As Culers debate Xavi’s managerial credentials and the Belgium national team under Roberto Martínez, Ronald Koeman is still in charge of FC Barcelona. Cryptic press conferences and video messages from the club president are signs of a manager with one foot out the door, but can Koeman still save his job?
He can’t
This one doesn’t really count, but that’s because he may already know his fate behind closed doors. Joan Laporta and the board may have already made their decision. Whether it’s next week after a few more poor results, January, or next summer, there may not be any way to change their minds. The only thing left to do is give the club legend a proper farewell, something that his two predecessors never received.
Empower Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati could single-handedly keep Koeman employed until the end of the season. After a year on the sidelines, it’s impossible to know how the 18-year-old will look when he returns to action this week. It will likely take him some time to get back to match fitness and get back to scoring goals. OR… he comes back with a vengeance, burning holes in nets like he did at the start of last season. If he’s close to matching the 5 goals and 4 assists in 10 matches he had a year ago, there’s a good chance that Barça are regularly in the win column.
Beat Benfica and Atlético Madrid
It seems that the club has already decided that Koeman won’t be their man once they find a replacement. But until they do, he could buy himself a bit more time for them to extend their search by getting the season back on track. Losing to Bayern Munich and not getting first in the group is one thing, but failing to beat Benfica and risk dropping to the Europa League is another. Laying the beatdown on Benfica would get the Champions League campaign as back on track as it can get. A result against Atleti a few days later could do even more for morale heading into the international break. The timing of the international break in that scenario would do wonders for the manager as well.
Young players start winning games
So far this season, Sergiño Dest and Eric García haven’t been the starters that Barcelona need them to be to win matches. They may be just 20, but Koeman will need them to play like players in their prime to help Barcelona get some much-needed victories. It extends beyond Dest and García though. If Ronald Araújo continues his excellent form, Pedri builds on last season, and Frenkie de Jong returns to his best, it’s likely that Barça are regularly getting three points. Yusuf Demir, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde may be too young and green to track their progress enough to take credit for – but their success could also be the manager’s success. That list expands with Óscar Mingueza, Riqui Puig, and the aforementioned Ansu Fati. Even if some of the veterans are too far gone, getting positive results with his young core would be the last hope to change the Dutch manager’s reputation.
Dan Hilton is an American journalist, broadcaster, and current Editor-in-Chief of BarcaBlog. Extensive work as a play-by-play broadcaster, producer behind the scenes, and quite average player in his younger years has given him a well-rounded and informative perspective on the sport. Alongside BarcaBlog founder Francesc, Dan started The Barcelona Podcast in 2017
