ONE LAST DANCE: THE LEO MESSI CONUNDRUM.

After nearly a decade of supporting Barcelona, when I finally decided to pick up the pen and start writing about the club, my father asked me a question which recently I've pondered over a lot. He asked me what is the first thing I think of when I hear F.C Barcelona. Almost instantly, the answer which escaped my mouth was Lionel Andres Messi. A wholesome conversation between us ensued before I started writing. 

Until last week, I had forgotten about this conversation before my father asked me the same question again. This time, too, before I could process the question, the same answer shot up through my throat to the cusp of my tongue, edging on the ends of my lips. But, this time, I couldn't let that answer through. For, the man who became synonymous with the name of the club for me no longer resides at the club. That is who Lionel Messi is to me & to nearly all of us. A symbol eternally etched into the history of the club. A messiah, a rescuer. 

As I retracted the answer which my heart wished to profess & muttered an insincere response, I started thinking. If recent rumors are to be believed, Leo Messi to Barcelona might no longer be merely a dream but close reality, too. The devil in the details makes the operation quite complicated, but nevertheless makes cules all across the globe hopeful.

Nostalgia hits hard & memories blind me. The awaited return of the prodigal son.

As I immerse deeper in the unfettered world of dreams, questions forming in my mind revive me from the gulf of illusion. While the greatest player in history returning home is the perfect fairy tale ending, difficult questions on the financial & sporting project front demand answers. Emotions run high, but these questions need practical solutions, too. Keeping that in mind, it's time to analyze the situation without biases, ONE LAST DANCE: THE LEO MESSI CONUNDRUM.

A CLUB IN FINANCIAL RUIN:

When Messi was finally forced to leave his home of twenty years, it was due to an economically crippled institute left behind by Bartemou & his cronies. Despite the new management's best efforts, given LaLiga's structure, Leo couldn't be renewed. The streets roared in protest, tears glistened the pavements. Shock governed us all, but the club had to look forward. We had to rebuild, to reach old peaks without the guidance of the greatest to grace a pitch. We had to move on. 

So, we did. Under the leadership of Laporta, Barcelona looked to transform. Trust in youngsters, restructuring of salaries, a massive sale, excellent scouting & identification of opportunities led Barcelona to building a young, fierce team ready to compete. Laporta and his management had managed to salvage a club on the brink of bankruptcy. Now, an opportunity to bring Leo back presents itself. 

In the last two years, La Blaugrana have immensely reduced their wage bill. LaLiga has constantly made it complicated, but the club has managed to sustain. If the club were to bring back Leo, a huge dynamic shift would have to be undertaken. The sale of young prospects like Ferran or Ansu paired with a huge salary reduction for other players to facilitate Leo's large salary would be the only option. Undoubtedly, the world champion's return would generate a colossal amount of revenue in terms of merchandise sales, purchase of season tickets, sponsorships & so on, but a rash imbalance of the newly structured wage bill could lead to tension in the dressing room. Furthermore, the development of a sporting project built around a young team could be hindered. 

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 POST MESSIDEPENDENCIA: A SPORTS PROJECT REVITALIZED.

At Barcelona, Lionel Andres Messi was an addiction. An addiction which corroded the very root of club's philosophy. Whenever Barcelona were posed with a precarious situation, the king arrived to safeguard his kingdom. Countless times, the Argentinian rescued the Catalans from situations impossible to salvage without him. He offered the fans comfort & mesmerized them over and over again every week. His antics made even the worst of times feel beautiful. However, this dependence caused La Blaugrana to suffer whenever Leo wasn't at his best. Once Leo left, Barcelona had to learn to fend for themselves again. 

No longer protected by the comfort of Leo's presence, initially, the club suffered. As Koeman and his successor in Xavi continued to build a new foundation, the results slowly improved. An environment without Leo began to be developed. Cohesion soon came to exist & young players desperate to defend the badge they played for emerged. Trials & tribulations aplenty, this team fought through them all & today stand atop the league. Even without crucial pieces like Pedri & Dembele, the team managed to procure results. While the team has struggled to replicate their domestic success in Europe, the inexperience has slowly ebbed away and made the team more formidable. 

Now, a team full of youngsters could learn a lot from Messi, but at the same time could become extremely dependent on him to conjure results. Progress in European competitions could become easier in the short run, but in the long run inconsequential. Some pieces deemed important in long run for the new project would have to be sacrificed in order to satisfy Leo's integration in the short term. Complacency, a potent after effect of overdependence, could set in and destroy the progress of a new era. 

Tactically, on the pitch Barcelona would benefit a lot, but would it come at the cost of tactical changes?

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 THE BARÇA WAY:

Soon after Xavi's appointment, the midfield maestro imposed his blueprint for Barcelona's return to the top. The gaffer instantly employed wide wingers who stuck to the line, while using his fullbacks to provide support in the midfield before overlapping outside the winger. Once he realized the flaws in his system, he soon switched to using a false winger to provide superiority in the midfield while revitalizing Busquets with increased support. 

These tweaks have benefitted Barcelona a lot, paired with Xavi's extremely intense press out of possession. The entire team, carried by youngsters mainly, has shown incredible concentration and stamina to keep a tight structure which has proved to be impenetrable, especially in the league. If Leo were to be integrated into the system, things would have to change. 

Over the years, as Leo has aged, the 7 time Ballon d'Or winner  has stopped occupying wider zones and prefers to occupy central zones while dropping deeper to create chaos & chances alike. Given Leo's movements, the team would be forced to abandon their current playstyle and shift to one which enables Leo to showcase his abilities the best.

Another aspect to Leo's game is his unmatchable ability to create a plethora of chances in a matter of minutes. The Argentinian picks out spaces which only he can with precision and makes the team more lethal. However, in his bid to create, Leo cedes possession a lot which could make Barcelona vulnerable on the counter. Paired with an ageing Busquets in the middle of the park, if the two were to coexist in the same areas, Barcelona would be constantly in danger, especially in Europe. 

Lastly, if Barcelona were to integrate Leo into the team, the team would have to work harder out of possession to make up for Messi's deficiencies in defense. If Lewa & Messi were both to play together, the team could suffer. 

CONCLUSION: 

Life after Leo hasn't been easy. Endless nights filled with disappointments & days filled with gloomy silences have greeted all of us. As the team built a stronger foundation, we reminisced the days when Leo reigned, but we learnt to live without him. Should Barcelona manage to re-sign Leo for one last dance, glee would overcome us all, but at what cost? Does Barcelona give into nostalgia and to see the king get the farewell he deserves, or do we put the club's future above?

Whatever, may happen, only one thing is true, La Blaugrana & Leo will forever be synonymous, etched into our heart, bringing us happiness. Simpere Leo, Simepre Barcelona.

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