A new player joined Barca’s squad and the expectations are high already. Ibrahim Afellay has a huge challenge to take as it is not easy to adapt with the intensity and urgency of Barcelona’s football. Especially for a player joining in the middle of a season rather than during the preseason period where there is more time to settle and adapt without the concern of the match the team will play next.

The good thing that will do him a favor is his versatility. He is capable of playing in many positions which will give him enough opportunities to prove himself. Having Iniesta, Keita, and Xavi ahead of him in the midfield and youth players emerging from the farm behind him means that he need to work harder than he ever did if he wants to survive in this demanding club. He can also play on the flanks and he may have a better chance to blossom there.

Barcelona fans need to give him time. Everyone will like it if he surprises us all by a stunning performance that makes him a world beater since day one, but it is important not to bet on that. Historically players take time to catch the team’s tempo but when they do they add lot of pleasure to Barca’s football exhibition.

As for Afellay, of what I saw, he has a talent. And of what I know, he has a strong personality-in a good way. He has to improve his work rate and urgency, which is attainable if he is aware of the level of football he has the opportunity to contribute in.

As I already mentioned, Barcelona had other alternatives inside the club for the positions Afellay plays best, which makes the bar of satisfaction demands higher. But for the price paid, he may prove being one of the best transfers Barcelona made recently.

I can’t avoid wondering if the club will find a new Larsson to sign, as this is still a need to perfect the squad, but that’s another topic. For now, good luck Afellay and welcome to the best club in the world!

The next part of the Barca’s youth is ready and will be published next. I didn’t forget it:)

"The transfer of Ibi Affelay is not a surprise of course. He has been playing for the main squad since he was a teenager, so the past few years he was waiting for his big transfer.

To be honest I expected him to end up at a team like Tottenham, Fiorentina or Hamburger SV: Good teams, but not the top due to his injury proneness. So I think he got a really good opportunity with his transfer to Barcelona!

Last year he became the captain because of his experience and influence on the game of PSV. His added value to the results of PSV is enormous, we really notice a difference between the games when he plays or not. However personally I am not sure how he can compete with players like Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

After all these seasons I really hope he will make it at Barcelona. He is a person that will always speak with the press / public and he always looks for a creative and offensive opening. I wish him the best for the future of his career and I really hope to see him return to Eindhoven at the end of his career."

That’s how Dick Koster, the administrator of PSV Eindhoven group on Facebook views Afellay's transfer to FC Barcelona. 

The remark about being “injury prone” is no doubt a very important one. I didn’t follow him on regular bases so I didn’t miss his absence when it happens. But we leave that for FC Barcelona’s Medical staff. They proved their excellence in the past few seasons beyond any doubt.

It is also true that he will be employed in an Iniest-ic role, and that’s where he has to prove his worth. As I already mentioned even before the official announcement, it is unlikely that he will fit as a backup for Xavi as initially rumored. Though, Pep doesn’t need that backup because the best players who can take Xavi’s spot are already availably in the squad. Will he succeed to compete with Iniesta and Messi? Unless if you believe in miracles, that’s not on the table. If he can compete with Pedro and Keita, that’s huge! Because that’s exactly what Barcelona need. A utility player who can play that Dual role Iniesta does between the midfield center and the flank. Tactically, this is becoming more and more a crucial piece in the puzzle. Beside Iniesta, Barca had no one to tick all the boxes needed to fulfill that role; Neither in the first team, nor among the youth.

The big challenge he will face, is that there is no place for “ok” or average players in the current squad. There is no time for a long adaptation period as club demands are urgent. There is also no room to add another player of his caliber to the squad as long as he is counted in the first team basket. No room for redundancy. In an extremely demanding environment like FC Barcelona, he need to pick himself fast, adapt fast, and gain the thrust of the fans and technical department in no time. The learning curve he enjoyed at PSV is never attainable at Barcelona. If he disappoint in his first few matches, he can –unfairly- expect a Chegrnskiy syndrome where the fans start whistling him in the stadium ruining the broken pieces of his confidence. If he disappoints the coaches (proving he need more time to adapt than the club can afford) he will not have another chance. The club needs a player with such profile who brings instant unquestionable quality to the table. There is only a room for one player, and now Afellay is already reserving that seat, blocking the way for any new alternatives.

The youth players will invade the vacancies available to strengthen the squad further. Those youth provide enough squad players for the team to use in less demanding matches, and they need all the time possible to collect minutes of experience to grow. That’s why the term “Squad player” is becoming inappropriate to address any player Barcelona signs. Afellay will have to prove he can perform as an indispensable first team player. There are other options in the market roaming for an opportunity to hijack his place.

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In another note, Copa del rey draw took place yesterday. The path to the title goes like this:

Of course, That's if any team is interested in winning the title.

Next (the plan at least): Barcelona's best lineup, now and for the future.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ronaldinho was the magician who rescued FC Barcelona from the failure syndrome they suffered for many years. He was the spark needed to light the universe of Catalonia after an eternal night. 

Still, there was another less flashy, less catchy bull who was the black powder needed in the midfield for Barcelona’s rocket to launch from the catastrophic start of the Season 2004 till January- where the club struggled in the middle of the table- to a historical comeback afterward. Placing the club in the second place right there behind Valencia, the League winners. “A man that Real Madrid's intellectual sporting director Jorge Valdano - who obviously has unresolved spectacle jealousy issues - dismissed as "not a galáctico". A man who Marca columnist and ex-Madrid winger Míchel, sneered was a has-been who'd bring "nothing" to Barça.” ¹

That match against Deportivo was a demonstration of how important Davids was for the team. After receiving a yellow card, Davids was subbed to avoid a suspension. The result was 2-0 for Barcelona. From there on, the doors of hell opened, with Depor creating waves of dangerous attacks. The final result was a lucky 3-2 win for Barcelona, thanks for Ronaldinho who scored Barcelona’s third.

