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Barcelona are really going for the treble this season

By Chiranjib Ghosh

Ernesto Valverde from Spain during the FC Barcelona training session before the Spanish Supercopa game against Sevilla FC in Tanger. At Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Barcelona on 11 of August of 2018. (Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ernesto Valverde from Spain during the FC Barcelona training session before the Spanish Supercopa game against Sevilla FC in Tanger. At Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Barcelona on 11 of August of 2018. (Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /
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Ernesto Valverde wants to break from the trend

BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 15: Head coach Ernesto Valverde of FC Barcelona looks on during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Boca Juniors at Camp Nou on August 15, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 15: Head coach Ernesto Valverde of FC Barcelona looks on during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Boca Juniors at Camp Nou on August 15, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /

Two of the club’s greatest managers in the last decade, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, won the treble in their debut season at the Camp Nou. But Ernesto Valverde couldn’t replicate that, winning only the domestic double after elimination in the Champions League quarter-final.

But now, the Basque coach is looking to break from the trend, with a treble in his second season in charge. From Éric Abidal’s transfer exploits this summer to Ernesto Valverde’s decision to call up youngsters, the club really means business this season.

Both Guardiola and Lucho offloaded second-string players in their treble-winning seasons while Valverde has done the same. They called up players from the B team, and signed some players for the future of the side, and Valverde has replicated that.

But this time around, the management is seeming to be building an unbeatable squad. The squad is packed with star power, with the supplementary youngsters. The management has also replaced departing players with La Masia graduates.

The signing of Malcom has reinforced the attack, while the signing of Arturo Vidal provides a short-term solution to the departure of Paulinho, with some financial profit as well. Clément Lenglet is a very good option to secure the future of the defence.

The signing of Arthur Melo and the decision to award him Andrés Iniesta’s No.8 jersey is also a show of the club’s intent. As for the promotions for Carles Aleñá and Juan Miranda, they are well-deserved and they should be looking to establish themselves in the squad.

Éric Abidal has also outdone his predecessor Robert Fernández when it comes to sales of deadweights. He was able to move on underperformers André Gomes and Yerry Mina, as well as sporadic starters Aleix Vidal and Gerard Deulofeu.

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The sale of Paulinho is going to be profitable, especially considering that his replacement was brought in for a mere €18 million. But the best sale is undoubtedly that of Yerry Mina, which gives the club a huge profit of nearly €20 million.

As for the club’s style of play, Ernesto Valverde has got a fairly proper idea for the first-team for the upcoming season. It remains the same, but the depth in attack has increased considerably, along with the quality of options on the bench in midfield.

He is expected to go with the 4-4-2, despite the fact that he experimented with the 4-3-3 in pre-season. The experiment did not go particularly well, despite Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Boca Juniors in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

The 4-3-3 does not suit the likes of Ousmane Dembélé and Malcom, who prefer to play on the right. It does allow more playing time for midfielders like Arthur and Vidal, but the efficiency of the attack may be reduced, especially with Leo Messi pushed further to the right.

Carles Aleñá and Denis Suárez rejoin training. dark. Next

The squad has everything that is required to win a treble: speed, youth, skill, experience and solidarity. This might just be the season that finally steers the club away from the monopoly enjoyed by tiki-taka football in the 21st century.