Neymar Jr has officially left Fc Barcelona and joined Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar has left the Catalan club from the back door and with many fans furious with his decision and the way he chose to leave. Now, Barcelona is left with $262 million and a tricky road ahead.
Was Barcelona that great with Neymar?
Neymar and Barcelona won one Champions League title, two La Liga titles, three Spanish Cups, one Spanish Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup during their four-year union. There is no question that this is an impressive curriculum and that Neymar left his mark at Barcelona.
However, when one takes a look at what rival club Real Madrid did during those four years, the narrative changes.
Madrid was able to win three Champions League titles during that period. While Barcelona was clearly more successful in the national championship (one more title), Madrid's success in Europe means that Barcelona did not perform as well as they should have. Why did this happen, and is Neymar, in part, at fault?
Neymar vs tiki-taka
Neymar brought magic to the Camp Nou. His explosiveness and technique marveled the world and helped Barcelona become a more dynamic and vertical team. However, his game had some noticeable side-effects. Neymar's individualistic game pushed his teammates to be more selfish than usual at times.
To some extent, Barca removed itself from its essence, the famous "tiki-taka" style of play which is based on short-passing and ball possession. The method marveled the world earlier in the decade and made Barcelona one of the most dominant teams to ever play the game. The midfield was the key. With Neymar, Barcelona became strongly dependent on its forwards and their ability to do magic on their own.
Barcelona became an unpredictable team during these last four years. As a result, Barca found a way to surprise teams who had studied their previous style of play by heart. However, unpredictability is a double-edged sword. Barcelona turned into an inconsistent team that could excel one day and fell into mediocrity. Last season was a perfect example.
One day they were able to lose 0-4 to PSG and get humiliated, and two weeks later they were able to beat the same team with a historic 6-1.
Neymar's immaturity
Neymar also hurt Barcelona as his immaturity surfaced in several moments. For example, he would fall into the trap of aggressive defenders who looked to make him lose his nerves. Neymar also enjoyed showboating when the game was coming to an end and the score was lopsided in favor of Barca. Consequently, many opposing players reacted aggressively towards him. All of a sudden, Barcelona players became the bad guys, and the exemplary Barcelona of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, and company that had spurred admiration around the world not long ago was fading from people's memories.
Barca being Barca
Barcelona has a historic opportunity to go back to its roots. Neymar's departure might be exactly the push that the Catalan giant needed in order to find itself again. The backbone of the team, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi, remains intact and capable of contributing at a high level for several more years. Surely, some tweaking will be necessary. Adding the right players now is crucial. Barcelona needs players who are more team-oriented. But, as long as you have Messi, not Neymar, you have a chance, and Barcelona fans have not forgotten this fact after Neymar's departure.