Davids joined Barcelona on loan in January 2004 from Juventus to fill an obvious gap in the midfield. Mind you, Barcelona had a player like Cocu back then, but still there was a need for a player with specific profile and Davids was the right glove.

This season, Barcelona is not exactly in that catastrophic situation they were in when they brought Davids. After some unpleasant results there were talks about crisis and chronic problems. I still think the club is far from being in crisis and the squad available can make it. There are some “issues and threats” though; Pep can tactically solve it, now that there are no options to solve it by counting on individuals skills. We will come back to that as I promised before vanishing away from football orbits for a whole week or so.

Putting tactical treats aside, the squad lack height and depth offense wise. That is obvious since the beginning of the season. Regardless if the players available are perfectly fit to the needs of the system or not, there is no argument against the need to add an additional forward who can add something different. If not as a starter, at least as a game changer pending on the bench.

The following transfer period may witness the arrival of that player. Will he make a Davids-like impact as a winter signing or a Maxi Lopez impact? Across the web, names are flying like flies all over the place. But if Barcelona need a striker, who fits them best as a realistic target for X-mass shopping? Here are some of the names that were mentioned or will be mentioned in the following two months after posting a relevant article from the UEFA Europa League rules, which plays a role in deciding the possibilities for a mentioned player to sign for Barcelona:

Amauri (Juventus - out of Europa league): He was linked before to sign for Barcelona –even before he signed for Juventus. He is eligible for the champions league but regardless of how fitting he is for Barcelona, it is highly unlikely that Juventus loan him out to Barcelona. Even on permanent bases, that will leave Juventus with only two forwards for two positions after offloading Trezeguet. It is not even the best option for Barcelona on Permanent bases.

Andrés Nicolás D’Alessandro (Internacional): He and Javier Pastore (Palermo) are just rumors. At least for the following transfer period. I had to mention them because the news was there all over the net. Though, it is highly unlikely the club will ever consider them. That’s not the urgent need that may force the club to spend during the winter transfer period. Even if they fit, it’s not the right time till summer.

David Trezeguet (Hércules) it was shocking that Barcelona missed this transfer, though you can imagine it is one of the disadvantages of offloading one of your forwards at the last moment of the transfer period instead of doing so in day one. Three goals in three matches in the Liga shows he had no problem to adapt. He was linked many times to Barcelona and thankfully it didn’t happen as he is not reliable enough as a first option –at least for being injury prone. Yet as a bench player, he is quality without any doubt. The tricky part is that he made his transfer to the Liga couple of months ago. I am not sure if he can do another permanent jump to Barcelona, and I can’t see his team loaning him out unless if they receive a payment that equals a transfer value.

Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao): Great quality player. Barcelona’s Sport director is experienced with the Basque club. But in brief: Forget it. It won’t happen before the summer, and how I wish being wrong.

Fernando Torres (Liverpool): There is a big mess at Liverpool at the moment, and he is eligible for Champions league even with his team qualifying to round 32 in Europa League. Still, it will take a miracle for the new board at Liverpool –any board- to start their reign by offloading their key player. Besides, he is not a player to loan out, and before buying him Barcelona need to think twice about his injury record, as it is extremely worrisome.

Filippo Inzaghi (Milan): I am not sure why the Media mentioned him. For all his qualities, he can’t play in the Champions league for Barcelona and he is not the type of players needed.

Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria): qualified to round 32 played Play-off round of the Champions league where the club was defeated against Pertizan and moved to play the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. His profile may sound fitting but his transfer doesn’t make sense as he can’t play in the champion’s league.

Luca Toni (Genoa): he can play for Barcelona in all competitions. He has an ok quality that serves the needs of Barcelona to some extent. But he used to complain when he doesn’t play enough matches as a key starter. I don’t think Genoa will be tempted to loan him out as a new striker they brought last summer. I don’t think it will be smart for Barcelona to buy him permanently. So…highly unlikely.

Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund) La Pantera is no doubt a player with lethal finishing skills and decent work rate. If Barcelona will end up buying a forward –instead of loaning one- this option may head the list. He is a quality squad player but can he improve to become a key member? That’s a tricky question. How much will his team demand as a transfer fee? That is another question.

Mauro Zárate (Lazio): Check D’Alessandro and Pastore above.

Nikola Žigić (Birmingham): I just can’t see why his team will loan him out after spending 6 M to buy him from Valencia. Buying him must not be an option for Barcelona. Case closed.

Peter James Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur): 1) Barcelona will not be able to use him in the Champions league. 2) Extremely expensive as his team will have no reason to sell their key striker. No need to argue if he has the quality to serve Barcelona anyway, because he is not an option.

Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht): a 1.91 m 17 years old played Play-off round of the Champions league where the club was defeated against Pertizan and moved to play the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. So he will not be able to select him for Champions league. Yet, if Barcelona had any chance to sign him today, they will not wait till tomorrow. That chance will not show up. He already pointed out that he wants to finish his studies in Belgium. There are lots of clubs following him as well. His team will not waste the chance of creating a bidding war in the summer just to do Barcelona a favor.

Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor played twice in the League and once in Europa League Manchester City qualifying to round 32. He is no more the key player for Manchester City where Tevez is leaving no space for any other forward to compete for. If things didn’t change till January, Barcelona may have a chance to get him for loan till the end of the season. He will not complain demanding more playing time at Barcelona because he will get more than his current club can offer. He is the closest option to Barcelona’s temporary needs and based on the impression he leaves during his loan spell he may earn himself a permanent deal. The only complication will be his salary. Something that may require lot of negotiation with Manchester city owners to compromise.

That’s a fast round on some names. But make no mistake, everyday a new name will feed the flame. It is not even certain that Barcelona will sign anyone after all. 

