Last season ended with a rousing victory over Napoli in the return leg of the UCL R16 after a disappointing 1-1 draw away in Naples. Relatively anonymous manager Quique Setien surprised critics by having the gumption to sit Busi in favor of a 3-man MF of Rak-Roberto-FDJ. Setien also intelligently deployed Griezmann behind Suarez in his natural secondary striker position. Messi, who was upset with Setien for pushing him out to the wing, said after the match he knew it was best for the team and admonished old friend Suarez, saying: "He's fat. You see it. I see it. He's slow. After all those years of playing with fatass Higuain, I lost another striker partner to food. Gordos hijos de putas, dejen de comer como cerdos por un mes carajo. Que los pario. FML." Although Alba started the match, Setien once again showed his forethought and brought on Firpo for Suarez for more stability once Barca were ahead. "I know that Alba can't cut it as a first rate LB any more" said Setien. "Alba used to be like a wolverine on that touchline, now he's a frightened squirrel ever since Atleti, Juve, Roma, and Liverpool exposed him in UCL." Setien didn't stop there however, he brought on academy product Monchu for some valuable experience towards the end of the match. "It's critical to have young players get a taste for high level competition early, and understand that we value them, and that they won't be blocked by older players, merely because our incompetent Board executives that don't know fuck all gave these former legends fat contracts." Unfortunately, the competition was cut short when UEFA canceled all remaining tournament matches just before Barca's big showdown with hated Bavarian rivals Bayern Munich who were entering the match with some irrational self-belief. Spastic moron and overrated Chilean MF Vidal added: "They are not playing a Bundesliga team, they are playing the best team in the world."
Only one of those quotes is real. So, yeah...
Take a trip back with me to FC Barcelona circa 1987, when the club were coming off some sustained success from '83-'87, but the '87-'88 season ended with only a Copa del Rey title for the proud club. Aragones (yes, THAT Aragones) led the club to that domestic cup title, after some nice runs by Menotti and Terry Venables. Aragones shepherded that team to some silverware, but is mostly viewed as a transitional figure before Cryuff returned to Catalunya in May '88 to accelerate Barca's entrance to its modern world-conquering form. Which brings us to the Dream Team of '92, and European Cup Final Match Winner Ronald Koeman.
View: https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1295796529408684033
If any of you remember Special K, it's likely for that magical FK that won Barca that wonderful trophy with big ears:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_zRwnaXaNs
However, Koeman is also fondly remembered by the Dutch for his outstanding performances at Eurocup '88. The highlight of that campaign was a semifinal victory over neighbor, rival, and tourney host West Germany. Well, Koeman wasn't going to celebrate this huge victory in typical fashion. Oh no, not this porky blonde Dutchman who looks like the kid from the neighborhood you grew up in who was good at sports when he was young just because he could bowl smaller kids over:
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/day-euros-june-21-ronald-koeman-wipes-his-backside-olaf-thons-shirt
OK, so enough small talk. Koeman takes over for a club in shambles. The former manager has been sent home so he can go back to tending his cattle, the sporting director has been relieved of a job he wasn't remotely qualified to handle, and yet the President has maintained his evil Snyder-like stranglehold over a club so many hold dear. The club have indicated that MATS, Messi, FDJ, Fati, Semedo, Dembele, and Griezmann aren't being sold this offseason (all 3 weeks of it). Personally, I don't think Pique should be sold either. Pjanic comes to Spain in the Arthur swap, Coutinho returns from his Bavarian romp, RW Trincao joins from Braga, and several promising young players return from loan (Todibo, Wague, Miranda, Oriol, Alena). Sparkplug midget Puig is also around. MATS is out 2.5 months with a knee injury, and is backed up by the serviceable Neto.
The only thing about the best XI I can say at the moment is that it include MATS, Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, FDJ, Pjanic, and Messi. That's 7 players. Coutinho, Dembele, and Griezmann are all talented players, but none of them are strikers. If Barca don't bring in Lautaro, they should try Dembele there because no one else even remotely has the skill set to thrive there. Although they could try the Messi false 9 experiment, but that previously required 2 very strong wingers, so there goes Griezmann. But I could see a Fati-Messi-Dembele lineup working or Coutinho replacing one of those guys at LW.
Koeman seems capable enough of getting the most out of his talent. He was really hampered in his last year at Everton by not having a striker to replace Lukaku.
The offseason is almost certain to bring more transfer business, so this will be worth revisiting once the squad settles a bit.
Only one of those quotes is real. So, yeah...
Take a trip back with me to FC Barcelona circa 1987, when the club were coming off some sustained success from '83-'87, but the '87-'88 season ended with only a Copa del Rey title for the proud club. Aragones (yes, THAT Aragones) led the club to that domestic cup title, after some nice runs by Menotti and Terry Venables. Aragones shepherded that team to some silverware, but is mostly viewed as a transitional figure before Cryuff returned to Catalunya in May '88 to accelerate Barca's entrance to its modern world-conquering form. Which brings us to the Dream Team of '92, and European Cup Final Match Winner Ronald Koeman.
View: https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1295796529408684033
If any of you remember Special K, it's likely for that magical FK that won Barca that wonderful trophy with big ears:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_zRwnaXaNs
However, Koeman is also fondly remembered by the Dutch for his outstanding performances at Eurocup '88. The highlight of that campaign was a semifinal victory over neighbor, rival, and tourney host West Germany. Well, Koeman wasn't going to celebrate this huge victory in typical fashion. Oh no, not this porky blonde Dutchman who looks like the kid from the neighborhood you grew up in who was good at sports when he was young just because he could bowl smaller kids over:
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/day-euros-june-21-ronald-koeman-wipes-his-backside-olaf-thons-shirt
OK, so enough small talk. Koeman takes over for a club in shambles. The former manager has been sent home so he can go back to tending his cattle, the sporting director has been relieved of a job he wasn't remotely qualified to handle, and yet the President has maintained his evil Snyder-like stranglehold over a club so many hold dear. The club have indicated that MATS, Messi, FDJ, Fati, Semedo, Dembele, and Griezmann aren't being sold this offseason (all 3 weeks of it). Personally, I don't think Pique should be sold either. Pjanic comes to Spain in the Arthur swap, Coutinho returns from his Bavarian romp, RW Trincao joins from Braga, and several promising young players return from loan (Todibo, Wague, Miranda, Oriol, Alena). Sparkplug midget Puig is also around. MATS is out 2.5 months with a knee injury, and is backed up by the serviceable Neto.
The only thing about the best XI I can say at the moment is that it include MATS, Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, FDJ, Pjanic, and Messi. That's 7 players. Coutinho, Dembele, and Griezmann are all talented players, but none of them are strikers. If Barca don't bring in Lautaro, they should try Dembele there because no one else even remotely has the skill set to thrive there. Although they could try the Messi false 9 experiment, but that previously required 2 very strong wingers, so there goes Griezmann. But I could see a Fati-Messi-Dembele lineup working or Coutinho replacing one of those guys at LW.
Koeman seems capable enough of getting the most out of his talent. He was really hampered in his last year at Everton by not having a striker to replace Lukaku.
The offseason is almost certain to bring more transfer business, so this will be worth revisiting once the squad settles a bit.