensen, Garcia, Mingesa and Pique. Together you get six men, two sets for a scheme with three centers.
In midfield, Kessier and Nico Gonzalez, Xavi even got Pjanic. In the attack, there is also a lot of choice, even in the position of central striker, given the role of Depay in recent years – a four to choose from with the clear favorite. The list of players allows us to include Barcelona in the lists of grands with the most varied squad. But let’s take a critical look, as Xavi himself likes to do.
The rebuilding hasn’t started yet
How does Laporta answer questions about parting ways? Money is needed like air, and at the end of July, Braithwaite, Pjanic, Griezmann and De Jong are under contract. “Atletico did not buy Antoine, although there was an option. “Bayern” is in no hurry to pay huge money for De Jong, although the Dutchman in Catalonia is persuaded to give up almost half of his salary. Similar requests for veterans have already led to local conflicts.
Barcelona has launched fireworks and scattered confetti, but this is not a trophy celebration. Dembele can be brilliant for a couple of sparring games and then end up in the infirmary for half the season. Poor Fati won’t be bulletproof if handed the captain’s armband for one match. Busquets is 34 years old. Dangerous and put him in reserve, making up the center three of Kessier, Pedri and De Jong, it is illogical to ignore any of the three for Sergio’s sake. And then there’s Gavi and Nico.
The stories of Messi and Suarez just showed that Barcelona doesn’t know how to say goodbye. Expect an unpleasant parting with Depay, an unclear attitude towards Ferran Torres in the future. The expensive newcomer may not find a place in the base, there will be a new Coutinho. “The Brazilian went to Aston Villa for a ridiculous 20 million euros, and Trincan was loaned out for three, although he was paid 31. Laporta pretends that there were no crazy expenses, which is not true.
The club is embarrassed by transfer sums
The situation is comical, Barcelona asks Bayern not to coddle about the amount of the transfer of Lewandowski. Officially they admit 45 million euros, but bonuses are easy to earn – 5 million euros for getting into the Champions League, and another 10 million euros for a season worked out. They are also trying not to pressure Rafinha with a sum of 58 million euros, although that’s a serious bet for a guy from an APL midfielder.
Leeds and Sevilla are great clubs, but Barcelona is from a different division. So Rafinha and Kunde will be tested. And Lewandowski needs to make friends not only with Xavi, but also to play well with his teammates. And who will be on the flanks? We do not see ideal laterals, Albu’s experience speaks for him, but he has aged. If Xavi plans to use a 3-4-2-1, then Rafinha and Dembele will occupy the wings of attack. It’s time to part with Depay, Memphis hasn’t given Lewandowski the nine that the Pole needs.
Aubameyang is more difficult to fit in, but Pierre-Emerick has a friendly with Lewandowski. If we play a 4-4-2 – and the set of players allows, as does the versatility of Pedri and Gavi – we can imagine the resurgence of a pair of Borussia D forwards from the past. The strikers were productive together when they were young, but the Gabonese can shut down young competitors. A hundred and fifty million was given for transfers, but there were solid rebates to middlemen and agents. Add the promised salaries and the amount is one and a half times higher.
Xavi will certainly not have a second try
I like the composition of Barcelona, Xavi is not a talentless mentor, but Laporte is dangerous to believe in his exclusivity, in the role of the savior, who does not make mistakes. Perez suffered his worst defeats in such a mode, and Bartomeu spent other people’s money with euphoria. From his decisions have not recovered, although the brand so far defeats the debt. Everyone around here is shocked that Barcelona is making commitments without a penny to their name, because the new sponsorship money is already scheduled.
What does that mean? Xavi won’t have time to get up to speed, winning La Liga will be the goal, and Laporta has already started the populism machine. “They are bringing back Messi” and there is no doubt that the old Lewandowski will surely play in his new position. You have to go in with confidence, Joan is right. But it is important not to bluff deliberately. Until the end of the summer, Barcelona need breakdowns to assemble a healthy team. Bellucci as a reference point for a reason. Monica is not a very strong actress, only good with powerful directors.
That’s how Barcelona is – insane spending, beautiful squad, quite a few strong masters in every lineup. But one mistake by Xavi and the match with Eintracht will be repeated, only the names of the opponents will be different. Too soon the Catalans do not doubt themselves, although there is genuine sympathy and interest. The main thing now is not to deceive the expectations of the players themselves, there is nothing worse than a deceived army.
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