Real Madrid, on their official site, announced the acquisition of Bremen player and German’s international Mesut Ozil. 

Özil who in more than one occasion declared his admiration for FC Barcelona -though you can expect some statements for the "fixing" now- was the new victim of Barcelona’s youth academy. Pep Guardiola decided to have faith in the likes of Thiago and Jonathan dos Santos instead.

If that’s the case, then it may prove being a good thing for all parties. Özil will move to one of the biggest teams in the world. Barcelona will keep loyal to their policy of favoring the club’s youth, especially with the key positions being filled with quality starters and sufficient cover. And Real Madrid add a talented player who may help them in the coming seasons, especially with Kaka’s comeback to meet the expectations getting more and more unlikely.

The biggest concern though is that Özil may need to compete for a space in Madrid’s lineup. For a young player like him, it was probably better to stay one extra season where he can play more games next year. At least, to prove he is not a one-season performer.

Besides, was he really a player Real Madrid need? Did they sign him to snap him away from their rivals? If so, it will be a shame for a talented player like him.

From Barcelona’s angle, if avoiding this purchase aims to promote youth, it’s all fine. The inevitable question though: Are they keeping an empty seat for another round of transfer chaos they will cause next summer? Let’s not say the name so we don’t take the blame.

All in all, that’s no doubt an added value for the liga.

Too much, if true. Especially the salary. Five millions after tax means he will be a key player. Will that mean loaning out Canales?

I am not an aficionado of tabloid press. Transfers periods are usually the most annoying months for me. Still, this is a period of team building for every club and it is always interesting to expect how every team will approach the challenges of the following season.

As for Barcelona, The needs are obvious. They need a center back and a defensive midfielder. Nothing more and –almost- nothing less. That’s why I was against the Cesc adventure. I like Özil. Yet, if I will ever feel excited about him moving to Catalonia, it will be probably because it brings a hope that Barcelona may forget about Cesc once and for all. 

It was a more urgent need before signing Adriano. Now that pep is considering Abidal as an option in the center, the team can survive with what’s available in that department. Puyol and Pique will keep being the first options at least at the beginning of the season. Milito is the third option and first cover. Then Abidal and a bunch of youth who will get some playing time to show their readiness. Who knows? In a perfect world, a center back can cement the defense structure once and for all. In the real life, spending millions is not a tempting option when you can avoid being a perfectionist.

Barcelona played one of the longest seasons last year. After playing till the last day of every competition one year before, they started the following season early playing the super cups in Europe and Spain, then the liga where they were unable to secure the title till the last moment, Clubs world cup in Asia (December), Copa del Rey till an advanced stage, Champions’ league till the semifinals. Then most of the players packed to Africa to play a world cup where the core of Barcelona’s Squad played all the way to the final. Back to Catalonia, those who survived were invited to ride a long –messy- trip to Asia for some friendlies joined by the shadows of some exhausted world cup contributors –beside the Spanish players. Arrived home and out to Seville to play first leg super cup while Spanish players were pulled out of their beds to wake up in Mexico. Couple of training sessions. Super cup’s second leg for those who can walk. Season kickoff. 

If that sequence inspires anything, it should be: Injury threat. No one wish that to happen for any player in any club. Yet, managers need to take that as a serious possibility. Scouting Barcelona’s squad, there is only one outfield position Barcelona can’t handle an injury. The holding midfielder. If Busquets picks an injury, Pep will have to put on his jersey and step in. 

Alternatives? Pique, who can play as a Holding midfielder. I fact I label him as a potentially world class holding midfielder. But his role as a center back is too crucial to sacrifice, especially that Puyol is not young anymore, Milito is still under the observation after his injury crises. Xavi? Even when he was younger (more fit physically) he did not master that position enough to avoid buying edmilsons and Yayas. Yet, even if he can serve there, can the club sacrifice his role in front? 

Oriol Romeu is a player with promising potentials. Yet, Promoting him to the first team- without signing a holding midfielder –will breach one of the key guidelines to introduce a youth to the big theatre. A newly promoted player must not be considered as a starter during his first season with the first team. Last season I was against signing a left wing as long as we have Henry. Having Henry and Iniesta as left wingers, made it comfortable for me to put my bet on an unpopular Pedro, regardless of all the arguments that opposed that suggestion. This season I was against signing Cesc because we have first options like Xavi, Keita and Iniesta, and we even have Messi, Busquets, and Pedro. All can perform in the center midfield. That makes me willing to bet on Thiago and Jonathan dos santos. I wouldn’t have done so if they were to be considered starters or even direct subs for the starters. 

Mind you, a youth may prove his worth and dominate the moment he gets his chance in the first team, A.K.A Busquets. But that has to come later after he actually starts getting playing time, not before that. The best stories last season were Busquets and Pedro. There were no expectations on them, which meant less pressure. Bojan is a demonstration on what happens if a player gets his promotion too early. He blooms slower. 

Barcelona fans demand more youth player in the squad. It sound sometime as the stamps collectors need to have more of the same. But to expect that the fans will be as patience with the youth as they are excited to promote them is an illusion. Club supporters may sit around a table wearing suits and ties discussing who to promote first, but the moment the team lose they borrow the butcher’s knives and jump seeking the youngest head on the pitch as a scapegoat. Giovani was the victim of this habit two years ago where he was whistled and booed because Ronaldinho decided to focus on his nightlife. Last season, Busquets was the delicious flesh on every table. A player like Xavi can handle such pressure, though fans barely complain about his performance after a long history of success (and because he rarely plays an average game?). Youth are players with high expectations and no history. That makes them easy to disappoint. Then earn rejection. 

