Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey, but the bigger story was Barcelona's first trophiless season since 2007-08. The bigger question however is whether this lost season represents the fall of the Catalan empire.
Barcelona lost three games in a row in rather embarrassing fashion this past week. On Wednesday the team was taken down by Atletico Madrid 1-0 and thus eliminated from the Champions League. A few days later the team was shut out 1-0 at Granada. And now the team's embarrassment was exacerbated by a loss to its biggest rival. The team is now five points out of first place in the Spanish League and needs favorable results going in their favor in the final five weeks. The likelihood of two Madrid sides imploding in the stretch run is unlikely at best. So what went wrong in 2013-14 for Blaugrana?
The defense is in shambles and there is no doubt about it. Even prior to the injury to Gerard Pique, many pointed to last year's unraveling against Bayern Munich and noted that the team's defense was suspect at best. What did Barcelona do in the summer? It went out and spent money on Neymar. It turns out that the transaction was suspect and the team got itself into deep trouble off the pitch and on it. The move created turmoil at the Camp Nou and Neymar has looked like a shadow of the player that dominated the Confederations Cup last summer. He looked solid early on but he has been hit or miss since the turn of the calendar year; that is not what Barcelona paid a ton of money for.
But that point aside, the team did nothing to address its greatest weakness at defense. The side made no such move in the summer and then overlooked a chance to add a defender in the winter. Now the transfer ban is going to make this team unable to add one in the winter. So what defense will Barcelona have heading into 2014-15? A slow one that is questionable tactically.
But the issues are even more transcendent. Barcelona has to worry about the goaltending situation. Victor Valdes is likely leaving this summer leaving los Cules with Jose Manuel Pinto, who has been woeful at best. He was at fault for both Madrid goals in the Copa del Rey final and his distribution out of the back is questionable at best. The team's depth behind him is unknown as coach Gerardo Martino (who is likely on his way out this summer) has not used any of the young prospects this season.
So the team has an aging defense, no solid foundation in goal and will be bringing in its third manager in three years.
And this is all without considering the midfield, which is the meat and potatoes of Barcelona's game. Xavi is rumored be headed to the MLS which means that he might no longer be interested in playing for Barcelona. At his age (34), he is not nearly as effective as he has been in seasons past. Andres Iniesta, 29, is still a top player but his level has dipped a bit with age. Cesc Fabregas has yet to prove that he can lead the midfield and even Sergio Busquets has not had a great year.
Lionel Messi, the team's superstar, looked disinterested in each of the last three and one has to question whether he might be having doubts about remaining with Los Cules. The Barcelona ship is clearly sinking. The tactics have grown stale and the lack of transfer possibilities means that this team will not be able to inject new blood into its strategy. Does Messi really want to stick around with a rebuilding project during what should probably be his best years? Of course the other possibilities is that the superstar is still injured. He has struggled to remain healthy all year and it is possible that he might still have some knock that is impeding him from playing at his best. For all the goal scoring that he has done in the last month, it is essential to point out that four of his last seven goals have come from the penalty spot and three of those seven came from one game. He is not looking like the difference maker everyone expects.
Martino, as aforementioned, is surely not sticking around. His tactics all year long have been questionable and it is clear that the team does not respect him enough to allow for his supposed innovations.
What do you think went wrong with Barcelona in 2013-14?
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