Lionel Messi - v7

[KingLeo10]

I hope we turn the page with a full new generation and get rid of this tendency.

Need to be like RM in this regard if we continue with the superstar model instead of the Bayern/Pool model. RM've created an aura around the club where the club and its European tradition is more important than any player...a player who scored 450 goals for them in 438 games was sold for 100 M without a fuss because it was the right time to make the move.

Players actually accept lesser contracts to join them too and the buyout clauses are unreachable (aka the players agree to that and trust RM's management).

 

[Richard.H]

I hope we turn the page with a full new generation and get rid of this tendency. The sooner we have a generation with no ties with the glory period of Guardiola the better for us as a club.

This is something very difficult to accept for many fans here. There was Barcelona before Pep legacy era, and there will be a Barcelona after. Barcelona is Barcelona, the club will remain long after the players.

 

[FCMessi]

So this is how barca fans treat the legends of this club. As disposable objects who're only useful when obediently taking shit from the management while providing these 'fans' vicarious glory on the pitch. Not as ppl with feelings of disappointment, betrayal, etc. Wonder how they'd react to being chucked out of their job via a 10 min phone call after years of hard work. Ofc I doubt many of these kids have jobs...

Messi's pet has been way overpaid and way under-achieving for at least 2 year now.

In the real world, this kind of one sided rip off is typically called scam or fraud.

The pet should be happy that this scam/fraud was allowed to go on for at least 2 years.

 

[serghei]

Need to be like RM in this regard if we continue with the superstar model instead of the Bayern/Pool model. RM've created an aura around the club where the club and its European tradition is more important than any player...a player who scored 450 goals for them in 438 games was sold for 100 M without a fuss because it was the right time to make the move.

Players actually accept lesser contracts to join them too and the buyout clauses are unreachable (aka the players agree to that and trust RM's management).

We don't have it in us to be like Real Madrid. Our only hope is Bayern/Pool model. Which is not exactly a model. Just a proper club, build with people who know what they are doing and professional players who do what they're thought and trained to do.

Real Madrid is higher echelon in terms of club mentality imo.

 

[khaled_a_d]

This is something very difficult to accept for many fans here. There was Barcelona before Pep legacy era, and there will be a Barcelona after. Barcelona is Barcelona, the club will remain long after the players.

The club is always connected to its past history.
Crujiff was appointed as he was a legendary past player, then we got LVG & Rijkaard due to our history with Dutch coaches, then we go for our own Pep, then our own Lucho. All were connected to past Barca ideas.
We will never move 100% from Pep, it will be just role changings.
I would argue that in this decade we will see both Xavi and Busquets coaching us, and most likely Mascherano too. Pique & Puyol will get jobs in the club.
Hell, I won't be surprised if Pep is coming back in few years when his friend Laporta takes over.

 

[Richard.H]

The club is always connected to its past history.
Crujiff was appointed as he was a legendary past player, then we got LVG & Rijkaard due to our history with Dutch coaches, then we go for our own Pep, then our own Lucho. All were connected to past Barca ideas.
We will never move 100% from Pep, it will be just role changings.
I would argue that in this decade we will see both Xavi and Busquets coaching us, and most likely Mascherano too. Pique & Puyol will get jobs in the club.
Hell, I won't be surprised if Pep is coming back in few years when his friend Laporta takes over.

Yes of course the club will always have its history based on the personnel. However, even the dream team needed to retire after 1995 clasico manita. Every club has its cycles. This is the end of the Pep Legacy cycle. Could Pep come back with a new team? sure, but it's not going to happen with Messi, Pique, Alba, Busquets.

 

[Sorin]

Being a socio owned club is a double edged sword.

On one hand you won't ever be in position of being owned by people like the Glazers or Kroenke who don't give a flying fuck about football, or worse by a country with a despotic regime.

On the other hand it creates this issue of almost being more of a political entity rather than a sports one. We were plagued by this damn battle for power for almost all our history. When incompetent people won the elections, we were in the shitter both sporting wise and image wise. When a moderately better president was elected we had results and things were much better. Just like what happens with the politics in any country around the world.

Though you could say that being owned by socios gives them the opportunity to change the president every 5 years of it doesn't work but that leads to that power battle I mentioned above.

