The Decline of FC Barcelona?

[Buchan]

Has it started t unravel for them? I know it may sound silly with them a gazillion points clear at the top of La Liga, but when the chips have been down in the big games this season, they've been found wanting.

Vulnerable as feck at the back, their famed footballing philosophy hasn't looked at fluid in recent months and I think that Messi's and Iniesta's genius has papered over the cracks this season.

Milan put in a perfect performance against them last week, and now Madrid are humiliating them on their own home ground. It could be a case of team's sussing them out, or a simple case of their players lacking hunger, which is entirely possible given what they have won in the last five years.

La Masia has also ran dry with players ready-made for the first team; players like Tello, Thiago etc. are nowhere near as talented as the Messi/Fabregas/Pique era, and these are the players expected to carry on the mantle in the next few years. Couple this with a sub-standard transfer policy which has seen big money failures recently like Sanchez, Ibrahimovic, Chigirinsky and Keirrison, it must be a little unnerving for the Barcelona heirarchy.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[Castia]

seriously? Jesus Christ.

 

[Zen86]

 

[gormless]

Pretty much every team in the world would love to have their problems

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Wow.

 

[100]

They have no manager!!

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Oh Ffs.

 

[ArmchairCritic]

Sack Vilanova, Sell Messi(to us preferably).

 

[Buchan]

Alright, it was half in jest, but there are certainly some issues present that are becoming very damaging for them.

I don't see a Barcelona-dominated Champions League in the next five years, for one.

 

[Slevs]

Don't think so, this seems like one of those "United in decline headlines".

They're a great team who will pick themselves up and rebuild, even in this form, they're still on top of their league with a 12 point lead.

 

[Rado_N]

This is destined to bite you on the ass.

 

[I'm always right]

I think they'll get relegated next season.

Seriously though, I said the other day that they are nowhere near the side that beat us in Rome. Still a great side though but weaker at the back and too dependent on Messi's goals.

 

[Castia]

They have had some issues over the past few games but the are still 16 points clear in the league and although they are trailing 2-0 to Milan they aren't out of that yet. I really wouldn't be surprised if they put 3-4 past them.

 

[Randall Flagg]

If they come out and smash Milan in 2 weeks, mini crisis is over for them.

 

[Guy Incognito]

They have no manager!!

As Arry would say, anyone could manage Barca and pick up a few cups.

They are and will be the team to beat next season, domestically.

 

[Arruda]

They had two terrible games. Not by coincidence, the two most important games in the season (so far). Can't see them turning Milan around. They're suffering goals in every game, and Milan is bringing a huge advantage to Camp Nou.

Perhaps they'll realize they actually need a manager and that Messi is human after all, even if he might be the best footballer ever.

 

[Sarni]

Too early to tell but I've not been impressed with them this season at all. I'm aware their league record is great but they've been below their usual level in Europe and this performance against Real Madrid in the cup is embarrassing. Whenever I've seen them play this season they've not been their usual amazing passing side at all.

 

[thegregster]

Has it started t unravel for them? I know it may sound silly with them a gazillion points clear at the top of La Liga, but when the chips have been down in the big games this season, they've been found wanting.

Vulnerable as feck at the back, their famed footballing philosophy hasn't looked at fluid in recent months and I think that Messi's and Iniesta's genius has papered over the cracks this season.

Milan put in a perfect performance against them last week, and now Madrid are humiliating them on their own home ground. It could be a case of team's sussing them out, or a simple case of their players lacking hunger, which is entirely possible given what they have won in the last five years.

La Masia has also ran dry with players ready-made for the first team; players like Tello, Thiago etc. are nowhere near as talented as the Messi/Fabregas/Pique era, and these are the players expected to carry on the mantle in the next few years. Couple this with a sub-standard transfer policy which has seen big money failures recently like Sanchez, Ibrahimovic, Chigirinsky and Keirrison, it must be a little unnerving for the Barcelona heirarchy.

Interesting times ahead.

I dont know if they can be classed as in decline but i agree its unlikely that in the near future they will get homegrown players to the level of Xavi,Inesta,Messi,Fabregas,Pique. I think its a one off-a bit like us with our kids in the mid 90s and Ajax around the same time.

 

[VoetbalWizard]

Kind of rawkish this

 

[Buchan]

This is destined to bite you on the ass.

Possibly, but I'm just sick of listening and reading about them as if they are the side to emulate. They have problems and weaknesses just like every other side, and from what we've seen Milan and Madrid do to them in the last week alone, they are certainly not as good as they were between 2008-11.

 

[sullydnl]

They still have far and away the most talented first team in the world. Having said that their squad has always seemed to lack a bit of depth, especially in defence. Probably could do with a couple of signings to freshen them up a bit and strengthen their defence but they're still the team everyone else fears, and for good reason.

 

[Steven Seagull]

They're certainly no Wigan.

 

[Buchan]

They're certainly no Wigan.

