Well, as much as I am sure Barça is in their heads, I don't think we’re at the root of their problem - a problem that preceded Xabi's hiring with Carlo even after the last SuperCopa loss 12 months ago, bereft of ideas and ways to get his squad to listen to him
It's about the management of the team and the heirarchy that have made it pretty clear player power trumps coach, you won't be able to manage that successfully for any meaningful period of time much less 12 months
I think they will have to sell 1 or 2 of the personalities in the squad because there isn't a man manager in football that could get them to play like a team when they aren't even a balanced squad - too many attackers, too few midfielders or controllers to bridge from defense
They are oddly enough, in a very similar position to this time just 12 months ago, also coming off the SuperCopa loss - except they still were in both Champions League & Copa Del Rey competitions
I am curious what they will do because I can't think, even with all things being equal, who could make this a functional squad with the existing pieces. Especially if Barça continue to outshine them in spite of the FFP constraints
Yet, somehow, it all turns around for them eventually - could there be a Mourinho 2.0? Hard to imagine but I think they will have to move players first
Equally Xabi was foolish to accept a position like this knowing quite well the culture and that he had no leverage wrt player power, both as a player and from his previous coaches - not least of which was Zidane who left due to it. Many claim he will never return with Perez in charge because of this
Interestingly enough there is a precedent for this, in 2006 Perez resigned due to the fallout of the galactico strategy that led to similar struggles with coach/player power dynamics where he acknowledged they were spoiled - the parallels are uncanny because like then it was also simultaneously coinciding with Barça’s cantera based re-emergence
These whoresons shout with so much emotion, that they sound like blanco ultras in the stands.