 

[serghei]

The only bright side, is that situation with players controlling the club far more than it's normal can't happen unless said players achieved legendary status. And they can only achieve legendary status, after legendary achievements.

So, we'll get to this point in the future only if we make the same mistakes and only after a period of utter domination and titles in abundance.

After Guardiola left, we should have immediately named a high profile manager. I think that was our worst mistake. There was a void of command and stature on the bench, and some players manipulated that.

 

[snowy]

...

Players actually accept lesser contracts to join them too and the buyout clauses are unreachable (aka the players agree to that and trust RM's management).

That model is tops! To execute it properly, you need the nec + ultra of scouting dept. with analytics and all the goodies. And also a training and development program with sterling rating.

Then, since you're confident with your scouting, you can offer guaranteed time to the new rising talents. ie. That's how BVB snatched up Dembouz for only 15 mil, and Sancho for very cheap as well iirc

If you add a top coach like Bielsa *dude literally installed his bed at the stadium and built army-type barracks for his players during pre-season

+ results and trophies, I can see how rising talents would chose us for their formative years, even when offered less juicy contract.

Reasoning being: they sign with us for the Bragging Rights _ Prestige a la Navy Seal type Bootcamp training + the Trophies

If done right, that would be the absolute coolest club!

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Feels like a 10-15 year drought is coming for Barcelona in the post-Messi era. The club seems done at the top level and fans are in for a rude awakening , unless Pep return to save the sinking ship or someone like Klopp is hired.

Bullshit. We have Puig, Fati, Dembele, Coutinho, Pedri, De Jong, Trincao. Do this look like we will need 15 years to recover ?

 

[khaled_a_d]

Yes of course the club will always have its history based on the personnel. However, even the dream team needed to retire after 1995 clasico manita. Every club has its cycles. This is the end of the Pep Legacy cycle. Could Pep come back with a new team? sure, but it's not going to happen with Messi, Pique, Alba, Busquets.

Depends, there will be always some older players in each team. But at the end it is a young men sport.
Busquets is clearly finished, Pique is solid but the club need more athletic CB to replace him at the age of 34, Alba never played with Pep anyway and I know it is unpopular opinion but I think the club can do far worse than him, but at his age he has 2 seasons maximum as starter.

 

[KingLeo10]

The only bright side, is that situation with players controlling the club far more than it's normal can't only happen unless said players achieved legendary status. And they can only achieve legendary status, after legendary achievements.

So, we'll get to this point in the future only if we make the same mistakes and only after a period of utter domination and titles in abundance.

After Guardiola left, we should have immediately named a high profile manager. I think that was our worst mistake. There was a void of command and stature on the bench, and some players manipulated that.

Or Guardiola left (and other top profile managers would hesitate to come in) because the legendary players were getting increasingly harder to manage. Messi was already a 4 time Ballon d'Or winner by the end of Pep's reign. Pep probably saw the writing on the wall.

Success always has a cost, it seems. SAF called it "cycles".

 

[khaled_a_d]

Bullshit. We have Puig, Fati, Dembele, Coutinho, Pedri, De Jong, Trincao. Do this look like we will need 15 years to recover ?

tbh, those are just young players, no one has achieved the level of success that make you sure they can lead this team. You know, that Messi/Neymar/Mpabbe level of young player that you just know you are in safe hands with them playing.
Also, depends what type of draught are we expecting? domestic or European one?
That said, with another competent board I can see us retooling the way Bayern did. a year or two ago Bayern looked as bad until Flick took over.

 

[serghei]

Or Guardiola left (and other top profile managers would hesitate to come in) because the players were getting increasingly harder to manage. Messi was already a 4 time Ballon d'Or winner by the end of Pep's reign. Pep probably saw the writing on the wall.

I think it's a very plausible scenario.

I think Pep saw the decline in motivation, wanted changes possibly involving some big name departures, but the board blocked him, because the players were so popular by that time.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

I'm not surprised. There's still United and Juve 'fans' who put CR7 above their club. United fans who cartwheel for him 10+ years after he ditched them to give his prime to RM are pretty much cucks tbh.

In fact, on Juve forums, the routine is that the club doesn't deserve CR7.

Messi and CR7 fanboy circles are an absolute travesty to football. And has robbed many other great players of recognition too.

Yeah especially the United fans. I know some of them who really think that they will win the league if they have a 35 years old Ronaldo