I agree. We have the quality in our squad, we just lack the ability to use its full potential.
Yup.
Here's our starting XI:
Valdes - not amazing, but nowhere near as bad as people say. I don't think we'll miss him though.
Alves - Very inconsistent, but can still put in world class performances. Needs to be rotated more with Montoya, I think it'll really help.
Pique - Inconsistent but can still put in world class performances, like Alves. We need to get the right partner for him IMO, it should help big time.
Puyol - Great defender for his age, but too old and injury prone. Needs to be replaced, but I think he'll be a great 3rd choice CB next season
Alba - Arguably the best LB in the world
Busquets - Arguably the best CDM in the world
Xavi - One of the greatest midfielders in the world, despite his age. Should be rested more often, but I can see him continuing for a while.
Iniesta - best midfielder in the world, 3rd best player
Pedro - He's been meh this season, but he has had some good performances. I wouldn't mind replacing him with someone like Reus or Neymar, but not buying anyone for this won't kill us.
Messi - GOAT
Villa - Spain's all-time top scorer. Still world-class (IMO), despite his age, that injury last season, and his lack of playing time this season.
Now, for the subs:
Pinto - good 2nd choice GK
Montoya - great young talent. Should be played more often.
Bartra - Good defender considering his lack of experience. Don't think he'll ever start for us, but he can be a great backup.
Mascherano - Decent at CB considering it's not his natural position.
Adriano - very underrated, and a great squad player to have. Not to mention dem long shots
Song - Arguably Arsenal's second best player last season. It was a good one for them too. He's also impressed when he's played for us, and is a great backup at CDM.
Thiago - Great young talent, huge potential. I can see him being a starter in quite a few other top clubs (Man U, for example).
Fabregas - World-class midfielder despite his poor 2nd half of the season, and he was perhaps Arsenal's best player, as well as one of the best players in the EPL.
Sanchez - He's been shit for most of the season, but he's been better recently.
Tello - Good young talent
Like both of us said, we definitely have the quality, for the most part. In fact, it can be argued that individual talent carried us to a league title and the CL semis.
And now that I think about it, you're right, a CB is the only player we absolutely need. Well, that would be the case if Valdes weren't leaving, but he is. If we get the right replacement though, I don't think we'll miss him too much. If Villa leaves, we'll need a new striker as well. That's about it, really, as far as the players we NEED.
A second CB for depth and a winger like Reus or Neymar to bench Pedro could be nice if we have the cash left over. However, like I said, those two definitely aren't absolutely necessary.
Anyways, like I've said before, with the right changes, I can see us owning the CL again. And IMO, one of the changes that needs to be made (perhaps the second most important one after the new CB) is the coach.