Only a team that perform exceptionally can provide a healthy environment for the youth to gradually gain confidence and grow to meet the expectations. A team facing crisis usually hand the youth to the results chaos and fans frustration. Playing in front of a hundred thousand angry eyes staring at you when you miss pass, miss time a tackle or just don’t do miracles to save the team. Create a squad that can secure a solid performance, independent of the youth contribution, and the youth will always make you feel that “the new signing was not necessary, look at the youth we have”. Depending on youth in tricky moments will make you wonder “What happened to the talented youth we have?!”

Youth players should be introduced gradually to the first team. Oriol Romeu needs that gradual transition. But again, what if Busquets got injured at the beginning of the season? What if Xavi or Keita or Iniesta got injured forcing Busquets to play in an advanced position? The young boy will be called to take a huge responsibility, playing one of the most complicated positions in Barcelona’s system. 

It’s for the best of Oriol Romeu that Barcelona signs a holding midfielder. He will still have the chance to play for the first team, and when he doesn’t he will still have a place in the Second division league to play on weekly bases. One extra season playing thirty games in the second division will no doubt help his growth more than playing handful number of games for the first team. Even if he proved a ready-to-shine form, we must not forget that Keita is getting old. Barcelona can sell him next season and hand his role to Busquets, with Romeu joining the new holding midfielder in that department. 

Last season, there were lot of fans who were praying that Busquets get injured just to see Yaya playing. If Barcelona start the season without buying a holding midfielder, all Barcelona fans will light candles during the games praying that Busquets stay fit. There will be arguments about –ironically- Barcelona’s Busquets dependency! 

If you ask me, that’s like playing a Russian roulette with five bullets in the revolver and spinning it while aiming the muzzle against your head. You can hope you hit the sixth –unloaded- slot when you pull the trigger. If it happens, you can consider yourself extremely lucky, but never a brilliant.

Villa’s move to Barcelona is so far the most exciting transfer for the summer. A player who scored 129 goals and created 53 in the past 5 years for Valencia joins the Catalan offense armada. Spanish media published dozens of articles about the definite departure of Ibrahimovic because he will not have a place in Barca’s lineup while some-me included- considers Villa acquisition as the best news for Zlatan. But what can we expect from Barcelona offense next season?

There was a general dissatisfaction between Barcelona’s fans when you ask them about the offense line performance of last season. Such dissatisfaction usually targets the newest kid in the building A.K.A Zlatan Ibrahimovic, especially after the inflated values stamped on his transfer. No one can argue that Zlatan was not the greatest of them all and if he is seriously considering winning the champions’ league he needs to improve his contribution with the club. Yet, with the declination of Henry and injury owes of Iniesta, I couldn’t resist thinking of Eto’o’s performance the season when Ronaldinho and Deco disappointed while watching Barcelona’s performance in 2010. 

I usually stress on the need to structure a permanent offense presence at the highest point possible on the field. If the team is defending, that offense reference has to position the threat in line with the opponent’s last center back. In the final third –when the team attacks- a permanent presence in the box with sufficient support is a must. One of the reasons I doubted that Brazil will win the world cup was the lack of support inside the box where only Fabiano can cause damage –beside set pieces. One of the points I voiced regarding Spain is that to win the world cup they need to have Torres in the selection with Villa. Time confirmed that.

“Offense wise, Kaka’s form will be vital to link midfield with offense and guarantee change of play which will be important against parked buses Brazil will face. Yet, the most notable concern is the lack of players who can create threat inside the box. Something they may need if the opponent left no spaces for the Brazilian forwards to demand the ball in the space or shoot from outside the box. Only Fabiano can get advantage of Maicon and Bastos crosses. That’s why I think it was better to use a player like Baptista who can serve better than Elano the system Brazil is using.”

"After the game against Switzerland, Vicente del Bosque modified the selection slightly to solve problem number one: Lack of offense presence inside the box. He counted on Torres as a striker with Villa exposing the spaces."

In his first season, Henry struggled to fit the role requested as a left wing. In the second season he had his best performance at the club. It was not just about adaptation. It was not only because the team as a whole performed better which is a need for any forward to meet the expectations. It was basically because his role was modified. Eto’o’s Henry played the role of Ronaldo’s Rooney for Manchester United. He was a player who creates spaces, shake defense line and open to channels (left). He was the first player to run forward exposing the space and demanding the ball upfront, supporting Eto’o when the team retain possession. Eto’o was the player who took advantage of that work (synchronized with the work of the group) and did what he like to do most: scoring (without ignoring his immense contribution otherwise). That’s why shuffling the lines forward when retaining possession was smooth and timed. 

The second alternative applied in 2009 was having Yaya-Keita-Xavi in the midfield with Iniesta-Eto’o-Messi playing upfront. Regardless of the impression that “Iniesta does not score so he can’t play on the flank” the team eventually scored the same rate of goals with this alternative as they did using the first one. The keys of success for this alternative were 1) With Iniesta moving to the midfield more often to contribute in the buildup, Messi had to work less in that department (than he had to do in the first alternative, Henry-Eto’o-Messi), so he was able to demand the ball closer to the opponents’ area. 2) Eto’o’s style for being a player who likes to demand the ball behind the opponents’ lines which forced the opponent defense line to be more conservative to create spaces behind (ultimately created more spaces between the lines to move the ball forward. When the team attacked the box Keita was the player who supported Eto’o in the box. He didn’t score lot of goals but he pulled the defense attention and created spaces for Messi and Eto’o to operate.

