Barcelona youth coverage reaches its final part. After covering Goalkeepers and defense in part one, then the midfield in the second part, we move to the final stage:

Offense

Barcelona’s current system demands certain type of players to serve offense. We can classify the offense needs in two categories:

1) Players capable of playing a dual wing/inside-forward role.

2) What I like to call “Total Football Strikers”.

We will follow the same method we used in the first two parts, scouting the first team needs to figure the opportunities available.

In the first team, there are already quality players to serve the first category for many seasons to come. Messi (exactly 24 years old by the end of this season), and Pedro (same age as Messi) are long term knights for the squad. 

Bojan (21 by the end of the season) is another quality-under-observation player for the future if he completes his learning curve steadily –I see more future for him as a converted inside striker than a nine. Afellay (25 years old) will be an option if he ticked all the boxes. 

Jeffren is a talent that I’m not so optimist about at the moment. He is injury prone, and if the medical staff has no solution for that, his future at the club is in serious doubt. 

Iniesta proved –unlike the common belief- that he can offer world class performance from the flank. 

We must not forget Villa who is a better inside forward –Henry style- than a striker. Even Maxwell and Adriano are capable for that advanced role. There are no reasons to be concerned about Barcelona’s offense on the flanks for the short term. But if we take in consideration that one of the mentioned names has to play as a striker (Messi/Villa), two of the names are yet to confirm their validity for the future (Jeffren/Bojan) and two of the options are better as midfielders (Afellay/Iniesta), we can open a path of hope for Barcelona’s reserve players to break through to the first team.

Are their quality players for that category at Barcelona B?

Generally speaking, most of Barcelona B players who can play on the wing are at the same age or older than the first team players. Unlike the other departments (Keepers, Defenders, Midfielders) there isn’t a continuity queue that go smoothly in a balance with age, time and experience. 

Víctor Vázquez and Jonathan Soriano are the first to be noted. The first was considered once the best attacker in the youth squad that included Messi. He was that good. Then an injury at the worst time hammered his progress (to prove again the unpredictability of youth progress). He is struggling to catch up, and one can only hope he get more playing time at the first team this season to show his progress. I am still a believer in Vázquez and I think if he makes a comeback, Barcelona will have a world class player to count on for a long time. But if we take in consideration the players available in the first team, it is highly unlikely, and that’s a shame. 

Soriano gives you a feeling that he is a quality reserve player who will struggle to get anywhere further. Besides, he is more a center forward than a wing. Both seems too settled to their role in the reserve and Pep showed little interest in offering them time (compared to other youth). But we all know Pedro’s tale and there is always a chance that another Pedro may spark his talent anytime. Will they have a chance in the first team this season? It is highly unlikely. The other options available are a bit too old to catch up the progress of younger players.

There is no doubt that this is one of the most demanding positions in Pep’s system. Pep knew exactly what he wanted since day one. I tend not to talk about the Ibrahimovic experience anymore for obvious reasons. Yet, we have to track Pep’s approach toward the kind of strikers he was looking for in order to understand the needs of the future. And for the record, I had –and still have- the same belief as Pep regarding this case. In other words, he was not wrong –IMO. He was just unfortunate.

Pep needed a striker who has Eto’o’s qualities in terms of aggression, work rate, and well calculated runs into the area to finish. But at the same time, he felt the need of having a striker who can open to the flanks, work as a false nine, and play inside the box when needed. Such additional qualities are as crucial for Pep’s platform to work because it creates more fluidity and positions interchange between offense players where everyone is capable of playing every where. It also solves the complexities appear every time the fluidity of the team is damaged by opponents’ tactics or players’ form. It offers a standard offense mechanism that is less dependent on spaces and possession. It helps countering the ultra defensive tactics where the players suffer to find spaces to exchange passes and dribble the ball to the net.

After the first season at the club, Pep became more certain of his demands. The offense worked perfectly there because the offense trio complimented each other and covered each others deficiencies. Yet, in many occasions, the lacking was too obvious for a coach like Pep to ignore. Against Chelsea for example, the absence of Henry who used to play the inside forward role led to an offense sterility where only luck and controversial referring helped Barcelona to overcome. There was a need for something different to counter offense predictability. Pep was looking for a forward who can clone this one:

Pep Guardiola captained Barcelona when they lost 4-0 against Van Basten’s Milan in the historical champions’ league final (Though the striker didn’t play that match). Van Basten’s quality dominated Europe at that period of time and even while suffering a knee injury, he was able to perform at a level that put him at the top of the best strikers List. In my opinion he is the most complete striker ever –and by a margin.

