In April 2014, Barcelona were given a 14 month transfer ban by FIFA for breaking rules relative to the transfer of players under the age of 18. FIFA rejected their appeal in August of that year and in December; the court of Arbitration for sports rejected another appeal. Barcelona will not be allowed to sign any players in 2015 according to the BBC.
Barcelona seemed to have coped quite excellently with this ban as players whom they signed before the ban hit the ground running thus accounting for a second treble in six years. However, the impact of this retribution is quite becoming conspicuous especially with recent turnout of things in terms of results and injury cases. With Lionel Messi the latest injury casualty, Barcelona are set to face the toughest eight weeks of the season.
This therefore begs the question as to why Pedro, Song and Montoya were sold as well as the quality of output the Barcelona academy produces. In fact, someone tweeted that the current Barcelona squad is as thin as Mahatma Ghandi in his dying days.
The truth is that Barcelona cannot afford any injuries to this team but these eight weeks would be a true test of Enrique’s tactical dynamism as well as the team’s character and strength.
“We have drawn level quickly, at a key moment. Then Messi came on and when the best is on the field, we all play better”- Neymar, after the game against Atletico Madrid
Messi is truly beyond the goals and assists (unmatched though), he drives the confidence of the team.
How therefore does Barcelona cope in his absence?
One of Munir or Sandro has to start each game from now on, there would be little rotation of the front three and opponent teams would be licking their lips knowing that the man responsible for the fluidity of the attack line is absent.
Enrique appears to favour Munir above Sandro and is expected to start subsequent games. However, Neymar and Suarez are thrust with the responsibility of helping him blend and staying confidence-high.
Iniesta whose performance has dropped with the advent of the MSN has got to take up more responsibility by standing up to the task with his impact more conspicuous especially as the link to the adjusted front three. Busquets and Rakitic also have to sit a little deeper and be more disciplined and aggressive off the ball as teams would thoughtlessly fancy a go at them on the counter.
Within the duration of Messi’s injury, Barcelona face a tough test against Sevilla whom they faced in the UEFA Super cup at the start of the season. Thankfully, Messi is expected to be back for the Clasico tie against Real Madrid in November.
Two months without Messi would be less fun for most of us except for Barcelona’s direct opponents but we’ll all be afforded the opportunity of seeing a new Barcelona team with no reliance on the little genius.
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