Barcelona Tactics last season were subject to lot of discussions. Was it 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-1-3-2, 4-2-4, 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2, or simply a 4-3-3 is not what matters most. The loss of Henry meant the 2009th first alternative is not valid anymore. Pedro is a good player. But he wasn’t able to serve that offence dynamics in his first season. He can’t serve as a “station” holding on the ball and giving time for the players to reposition, instead he accelerate the tempo even when there is no sufficient support, squeezing the options and spaces instead of creating them. Besides, he is a typical Barca player whose first priority is the ball, not the field dimensions. Sometimes running into the space upfront even if you get no passes serve the team much more than moving deep and doing a Xavi. Remember that substitution del Bosque made in the world cup final (Navas for Pedro)? That’s exactly what I mean regardless of my opinion about starting Pedro in the first place then subbing him that early for Navas. But it shows What Pedro is good at, and what he is not as good. No doubt, he was one of the best performers for Barcelona last season, and one can only expect him to get better next season. But the point here is not about his individual qualities but the contribution he makes with the system in hand. Pedro’s inclusion –as Ibra’s inclusion- required system modification. Such changes take time to turn fruitful. 

The absence of Iniesta either for injury or lack of form (even when he played) ruined the advantages of the second alternative. He wasn’t in the midfield to assist Xavi nor he was on the wing/midfield to contribute in the buildup keeping Messi upfront. That situation forced Messi to contribute in the midfield more than he did before and kept him a bit far from the offense department. Ibra in the other hand is not an Eto’o who enjoys playing between the defenders waiting the pass in the space. He is a forward who like to touch the ball more often and if his teammates didn’t deliver it to him he will come all the way to get it. The output was a Barcelona offense playing in the midfield. When the team succeeded to shuffle the lines forward everyone was happy. Interestingly-for example- that the games Keita scored his goals were the games where Ibra produced his finest performances with the club. Coincidence?

Ibra generated some of the complexities of Barcelona’s offense. But he wasn’t THE complexity. Lot of theories took place last season and it went so far that I had to make a long rant in one of my posts responding to one of the most popular arguments: Bojan should have played against Inter instead of Ibra. When Coincidences support an argument there is no place for logic. Which is pretty much the case here. But later on, the upgraded accomplished version of Bojan dressed in a Spanish kit proved otherwise against Switzerland and later against Holland (none of them were even close to Inter’s quality). 

The first thing to expect for last season is that ibra will not be sold. Hear me Sandro? The second thing to expect is that the complications of last season will not exist. Zlatan took a whole season to adapt. Pedro is improving every time he blinks his eyes. Bojan already announced that for next season he will not be the squad child anymore, he feels like a man;-) The best thing ever happened to Messi was losing the world cup because that will generate him with enough hunger for the following four years. And there is a Villa in the villa. 

Villa will no doubt be the player who can complement Ibra most and both can create acres of spaces for Messi. The three players will create offense triangles more than an offense line. Messi behind both Villa and Ibra is one. Ibra being the head of the triangle while setting offense then pulling the defense put of position for Messi and Villa to demand the ball behind the defense is another. Ibra playing behind Messi and Villa then crushing into the box is an option as well. There are countless options and it will be up to pep to decide how to approach every game. The three players are assists generators. The three players can create spaces and can expose them. The three players –if you analyze their attributes- complete each other like the colors of a painting. There are lots of reasons to feel excited about this offense troika.

But while hailing the fantastic three, let’s not forget the excitement of the fantastic four when the club signed Henry to join Messi, Ronaldinho, and eto’o (Though, I wasn’t that excited, but that another story). We all know how that tale ended up. Will the fantastic meet the expectations this time?

Keita was no doubt one of the most underrated players at Barcelona during his first season with the club. One of my first posts on Pep’s blog was about Keita’s role and importance for Pep and the team. It will sound strange for those who followed my posts and comments in the past two years that I even consider offloading this player. But it’s nice to be unpredictable!

Taking the current squad in consideration, there is no way we can survive without Seydou. But there are lot of rumors that we will buy Özil for something between 10 and 15 million. And we already know-regardless of all the media conservative speeches the club and pep are making so far- we WILL buy a holding midfielder. In that case, the smartest thing to do is selling the 31 years old player this season. We will have Xavi, Iniesta, Ozil, beside the contribution of Thiago and Jonathan. We will also need to use Messi there for some games to give more opportunities for the likes of Pedro, Jeffren, and Bojan to play alongside Ibra and Villa. If we signed a player of Mascherano’s quality then Busquets can do the Keita thing when needed. He is more than capable to do so.In fact, I mentioned few weeks ago that if we can buy Moussa Sissoko then I won’t mind selling Keita. Taking all that in consideration, we may struggle more to find playing time for all of them with Keita more than the team will struggle without Keita.

If we don’t buy a holding midfielder, forget it. Even if we buy both Özil and Cesc, none of them can do the Keita thing. Busquets can. The main boundary that will make us hesitate to sell him is that he is coming from a great season. Yet, that’s exactly why this is the best time to sell. Teams like Juventus and Milan will be more than willing to pay the cash demanded. One more season with less playing time, a one-year-older Keita will lose lot of its market value without contributing enough to make it worth.

In football, sport perspective must take the priority. But if a solid sport approach can fulfill the needs with a better business strategy, that’s perfection.

Few weeks ago, I published a post about transfer targets. The name of Bastian Schweinsteiger was not there. You can find this player on my favorite short list since many years but never considered as a transfer target because it’s extremely difficult to convince Bayern to sell, and it’s not easy to convince him to move as well. 

Yet, I read with surprise his comment that if Real Madrid offers him a chance to move, he is not married to Bayern. That’s where I started to fancy that very little chance to get the guy. For the record, I don’t care that he said so about Madrid. In fact I read somewhere that he is a Real Madrid fan –though I can’t find anything reliable to base such claim upon. If he is willing to leave Bayern and if –as his statement inspires- that he is ready even to force his way out of Bayern (without a new Barca-Cesc-Arsenal kind of fuss) then here we come.

It’s no secret that this guy is pure quality. He can play almost anywhere in the midfield. Strong leadership and demanding player. And he is playing on the highest levels for more than five years already though he is only 26 years old.

