In Focus: Why Barca's bright youngsters may still not save Koeman

Barcelona are currently suffering one of the deepest crises in their illustrious history.

A resounding 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid last time out has left them languishing in ninth place in LaLiga after a disastrous start to the season.

Their struggles come as no great surprise after recent financial woes saw star man Lionel Messi depart for free this summer, with little to spend on replacing him.

It has left manager Ronald Koeman with pressure piling on him as the club-legend fights to save his job.

We look at the difficult situation at the Camp Nou and assess whether Koeman can turn things around.

Sorry start

One LaLiga defeat in seven does not suggest Barca need to be at panic stations — but three dour draws plus a disastrous beginning in the Champions League has Koeman feeling the heat.

In previous seasons, games against Granada and Cadiz were routine wins for the Catalan club but they can count themselves fortunate to leave with a draw in both ties this campaign.

Those two results were sandwiched between 3-0 European humblings from Bayern Munich and Benfica, marking the first time the Catalans have lost their first two Champions League games.

After their defeat against the latter, Rio Ferdinand said: "It is a sad state of affairs at Barcelona. 

"I think it is going to be a long time before we see them back to the heights they were when they beat my team."

To make matters worse, former striker Luis Suarez — the man deemed too old when he was offloaded from the club last summer — was on target for Atleti as the champions put Barca to the sword in their most recent game.

Koeman in limbo

Such a run of results would put any Barca manager in hot water but Koeman has remained in his role — though reports indicate that is not because of the club’s confidence in him.

Barca are widely thought to have lost faith in their manager and are ready to relieve him of his duties.

But several reports claim that, such is their dire financial situation, they cannot actually afford the £10million compensation Koeman would be due if they sacked him.

While that places the former Everton and Southampton manager somewhat in limbo, it could give him more time to turn things around. 

Koeman has himself admitted he is aware of the rumblings suggesting his days could be numbered but will continue to prepare his side for their game against Valencia regardless.

He said last week: "The club have said nothing to me. I've learned that the president was [at the training ground] this morning, but I have not seen him.

"We're preparing for Saturday's game. I can't say anything. But I have eyes and ears and I know a lot of things have been leaked, which I imagine are true, but no one has said anything to me."

Removing the Messi mask

The period after losing superstar Messi was always going to be a difficult one but his exit seems to have laid Barca’s longer-term problems bare for all to see.

The club are estimated to be in £1bn of debt following overspending by previous stewards, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.

That has meant Barca have largely relied on free transfers over recent windows — and the impact is now showing on the pitch.

Champions League winners Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic were replaced by the now-departed Miralem Pjanic and Arturo Vidal, while Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite have struggled to fill the voids left by Neymar and Suarez.

This season, summer arrivals Memphis Depay, Luuk de Jong and Sergio Aguero have done little to suggest they can fill the void left by Argentine great Messi.

So much so, that club president Joan Laporta recently revealed he was hoping Messi — now at Paris Saint-Germain — would choose to play for Barca for free as he desperately tried to cling onto his talisman. 

Laporta said: "He wanted to stay but they also had a lot of pressure because of the offer they had.

"I hoped Messi would do a U-turn and he would say he would play for free.

"I would have liked that and I would have been all for it. It is my understanding LaLiga would have accepted it. But we cannot ask a player of Messi's stature to do this."

Hope for the future

Amidst the crisis they are facing, a move back to foundations that have proved so effective before could put Barca on the road to recovery.

Their famed La Masia academy produced stars like Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets as well as manager Pep Guardiola, with all of those individuals at the heart of their formidable Champions League-winning teams in 2009 and 2011.

Now many at the club are hopeful their next generation of young stars could take them into a successful new era, while also providing a handy way to progress without further harming their bank balance.

Winger Ansu Fati, 18, has been handed the iconic No10 shirt left by Messi, which comes with added pressure but is also a mark of how highly he is rated.

Midfielders Nico Gonzalez and Gavi, alongside 18-year-old Euro 2020 star Pedri, have left fans excitedly drawing comparisons with their iconic former trio of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta.

After 17-year-old Gavi became Spain's youngest ever player against Italy last week, manager Luis Enrique said: "He's a player with personality, enviable physical conditions and he plays our style of football. 

"He plays like he's at school or in his garden at home. 

"It's a pleasure to have a player with that quality and character with us. We can say that he's the national team's present, not [just] the future."

Meanwhile, former Barcelona B coach Garcia Pimienta said of Gonzalez: "If we look for excellence in Barcelona, ​​Nico will be the next Busquets replacement."

Sadly for Koeman, with his days in the hotseat looking numbered, the emergence of these talented starlets could only serve to benefit his future replacement.