Touché.

 

[Mr Anderson]

Decline? No. They have just been found out defensively. Real and Milan have pressed barca well, and played very organised.

I don't see how barca can play without an out and out striker from time to time. When messi isn't firing on all cylinders, they create very little. I know that is rare, but still a team of barcas calibre should be able to adapt depending on how they are playing. They have brought on Villa, but he is still playing wide enough.

 

[ha_rooney]

They're going through a bad spell, I wouldn't call it a decline. Not having the manager there is not helping.

 

[Sarni]

He has a point, to an extent. They've looked virtually unbeatable for 3-4 years and whenever they lost, it was due to extreme luck and brilliant collective performance especially in defence by their opposition (Chelsea, Inter, Real in Copa del Rey final). In a space of a week they've been convincingly outplayed twice and look like heading out of two competitions already, this hasn't happened recently and shows that it's possible to beat them without parking the bus.

Of course they'll improve and might again turn into the force in just a few weeks but their European performances this season have been below par and you wouldn't have seen them getting beaten like this a year or two ago.

 

[samabachan]

I do wonder if they peaked too soon, the way they came out of the blocks so fast and so hard in the league. I guess they really had no choice because of the way Real Madrid played last season, but you do have to wonder if it was a strategy and if they're now paying the price for it.

 

[buckooo1978]

losing in the San Siro and tonight prompts this kind of thread

ridiculous really

 

[rcoobc]

It could be the end of total domination by Barca. Out of the Last 16 of the Champions League (maybe), beaten soundly by Real. Losing both men who are the genesis of super-barca...

We could look back at this thread in 5 years and say 'this is where it all went to peices'...

But probably, not.

 

[Cold_Boy]

The thing is Barca have so many class players that even if one or 2 start to decline or start performing poorly, they could just use the transfer window to rectify it.

 

[RedLars]

Possibly, but I'm just sick of listening and reading about them as if they are the side to emulate. They have problems and weaknesses just like every other side, and from what we've seen Milan and Madrid do to them in the last week alone, they are certainly not as good as they were between 2008-11.

It's just a part of the natural ebb and flow, and Fergie said something about how it's difficult to sustain an exceptional level of quality (and subsequently, success) for more than 3-4 years without making significant changes. I got laughed off when I suggested that Barca's all conquering dominance might be coming to an end around the end of last season, and considering their La Liga performances that seems justified.

I don't think they're that same "unstoppable force" anymore though, and in terms of the top teams in Europe they don't look head and shoulders above everyone else these days.

 

[evra]

More like the decline of Carlos Puyol; fecking abysmal performance.

 

[Castia]

Dont be surprised if they put 5 past Milan then win the Champions League quite comfortably because that's what they are capable of. Terrible week but they will turn it around.

 

[Ainu]

They've had their ups and downs over the past few seasons as well. 2008-2009 was all conquering from them, 2009-2010 less so. 2010-2011 was again mindblowing stuff from them, while they were clearly not up for it in the league last season. The first half of this season they've looked stronger than ever before, but at the moment, they simply don't have a manager. How would you think we'd cope without ours? It's a bad run of form, unfortunately for them at a terrible time. They'll recover. With Xavi and others getting on a bit they'll probably never hit the heights of 2009 or 2011 again, but feck it you could be a few levels below that standard and still be one of the best teams in the world.

 

[Mockney]

 

[Buchan]

The thing is Barca have so many class players that even if one or 2 start to decline or start performing poorly, they could just use the transfer window to rectify it.

They've shown nothing in the past five years to suggest they can simply buy players that will fit into their system of play. Alves has been the only 'outsider' that they've signed in recent years that you'd qualify as a success (Fabregas and Pique were practically raised at La Masia); as I've mentioned above, more of than not, when Barcelona get the chequebook out, they make a hames of it (see Ibrahimovic, Sanchez at al.) Even David Villa, a player that will go down in Spanish national team history, has struggled there at times.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

More like the decline of Carlos Puyol; fecking abysmal performance.

They don't believe in signing defenders.

 

[Spoony]

Maybe Pep was a decent coach afterall.

 

[rcoobc]

They've had their ups and downs over the past few seasons as well. 2008-2009 was all conquering from them, 2009-2010 less so. 2010-2011 was again mindblowing stuff from them, while they were clearly not up for it in the league last season. The first half of this season they've looked stronger than ever before, but at the moment, they simply don't have a manager. How would you think we'd cope without ours? It's a bad run of form, unfortunately for them at a terrible time. They'll recover. With Xavi and others getting on a bit they'll probably never hit the heights of 2009 or 2011 again, but feck it you could be a few levels below that standard and still be one of the best teams in the world.

Never out in the Last 16 of the Champions League though... although that is countered by winning the league.

 

[Aboutreika18]

Maybe Pep was a decent coach afterall.

Hmmm...that can't be true, RedCafe told me Joe Bloggs could manage Barca and win everything.