Stop whinging and pull up your socks

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Reality has caught up. There is literally no hiding from the hiding that our beloved football club and its fans received from a romping Bayern Munich. The writing was always in the wall since the PSG debacle. And yet, individual performances allowed the vile board and all the coaches since Pep to go about business as usual. Even the players did not own up or try to re-ignite some real passion or walk away when the time was right - like the legendary gods Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta. None of the coaches or board tried to evolve, no thought put to any kind of transformation. Breaking down the factors contributing to "rock bottom'" as echoed by Pique.

• Inept Board - Board has been completely detrimental to sporting aspects. Barto and Rosell both acquired the greatest team ever assembled with the greatest player ever. And they reduced the team to what it has become now. Scouting was essentially absent. Mostly chase the already established players with very high market price. Sporting success and the team's allure allowed the board to continue down the easy path to doom. Going for a number of random coaches without any long term stability and plan. Market activity was completely on odds with coaching and existing team formations. 
• Coaches - All the coaches since Pep including Enrique simply kept on leveraging Pep's legacy without putting a stamp of their own. 2015 treble was really the same core group of Pep with Neymar and Suarez thrown in to good effect. The team achieved results despite him being the coach. He kept fielding the same 11 again and again, no thought put to changing tactics based on situation. For some reason, all that was forgotten. Valverde and Setien were never supposed to anywhere near a club such as Barca. They are good people but dont have the credentials or the mettle to manage a club of global stars, unforgiving politics and ludicrous expectations. 
• Players - Nothing survives the wheels of change unless there is a plan to evolve. Unless difficult and heart wrenching decisions are made, head over heart. Being from Australia, while I don't like Cricket much, but I have always loved how Australian cricket team always makes sure to evolve. Never retain old guard. In fact the players are passionate enough to give way to fresh blood. This has ensured years (sorry decades) of dominance in the sport. Barca as an organisation just could not pull out of its inertia of legends. Consider the example - Busquets' vulnerability had been forgotten since Roma debacle. Busi is a legend and what he did in his prime can probably never be done by any player. He was unique in the way he shielded balls, resisted pressure nonchalantly and sometimes embarrassing top mid fielders around him. But he has been past it since long. He can't run a single pivot or even double pivot against fast paced cohesive teams. Still coaches, board and fans somehow kept getting disillusioned by some of his La Liga performances completely forgetting how fragile he can be against teams who are their peak in athleticism and game. I apologise, but I am using Busi just an example. There are many examples all over the squad. How could we not spend Neymar's money in getting replacement for Suarez, defence and midfield. To be honest, Dembele was a good purchase. If it turns out bad finally, it is just bad luck. But he ticks all the requirements of a Ney replacement as close as possible. Coutinho and especially Griez were never suited to Pep's Barca. That's essentially what all coaches have done since Pep. Make no mistake - Cout and Griez are top notch players but coaches have to transform the formation and game play to make Barca better. They cant be forced to mould in to existing 433. The second striker (Griez) is currently not a position in Barca. The CAM (Cout) is also not a position, and if there are moments when that position is used, it is the goat who takes that position. 

Maybe my intention to do a insightful analysis has turned in to a rant down the line, and as such I will quickly try to summarise what I personally think Barca should do going forward.

1. Change of Board - Not sure how true the rumours are, but it would be good if the elections happen by early next year. While an instant change of guard would probably be best, but it is just not possible given the covid situation.
2. Change in coaching and sporting staff - The board would do the best thing it has ever done if it appoints a coach for a long term project this time. A coach with strong character. The board has to be willing to let the coach form his own squad. Have a strong check with an apt sporting Director. Refresh scouting. Messi was scouted out of obscurity. There are many diamonds in the rough. Take inspiration from the current Bayern team - Gnabry, Davies.
3. Squad (Interesting bit) - So what should be the squad for next season. My views have changed in the last week. It is knee jerk but the knee jerk has confirmed months of doubts. 
1. To exit 
1. Mats - He is a great GK, but right now we need a squad overhaul. The pandemic has punched a hole in our pocket as it has in every teams. Mats is potentially sell-able at a good price. Neto can do the job -less effectively but it is a trade-off we should accept. We can strengthen our outfield.
2. Suarez - If he's fine with MLS, do it right away. He was the best striker, a Barca legend, and still scores goals which should act as playbook for strikers like the one he scored against Bayern. But, he is past it million years back to lead the line for Barca.
3. Vidal - I admire him and his attitude, but he can't be a starter. And he won't accept bench role. So move him on. He will fetch decent money for his age. Because he is good.
4.  Pique - We just have to be daring in this one. I think Pique still has a place in the bench. But as we need to reduce our operating expense, we need to let go of his salary. Araujo, Todibo and Lenglet have to be our prime defenders. Ideally, we need a high quality defender who can actually fill in the boots of a defender as good as Puyol - defending workhorse and a leader. Head up even when the chips are down. Based on some of the sales, we should target a good purchase. Scouting would have helped in this regard. But our scouts have been snoozing for years.
5. Umtiti - He was perfect. But he's not going to cut it anymore. It is clear. He just doesn't have it. Deschamps is a better coach then we have had since Pep. And he has rightfully dropped him for Lenglet. We should heed to his wisdom as we have. Only reason we might retain him is if we are not getting much or if his salary is not going to cause opex issues.
2. Way forward
1. We need to find place for Griez in the team. They guy is a bundle of energy and gives his all. We have to change our formation. We can't keep on sticking with Pep's tactics. He had correctly envisioned it based on the players he had. We need to leverage what we have, because we cant replace every single players as this is not fifa/ PES game.
2. Trincao, Pedri, Puig have to be part of the squad. They might fail, but time to give youth a chance. It is a bit embarrassing to say this - but MANU has done it with a bunch of unknown youth. Trincao and Pedri are very good on paper. Surround them with Messi, Demb (if he's fit please), Pjanic and we could have some dynamics going on there. Pjanic isn't really to my taste. But, we have got him. We need to to play him as this is the last year he would be at his peak. and he's better than Busi, Raki and Vidal currently. Vidal is better in box to box though. Unpopular opinion but Raki is better than Busi simply because he is a bigger threat with his shoot and is a better defender than Busi. Weaker than Busi in terms of passing ball forward, but Busi fails to do that when pressed by elite teams.
3. Semedo has looked very good. I had to bring his name in particular because he is facing very unfair criticism. What Davies did was what any player at his peak would do to a defender. We of all the fans should know how Messi has done that to so many defenders over the years, It is not because the defender is bad, it is because when an attacker is at his element, there is not much a defender can do on his own. The whole squad has to step up. Any player would get roasted by such footwork. In fact Semedo has also done the same on the other side of the field to opponents. Just that those did not make in to a sequence as ridiculously beautiful as the one by Davies and with so many eyes glued to the screen.
4. RULE 1 - Messi cant play 90 minutes in all games. RULE 2 - Messi should be a forward and not move back in building up play irrespective of what is happening. Messi is the best finisher of the game. He should stay in the final third. Coach and team has to make sure of that. When chips are down, he moves back and it has hardly helped in big games, when he does so. Messi is not young any more is no secret. I was just watching his game against Bayern back in 2009. He was a flea back then running everywhere. He can't play 90 minutes even if he's going to balance his runs. There are many games, when the scores are settled or games where he is not required. He has to rested in such cases. He will lose some statistics, might even impact Pichichi, but I have always grown up celebrating team success, revering the leading figures, the superstars within that winning team. Individual records should not be incentivised as much as they have been recently based on some misleading statistics and achievements.