The best player to rotate with Busquets next season. The best heir for Keita’s role when Keita age, and the best partner and compliment for Iniesta in the midfield in the absence of Xavi. Being that versatile means he is extremely useful for being a combination of utility-type of players and quality reinforcement that will take nothing away from the young kids but will be customized based on their development. 

Will Bayern let him go? That’s another story. They are not in need for money. Only if he decides to move they will coy and discuss. From there on, the operation might not be as impossible as it looks. They are interested in some of the players we are desperate to offload. Van Gaal already praised Caceres, and Hleb is still a marketable player in Germany. A mix of cash plus Hleb and Caceres can do the deal.

Now that the Cesc-o-phobia is behind us, and a Center back seems more and more unlikely, such an aggressively ambitious transfer approach can take its share under the sun.

"Signing Cesc will be very difficult. The only solution would have been that he wouldn't have left." 

In another news -that you know more about than I do- Barcelona played the next preseason game and thanks to our friend Jnice I will watch it later today after downloading it. I will make a ramble on the youth of our club after the preseason games to discuss their contributions, potentials, and the expectations we can have in that regard, as a respond to questions raised in the comments' session.

This is the the interview content without my own opinion. Followed by my five cents and impressions:

"Villa can play in the center or on the left wing. Wherever he has played, he has always scored. Villa is a player who moves well, and creates space. Let's hope he'll continue scoring and that he'll be happy here."

"We thought that signing a player just to let Alves rest every now and then wasn't right. Abidal can play as centre-back, that's why we preferred to sign Adriano. Adriano is very versatile. He is 24-25 years old, he knows the league, and has a lot of energy. A great transfer."

"I'm not aware that we're interested in Alou Diarra as possible substitute of Touré. We're looking for someone with the profile of Touré. Or we could play Keita in that position. It will depend on the finances."

"Touré is a unique player but he wanted to leave. He is a big loss for us. We've done all we can to make him stay but I understand he wants to play more. I thank him for what he has given us and I hope that he will find what I wasn't able to give him."

"Chygrynskiy? I know I'm alone on this one but I didn't want to sell him. The president said we needed to sell for economic reasons. The sale of Chygrynskiy was needed to pay the salaries of the employees? They told me something like that. The economic criteria of the president and the club are moreimportant than my opinion. So I understand the sale of Chygrynskiy. I'm just an employee of the club. I feel part of the new structure of the sport’s area but the club made the decision. I'm a man of the club. Although it might not seem like that with people suggesting I'm deciding everything around here" 

"It has been an immense pleasure to have worked with Henry. We keep good memories from his time at the club. I wish Henry all the best in New York."

"We plan to loan out the same players as last season. Today, I've talked with some of them."

"Will Marquez leave? That's possible. He will make the decision. I cannot guarantee him a lot of playing time."

Ibrahimovic and his agent will choose what they think is best for his future. He has to be a key player. We've talked. Last season he did very well. I didn't ask anyone to try and sell him. 

I'm delighted Bojan continues and that he proved me wrong at the end of last season. I hope this year I will be able to give Bojan the playing time he deserves.

Signing Cesc would cost us a lot. And I understand that because he's important for Arsenal. If Arsenal doesn't want to negotiate for Cesc, we can't negotiate. We want Cesc, but it seems Arsenal and Madrid want him too. I don't know how things stand now.

Small squad? Well, we don't have a penny left, so we can't sign new players. Maybe we'll have a couple more, plus the youth. I'm not worried about a small squad. I'm working better this way. Maybe we need something in midfield but Cesc is expensive.

Abidal could be an option as center-back. Besides, we also have some youth coming. (Keita as a Holding midfielder as mentioned above).

We need to be competitive again. We need to make ourselves small to be great again. We'll try to defeat Madrid with modesty and enthusiasm. Last season, both could have won the league. Time will judge on next season's league. 99 points vs. 98, that's a small difference. It's about details, as in the CL semis. Winning the league will again be very difficult. We will have to compete for every victory.

I have a lot of faith in the players of the B team. Their promotion is great news. Luis Enrique and his team did an incredible job. There are great players in the B team but they are the ones who should do it now.

We will try for the B team to play before the first team so people can first go and support them.

Not even drunk I would have believed two years ago that Pedro and Busquets would win a world cup, a trophy I don't have. We will see how the world cup will affect our players and performances. The players and I want to repeat last season. I don't feel that world cup as mine. It's exclusively the world cup of the players and the coach. It has been a long process. It's not right to exclusively link Spain's world cup win with Barça. There are many other factors involved.

Spain friendly on 11 Aug? It wouldn't be logic since they only return from vacation 9 Aug but the federation decides. What if I'd give them two more days of holiday?

"I don't know why the press always speculates I'm having a bad relationship with the president. Last year Laporta, now Rosell. The new structure has been decided by the club. The president listened to my opinion, but the club makes the decision. I don't feel left alone. Manel [Estiarte] is here, Tito, the players. And I'll keep on calling Johan when I need advice.

I'm very happy and thankful to be able to continue another year. I don't make any promises, only that we will work hard. I feel more comfortable working with a short-term contract. I need to know there's a good understanding with the players. I asked the board for a one-year contract but the years don't really matter. The day I feel I can't make the team work, I leave. The president talked about the stability of a long-term contract but results are the only guarantee for stability. 

There won't be a problem with my renewal this year. There are no elections, so things will be calmer. The renewal was postponed because the president had 1000 things to do. We closed a deal in few minutes. There are few clauses.

I prefer short-term contract and I'm grateful the board has respected my wish. There's no better place than here.

It would be good the president meets with Cruyff because he has been an important person in the history of the club.

Cruyff should always be linked with Barcelona. Something went wrong. Johan doesn't deserve this. He'll talk with the president.

