Barcelona are in a transitional stage currently with the club trying out new players, new tactics, and trusting more in their youths. However, every team that is going through a massive transition, needs a superb manager who can direct the team on to the right path. The Catalans tried it with their club legend, Ronald Koeman, however, the former Everton manager has not been able to get consistency from his team.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
The Catalans this season had a rollercoaster of a ride. Their beginning to the season was horrible and it was one of the worst openings in their history. However, through sheer dedication and determination, he managed to bring the team back into the title race near the end of the season. However, the title race then slipped out of their hands after suffering a loss to Real Madrid and later on to Granda and Celta Vigo. These defeats pushed them out of the title race.
The Blaugranas did manage to lift the Copa del Rey this season and in a very convincing manner however, they should have rightfully lifted two trophies this season, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana. They lost the latter one to the same team they demolished in the Copa del Rey final, which sums up the season for the club. Barcelona has been really inconsistent and their players have been inconsistent as well. Thus for them to find a proper identity and get consistent results, they need a new manager and these are the three managers who could provide the club a new identity.
Xavi Hernandez (Current Team: Al Sadd)
The club legend has been on Barcelona’s radar for quite a while now and everyone thought that Hernandez would have been brought in after Quique Setien was sacked by the club last season. Alas, ex-President, Josep Maria Bartomeu decided that Koeman would be a better choice due to his years of managerial experience. Now it seems like Hernandez is once again linked with the Catalans and could replace the Dutch manager.
Hernandez is a Barcelona legend and was the definition of a perfect midfielder. The player thrived under the super manager, Pep Guardiola and it is safe to say that he learnt a lot from his former coach. The player is currently managing a Qatar-based club named, Al Sadd SC. He has deployed similar tactics to Guardiola at Al Sadd, and the team has thrived under his leadership.
Xavi has a distinct possession-based attacking game style, similar to his time at Barcelona. Al Sadd keeps nearly 64% possession in all games and have completely dominated the Qatar Stars League. The team has scored 77 goals in just 22 matches and have conceded just 14 times. The player has transformed into an attack-minded manager similar to Pep and his connections with Joan Laporta and other members in the Barcelona board makes him a highly suitable manager for the Catalan side. He is the most likely person to replace Koeman and even if he does not replace Koeman next season, he will definitely come back to Barca one day as their head coach.
It is true that the Spaniard has extended his stay with the Qatari side until 2023 but many reports have suggested that a special clause in his contract allows him to leave for Barca at any given time.
Erik ten Hag (Current Team: Ajax)
Another man whom Barcelona could look forward to is Ajax’s manager, Erik ten Hag. The Dutch manager could be a perfect man to take Barca through this transitional phase into another revolutionary team. Erik did the same thing to Ajax when he was appointed as the manager back in 2017. The manager acquired an aging group of players and had to put a lot of trust in the academy boys and he found quite a few gems, mainly, Frenkie de Jong and 19-year-old captain, Matthijs de Ligt.
Erik gave a lot of time to the youths in the club and had a philosophy similar to what Koeman is trying out in Barcelona. However, the difference between the two is that while Koeman has not been able to find consistency with the results, Erik has already won two Eredivisie titles as well as two domestic cups. He also had a fairytale run with the young Ajax boys in 2018/19 when they defeated Real Madrid as well as Juventus but ultimately lost to Tottenham in the semi-finals.
The Dutch manager has already shown his potential of dealing with the youth and Barca are a team who are focusing on their academy players. Players such as Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig, Ronald Araujo, and Oscar Mingueza would benefit a lot from Ten Hag. His attacking style is also similar to a cruyffian ideology and they have managed to score over 100 goals this season.
Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta (Current Team: Barcelona B)
Another option and one which is not yet a big name in world football is Garcia Pimienta. The Barcelona B coach has managed to do wonders with the second team and his strong commitment to the youth academy of La Masia has rewarded Barcelona with players such as Ronald Araujo, Riqui Puig, and Ansu Fati. It would be almost poetic and in a sense trying to find a new Pep Guardiola if Laporta does in fact offer him the first-team job.
The manager of the B team has dedicated his life to the Catalan youth developments and although he did have the opportunity to coach first division teams, he chose to stay back at Barcelona. He has been at the club since 2001 and he has been largely credited for Barcelona’s amazing youth academies. He is very familiar with Guardiola and Cryuff’s playing styles and believes in the attacking style of the traditional 4-3-3 formation.
However, he does understand the defensive importance of the game and does tend to slow down the game after gaining the lead. Should he be appointed as the coach, it would be monumental and extremely poetic if he manages to succeed. However, with the record of Erik ten Hag and Xavi Hernandez, it is hard to see him getting the job next season.
Do you want Barca to replace Koeman, if yes who would you like to see being appointed?