Few thoughts in a thread.

All of what occured during the season was expected, we all knew the team was finished mentally after Roma and Anfield, and walking into the CL with the same frail players was going to result in another humiliation.

It did hurt regardless.

So here we are now, 2020 with a squad that should've been easily fixed in 2016 in an even worse state.

Along the way, we have lost in :

2017 : 4-0 to PSG, 3-0 to Juve
2018 : 3-0 to Roma with a 3 goal lead.
2019 : 4-0 to Liverpool with a 3 goal lead.
2020 : 2-8 to Bayern.

Future isn't as bleak as some might think, it's rather easy to fix the squad, even 4 years late, even with the financial restrictions of COVID-19.

But does Bartomeu want to, or will he dig in his heels and ruin the club for whoever succeeds him, either Laporta or Font.

We start off with hiring Koeman.
It's a popularist move, a legend finally home to direct us back to the glory ways, much like he did as a player giving us a taste at European glory.

He is man with temper, with incidents notably in Valencia with Canizares and Albelda.

And a man with personality and temper is what we need.

I am in no way saying he has power, Bartomeu still needs to cook books and handing power to a coach was never on his mind. But we can expect him to bench some heavyweights, even force them out.

The list of players who MUST leave is as follows :

Neto, Semedo, Roberto, Umtiti, Alba, Vidal, Rakitic, Rafinha, Coutinho, Suarez.

For various reasons, from not good enough in the first place, to toxic, to finished.

Selling those players would allow the club to breathe easy for another year in terms of financial stability without hindering us competitively.

Back to Koeman, he's had good stints at clubs (rebuilding at Southampton and NL) and bad ones (Everton and Valencia)

Focusing on NL, he's played what is the "closest" style to what I'd expect from a Barça coach with suspect players like Dumb Frites and Babel. Mostly playing a 4-2-3-1 that switched to a 3-5-2 with Blind in an Abidal role, conservative when advancing.

It is not unlikely we'll see him try the 4-2-3-1.

For that, we'd need to sign the players for it, and of course to add new blood to our mentally and technically drained team.

The ideal squad to me would look something like the following.

GKs :

MAtS should've been benched, the injury came at a good time. I would've prefered signing Onana or Unai Simon, but we aren't growing money on trees and Arnau is a very promising player waiting for his 3 months trial in the 1st team. Should remain a starter if he impresses

Fullbacks :

Semedo and Sergi are just bad, and Jordi has been limited for a grand majority of his career, now whenever pressed, he just hoofs, to our own box at times.

Pereira has recovered from injury, Valencia are suffering to pay wages. A good 40M each should do the trick.

CBs :

Piqué should be benched for a few, enough to heat his Diesel engine and to get him craving to fight for his spot again.

Eric, Pau and Clém to rotate between them, whoever deserves to start will. Bit soft for a backline, but abusing possession & quick fullbacks will help.

DM :

If we are to play a 4-2-3-1, a Frenkie-Pjanic is an amazing upgrade on ten Hag's double pivot of that Beckham wannabe Schone and a younger de Jong.

Busquets can play as long pivot in lesser games, tinkering is on the coach.

Interiors :

We have so much quality here, you wouldn't think that a few years ago we were screaming for a more technical midfield as Barto went on his quest for Paulinhos and Gomeses.

Frenkie and Pjanic can occasionally play here too.

Wingers :

Again, I would've prefered selling Ousmane for a better player, like Gnabry or Neymar, but they'd both rather play for Sunderland than step in the Camp Nou. Pace nevers hurts, Ansu is a crack, Pedri can also play on both flanks + Trincao.

Should do the trick.

Forwards :

Two players who ideally like to be central, false 9s.

I'd explain in later tweets, but again, much like MAtS, Piqué and Sergio, Messi should be benched for a few games.

Koeman will either stick to the 4-3-3 or play his 4-2-3-1 (ten Hag CL Replica with Griezmann as van de Beek and Messi as Tadic)

In either way, something like this. A blend of experience and youth + fullbacks in their prime.

I expect an all out abuse of possession, especially with the names we have in midfield. Fullbacks aren't afraid to advance and make runs in behind, nor are they limited like Alba on the ball. Ousmane remains a problem with his positional issues, but if he hits form like in 18-19

He'd be more of dangerous threat to the opposition, not our shape and setup.

Having watched Tadic and van de Beek interchanging so well with Ajax in the CL, it's only logical to expect Leo and Grizou to be able to do the same at a much higher level as well.

We hope.

All in all, we are yet to see any changes, but I do hope it goes a little something like what I've just mentioned. Best of luck to you mister @RonaldKoeman, you're gonna fucking need it.

Likes and RTs are appreciated.

Visca El Barça, and #BartomeuDimision