With less than a week until the start of the new season in the Spanish Primera Liga, FC Barcelona have played their last game of a difficult pre-season which has done little to convince the doubters that the club has successfully dealt with the problems which were apparent in the closing stages of the last campaign.
While it is true that Barca won the Primera Liga in convincing style, finishing 15 points ahead of Real Madrid and winning an incredible 32 out of 38 games, it is also the case that in the closing weeks of the season, several structural weaknesses became apparent, reports Xinhua.
The injury to veteran defender Carles Puyol showed the need to sign another central defender as Puyol’s absence left the club with just Gerard Pique as the only experienced specialist centre-half.
The midfield also seemed to end the season ‘running on empty’ as Xavi Hernandez struggled with a hamstring injury, Sergio Busquets with pelvic problems and Cesc Fabregas with a series of physical problems due to the weight of games. Even star striker, Lionel Messi felt the pace as he too suffered muscle problems.
This was all thrown into the spotlight by the 2-4 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey and above all by the 0-4 and 0-3 beatings handed out by a rampant Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The summer was meant to resolve these problems and got off to a positive start with the confirmation of the signing of Neymar, the star of the Brazilian national team and the next media bombshell However, things then went badly wrong: first of all with the announcement in mid-July that Tito Vilanova as stepping down as manager after the re-appearance of his illness, barely a week after starting pre-season training.
Apart from the obvious blow to the players’ moral, it meant a search for a replacement and the club moved quickly to sign former Newell’s Old Boys and Paraguay boss, Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, a man who they believe will continue with the trademark Barca style.Early indications are Martino has made subtle changes, such as raising the level of pressure and he may be slightly more willing to allow more direct football when circumstances demand.
While it is true that Barca won the Primera Liga in convincing style, finishing 15 points ahead of Real Madrid and winning an incredible 32 out of 38 games, it is also the case that in the closing weeks of the season, several structural weaknesses became apparent, reports Xinhua.
The injury to veteran defender Carles Puyol showed the need to sign another central defender as Puyol’s absence left the club with just Gerard Pique as the only experienced specialist centre-half.
The midfield also seemed to end the season ‘running on empty’ as Xavi Hernandez struggled with a hamstring injury, Sergio Busquets with pelvic problems and Cesc Fabregas with a series of physical problems due to the weight of games. Even star striker, Lionel Messi felt the pace as he too suffered muscle problems.
This was all thrown into the spotlight by the 2-4 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey and above all by the 0-4 and 0-3 beatings handed out by a rampant Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The summer was meant to resolve these problems and got off to a positive start with the confirmation of the signing of Neymar, the star of the Brazilian national team and the next media bombshell However, things then went badly wrong: first of all with the announcement in mid-July that Tito Vilanova as stepping down as manager after the re-appearance of his illness, barely a week after starting pre-season training.
Apart from the obvious blow to the players’ moral, it meant a search for a replacement and the club moved quickly to sign former Newell’s Old Boys and Paraguay boss, Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, a man who they believe will continue with the trademark Barca style.Early indications are Martino has made subtle changes, such as raising the level of pressure and he may be slightly more willing to allow more direct football when circumstances demand.