In a way it’s really funny, because my first reaction to your challenge to name a more gorgeous team was “Um… Arsenal?” and Rijkaard should take note of what Wenge intuited: that the team was suffering from huddling behind the old leader, and that the kids would burst into the sunlight once his shadow was lifted. So the irony is that Henry went to Barcelona, who are (I feel) suffering from the same lack of light. And, my goodness, there is a lot of talent in Barca’s squad, and not least of those are the kids.

My advice to the cules: chop down the old trees and let the new crop grow. Don’t look for players who can fill Ronaldinho’s particular role, let them figure out their own styles. You’re absolutely right in that an out of form Ronaldinho is better than an in-form pretty much anybody else, but the effect he’s having on the squad is detrimental.

And finally, because I can predict the arguement arising: Yes, they’re still second in La Liga and have already bested their group in the CL, but no, their game is not so beautiful these days.

p.s. oh please let a dissenter past the spam filter, otherwise an hour of my life – poof!

Now ask yourself this, quickly: Is Messi having a fantastic year? I’d say yes. You probably say yes, in fact. Do you realize that he has scored half of his league goals from the spot? 4 of 8. And in total he’s scored 5 of his 12 goals from the spot. Yet they are not considered “just a penalty goal” when he takes them, so why is it so when Ronaldinho takes them? The goals Ronaldinho scored from free-kicks last year but isn’t this year because he’s not on the field are the reason why Barca is behind in the league. This contribution is huge and it’s a major facet of the game. Given the choice of Xavi or Juninho on the field, would you ever ever ever pick Xavi over Juninho if you didn’t have Ronaldinho and Deco to take your free-kicks? I can’t imagine you would. Free-kick taking is a quality that’s actually underrated in professional soccer: if Ronaldinho’s abilities are purely from free-kicks, I want him on my team because those goals are real, actual goals. He wins the free-kicks he takes, by the way. And it’s not by diving (most of the time).

To your point about the past, about the team: Ronaldinho’s place in Barcelona’s history means nothing to me in this discussion. What Ronaldinho did was fantastic and I love him for it, but what he can still contribute is what I’m after. No one owes anyone for the past in professional sports, but everyone owes everyone for the present and future. Ronnie’s contributions now are, in my opinion, up to international standard as well as Barca’s. I hold the team to a higher standard than I do other teams, such as Murcia or even Werder Bremen, but I also realize that it’s the joy in watching great players playing happily that draws me to Barcelona. Ronaldinho, as Andrew pointed out, is not smiling as much, not as much fun to watch, because he’s trying to prove his critics wrong rather than relaxing and having a good time. The best in sports is to watch your team win beautifully, but, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather we drew or lost beautifully than won ugly. Not that I don’t want us to win the close, nitty-gritty games or that I don’t enjoy seeing Deco scythe down an opposing player now and then (and give that “You want some?” look he’s perfected), but I prefer us to win beautifully. Name a more gorgeous team and, simply put, go off to your la-la land and enjoy being wrong with your other wrong friends. Ronaldinho’s ability to contribue to that beauty is partially his passing, partially his deft shooting, and partially his obvious ability to lead. If his ability to lead has deteriorated, I don’t see it in the training pictures or the way the other team members rally around him (Edmilson, of course, should be mentioned here since he was aiming his attack at Ronaldinho; he has been out of the squad for so long that it must be hard for him to watch the other, newer members – who are replacing him – chum up to his old pals, especially someone who is also Brazilian). If it has deteriorated, though, that is, as you say, Nolan, probably part of his lifestyle and his image. The concept of R10 must be infuriating to players like Iniesta and Puyol, who come up out of Barca’s youth ranks and put their hearts and souls on the line every day, but it can’t be that big of a deal because they’re professionals. If they’re such babies as to look at Ronnie and not understand that they’ve all got something really great together as a team, then they’re as much to blame as Ronnie, who is, to use the MLB-related term, “Ronnie being Ronnie.”

All in all, I don’t believe Ronnie is having as good a season as he’s capable of, but I do believe he’ll grow into his role and that the press will start to leave him alone once the team is back to functioning at full power. The only thing that could derail that is a loss in El Clasico in the Camp Nou, a sin worse than death for all the cules out there. So you know the team will play its collective heart out, especially that one guy, whatshisname, oh yeah, Samuel Eto’o. Ever heard of him? He’s good…

I’m glad you all enjoyed the post; I couldn’t help but write it as the ideas just appeared in my head and were confirmed by the fact that few other “superstars” in world soccer have put up the numbers he has. Naturally several strikers around the world have done so (Klose, van Nistelrooy to name just two), but no midfielders that I could think of off the top of my head. Thanks for reading guys and gals, I appreciate the comments and the feedback. Dialogue is a positive.

btw, emd must be reading your posts because they are in on the acronym thing now:

“IBM: Iniesta, Bojan y Messi valen un imperio”

Great, great post, and fine argument. I’ve been in the “sell Ronaldinho” camp, and still am. I think that he’s still a great player, one of the greatest in the game, but he seems to be psychologically done in the Blaugrana. That happens sometimes.

When he keeps the ball moving, providing the passes that only he can provide to his teammates, Barca is unbeatable. Remember his brilliance of ‘05, from the snap free kick v. Chelsea, to the innumerable passes and moves that showed a true joy of the game.

Things are very different now for him, and the side. I’m still not sure if it’s too many stars or Rijkaard not being in control any longer, but Ronaldinho is not playing with the same verve and style. Too much dribbling at three defenders then losing the ball, or playing with his back to goal, when he is not at his best.

He has some great years left, and I think that Rijkaard was right to say that “Ronaldinho will be on the bench if Ronaldinho wants to.” That is, play your way off.

We’ll see what happens. Getting Deco and Eto’o back will do a lot to cure what ails the lads.