About Lewandowski, Xavi, Laporta and Barça's Future

Some notes about what’s been going on at Barça lately. In no particular order.

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It's easy to criticize from the comfort of one's couch or in hindsight. It's much more difficult to make crucial decisions. In any particular situation, you have 3 or 4 alternatives. Laporta & Alemany could have decided to play it conservative : focus on cleaning house, sell players & assets, repay the debt, have a modest transfer window (free agents, tier 2 or 3 players). Instead, they reinvest and hope to initiate a virtuous circle where sporting success brings financial stability that brings more sporting success etc etc. It's almost an all-in from a sporting POV (which, by the way, shows how much faith they have in Xavi) and only time will tell if they made the right decision…

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Honestly the squad is packed. Xavi asked for at least 2 players per position (currently there are 25+ players). I expected him to do the opposite. The Cruyffian way. To work with a relatively small squad (say 20-22) and then call up players from the B team when necessary. But I guess we're really going all-in this season and Xavi wants to take no risks !

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There'll be a TREMENDOUS competition within the squad. Look at the attacking line : Ferran, Ansu, Lewandowski, Aubameyang, Rafinha, Dembélé (+ Abde & Memphis if they stay). Now at least 3 of these 8 guys won't even be on the bench for some games. Xavi's group and man-management skills will be tested. How do you balance fierce competition with team spirit and solidarity? How do you keep those who don't play motivated and fit? But I think Xavi has the necessary leadership, charisma and authority to deal with this effectively.

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Ferran & Ansu : it is not easy to have the responsibility of carrying Barça's attack at such a young age. Things get easier when youngsters share that responsibility with veterans (like Messi with Ronaldinho, Iniesta with Xavi) who can absorb the pressure (and the blame in case of failure). Seeing Fati's struggles with injuries and Ferran's mental block (à la Morata) last season, Barça did well reinforcing the attack.

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2 years ago (Koeman's 1st pre-season) , I tweeted that Barça was the most exciting project in Europe and any ambitious young talent should do whatever it's possible to join before it's too late. It was mocked. Look now : it's clearly a promising project and there's barely any spot left to take in midfield, attack & central defense. If they play at the level we expect, these attackers, mids & CBs will still be here in 2-3 years. There are still spots to be taken in the full-back positions though. I hope agents are paying attention.

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Everyone knows him so there's no need to explain what Lewandowski will add to Barça. Unlike Benzema or Messi, he is really a pure #9. Not the kind who will drop to midfield and combine and create a goal scoring chance. He needs the team to get the ball to him around/inside the box and then he does the rest because he's got that killer instinct.

Which is perfect because data shows that Barça's attacking problems last season were related to finishing rather than creating chances. And whenever the team struggled to create chances, it relied on crosses (more often than I'd have liked). And that's also perfect for Lewandowski who's one of the best strikers in the air.

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But this transfer is bigger than a simple player. Firstly, from a symbolic perspective. We knew we could attract promising players who want to reach the next level (Kessié, Memphis, Christensen, Raphinha). Now with Lewandowski, Barça showed it can also attract elite players. Which solidifies the idea that the sporting project is serious & ambitious. And in return, Lewandowski's presence will also make it easier to attract other elite or promising players. Because these guys are winners and will only join ambitious projects. He is what (I believe) they call a "franchise player" in the NBA. Now you bet Koundé will be even more interested in joining! You bet Frenkie will be even less interested in leaving!

Secondly : it's very courageous of him to go for such a challenge at 34. He didn't pick the easy option : Barça was just at the start of a long cycle. Yet we all know Lewandowski is not here to win the Copa del Rey and el pichichi. He's here for the UCL and the Ballon D'or. His mere presence raises the expectations & demands for everyone in the team and the club itself. And I hope his ambition and Barça's will nurture and push each other higher. This could really be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Third : it's a tremendous boost in confidence for the whole team. Whether it's a striker (Messi, Benzema, Lewandowski) or a goalkeeper (Courtois, Allison, Neuer), elite players have that aura around them : you just know they can get you out of tough situations and perform in top games, which boosts their teammates’ confidence.

Fourth : in terms of media pull. Friends & family who are not that much into football often ask me : "who plays for Barça now? I don't know any player". And it's true, we don't have any big name, not the kind that even the occasional football viewers know. Now the Barça brand is once again associated with one of the biggest names in the world of football. And that will attract the interest of fans and, most importantly, sponsors. (by the way, would be curious to know the role played by Nike, which is both Lewandowski & Barça's sponsor, in making this transfer happen. They always want to have one of their top athletes play for the teams they sponsor).

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I don't know if we'll win it, but I have no doubt that we will be in the fight for LaLiga until the very last games. On the other hand, UCL is a different beast. As I always say, without an elite striker who can score impossible goals and an elite goalkeeper who can stop impossible shots, you won't win it. Ter Stegen really needs to step up his game this season, we need it. In terms of center backs, I'm OK with the 4 options currently in the squad (do we really need Koundé?). Fullbacks are more worrying and I don't think Azpilicueta & Alonso are an upgrade. In any case, the intensity & efficiency of the forwards and midfielders' pressing is what will determine in large parts how much work the defensive line will have to deal with. And I'm quite sure that's also how Xavi thinks about it. Posición, Posesión y PRESIÓN.

Anyway, I'm liking what Laporta and Alemany are doing. Everything is going according to plan. And I’m looking forward to watching Xavi Ball this season.

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- Captnowski

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