Now to my main topic, Neymar Da Silva Santos, the 21 year old Brazilian magician. This young lad currently has the world at his feet (literally). Gifted with magical feet and the skill of Ronaldinho(my view).
His ability to make magic happen in perilous times for his club and country making him a prized asset for club and country.
His skill did not go unnoticed as some of the giants in football came knocking at his door for his signature. Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, noveau-riche PSG just to name a few chased this genius. He was spoilt for choice. At 21, he's a three time Campeonato Paulista winner, a Copa Libertadores to his name, an Olympic Silver Medalist not forgetting his numerous individual awards won all over the continent.
At a tender age of 21 and such talent, he had shown the South American continent what they had to see hence the need to move to better himself . He eventually chose La Liga and Catalonia as his preferred home with Barcelona being his new team snubbing Real Madrid who made an offer twice as much as Barcelona made and a higher wage packet. This could be seen as a love for the game rather than love for personal gain. The Big Question here is WHY? This unfortunately can be answered he alone but will this bode well for him in the end? As seen in times past, a footballer's success is attributed to himself, likewise his failure so take heed Neymar.
His Barcelona move could be a success by dint of certain reasons and also a failure as a result of other factors but first lets see why this move could be a success.
1. The South American Flavor
Most football players have been able or unable to perform to the highest levels due to their inability to adapt to new surroundings but in Neymar's case, this shouldn't be a problem. The presence of Dani Alves( who Neymar regards as his big brother), Adriano and Alexis Sanchez . This set up should help him adapt quickly in Catalonia.
2. The Barcelona Stability
Barcelona is a club noted for its stability in the dugout . Also the stability in the dressing room. this all acts as a tonic to help him succeed in Barcelona. The presence of calming presences of Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta might help Neymar succeed in his new environment.
3. His Individual Brilliance
Neymar has ability to create magic out of nothing, a weapon that Neymar will (or can ) use as a lot of Barcelona's opponents who will sit back and try to catch Barcelona on the counter. With this asset, the burden of unlocking tight defenses will be lifted off the usual suspects .
Now like all humans,the probability of success stands at 1/2 whereas the other 1/2 stands for failure.
Neymar has all the qualities to be a success and legend at Barcelona but then again, the possibility of failure
stands . Here in my opinion are some reasons why Neymar wont make it in Barcelona.
1. Messidependecia
Barcelona's Independence on Lionel Messi cannot be denied. A Barcelona without Messi is unimaginable. Without him, they seem toothless and beatable. PSG almost seized on it whereas Bayern Munich exploited it relentlessly. Some fans will say this is the reason why Neymar was signed but I say wasnt it for this same reason Villa and Alexis Sanchez were signed? Is it not for this same reason, Tello, Bojan, Pedro and other La Masia products were promoted?
2. His Position in the Team
His style of play has been likened to that of Barca great Ronaldinho. This comparison might tempt Villanova (or whoever coaches Barca) to play Neymar in the hole behind the main striker. this will be a failed attempt as proven in Brazil's game against England . Not to say he was a flop but he wasnt as effective as we have to know him to be.
3. Not Being the Star Man
Another reason why Neymar might not make is because he is not going to be the star man here . Neymar is used to being the man around which the play revolves in Brazil and at Santos. Messi is firmly the man here and hence Neymar must play to put him in the spotlight. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is evidence of this fact. Going from the poster boy of Brazil and Santos to a member of a team will be a tough step for Neymar and his ability to handle this transition is going to quite interesting
MY VIEW
Neymar's talent and ability cannot be questioned his status a global superstar has being cemented but all this hype could cause his downfall. Being named in the same breath as Ronaldo and Messi and being compared to legends such as Ronaldinho and Pele wont help his cause. Besides signing for Barcelona puts him in an environment where in the minds of many he is already a better player than he is ever likely to become. These all indicate the makings of a failure at Barcelona.
No comments:
Post a Comment