Cruyff is worried that Barça will lose the essence of its playing style.
Former Barça player and coach Johann Cruyff, who’s never shy of a bit of controversy, has serious doubts as to whether uruguayan hit man Luis Suárez will fit in with Barcelona’s current lineup.
Cruyff believes the trio made up of Neymar, Leo Messi and Luis Suárez could cause Barça to lose out on it’s particular trademark style of play.
The outspoken Dutchman was using his column in the Dutch newspaper ‘De Telegraaf’ to suggest that the former club he managed so successfully will now start to shy away from a team effort and concentrate on the individual style of play that the trio will afford the Catalan club. Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola successfully followed the model Cruyff put in place whilst managing the club between 1988 and 1996 and the Dutchman is afraid that this model will fall by the wayside.
“I can’t see how Barça intends to continue playing the same way, with a keen focus on team play if Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez are in the side. The three of them are too individual. In signing him, the club are showing a preference for individual genius over a team that plays great football”, said Cruyff.
Although Cruyff is worried about the new tendency of defensive football triumphing over attacking football, he welcomed the new World Cup champions, Germany:
“They played the best football and showed, just as Bayern Munich have, that you can also win major tournaments playing entertaining football”, he said.
Does Barça legend Johann Cruyff have a valid point, are Barcelona risking getting away from their famed style of play with a trio of individual players up front?
With the new President and Luis Enrique incharge it seems that they are trying to disassociate club and move it away from laporta’s Barça, the same team the world fell in love with. The same team Pep Guardiola & Tito Vilanova worked so hard to build. I do not believe Enrique will be able to control the dressing room which will cause division, the same division which Rijkard couldn’t prevent and that Pep sorted out. The acquisition of Neymar has not helped Barça it has disfigured their style, and while the Neymar transfer is highly embarrassing the biggest loss was Thaigo. The club is once again not flying the flag of Catalunya it’s lost it identity.