It is a given that finding the new Van Basten is like searching for Aliens in Space. But if there is a player who could be considered as a work-in-progress to come close to Marco's level, that’s the player Pep demanded and Barcelona bought.

There were valid concerns about Ibrahimovic work rate and attitude. Will he learn to do his defensive role? Will he become more a team player than a solo performer? I do think Henry’s tale at Barcelona provided Pep with a hope that there are possibilities. The risk was high, but the potentials –if worked- were immense. Things started well –when at the beginning of the season it was more about individual quality than personal conduct. Then an injury at the wrong timing created the first challenge. In that grey area between Ibra’s attitude and Pep’s man management damage happened and fed the stream of concurred interests leading to offloading the player.

Currently, Barcelona’s offense could be described as lethal, but not perfect. Having Villa forced Pep to use Messi as a (false) nine. I think that was an intelligent decision. But it was more dictated option than a selected one. Villa is a better player in Henry’s role, so he plays there. He added the quality Barcelona missed last season where Henry was in a comma and Pedro was still finding his way to the selection. Pedro is just getting better and his current form makes him a definite starter. Messi simply plays where the other two can’t, ‘cause when in the right form he performs brilliantly anywhere.

The team is back to square one where the system represents an offense of massive destruction-as long as it rolls. The defect there is that this system lacks the diversity needed to do things differently when needed.

As already noted, it is not easy to find a complete striker who meets all the demands of the position at Barcelona. The back up plan is to have a poacher –Target man, A.K.A Larsson- on the bench and a more versatile striker as a starter. Barcelona B provides no interesting names at the moment for any of the mentioned positions. The most qualified alternatives are already older than those available in the first team. I had lot of expectations on Rubén Rochina, but it seems he is struggling to comeback after his injury. Nolito is a bull (Tevez-ic) type of forwards, but he has one foot and an arm outside the club already (He is not a rare talent anyway). So, generally speaking, Barcelona may count on Bojan to do part of the job for the future, but they will still need to look elsewhere for a striker who can complete the offense puzzle.

This offense drought in the reserve team is not permanent, and Barcelona fans should be unconcerned about it. Deep inside the youth veins a very exciting generation is in progress. The likes of Gerard Deulofeu, Gael Junior Etock, Mauro Icardi and Alain Richard Ebwelle are just samples of what is coming next. And you can smell excitement in the air. It is hard to predict who will keep on progressing to meet expectations, but any of the candidates can end up being the new revelation for Barcelona’s offense in the coming years. I cant wait till the mentioned four earn their promotion to Barcelona B.

Per marcos_c suggestion through Football Mood Twitter, the image bellow is an attempt to rate some of the reserve players and their chances in the first team. I took a wide range of conditions in consideration, but by no mean I take this presentation as a definite roadmap. Players’ progress is an extremely unpredictable matter. 

1) Rubén Miño Peralta

2) Martín Montoya Torralbo

3) Andreu Fontàs Prat

4) Sergi Gómez Solà

5) Carles Planas Antolínez

6) Marc Bartra Aregall

7) Marc Muniesa Martínez

8) Oriol Romeu Vidal

9) Jonathan dos Santos Ramírez

10) Thiago Alcántara do Nascimiento

11) Sergi Roberto Carnicer

12) Martí Riverola Bataller

13) Jonathan Soriano Casas

14) Víctor Vázquez Solsona

15) Rubén Rochina Naixes

Finally, big thanks for Anonymous_69, a regular contributor, who in the comments session suggested writing about Barcelona’s best selection and about Youth future at the club that ends here (Links to part one, and part two). All comments and suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated. 

 

We continue our quest in Barcelona’s youth treasures. In the previous part we listed the Goalkeepers and defenders, and now we move to the department of Xavi, Iniesta and Pep Guardiola before them, Barcelona’s Holly zone: The midfield

Buying Mascherano had no impact on the youth opportunities, as Busquets versatility keep the chances of every youth as promising as ever. Yet, buying Afellay after Mascherano made things a bit trickier. In the other hand, owahoo! The youth ranks are flooded by promising midfielders and the competition between them will get bloody! This is the department where we will witness lot of painful moments with quality midfielders finding their way out of the club.

