5 things Barcelona should do to improve their chances of winning a treble
A treble isn't something that you just tumble upon every now and then. It is a prestigious honour that only the bravest and the best get to boast about. Adding to that prestige is the pressure.
Winning the Spanish domestic double of the La Liga and the Spanish Cup is no easy task in itself, but the added task of performing on the European stage given Real Madrid's recent Champions League successes takes a toll on Barcelona's hopes.
Let's be honest, no team is confident about winning a treble before the season even starts. Only seven teams have managed to earn the treble in Europe. That being said, it proves that winning trebles is something that doesn't happen too often.
But here comes the telling twist. Barcelona has won two trebles in the last decade. The only team to win the treble twice and that too within a few years! No pressure, right? The team faces a lot of criticism from their fans and the media whenever they fail to produce in all three competitions.
What Barca fans fail to understand is that although they've been lucky enough to witness two trebles, things like that don't happen every season. But still, for a club like Barcelona, they must aim for all possible titles every season and keep fighting for all three major trophies till May to keep the morale of their fans high.
But what must they do to achieve the same? Winning a treble won't be easy given the ever increasing competition on the European and Spanish fronts.
#5 Squad rotation
Fatigue plays a major role when you are competing for three major tournaments. Although they have an extensive squad and a powerful youth academy, Barcelona haven't been using squad rotation to a good extent.
Valverde practically failed to change his primary lineup except for the closing stages of the season, and the early games of the Spanish Cup when it didn't make any practical sense.
The boss has made his intentions clear that he wants a small squad so he can give chances to young talents, but he needs to make sure that he uses squad rotation effectively to reduce fatigue and make the team competitive in all competitions.
There are several players in Barcelona who spend most of the time on the bench, even when they should be used to replace the main players when the stakes aren't that high. Some of the most notable names are Jasper Cillessen and Denis Suarez.
Nelson Semedo, Sergi Samper, Paco Alcacer and Andre Gomes are also notable players who should be used effectively to make sure that the team is in pristine condition when the big games arrive.