Barcelona fans should give Ronald Koeman a fair chance in his project to bring respect and quality soccer back to the club.
So far most of his decisions have been encouraging. Players like Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho, and Ousmane Dembele look ready to revitalize their careers, and help the club rescue their investments.
The decision to send Riqui Puig on loan, however, is misguided.
In theory it does make sense to give young players the opportunity to play as much as possible so that they can develop at the quickest pace possible. For Carles Aleñá, for example, this made perfect sense and he had a nice season at Betis as a result.
Riqui Puig on the other hand is in another category entirely. He is ready to play regular minutes for the first team now, and he earned it last year as one of few players who consistently played with passion and intensity.
Those two qualities are exactly what Koeman needs right now. Changing the culture at the club is more important than bringing in new talent, and all the players would do well to emulate the hard work and selflessness that Riqui exhibits.
In the new 4-2-3-1 formation some are saying that Riqui doesn’t fit. I disagree.
Riqui may not be an ideal holding midfielder but it’s worth seeing if he can evolve his game and learn to play the role.
Regardless, he would be a great attacking center midfielder in this formation because of his hustle and natural inclination to jump start attacks by pushing the ball forward. Barcelona needs more vertical play and Riqui has proven that he can deliver it better than most the players on the roster.
It’s worth considering his attitude as well. When Koeman shared his opinion that it would be better to leave, Riqui stood firm and said no. Ajax is even stepping up as a potential suitor, which would be a dream club for a young Barcelona player to spend a year at.
Riqui knows what he wants, he believes in himself, and he’s not afraid to fight for it.
The last point to consider is the importance of trusting in the youth generally, and the La Masia academy prospects in particular. One of the big problems in recent years has been the lack of speed and physicality from the older players while opponents keep getting younger, faster, and stronger.
Can Barcelona just wake up and realize that this exactly the type of player they need right now for the moment they find themself in.
We need Riqui and Ansu Fati, and maybe even Konrad de la Fuente, to provide a spark. Young players are always motivated by the fact that they have something to prove. It would also just be a lot of fun for the fans to get a glimpse of the future. If the team is to rebuild this year they should do it by going all in with these players.
Let’s all hope that Riqui stays and that he’s able to prove his manager wrong. Even Koeman would be delighted with this outcome.