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#3 Less dependency on Lionel Messi
"Messidependencia" is well and truly in full flow. Lionel Messi is Barcelona's best passer, best creator as well as best goalscorer, and the burden is evident.
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The 33-year old has long been the talisman of Barcelona, but frustration seems to have seeped in now. Messi has only one year left in his Barcelona contract, and it has been suggested that the Argentine could leave the club due to unhappiness on how the club is being run behind-the-scenes.
A few years ago, the presence of Luis Suarez in his prime as well as Neymar saw the dependency on Messi being significantly less. However, the club's failure to replace Neymar and provide adequate competition to Luis Suarez has seen Messi do everything on his own.
Philippe Coutinho was supposed to share the responsibility of the creativity, while Dembele and Griezmann were seen as ideal forward signings. That has not been the case.
#2 The presidential situation
It would be fair to say that the current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is not a fan favourite.
Fans have often accused him of using the club for certain malpractices, which also apparently involve shady transfer deals. The transfer of Paulinho from Guangzhou Evergrande for a whopping €40 million in 2017 raised eyebrows, only for the player to return to China a season later for €42 million.
The swap deal for Arthur and Miralem Pjanic has also irritated fans. The 8-2 loss will further increase tensions, and with elections next year, rival candidate Victor Font will place immense pressure on Bartomeu's shoulders.
While Quique Setien will take most of the blame for the debacle against Bayern Munich, Bartomeu and the Barcelona hierarchy's squad building is also a main reason for their embarrassing loss.
#1 Hire new manager and back him
It has been reported by several reliable reporters that Quique Setien has been sacked by Barcelona.
With the club in the market for a new manager, various names have been discussed. Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is seen as the favourite; however his allegiance to Espanyol might complicate matters. Massimiliano Allegri, Ronald Koeman and Xavi have all been linked.
No matter who the manager is, the time has come for the Barcelona board as well as the fans to back him. Luis Enrique had a slow start to his spell as Barca boss, only to lift the treble. Since then, both Ernesto Valverde and Setien have not had the vote of confidence from fans.
No matter who the manager is, rebuilding Barcelona is not a short-term project. Time is required, and it must be given to harbour any hope of long-term success.
Also Read: 5 defenders who have scored the most goals this season
