FC Barcelona : Do They Really Need Luis Suarez?

The news of Luis Suarezai??i??s transfer to Barcelona has received mixed reactions from the fans and followers of the Catalan club and has in fact been a matter of heated debate in footballing circles. The one faction that has thrown its hands up in the air cheerily to welcome El Pistolero to Camp Nou certainly believes this to be an obvious move – one of the best strikers in the world at present signing up to play for one of the most successful professional clubs of all time.

At Barcelona, Suarez will be playing alongside legends, a la Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez and will be part of an attacking frontline that already boasts of Lionel Messi and Neymar – the former arguably the greatest footballer of all times and the latter, another one in the making.

An opportunity of this magnitude is what every professional football player dreams of and strives for, and Suarez gets to see it turn into a reality on the back of an impressive last season with Premier League runner-up Liverpool that saw him scoring 31 goals in 33 games and lapping up almost every possible individual award, including his second consecutive PFA Player of the Year, Barclayai??i??s Premier League Player of the Season, FA Writerai??i??s Player of the Year, the Premier League Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe along with Real Madridai??i??s Cristiano Ronaldo.

But there is a faction that believes that despite Suarezai??i??s form, skill and brilliance, he should not have even been Barcelonaai??i??s transfer target in the first place.

For many seasons now, Barcelona has suffered on occasions because of a defense that is slow, technically average (barring Carlos Puyol) and lacking depth. In the last two seasons, Puyol played a total of 34 matches in all competitions combined, and in the absence of their most experienced defender, Barcelona defense put up its weaknesses on the display board, with any and every club exploiting it.

Nearing the end of last season, the state of Barcelona defense looked something like this: Puyol was suffering from injuries and, in all probability, nearing the end of his career at Barcelona, Pique lacked the skill or experience to take the helm of the Catalan defense, and Mascherano failed to impress as a center-back that Tata Martino would have him be, and courtesy a brilliant performance for Argentina as a defensive midfielder, in the recently concluded World Cup, would return to assume the same role for Barcelona. Common footballing sense suggested that the clubai??i??s management would assess the situation and understand the need of the hour, which was to immediately acquire at least one (and ideally two) world-class center-backs. One of the most heard names in all the speculations and rumors was Dortmundai??i??s Mats Hummels.

Instead, Zubizaretta went ahead and announced to the press that Suarez was ai???100% Barcelonaai??i?? (the tone of the claim being a cruel reminder of the early days in the infamous Cesc Fabregas transfer saga). Barcelona shelled out 75 million Pounds for a 5-year contract, making Suarez the third most expensive transfer of all time, behind rival Madridai??i??s buying of Gareth Bale and Christiano Ronaldo.

It was clear that the Barcelona management refused to cure their addiction for an attacking star-force, and meant that there was an even smaller purse left for Luis Enriqueai??i??s fishing trip for a center-back(s). In the following months, Barcelona bought Jeremy Matheiu from Valencia and Thomas Vermaelen from Arsenal for a total of around 31 million Pounds. The two are, at best, decent defenders (Mathieu is primarily a left-back who can play as a center-back) and at 30 and 28 respectively, are surely past their primes.

The summer transfer moves have left many fans and pundits surprised, unimpressed, and even disappointed, primarily because while buying Suarez makes for good PR and increased revenue from deals and merchandising, it does not solve the most pressing issues at Camp Nou. Far from it, the resources spent on Suarez actually translated into a smaller purse for defensive reinforcements, and as it has happened, have led only to stop-gap measures.

Even the Suarez deal itself is worrisome because of the fact that Suarez has turned 27 this year, and might only have another 2-3 prime years in him. He joins an already ageing squad (average age 26.8 years), especially the attack and midfield where the only player below 25 is Neymar. It is tough to even attempt to make financial sense out of this investment.

The timing of Suarez transfer seems all the more puzzling, given that he is facing a 4-month ban from all footballing activities (except training with the team, a relief that has come in the latest judgment passed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on August 14)Ai??after biting Italian Giorgio Chiellini in a World Cup 2014 group match. For Barcelona, that translates into 9 matches without Suarez, which may perhaps include the all-important El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 25/26. One look at Suarezai??i??s disciplinary record and you realize he is an calamity waiting to happen.

In 2010, he received a seven match ban for biting Otman Bakkal of PSV Eindhoven. In December 2011, he received an eight match suspension for racially abusing Patrice Evra. Sixteen months later in April 2013, he dug his teeth into Chelseaai??i??s Branislav Ivanovic and received a 10 match ban. One can only wonder whether Liverpoolai??i??s fortunes would have shone brighter, had Suarez played those 10 games in the form that he carried throughout the rest of the season.

His latest ai???bitefestai??i?? at the World Cup makes it a total of 3 bitten opponents and 34 league match suspensions in a span of four years. Those arenai??i??t statistics any striker should be proud of, least of all someone of the caliber of Luis Suarez. While he carries a match-winning potential in himself every time he steps on the field, it canai??i??t be denied that he is also a ticking time-bomb, waiting to explode and cause collateral damage. Given his recent record, it isnai??i??t hard to imagine Suarez doing something silly when tempers go soaring in an El Clasico that has, over the years, become infamous for its fierceness and reckless play.

One can also not ignore the fact that despite being one of the best strikers at present, Suarez is coming to a club that has a peculiar philosophy and playing style deeply rooted in their core. Many a player before have struggled to find their rhythm and make a mark, and moreover many have found themselves overshadowed by the little genius Lionel Messi. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cesc Fabregas are the most recent examples of talented players unable to adapt to the tiki-taka and the strategic gameplay built around Messi.

While at Anfield, Suarez was the focus and the commander, at Camp Nou, he would be expected to conform to the Barcelona way of play under the captaincy of Messi, and that would demand a lot more discipline, patience and obedience. Luis Enriqueai??i??s transfer moves hint at signs of change, and with Rakitic and Suarez coming in, one can expect a possible move to a 3-5-2 system that would rely more on quick movement of the ball and faster counter-attacks, something that might give the Uruguayan the space he needs. But, as the saying goes, big ships are slow to turn and it might be a while before Suarez feels at home, if at all.

Indeed, to the careful eye, Suarezai??i??s transfer to Barcelona is not a ai???and they lived happily ever afterai??i?? end to the story that has been unveiling in the recent years at the Camp Nou. Not immediately, at least. Not without supplementary measures that include strengthening the defense, promoting home grown talent, and creating a strategy that absorbs the best of Pep Gurdiolaai??i??s tiki-taka and evolves from it. Suarez comes to Barcelona at a time when the club is probably witnessing its lowest times in the last one decade, and though he might be the hero that Barcelona deserves, he might not be the one it needs right now.

– Written by Guest Author – Varun Tyagi. You can follow him on Twitter: @variant_guy

FC Barcelona : Do They Really Need Luis Suarez?

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