After the humiliation at Anfield, Barcelona made a quick exit but left Lionel Messi behind. The skipper was summoned for a routine dope testing and the process took a little longer. So Messi’s team mates and the coaching staff decided to make the gateway and the star player had to make his own way to Liverpool’s John Lennon airport. Football can be very lonely at times even for its biggest global ambassador.
At the airport, Messi bumped into a group of angry Barcelona supporters who chose to be abusive. The team captain confronted them. “What did I do wrong?” Messi was quoted as saying. After the Anfield choke, the icon was picked to lay the blame on. And it was unfortunate that a section of the fans and media targeted Messi.
The ‘scandal’ in Merseyside will always remain as one of the darkest chapters in Barcelona’s history. They let a three-goal advantage slip and got blown away 4-0 by Liverpool in the return-leg of the Champions League semifinal. It was one choke too many. They had frozen in Rome last year also, when Roma had turned over a 4-1 first-leg deficit in the quarterfinal. Football, however, is a team sport. Messi’s genius was the reason why Barcelona had won the first-leg against Liverpool 3-0 at Camp Nou. At Anfield, Messi had a couple of goal-scoring chances. But it was one of those days when he missed the target. Barcelona, though, didn’t lose against Liverpool because Messi was below par by his incredibly lofty standards.
Jordi Alba defended like Ashley Young or Luke Shaw, he was that bad. In fact, the whole Barcelona defence went to sleep, especially during Liverpool’s winning goal from a corner. Philippe Coutinho, the £142 million man, didn’t turn up. He rarely does, when the going gets tough. Coutinho in all likelihood will end up as the most expensive flop in Barcelona’s history. But the Catalans’ problem is not restricted to Coutinho or Alba. The ageing side needs a bit of rebuilding. They also must gradually leave Messi’s shadow.
Domestically, Barcelona still remain a powerhouse, about to complete a League and Cup double. But like their bitter rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona, too, consider their season a failure if they fall short of the European Cup glory. And they haven’t won it after 2015. Coach Ernesto Valverde is expectedly in the line of fire following the latest capitulation. The Spanish press is now tearing him apart. “Valverde’s fear leaves Barca without another Champions League in the era of Messi,” Sport belted out on its front cover after the Anfield surrender. “Valverde’s conservatism took its toll,” opined Marca. Yes, Valverde dithered, when he should have been proactive with his substitutions. Coutinho shouldn’t have taken the pitch after half-time. The coach’s decision to use Messi as a second striker also affected the team’s shape and rhythm. But removing Valverde could still be a knee-jerk reaction.
Xavi will hang up his playing boots after this season and will enter into management. But taking charge of the Barcelona first-team would be a baptism by fire for him. Xavi needs to earn his coaching badges. Pep Guardiola is happily settled in the blue half of Manchester and a return to his old club in the immediate future borders on the absurd. Jurgen Klopp is doing great things with his Liverpool side. He is on course to become the new Bill Shankly. Unless Barcelona decide to pay a huge compensation fee to prise Mauricio Pochettino from Tottenham Hotspur, they don’t have a Valverde replacement available.
On-pitch reinforcement is what Barcelona should rather concentrate on. Gerard Pique needs a partner at the heart of the defence. Matthijs de Ligt, the excellent Ajax captain, is reportedly on his way to Catalonia, which should mitigate the defensive woes. De Ligt is only 19 years old and a player for the long haul. Frenkie de Jong’s impending arrival is another positive for Barcelona. The team needs some fresh legs in the midfield. Ivan Rakitic is a fine player but he is already 31 years old and should make way for de Jong. Sergio Busquets has had been a great servant for the club. But he is past his prime. Barcelona must clear some deadwoods to make room for the new arrivals. Coutinho’s offloading will be a loss-making business. But it has now become a necessity. Kylian Mbappe will be very expensive, but Barcelona have to be prepared for life after Messi. At 20 years of age, the Frenchman offers everything that this great club craves.
A depleted Liverpool sans Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino steamrolled Barcelona. The English side overpowered the Catalan giants, making a mockery of their passing game in the process. Barcelona have become predictable. Reboot they must.