"I don't think the hours of the games will change. The television stations are deciding, they have the right to do so"

Fining me is just bad for them. The images are there. They're not saying the truth, fine or no fine. They falsified the referee reports and I guess they can't go back now.

"Mourinho? The more good players and coaches, the better for the Liga. His character? Every has his own."

Pep interview shed some lights on the overall environment in the club at the moment and the team to expect for next season.

In a way, he confirmed what we’ve been repeating on this blog since a while. He is considering Villa as a quality option on the left flank –something the world cup already demonstrated. Its also good that they took in consideration that we can’t sign a pure backup for Alves. I would have preferred a player who can play both as a Right back and a Center back instead of Adriano as that would have met our direct needs without other modifications. But in the post where we welcomed Adriano I mentioned that there might not be any good option in the market to fit that demand. So we signed Adriano. 

Pointing out that Abidal is an option for the center back is also good. But it’s yet to be seen how far we can use two offense oriented fullbacks with only a holding midfielder in front. We can’t do it Spain’s world cup way, because it means changing the whole structure. There are numerous options; we will come to that in another article about next season tactical potentials. Keita is another name that Pep mentioned to enhance some positions’ depth. It’s true that he can serve as a holding midfielder. But if Hleb will be loaned (as pep said regarding all ex-loaned players) then beside the youth, Keita is the only available backup for Iniesta and Xavi. To count him as a backup for Busquets as well is a bit too much. Moving Messi to play deeper in some games is an option. But that will not provide the minimal depth needed. Signing a midfielder is a must. And I am sure we will. 

Also, glad to know that Adriano was Pep’s choice. I had no doubt about it for the kind of utility players Adriano is.

Marquez is leaving. It seems inevitable. I would have liked to keep him for one more season especially that he can play as a Center back and as a holding midfielder. But Pep can’t give him any guaranties. Fair enough.

Talking about guarantees, the same thing applied on Ibra. I am a believer in Ibra’s qualities, a player who was the backbone for different teams in different leagues playing different styles. His attributes makes him the best combination of offense pivot for Barcelona. At the same time, we are talking about a coach who achieved everything for the club so far, the coach who brought this player in the first place. It’s a challenge for the coach to create the perfect structure to benefit from this immense kit he has in his squad. It’s also a challenge for the player to fight to prove his worth. If Ibra and his agent demands any guarantees, they can’t expect any. If Ibra wants to stay and succeed, no one can stop him. Nor even a club president hiding in the bush waiting for an opportunity. If he wants it easy, Man city is out there. 

Talking about determination, take Bojan as an example. If a young child-like Krkic had the patience and spirit to keep working for his spot, Ibra need to know the requirements of being in a big club like Barca. That psychological remark pep made about Bojan was extremely smart. You can imagine Bojan’s moral now. There are no automatic starters. Let the battle begins. 

In the same context, Pep enlightened us more regarding Yaya’s case, though it was not that mysterious. He is a great player. He lost the starting role for a player who performed better. It was a matter of form more than being a matter of quality. He wanted the guarantees Pep can’t and shouldn’t give. He picked another choice where he felt it fits him better. Good luck. 

I will not comment about Cesc. While his praise for Henry is a given. A player who was a crucial member in the squad that brought the best of Barcelona in the history of the club.

Chygrynskiy’s transfer brings us to the work environment in the club this summer. Regardless of how we evaluate the player’s qualities, there are some issues about the transfer that bring lot of concerns to the table. Pep didn’t want to sell him. And it seems he was not completely convinced regarding the economic needs behind selling him “The sale of Chygrynskiy was needed to pay the salaries of the employees? They told me something like that.”. Rosell approached the case from a position where Pep can’t actually win an argument: “The economic criteria of the president and the club are more important than my opinion.” When the president says if we don’t sell we bankrupt, what can the coach argue about? At the end of the day he is “just an employee of the club…Although it might not seem like that with people suggesting I'm deciding everything around here".

Chegrnskiy’s transfer can barely pay the salaries of Messi and Bartra. That tells enough. There should have been some other ways to pay the salary of the clubs plumber for one month other than selling an asset that the coach feels he can be great for many years, especially if you take in consideration that the money arrived couple of weeks later. 

No doubt, Pep is taking the “professional employee” profile here. He is not in a conflict with the current board. But it’s safe to say that he is not as empowered and its not the same friendly environment. He didn’t waste a chance to take his position in the cruyff-Sandro case. Not only that but this comment is interesting:

“I don't feel left alone. Manel [Estiarte] is here, Tito, the players. And I'll keep on calling Johan when I need advice.”

He barely has a clue about some operations that he is contradicting himself Sandro-style. In one sentence he says we don’t have a penny and in another he says Cesc is too expensive (which means that there is more than just a penny in the pocket but just not enough for Cesc-60M price tag). “Maybe we need something in midfield but Cesc is expensive.” Is the best remark he made. It’s still too easy to get confused, we had 50 million-Adriano= 40 Millions + any new transfer we make (sell). May be Sandro was just bluffing when he said we have 50 M, but it can go both ways: 5 million instead of 50, or may be 500. 

Yet, if we will not sign, we must not sell. And maybe we must not be as enthusiastic to loan out every player we can.

You wake up with 40 Million euros beside your bed. What will you do? “Donate them all for charity” Doh! This is not miss universe contest . What will you really do? It doesn’t matter. Because you are not allowed to spend them on your pleasure, but to strengthen Barcelona’s squad. Who will you buy?

Based on what Sandro said (or the last thing I read, he probably said the opposite already) We had 50 M for transfers. We spent 10 on Adriano, and we still have as little as 40 M. 

But first, an overview for the current squad and how far the positions are secured as starters and depth. I positioned players the best way fits the depth of the squad, but of course this is only an initial view. I also kept the players whose squad status still under question outside. 

