That the post-Messi era would be tough was already known even when we still did not intuit that it would coincide with one of the toughest economic crises in the history of the club and with a decompensated staff. The reality is even more cruel, with a team that has just won a third of the matches played, that has already said goodbye to three competitions in January and, what is worse, that has the culer installed on an emotional roller coaster which leads him from optimism, despite the elimination of the Super Cup, to bewilderment following the sinking of San Mamés.
To say that Barça lost to Bilbao because he lost his head instead of facing it is even more disconcerting than the team’s infumable match. The elimination is acceptable, the irregularity in the evolution of the game is understandable – especially if you change coach and start a return to the essence in the middle of the exercise – but self-deception is dangerous. Unlike a week ago in Riyadh, where Barça clung to the symptoms of the recovery of their lost identity and the sparks of competitiveness, in Bilbao there was no news of the Catalans beyond the two goals that allowed them to stay live to overtime.
San Mamés was not only the worst match of the Xavi era, but of the season, a blow to the previous expectation and because it did not end in a thrashing only due to the lack of aim of the Basques. One would have imagined that the Barça that Xavi wants would be difficult for him to be effective in the areas or that he would pay the consequences of a mediocre physical condition, but not that it would be so difficult for him to organize himself around the ball and manage it fluently. govern the parties. This is where there is more field to run and at the same time more work to do.
To top it all off, Barça also lost Ansu in San Mamés, perhaps for the rest of the season. A lethal news when we were already rubbing our hands with his differential contribution at the end of the course, and which comes just when Dembélé has just been sentenced – with good judgment – to the stands. However, the organization and the coach should resist the temptation to back down in their decision out of sheer desperation.
Because if Barça need anything, it’s to get the ball down to the ground and stop radical turns, false optimisms and looking for turning points everywhere. Patience in adversity, confidence in the project started despite the lack of positive stimuli and stopping the roller coaster. Otherwise, everything will be too long.
