Wheels falling off at FC Barcelona

All does not seem to be well at Barcelona FC. During mid-week, they chalked up an unconvincing 1-0 win over German club side Schalke in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals second-leg. The result meant they win 2-0 on aggregate to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals. OK, so they managed to win, but the performance was far from polished & left a lot to be desired. I woke up early in the morning to watch the match. I saw a Barca side that looked very uncertain in defence. And the display was patchy & lacked any sort of urgency - they seldom showed their free-flowing fluent football, although they did somewhat improve in the second-half. Barca coach Rijkaard was jeered, & sections of the Barca fans waved white handkerchiefs, which was a sign that the fans were unhappy & disapprove of the team's performance.

Then just this morning, they could only manage a 2-2 draw away to Recreativo Huelva in the Spanish La Liga. The draw is a blow to their hopes of regaining the Spanish championship from arch-rivals Real Madrid. Twice Samuel Eto'o gave Barcelona the lead, & each time Recreativo's young Argentinian striker Marco Ruben equalised. I didn't see the match (we don't get ESPN), but by reports, Ruben's first goal was debateable as it did not appear to cross the Barca line. Still, not to win the match was disappointing. But Barcelona's recent form can most charitably be described as mediocre anyway, & the latest result is merely a continuation of that bad run. The wheels are falling off, if they haven't already.

In the past few weeks, I've been livid at Barcelona's poor & inconsistent run of form. I think I have moved past that stage, because now I've come to accept that Barcelona might not win anything this year. That's simply because they don't look like winning anything this year. Barcelona are currently a shadow of the side which won La Liga & Champions League in 2006. So I no longer expect Barcelona to sweep all before them. I'm just relieved that Barcelona are in the Champions League semis, slightly happy that Barcelona are still in the running for the Champions League. Anything more will be a bonus, in light of their current form. Of course, if/when they do crash out of the Champions League, I'll still be disappointed, perhaps angry. But expectations are not high from me, so perhaps I'll get over the disappointment quickly.

I've heard all sorts of reasons/"theories" being put forward to explain Barcelona's patchy & inconsistent form. Here they are:

• Injuries - key players have been missing for long periods this season. Eto'o missed a large number of games earlier in the season. Argentinian whizz kid Leo Messi was out at one stage, then came back but then got injured again, & made his return as a substitute in the Recreativo match. Ronaldinho is out for the rest of the season, & though he's not been fantastic at all this season, a player of his class & skill will always be an asset to any team & will always be missed. Deco is still out. Other players such as Krkic, Henry & Iniesta were rested from the Recreativo match to nurse slight injuries.

• Players - A lot of players have not been at their best form, & many fans think that some players are past their best. Deco is frequently "accused" of not being the player he once was. And on top of that, it has been said that some players have been so distracted with contract negotiations that it affects their performances on the pitch.
  

• The coach - Some critics have said Rijkaard is not the most tactically astute of coaches, that he's getting stale with the Barca coaching job. For much of the season, there has been lots of talk & speculation about Rijkaard's long-term future at the club. The Spanish media constantly speculate on suitable replacements for Rijkaard in light of rumours that the Barcelona board are looking for such a replacement. And also, with such uncertainty in the background, would one think that Rijkaard can do his job effectively? Can anyone really blame him if he feels he lacks support from the Barcelona board & that his position is untenable? Would his heart still be 100% devoted to the job with all that speculation over his head?
  

• Team spirit - Another rumour has it that team spirit is not the strongest, with certain players not getting on well with each other (e.g. Eto'o & Ronaldinho), others not happy with the coach & his tactics, & others not happy at the club (e.g. Henry complaining he never sees his young daughter as often as he likes, that he does not like his new playing position of the left of the attack). I don't know how true this rumour is.
  

In light of the above, many fans seem to consider Barcelona FC to be a club in crisis. After all, they are 6 points off the top of the Spanish league & not exactly impressive in reaching the Champions League semis. While all may not seem well at Barcelona, to say Barcelona are in crisis is probably an exagerration. It is a reflection of how demanding Barcelona fans can be, particularly those based in Spain itself. Lots of clubs would love to be in Barcelona's current position.

Having said that, as a fan, my head spins when I think of all those "theories" behind Barca's inconsistent form. I mean, goodness gracious, come on. Low team spirit, players not getting on?? We are talking about a great football institution here. Players, coach & coaching staff, fans, everyone at the club or connected to the club need to realise this. Everyone need to pull their finger out. Put aside whatever personal differences people may have with each other, & be absolutely united for the greater good of the club. The best interest of the club must always come first - people need to realise that if they want to be part of Barcelona FC. Have more team bonding sessions, whatever it takes to bring everyone together.

All that stuff about contract negotiations, if true, should wait until the season is over. Players & coach should concentrate on getting the club as far as it can in the Spanish league & Champions League. There is still plenty to play for. Not saying they will definitely win everything & anything. But that should be the aim. Hola Barca!