Yesterday the Three Wise Men certified an uprising. After years of agreements prior to the magical night, this year the monarchs decided to skip diplomacy and brought home two unexpected and discordant gifts: a foam bullet gun and a makeup case. Until yesterday, toy guns and childhood shortcuts with cheap mascara had been a red line. A thousand times no. Evidently, the insubordination was received with enthusiasm by my daughters who put aside Lego, books and colored paints to embrace the novelty with subversive enthusiasm. Rarely have two girls wearing makeup so faithfully replicated the Vietnam War in a dining room.
Barça also needs subversive gifts. The arrival of Vitor Roque, a Brazilian boy so un-Brazilian that he got married a week before arriving in the capital -Romário, Ronaldinho and Neymar choked when they heard the news- is the culé's hope to get rid of the sadness that Lewandowski infects. The Pole is a peculiar case: after a pleasant, remarkably high first season, he arouses more and more dislike for his lack of goals and his fuss when his teammates miss a pass.
That's why Barça not only needs O Tigrinho's goals, but also his joy. The club advances through the games with lead in its pockets, as if it were going to the dentist's appointment. He also does it with wet gunpowder in front - the lack of goals from João Félix, Raphinha or Ferran Torres is exasperating - but also with a lack of fit in the midfield. And Sergi Roberto, the least entertaining player on the squad, has stepped up as captain and has performed, finally in his place, above expectations.
It happens that Barça's ability to sign is no longer tsar-like. To readjust its midfield, where given the injuries of Pedri and Gavi or the lukewarmness of Gündogan or the absence of Romeu, only De Jong is at his level, the club knows what it needs, but it no longer can. It is not a profile; It's quality. First level and few names: Rodri from City, Zubimendi from Real or Kimmich from Bayern. Few more.
None of them are within reach given the cobwebs in the Blaugrana coffers or the difficulties in registering players proposed by friend Tebas.
Perhaps the youth team will help solve the problem with the game's hinges by surprise and propose an emergency solution or Laporta may pull an ace out of his sleeve at the last moment, but it does not seem likely. We'll probably have to light candles to make Vitor Roque an early star.
Or perhaps the secret for Barça to turn the season around was in my living room yesterday: putting on makeup to go to war. Let loose and have some fun, what the hell.
