Edit (to BBZ): We just need a midfield with talent to relieve pressure, not the best midfield ever. Actual wingers would help a lot as well. Our problem is that our midfield has zero quality on the ball and our forwards are slow as fuck. Thats a deadly combination. Replacing Coutinho (and maybe Suarez) for 2 fast forwards would help a lot. An injury free Dembele as well.
Ok. we are debating on a paper, but in reality something is wrong.
2014: Atletico: You had 3 best midfielders ever: Xavi 34, Iniesta 30, Busi 26. Plus Messi 27 (on his prime and faster than today), Neymar 22.
You had 3 Barca DNA midfielders and 2 true wingers.
We couldn't do shit and we couldn't create any chances.
We still lost on counters, headers and they were mentally stronger than us.
2016: Atletico: Iniesta 32, Busi 28, Rakitic 28, Messi 29, Neymar 24, Suarez 29.
You again have 2 midfielders to avoid the pressure, 2 true wingers and Suarez.
Again we couldn't do anything, and our only goals scored were against 10 men in a first leg.
In 135 minutes in 11 vs 11, we were outplayed with 0:3 score.
In La liga we won like 5 times in a row against them.
In a CL, we were eaten alive and bullied on all areas.
That happens all the time in a CL to our team.
So, I want to say, people often say: we need to go back to Xavi-Iniesta ways.
Well, we played Xavi-Iniesta-Busi-Messi in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and won 1 out of 4 CLs.
And we played Messi-Iniesta-Busi in 2012, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. We won 1 out of 7.
So, ok, 3 Dms is not the way to go.
But Iniesta-Busi-Messi trio won 1 CL in the last 7 years also. That trio played in all horrible defeats: Roma 0:3, Juve 0:3, Psg 0:4, Atletico 0:2, Atletico 0:1, Bayern 0:4 etc.
Till yesterday, I thought that we were missing only some muscles and defending.
But even that is not the answer, it seems.
I guess that we will need to try to improve in all areas:
1. technique
2. midfield
3. defense
4. distance covered
5. some physicality
6. leadership ability in 2-3 players
7. players with a fighting spirit for a CL
8. mental strength
9. young blood
10. hunger and motivation
1. again, sacking EV is easy
2. but someone will need to sack a lot of current oldies.
Also, some panic buys and bad transfers will need to go also.
3. and new players will need to be different/better than some current guys. Not only in technique, but in pace, stamina, distance covered and in mental skills (hunger, mental strength, IQ, some fighting spirit etc)