Is Ibrahimovic really a failure of Barcelona?

First of all, I agree with gohwee’s point of view. Ibrahimovic is definitely not a parallel import. Those who say he is a parallel import must be fake fans.

However, it is not an exaggeration to say that Ibrahimovic's performance in Barcelona this season has been relatively unsuccessful. First, he did not perform to the level that Guardiola or Barcelona's senior management expected him to achieve; second, he did not give Barcelona enough help in key games. Based on the above two points, it is difficult to say that this is a successful season.

However, I think it is unfair to blame this result entirely on Ibrahimovic himself, as the media did.

From a fundamental point of view, "exchanging Eto'o for Ibrahimovic" before the season is a false proposition in itself. This is not an afterthought. I have not been optimistic about this transaction since it was first proposed.

First of all, Barcelona won six crowns last season. Whether it was Guardiola, the Barcelona club, or players such as Messi and Xavi, they all reached unprecedented heights. If you want to move up, the space is really small. Under this premise, dismantling the main framework is tantamount to a risk, let alone replacing a different type of player. If you want to buy players, it is best to make reasonable additions or replace the old with the new. I believe Barcelona manager Begiristain will not understand this.

Secondly, although Barcelona’s original intention of introducing Ibrahimovic was to add high points in the penalty area to enrich tactical routines, it must be noted that Ibrahimovic is indeed tall, but fighting for high balls is not his strength. The Swede prefers to pull out of the penalty area to catch the ball and threaten the opponent's goal with breakthroughs or dribbling. But in this way, the space for Messi, Xiaobai, Pedro and others will be compressed, and the front line of the penalty area will be overcrowded, which will do more harm than good to Barcelona's tactics.

Again, take Ibrahimovic’s previous performance at Inter Milan as an example. He plays more casually and is not a player who is good at “big scenes”, and he hardly participates in defense. In this regard, he is Definitely not as good as Eto'o's. At the same time, speed is not his advantage. He cannot be pulled to the wing to support attacks as frequently as Eto'o. This determines Ibrahimovic's embarrassing situation in Barcelona's tactics.

But there is no way. The conflict between Eto'o and Guardiola already exists. If one of the two is chosen, the former will definitely be sacrificed. I even think that this transaction is not so much to enrich Barcelona's tactical routines, but rather as a helpless move to clean up Eto'o and give the fans an explanation.

If you want to trace the source, it can only be said that Barcelona's mistake lies in getting the wrong transaction partner. In fact, if you really want to install a bridgehead in the penalty area, Osasuna's Pandiani, Florence's Gilardino, and Aston Villa's Carew are all better choices. However, Barcelona fans may not agree to the names of these players.

Barcelona is very helpless, and so is Guardiola.

Life goes on, and I hope that after a season of integration, Ibrahimovic can be reborn next season.