No doubt, Jonathan dos Santos (JDS) and Thiago Alcántara are dominating the pole positions for a while now. Thiago is the one who will get the promotion ticket first, and for many reasons. While Jonathan’s contract keeps him in the club till June 2012, Thiago’s new contract was structured in a smart way forcing Barcelona to a “Take it or leave it” situation. Barcelona need to promote him to the first team to extend his contract till 2013 and his buyout clause to 30 M, or else his contract expires summer 2011 while his buyout clause is 10 millions till then. In the other hand, there is a good argument that Thiago’s skills are more needed this season than JDS discipline. Thiago is no doubt a player with a talent of massive destruction. Yet, he needs to mature and he needs to get ride of his sloppiness that cause lost possession too often. That is exactly what Barcelona can’t tolerate. I always say that the most important thing for youth to break through is self confidence. With Thiago, it’s probably the opposite as he is over confident sometimes, trying tricks that don’t worth the effort nor the risk. Less confidence may serve him a lot for now, till he improves his decision making. But make no mistake, he is the deal.

Jonathan in the other hand is a more reliable player at the moment in a way that he always tries to play out of troubles by keeping it simple. I believe he is overshadowed by Thiago’s free style most of the times. He reminds me of the underrated Xavi who –for years- was the player serving in the shadows of other players. The kid is quality. Though, since Thiago’s new contract where the Alcántara started to enjoy more time at the first team than the Mexican, the later suffered a slight drop in form (and probably in moral as well). One can only hope that this is temporarily. If he pass this stage and bounce back, this will only make him –mentally- stronger. And that is a need for a first team player. It will be nice to send him Iniesta’s biography for more inspiration about patience and unconditional dedication. Is it the Dos Santos family curse to always pay the tax of favors toward another youth? Let’s only hope that neither Jonathan is a Giovani, nor Thiago is a Bojan.

But let’s not forget that Pedro and Busquets came relatively from no where while everyone was busy talking about Bojan and Thiago and co. Are there any names at Barca B who may surprise us all with an accelerated development? You bet.

Oriol Romeu tops the list of “Don’t you forget about me!”. One of the most complete midfielders in the youth ranks currently. He struggled with some injuries, but he is capable of finding his way to the first team without notice. Afellay’s transfer created more complications as it will keep Busquets in the holding midfielder position to rotate with Mascherano instead of taking Keita’s role next season leaving a space for Romeu. But the Oriol talent is beyond the holding midfield role as he can play almost anywhere in the midfield. In fact, he is probably the best youth to inherit Keita’s role if the aging amazing midfielder leaves.

He will not be noticed for the rest of this season. He might not get a chance in the preseason next summer, but you have to keep Sergi Roberto’s name in your mind. If this boy keeps on developing at the same rate he showed so far, he will make you forget them all. This is a midfielder for the future.

Goal scoring midfielder is always a dream to have at Barcelona. Martí Riverola is one of the main candidates to serve that role. Only time can tell if he will end up being a starter or a game changer, but he will no doubt get his chance in the first team. Another factor that gives him an edge is the fact that he is an absolute product of Barca’s youth academy. At the age of six, he joined the club and walked all the way from the bottom of the farm to Barcelona B squad. If he continues his journey to the first team, that will be considered as a victory for La Masia. I don’t think Pep will waste the chance to achieve that if Riverola kept on showing the qualities we know by now.

Thiago will be the first to earn a promotion to the first team. He can only hope that Afellay perform amazingly on the flank leaving some playing time for the youth in the midfield. Jonathan will keep having his sneaking minutes in the first team but will continue serving Barcelona B for the rest of the season. The preseason next summer which include a tour in USA will give more opportunities for the Mexican and the rest of the youth to promote their services. Based on that, and the conditions of the first team (who stay and who leave) the promotion queue will be structured.

The chain of midfielders in the youth ranks is endless. Prepare yourself for heart breaking news as some of them will have to take a Cesc-path and leave to clubs where they can find more playing time. One ca only hopes Barcelona succeed to keep the most talented, and the most qualified to serve the team on the long term. It is a very complicated process, if you are in Pep’s position what will you do?

The final part will discuss the young forwards and an overall take on the Squad of the future.Till then, feel free to share your own opinion.

 

Barcelona's youth academy is no doubt the jewel of the club. And there is always a curious excitement to figure the following star emerging from La Masia. There are lots of factors to take in consideration while predicting the next big news. Quality and talent is just one factor of many. Fulfilling a promise, here we are initiating an attempt to predict future!

Youth development is unpredictable. It’s a Pedro/Busquets Vs Bojan/Giovani. That’s why it is almost impossible to make a guaranteed bet. The first squad demands is also a crucial factor that may offer an opportunity for one youth over the other regardless of quality and talent. A new Puyol will most probably have a better –earlier- opportunity to break through than a new Iniesta. New signings -like Afellay- leave an impact. Injuries both in the first team or the reserve change the promotion Queue all together (Víctor Vázquez?). 

