My views on how to start fixing this crap of a team we have right now:
1. Get rid of (fire) Lucho, the sooner the better.
2. Bring in Bielsa, that guy is now without a job for far too long, El Loco would shakes things up, exactly what this team needs. And give the man (any manager we bring, doesn't have to be Bielsa, Valverde could be a great choice too) total control over the squad selection and buying players he actually wants, not players who our sporting director takes off of his old friends in Valencia to help them stay afloat financially.
3. Sell:
Rakitič
Gomes
Arda
Mathieu
Vidal
Paco
Buy/bring back/promote:
Sidibe/Pereira
Thiago/Verratti (after Iniesta reitres, i wouldn't mind both, if possible).
Samper
Marlon
Alena
Screw Bellerin, the kid is making fun of us and ridicules us every chance he gets, let him rot in trophyless Arsenal, what do i care. He'll come calling in aboout 5 years after winning maybe one lucky FA Cup from now until then. Instead we turn our focus on the incredibly and more and more quality-packed Ligue 1. We didn't go wrong with Abi, we didn't go wrong with Umtiti, even Digne's been a solid addition so far. Defenders from Ligue 1 are the bomb! Sidibe or Pereira (who can even play on both flanks) would be just what the doctor ordered for our aching RB position. Stop giving money and saving poor (financial and quality-wise) Valencia. They've become our new Arsenal, but they're worse because the players we got from Arsenal were actually good enough for a minute there to play and even semi-succeed here, while this is just crap right now.
As for selling, not just sell but sell wise, to the right club. Rakitič to Juve, United or City for 50M, Arda to China for 40M, and Gomes to just about anywhere for let's say at least 30M, just so we can minimize our loss on him from tens of millions to just a few millions. That's 120M altogether, and don't tell me we can't get at least on of Thiago or Verratti for that money, at least right now until Iniesta is still playing. After that i'd like both of them to restore our midfield to the greatness it once was, but okay. One of them will do just fine for now. While i would leave Rafinha and Denis to be our bench, they<'re home-grown, they now our style, and they can cover multiple position which cannot be said for neither Rakitič (CM) nor Gomes (CM) nor Arda (LW). Gomes can maybe play DM too, but we have a much better and home-grown option in bringing Samper back there. And promote Alena. So 4 home-grown youngsters waiting on the bench for their chance to shine. And that change would surely come sooner than later with aging Iniesta and with resting Busquets and Thiago/Verratti. Plus giving Roberto his well-deserved midfield spot as often as possible, the kid is a gem! While Denis (LW) and Rafinha (RW) get enough chances that way as well. Marlon to play our 4th CB no problem, and at least be there, not be constantly injured like 'the ginger smoker'.
Oh yeah, almost forgot about Paco. For him goes the same as it does for Gomes, just get rid of him...preferably do another reverse swap and just trust Munir for god's sake, the kid more than capable of playing fourth fiddle and score those 20 or so goals/per season, which Paco apparently isn't. Not to mention Munir can replace/play not just CF, but also RW, if Messi gets moved to CM in the later years, but for now maybe in games when we need to score, we play with all four attackers with Messi and Iniesta providing from behind. And last, but not least, donate Mathieu somewhere, maybe include him in the Sidibe/Pereira dela and send that ginger smoker back to his homeland. While sell Vidal for that 5-10M to some middle table Spanish side or better yet, maybe to Serie A, Milan and Inter seem to be interested.
As for the coach, as i said, Bielsa would maybe be my choice right now, simply because he's free and he can put a fire under the player's asses. If not him, then Valverde, Tuchel or Klopp, maybe Sampaoli too. But i don't see Tuchel or Klopp leaving their respective clubs anytime soon. While i'm not too enthusiastic about Koeman...he feels just like another easy, but not (at least not yet) Barca-quality choice, i feel like he needs to prove himself a bit more to be ready for us, although i do think he's actually been better at it than Lucho who wasn't even that successful before us, at least Koeman got Southampton to play beautifully, plus he'd be inclined to give our youth a chance, just like Klopp and Tuchel would. But the main thing is give to whoever comes, a free role in squad selection and buying players he actually wants...enough with our sporting director being emotional about it and helping his beloved 'old flame' get out of their financial mess by paying them 30 or so millions every summer for their mediocre players. But with this shitty Board i can't see something like this happening anytime soon, unfortunately.
So that's my two cents for now...i this won't change even if Lucho pulls a miracle and we win the fucking treble this year at the end.
