I wrote a few weeks ago about cycles.
History says that none Barca manager managed to keep the team at the high level for longer than 3-4 years.
Majority of coaches lost the lockerroom after 2 or 3 years.
Van Gaal, Rijkaard, even Pep had problems in his 4th season.
Imo, our current biggest problems:
1. Lucho's 3rd season, his cycle is nearing to a bad end, as with all managers
2. majority of our players won too many trophies and lack hunger (Pique, Masch, Busi, Iniesta, Messi, Alba, plus to some extent Neymar, Suarez, Rakitic)
New blood is very questionable in terms of quality. So, new players have hunger, but without quality it again means nothing.
3. we have too many players in this season, and Lucho will ruin the chemistry of a starting 11
4. Lucho is tacticaly lost again. Are we playing our classic 433, will Messi play in the middle, will Neymar play in the middle, are we playing 442 suddenly, are we playing 343 without a RB etc?
I have written also a few days ago that we won't win a CL and La Liga this year.
But, who knows, if Real will be poor, maybe we will have some chances.
In a CL, there is no chance that we will win it in Barca's style when we are superior to everyone, like in 2009, 2011 or 2015. If we'll win it, it will be in RM's style: we will be a total disaster in La Liga and meh in a CL and we will rise like a Phoenix in May and somehow (luckily) lift the trophy, in a not too deserved fashion.
Either way, I am expecting extremely chaotic season for Barca this season.
Lots of wtf defeats, lots of fights, lots of hot and cold displays within 3 days.
Lots of matches where we will ask: do these players even care anymore?
And if a season will end bad in terms of trophies, I am expecting a summer where either Lucho, Neymar or similar powerhouses (NOT Messi) will leave the club.