Rating depth by position (A=Best, E= Worst)

Goalkeepers: Valdes Pinto and youth B

Left back: Abidal, Maxwell. Grade=A

Center back: Puyol, Pique, Milito Grade=D

Right back: Alves, Adriano. Grade= B

Holding midfielder: Busquest. Grade= E or may be: Z?

Center Midfielders: Xavi, Iniesta, Keita. Grade= C

Offense (not easy to classify by positions): Ibra, Bojan, Villa, Pedro, Messi and Jeffren. Grade=B

As a general term we have 17 outfield players including players like Jeffren who is yet to prove his consistency and form. That’s a very small squad. 

-Goalkeepers inspire enough calmness for next season. 

-Left back position is the most covered department in the squad. Abidal as a starter. Maxwell as a backup. Adriano the new signing is a new card in hand. We have the youth options and even Puyol can serve there if needed. 

-Center backs: Three proven defenders are not enough for a team battling for zillion titles. If one of them gets injured for couple of months, the department will walk on a thin line with catastrophic threat. Puyol’s age and Milito’s previous injury makes this possibility more concerning. It’s true that some of the best youth prospects are defenders, but it is still too early to get excited about starting Fontas and Pique against Manchester united for example. They need one year or two of gradual inclusion. Something Puyol and Milito can provide. Signing a proven defender will not stand in any young player path but will help them to gradually take Milito’s and Puyol’s place. Two years from now the best we can hope for is having two quality youth proving themselves in the first team added to Pique and the demanded new defender. With Barcelona B competing in the second division, it’s better to keep the youth there top play on weekly bases rather than bringing them to the first team bench. Its recommended to sign one reliable defender even if Fontas earned his promotion to the first team. Four established defenders and a youth for two positions is not bad. Fontas will be more than happy to play the cup games and as a sub in the liga while the four defenders serve the club in the LIga and Champions league. Next summer we tune things accordingly. 

Marquez for 6 million is not a mouthwatering deal. Although he wasn’t at his best last season, he would’ve been useful for one more season. But I don’t see him staying. He wants more playing time which is understandable for his age. Something Barcelona can’t guarantee. Henrique and Caceres are closed cases. Or that’s how it seems so far.

Abidal is another crisis option. Especially with a wealthy backup at the left back. But instead of using Abidal as a backup center back and his backup on the left, just get a center back. 

Noting that Puyol started to lose more of his pace (which was not is strong point even when he was younger). A plan B is needed. So far there isn’t any. The need of CB is less important than the need for a holding midfielder just because at the CB we will suffer “IF”. The holding midfielder is a department that needs support without any “if”.

-Right back: I would have preferred getting a right back who can also play as a Center back as a backup for Alves and a solution for the Center back delaminate. May be lack of options in one hand and Adriano’s versatility in the other hand made his deal a more tempting option. Generally speaking, Adriano is a good backup. Not only because he can play as a right back (though admittedly he didn’t serve there that often), but also because his versatility will save him from Alves eagerness to play each and every game. We can’t expect Alves to accept a bench role for many games. Adraino can give him some rest when it’s a must. When Alves is not available, another offense driven fullback like Adriano can help keeping the system without urgent modifications (which wasn’t the case with Puyol playing there). But it will not be a surprise if Maxwell ended up being Alves backup with Adriano serving on the left instead. Keeping in mind that Bartra is probably the most promising youth we have, and he can play as a fullback. No concerns there. 

-Holding midfielder: We need to sign a player there. No question about it. Busquets is a great option. But the only one. What makes this position more fragile is that we don’t have enough depth in the Center back department to consider Pique as a holding midfielder option, and we don’t have enough midfielders to count Keita as an option as well. If we will only sign one more player, that’s where to strengthen.

-Center Midfield: One more signing there may not hurt. But If we buy a holding midfielder, I don’t think we really need to spend on any more players in the midfield. The tricky point is the playing time. If you sign a player you need to make sure he plays enough. Iniesta, Keita and Xavi rotating on two positions is not a good idea. But with a new holding midfielder, Busquets can have playing time rotating with the three as well. Thiago and Jonathan will get their playing share. If needed, Barcelona can use an offense of Villa-Ibra-Pedro and use Messi as an attacking midfielder. Even Pedro can serve there. It may need lot of daring to say it, but why not giving Hleb another round to prove his quality. How much can we get for him? Not enough to bring another midfielder anyway (that’s if needed). If Pep can have a talk with him and if he is willing to whine less and put more effort to earn playing time, then we must go for it. The guy has more quality than he is rated. Some good games next season and he either settle in the squad or we sell him for a better price than his current value. There is a risk, but it’s reasonable. 

-Offense is complete. I’ve heard that Ibra is leaving. I don’t buy it. He doesn’t buy it. So regardless of Sandro’s wishes, the guy is staying. Beside the names mentioned above in the offense line, we may even use Adriano on the flank when needed. Maxwell and Iniesta are additional options as well. And I am still waiting the late bloomer Rochina. Have good hopes on this one. But I can finish with a crazy idea: Loan (Don’t buy) Loan Robinho for one season with an option to buy. Both Man city and the player may not reject this chance. No risk beside his salary for a season. Regardless of how far we rate him as a player, he certainly can deliver enough to earn that salary.

How to spend the 40 million? Sell Marquez and Caseres (if Pep will not use him anyway) and Hleb if he insist on Hlebbing. That will increase the budget to somewhere a bit over 60 Million. Buy Étienne Capoue or Javier Martínez (Athletic Bilbao) and Bruno Alves (Porto). If we saved some change, we can go for Anthony Annan (Rosenborg BK.).

That will be more or less my dream team for next season. The possibility of having that squad is the same as the possibility of waking up with 40 M on your bed.