Will Barcelona turn its eye to the Premier League in search of a new manager?
Barcelona is easily one of the biggest jobs to land in world football but it comes at a price, one which means it isn’t designed for long-term occupancy. The demand to remain not only the best domestically but also on the European and world stage means the pressure placed on managers is extremely high. Training sessions are intense as standards cannot drop, especially not with their main rivals improving year upon year. It requires everything you have and then some and it appears that Luis Enrique is ready to take a break.
Pep Guardiola started the recent dominance of the Catalan giants and currently holds the title of the most successful manager in Barcelona’s history, picking up an incredible 14 trophies in his four years at the club. “After four years the desire was gone (in Barcelona). The same players, the same opponents, the same journalists, the same games. I have given everything and I have nothing left and need to recharge my batteries.”
The constant desire to be number one requires the coach himself to find another level, not only professionally but as in terms of motivation as well. When winning becomes almost second nature it’s hard to pick up that same group of players and push them forward, instilling that mentality and drive, when you’ve already done it so many times before. “The demands have been great and I’ve not been able to rest much. I have to recover and the only way I can do that is by distancing myself.” Words, once again, from Guardiola. The following statement perhaps the most important: “Otherwise, we would’ve ended up damaging each other.”
It takes a lot out of a person to maintain high levels of dominance and win every trophy available to them. Of course having the best squad to choose from is an aide but that only increases the pressure and demand to achieve the maximum possible, every season, without fail. Any bump in the road is immediately dragged under the microscope and your role as coach is questioned by the local media, who can be worse than fans at times. You’re the king but don’t think they won’t overthrow you in an instant should you veer off track.
“I have absolutely no interest in talking about my renewal,” is what Luis Enrique told reporters in Dublin during the team’s preseason tour. “The club already know my opinion and I’ve got nothing else to add.” While admirable that perhaps he doesn’t want his own contract situation to overshadow the club, the fact negotiations haven’t taken place indicate that he’s unlikely to stay beyond his current deal which expires at the end of this season.
Weight is added to that belief when you consider the comments from Barcelona’s director of sporting institutional relations - that’s the title they use - Albert Soler just back in September: “Everything in it’s time,” was the response to Enrique’s contract talks. When asked if these conversations had been delayed he simply said it “wasn’t on the agenda” and that the club was aware of when his current contract expires. It didn’t come across very confident and for good reason - the club feels he will leave at the end of the season.
Officially Barcelona are putting a brave face on this and maintain negotiations will begin next year, or perhaps even once the season has finished. This is what you’d expect them to do when stability is key and we all saw what happened at Manchester City when it was revealed that Manuel Pellegrini would leave in the summer mid-way through a season. Barcelona can’t afford to see such a collapse but the writing appears on the wall: Luis Enrique needs a break.
This leaves one of, if not the, biggest job in football available at the end of the season. Of course naturally this will cause a few clubs to feel uneasy with the knowledge that Barcelona could enquire about their current coach’s availably. The crop of elite managers is dwindling when you rule out Pep Guardiola making a return or Jose Mourinho going behind enemy lines. Currently it’s about the new generation and the majority of those can be found in the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino has done an outstanding job during his time in English football. His appointment at Southampton was greeted with despair and caution, many feeling Nigel Atkins deserved more time. However not long after he took over those fears were put to bed as he reinvigorated the team, giving youth a chance and producing fantastic results. This prompted Tottenham Hotspur, after a season to forget, to prise away the talented Argentinian to North London.
That progression continued at Spurs as they reached the League Cup final and finished fifth in the league. The following season saw them emerge as title challengers to eventual winners Leicester City, earning plaudits around Europe for their style of football and performances with such a young side. Pochettino recently signed an extension at the club but there must be the worry that a temptation to take over a club with the status of Barcelona could be too good to turn down.
Jurgen Klopp was mentioned as a possible replacement for Tata Martino when he left his role as head coach but the club wasn’t convinced he’d be a good fit. Some previous comments about the style of Barcelona being “boring" rubbed the hierarchy the wrong way despite his impressive track record. His opinion after Liverpool’s victory over Barcelona on the level of competition in LaLiga did him no favours either, saying they could play their ‘B team’ for 50% of the matches and still win. A Lionel Messi masterclass was mentioned as being ‘like a recovery session’.
I suppose if you include Pochettino then you have to mention Ronald Koeman as well. He meets the requirements of having ties to the city as he played over 200 times for Barcelona and won 10 trophies there. Koeman prospered under the leadership of fellow countryman Johan Cruyff as a player, much as Guardiola himself did, and that connection is something local fans value above honours attained. The Dutchman enjoyed plenty of success in the Eredivisie but struggled in his only venture on Spanish shores with Valencia, although he did pick up a Cope del Rey title before he was sacked.
For Pochettino his links with the city are primarily with Barcelona’s arch rivals Espanyol, where he played and later managed the team. In fact his first victory as a coach was over Guardiola’s fearsome side and at the Camp Nou no less. He learnt his trade under Marcelo Bielsa but shares a lot of the same philosophies that are taught at Barcelona. “There are a lot of examples and the best one, we all agree, was Barcelona. They have a lot of good players from their academy who are amongst the best players in the world. It is a good example for us.”
However what goes against the Spurs coach is his style is more reminiscent of Atletico Madrid’s than Barcelona’s. A solid defence, high-press, high-workrate system that almost smothers sides who like to dictate the tempo and possession in a game, an almost anti-Barcelona style if you will. Although that same ethos can be found in most elite level sides these days and aren’t exclusive to the likes of Atletico, Tottenham and Liverpool.
Maybe it’s the natural progression of football as it enters yet another cycle of ‘the right way to play’.
With all signs pointing to Luis Enrique walking away from his role as first team coach at Barcelona in the summer the loyalty of the Premier League’s new generation will be put to the test. Are any of them able to say no should the call come through? Is it too much of a gamble when the foundations have been put it place at their current clubs or is it one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities where you can catapult yourself from being considered a very good manager into a great one?
LaLiga has taken the best players the Premier League had to offer. Is it time for them to start taking the best managers as well?