With the start of Barça’s 2016/2017 season here, along comes many compelling story lines to follow. Barcelona is filled with exciting players that will captivate us all season long.
I decided to share the four things that I am most looking forward to for Barcelona this year. Here it goes!
1) Marc Ter Stegen becoming the #1 goalkeeper
After two seasons, the German goalkeeper will finally be given the position of #1. With Claudio Bravo’s soon to be finalized move to Manchester City, Ter Stegen will be Luis Enrique’s first choice keeper. This is something I’ve been imagining and hoping for ever since he moved here in 2014. Given he’s only 24 years of age, he could start for Barça for the next decade. He has an exceptional range of passing that is perfect for playing out of the back. His sweeper keeping abilities compliments Barcelona’s high defensive line. It’s finally happening!
2) Seeing the new signings play
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Adding Samuel Umtiti, Demis Suárez, Lucas Digne, Sergi Samper, and André Gomes has given Barça an influx of youth and energy. They are destined for the future, but are also sufficient enough to play regularly right now. They’re exceptional talents, and can provide rest for Barcelona’s starters when needed. It’s always great to have fresh faces, and these five prove it. (Who knows, maybe they’ll be a sixth soon)
3) No trip to Asia
This one may sound a bit peculiar, but hear me out. Last season, Barça had to travel to Japan to play in the Club World Cup. While the rest of La Liga was still playing domestically, Barcelona were playing in a rather pointless competition. There may not have been much match fatigue, but the players till felt the affects of the jet lag. I just recently wrote an article explaining how a lack of squad depth was harmful to Barcelona last season. Along with that, fruitless trips halfway across the world isn’t exactly what Barça needed.
This year, Barcelona are no longer the defending European champions. I would definitely suck up the trip to Asia if it meant winning the Champions League, don’t get me wrong. But if we’re trying to be positive here, then no trip to Japan will ultimately be a good thing.
4) Neymar getting even better
When Lionel Messi went down to a knee injury last year, everybody thought Barça were doomed. How do you replace the impact of the world’s greatest player? Simple. Rely on Neymar. During Messi’s two month absence, the Brazilian stepped up his game in a way we didn’t imagine. He was no longer sprinting down the wings dribbling past people. Amazingly, he became more Messi-esque and started becoming a playmaker, dropping into midfield to build up play. Neymar no longer waited for the ball; he went towards it. It’s crazy to realize that he’s still 24 years old, and is still getting better. With yet another season in Europe under his belt, expect Neymar to stake his claim as a Top 3 player in the world.