FC Barcelona's 2nd Straight Dynasty Is in the Making

In 2008, Pep Guardiola took over as manager of Barcelona. The former player made a few changes to the squad and introduced his version of the Tiki-taka system, and the rest is history.

Barcelona went on to win 14 trophies under Guardiola, including six in one year. This was truly the greatest era of the Catalan club, and many could even argue that Barcelona became the best club that the football world had ever seen.

However, after the 2012 campaign came to a close, Guardiola left Barcelona in a tear-filled goodbye.

His former assistant Tito Vilanova took over and managed to win the La Liga title last season, but Barcelona struggled greatly in the Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Vilanova would not be able to continue his spell as coach, as he was forced to step down last summer when it was reported by the Guardian that his ongoing battle with cancer had taken a bad turn. The football world was a bit confused when the club announced that Gerardo "Tata" Martino had been hired in his place.

Under Tata Martino there has been a change—a change that was needed.

The Argentine coach has continued Barcelona's Tiki-taka style of play but has also introduced his own nuances to the game. The Catalans have now become more direct in front of goal, long passes have become more common and it is no longer rare to see Barcelona have a counterattack.

What Martino has done is taken the Tiki-taka style and made it drastically more diverse to get the very best out of his players and leave opponents with too much to defend.

But tactical changes are not the only new thing present at Barcelona.

Neymar has already adapted brilliantly to the Barcelona system and has been one of the most dangerous attackers in Europe. His partnership with Lionel Messi is growing every day, and the two will only become even better alongside each other.

Cesc Fabregas has also finally found his rhythm at the club. Since joining Barcelona in 2011 he has found things difficult, but this season the former Arsenal man is back at his best.

Marc Bartra has even seen the spotlight recently. The 22-year-old has proven that he can be one of the world’s best defenders at a young age, and there is no doubt that he is the future of the Barcelona defense.

The issue with Barcelona is that it is easy to live in the past. Some fans are still enjoying the high that Guardiola gave during his time at the club, while some are just waiting for those days to return.

But it is time to realize the truth.

Guardiola is gone, as is the success Barcelona had under him. Vilanova was an offshoot of Guardiola but sadly was unable to continue. The club has now moved on with Tata Martino, and things are looking up.

The Catalan club has veteran leadership, rising young stars, some of the best players on the planet and a dynamic style of playing football.

The old dynasty of FC Barcelona has clearly ended, but the new Blaugrana dynasty is immediately beginning.

It is believed that most clubs can sustain success for about three or four years; at that point, a change is usually needed. But it appears as though Barcelona is going to throw that myth out of the window.

The new Barcelona era is in the making, and you can be assured that there will be trophies. Fans can admire the past and enjoy what was done, but now it is time to keep an eye on the future, because the next golden age of FC Barcelona is already upon us.

Is Barcelona's next great era in the making? Has Martino made the right changes? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Tre' Atkinson. Follow me on Twitter for more discussions on FC Barcelona!

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