Lately, contract conditions became another card that may put one youth ahead of the other on the promotion chain (Jonathan Vs Thiago). And no doubt, the youth natural position and how far it fits the system of the first team plays a role as well. It is more likely for a poacher to have a chance in the first team than a pure second striker who can’t play as a wing or as a nine (One of the reasons why Bojan struggled). Then the number of youth competing on a specific position is also a factor to take in consideration. At the end of the day, no matter how talented the youth are, the first team squad can’t embrace them all. The good ones will be sacrificed to free a room for the best.

That’s why, instead of the usual approach that scout the youth squads, I will start from the first team squad, scouting the needs and the opportunities. Then scouting how the needs concur with the available youth options.

Valdes will be the starter for the following few seasons unless if a youth showed an undefeatable quality. Pinto the free style keeper is the backup for this season. There are gossips that he will stay for another season, will he? How will that affect the youth keepers of the club?

Position: Goalkeeper

Date of birth: 18-01-1989

Height: 191 cm

Weight: 86 kg

I really like this keeper. He is far from being ready for the big theatre but he is showing the attributes needed to succeed at Barcelona. Good in one-on-one and with lot of courage to immigrate out of his goal and serve as a sweeper when needed (though he has to tune that a bit). Will he get the promotion card for next season? Is it better to use a younger keeper for copa matches for example?

At Barcelona B there are two more promising keepers in Oier and Masip. Oier was the first choice at Barca B for a while. I do think promoting Miño means more playing time for the other two. But then, how far promoting him to Barca’s first team bench helps his development? I think the best scenario is to differentiate between “The second Keeper” role and “Valdes Backup” role. Renew Pinto’s contract to be “Valdes Back up” so that in the matches where Valdes starts, it’s Pinto who sit on the bench, not Miño (who stays with Barca B to play). Yet, when Pep wants to use a keeper other than Valdes in the cup matches or noncritical matches, that’s the second keeper – Miño. Will Pinto agree on this arrangement? I think he will. This way Miño benefit most and develop most.

On the right back, the club will need a backup for Alves. But now that Adriano and Maxwell are both capable of serving there, I think this is not a need for next season. Martín Montoya’s performance for the rest of the season may give Pep a second thought though. He is no doubt a quality player but one can only wonder if he will get squeezed between Alves playing time (he rarely miss a match), Bartra’s Versatility and quality, and the emerging of Juvenil A fullback Albert Dalmau, who will most probably get his promotion ticket to Barca B by next season. 

In the center, I can see Milito leaving next summer. That leaves us with Pique, and an aging Puyol. Promoting a young center defender is a given, taking in consideration the number of quality defenders available at Barca B (too many for Luis Enrique to use). Yet, one Center back will not be enough unless if Abidal start playing more as a center back next season leaving the left back for Adriano and Maxwell. If Abidal keep being the first option as a left back, a forth Center back is needed. I wouldn’t recommend promoting an additional center back in this case as there will be a need for more reliable option to back Puyol. Meaning, the club may sign a center back if available. Though, we can’t completely exclude promoting one center back permanently and rotating the rest of the youth defenders on the other spot, testing them then promoting the most convincing on January 2012. 

On the left back, it is highly unlikely to promote any youth for next season, but for the season that follows a left back will be a must while either Adriano or Maxwell may leave.

Based on that, a young center back will definitely be the luckiest one. It is between Bartra and Fontas. And it is almost a given that it will be Fontas. First because he is a left footed defender who can compliment Pique or Puyol most. And secondly because he is calmer that Bartra who may have better potentials but he get caught out of position more often. If Maxwell or Adriano suffers an injury or Abidal start serving as a Center back more, Bartra will find more time in the first team squad. I see a Puyol career curve in Bartra, starting as a right back then moving to the center.

But make no mistake; there are many impressive options for the following two years. Carles Planas is a good bet for the left back. Abraham is another option there. Marc Muniesa is the fans’ favorite already and he can play as a center back or left back, which may give him an edge. 

Sergi Gómez in the other hand is -in my opinion- the future of Barcelona’s defense, though he will need two more years before he start sharing time with the first teamers.

Fontas is a candidate to be promoted after this x-mass break. It also worth noting that Barcelona can still resign Botia who is probably the most mature defender youth farm generated in the past two years. Bartra will know his faith during the following preseason, where a left back will also has a trial.

* In Juvenil A the likes of Vivaldi Bakoyock worth mentioning as well. Quality, But will need few years to show up at the Camp Nou.