10 Reasons to Be Excited About Barcelona This Season

This summer has been an eventful one for Catalan club Barcelona. From the arrival of Neymar to the loss of Tito Vilanova, there have been many ups and downs.

But with the new season starting, there is certainly a lot to be excited about when it comes to La Blaugrana.

In this article we will take a look at 10 exciting reasons to watch Barcelona this season and why Cules should be optimistic about their beloved club.

The Development of Marc Bartra

With last season’s trend of seeing Barcelona struggle mightily in defense, the club has been in severe need of a new center back.

A new defensive option may have not yet come for La Blaugrana, but the Catalan club does have a very bright prospect in Marc Bartra, who has been improving tremendously but also quietly.

As many know, Spain’s U-21 side defeated France this summer to hoist the U-21 European Championship trophy. But what many did not notice was the stellar play of Bartra.

Facing off against several tantalizing competitors, the 22-year-old was arguably the best defender in the competition.

Bartra has been growing significantly in the last few months and may even be ready to challenge for a starting role under Tata Martino. A new defender may not have come, but fans should still be excited about what Bartra could do this season.

La Masia Is Still Booming

One reason to be excited about every Barcelona season is the realization that more La Masia talents will break out.

Every season there seems to be a new star who makes his mark on the first team and Cules will be looking for who the latest starlet is.

Barcelona enjoys one of the best youth systems in the world, and it is proved every year. This summer alone, stars such as Jean-Marie Dongou and Bagnack showed that they have star potential, and there are surely many more as well.

Barcelona fans will always keep a close eye on the young talent currently learning from the fabled La Masia, as will the rest of the world.

The Leadership of Gerard Pique

Barcelona’s defensive problems last season came for many reasons, with a major issue being Gerard Pique’s inability to perform without former partner Carles Puyol.

Blaugrana fans, you may be worried that the same will happen this season, but fret not.

Pique has quietly been showing during recent preseason matches that he is capable of being a vocal leader of the back line. He may not be the leader that Puyol has been over the last few years, but he is learning.

Do not expect to see a confused Pique this season, often getting lost in the play. Pique is now growing into a leader, and more importantly, he knows that he absolutely has to.

A Return of Normalcy for Cesc Fabregas

Since returning to Barcelona a few seasons ago, Cesc Fabregas has not seemed like his normal self. The Catalan has featured in many different positions and has yet to find his role in the squad.

But that all changes this season.

With Thiago Alcantara having left the club to join Bayern Munich this summer, Fabregas is left as the only true midfield backup. He will finally be allowed to play where he is most comfortable and will not have to change his role often.

This summer has already seen Fabregas return to the player he once was.

In Barcelona’s last friendly against Malaysia, Fabregas opened the scoring and added two assists to contribute in all three of Barcelona goals. The Catalan looked sharp and comfortable, and that is something to be very happy about.

Resurrection of Disappointing Stars

Last season gave Barcelona fans a bit of a headache as both Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez never really seemed to get into the rhythm of making an impact on matches.

Not only were the two players struggling to make their presence known, but they were also just plain disappointing.

But as the new season begins, that trend will be a thing of the past.

Both Pedro and Sanchez have had wonderful preseasons, scoring goals and creating chances. The duo has performed so well that it is actually difficult to say who deserves to start more.

Barcelona fans can be nothing but thrilled with the return of form for the two wingers and this season looks to be a very exciting one.

The Arrival of Neymar

This one really speaks for itself.

The long, drawn-out Neymar saga reached its climax earlier this summer when the Santos man officially made the switch to Barcelona and it has been a whirlwind ever since.

Fans eagerly awaited the news of the Brazilian’s arrival, and he is finally here. No one knows what wonders Neymar will bring this season, but there is every reason to expect that there will be fireworks.

Neymar has looked very comfortable in the Blaugrana shirt this season, and you can expect him to be an immediate starter at the club. The arrival alone should have Cules beaming, but the consequences of his move should be even more exciting.

We will get to those in a minute.

Tata's Pressing

To many, this may very well be the biggest reason to be excited about Barcelona this season.

La Blaugrana were once known as a club that put so much pressure on their opponents that keeping possession was outside the realm of possibility. That has changed recently.

In the last few years, Barcelona’s pressing game has dwindled to becoming nearly non-existent. But new manager Tata Martino is bringing it back, which could be the factor that decides the season for the Catalans.

In a recent interview reported on the club’s official website, Martino had this to say about his thoughts on pressing.

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“I go for possession, attacking, putting a lot of men in the opposing half, taking risks, making sure the defenders look back and for there to be forty meters between them and the keeper, for them not to stop playing the ball, when they have to move up, they move up, when they have to use the wings, they use the wings, and the ball shouldn’t be in the air unless there’s a reason.”

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Fans have already seen his pressing style in action this summer and should be overly enthusiastic about what it could mean for the club.

Messi and Neymar Partnership

This may be what almost every Barcelona fan is most excited about. The idea of Lionel Messi and Neymar playing together is mouthwatering and, yes, it is going to happen.

Barcelona fans will be able to enjoy the dynamic duo, and the two South American forwards will likely entertain in every match they play. There already seems to be a connection between the two, and that could greatly pay off for the club in the long run.

Pairing up Messi and Neymar seems to be something that would only happen in a video game. But get ready, football world, because it starts this weekend.

Messi Will Finally Have Help

The Messi and Neymar partnership will do much more than merely provide flashy football. It will end the ongoing problem of absolute dependence on Lionel Messi.

Over the last two seasons it has often seemed as if Messi was alone on the pitch. No one else could find the back of the net, and everyone seemed to turn to the Argentine at even the slightest hint of trouble.

This season, not only will Messi have Neymar to shoulder some of the burden, but every forward in the squad is capable of making big plays.

The arrival of Neymar has forced the other wingers on the squad to step up if they want to play regularly this season, which has already been seen.

When looking at the stats from Barcelona’s preseason on the club’s official website, it is wonderful to see that Pedro has scored four goals while Alexis Sanchez has scored only one fewer.

Cristian Tello has also been very impressive. He may not have scored as many goals, but he was by far the most creative of the three wingers.

With four very strong wingers other than Messi this season, there is no way the Argentine should be expected to carry the club again. And a more relaxed Messi always means a more deadly Messi.

The Club Hired the Right Man

When it was announced that Tito Vilanova would be stepping down as Barcelona manager due to his ongoing battle with cancer, Barcelona fans were stunned.

No matter who the club brought in to replace Vilanova, the effect of his departure would linger over the squad and the fans for quite some time.

But fans can be very excited knowing that the club made the right decision when picking Vilanova’s successor. Though Vilanova will be greatly missed, having the right man take over always makes things easier.

When the club announced that Tata Martino would be named the new manager many were stunned again. The South American was relatively unknown but has already shown that he is ready for the challenge.

Being a man who favors youth development, pressing, possession-style football and direct attacks, Martino fits the bill perfectly.

He has had Barcelona looking very strong during the club’s final preseason matches, and the squad doesn’t seem to have missed a beat.

Martino will not be the type of manager to come in and make changes; rather he has come simply to coach.

Cules can rest well that the club is in safe hands despite the turmoil that plagued the beginning of the summer.

What are you excited about for Barcelona? How successful will the club be this season? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Tre’ Atkinson. Follow me on Twitter for more discussions on Barcelona and all Spanish football.

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