Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has made countless mistakes at the club, and more will be revealed in the coming weeks.
One of his last words was to appoint Ronald Common as first-team coach, entirely on the strength of his association with the club as a player.
This was not a serious decision. Common was well taped before he was finally persuaded to return to camp.
Had he taken the baton earlier, the club could have been saved from the devastating rule of Quick Setian, however, Common has now lost in his first 10 matches to Setian in full matches while at the club.
The Catalans are closer to the bottom of the table than the top in terms of points, and the 2020/21 campaign is becoming their worst case scenario. This is already their worst start since the 1987/88 season.
What’s more, it can be predicted.
Common has never been more successful as a manager. The last time he won the league championship was almost 14 years ago, and a Copa del Rey title, the last of his notable title for any club, came with Valencia in the last decade.
Spells in both Southampton and Everton were important for how well organized the two teams were.
Playing in a club gives you an insight into the inner workings, but successes elsewhere often determine when you’re under the microscope in a press cooker job, such as at Barca.
Coimbatore is no longer out there … and the truth is he never was.
