The best team in the world

[keniget]

Barcelona, despite achieving a record 100 points haul and winning the league at a canter in Spain, have finally seen their untouchable status come to an end as a result of their loss to Bayern. They've of course lost to teams in the CL in recent years, however it was generally regarded that the best team didn't make it through. Not so this year.

Has their dominance finally come to an end?

They've got some thinking to do this summer, players might be going (Fabregas, Villa, Thiago) and players will be coming in (Neymar). Is Tito the man to take them forward? Personally, I'm not so sure.

Bayern have got a new manager coming in who might try and change their style of play, which could end up doing more harm than good despite all the talent in the squad.

Will there be one undisputed best team in the world or will we go back to having a bunch of very good teams at the top?

 

[juniormember]

Ross would disagree but you can have two managers using the same tactics, same instructions, same training, etc, but one might get more out of players on the field than the other. Some bosses have the knack of getting their employees to want to do that little bit extra for them, and Guardiola seems to have that personality about him.
Villanova seems to have less of that personallity.
Who knows. It could be argued that a team in Spain that can win their league with 100 points (isn't that better than Guardiola's record?), and then to also get to the semi finals of the champions league is not at all on the slide.

 

[Rafiagra]

I don't think Brca will ever be what they were. The axis of Xavi and Iniesta is aging and can't lay with the same intensity. Messi can and is still brilliant but this season has shown that irrespective of that, he needs support. I'm not sure Neymar will be enough.

Bayern will walk their league and will be stronger with Gotze and Lewandowski. I can't see those arrivals and Pep destabilising them, so I think they will still be stronger than the rest. They have strength in depth from front to back.

 

[keniget]

Barca do look like they will be restructuring their forward line. I think they need to have a think about the role of Messi because although he's scoring for fun, the other players can suffer for it and when he's not there or being shut out there is no alternative.

Will there be any other challengers? Real Madrid - too mental? The Premiership was very very strong up until 2008/9, but don't look like producing a great team just yet unless Chelsea or City get it together.

 

[RedStar]

Bayern are the best in the world currently, its no flash in the pan theyve been in the 3 of the last 4 Champions League finals, the just won a domestic double and the Champions League final demolishing the only other side who can claim to be the best en route to the final. Guardiola will obviously change things and that may derail a winning system while Barca will improve next season but right now Bayern have to be considered the best

 

[Markeh]

It's not just the defeat to Bayern that have shown Barca to be weaker, they laboured against PSG, Milan and even Celtic. As good as those sides were Barca would have blown them away a couple of years back. I don't think losing your manager and his replacement being in and out with health problems is helping the side and like @Rafiagra said some of their key players are getting old, I'd add Puyol to the two he mentioned, their defence isn't settled or particularly good.

Nobody can maintain dominance for too long especially with the money in the game. Everyone has rivals that will be desperate to catch up and will often spend heavily to get there, even if these rivals can't wrestle top spot away the top team will eventually slip up or fade and have to rebuild. Maybe this is premature and Barca will pick it up again, who knows. Thinking about it has me seriously hopeful that United will fall away this season

 

[RedStar]

Thinking about it has me seriously hopeful that United will fall away this season

It certainly a possibility, I read a stat the other day that said Utd had finished this season with the same number of points as laster year but a worse goal difference by about 10 goals. The point was that contrary to the popular belief the Utd had improved this season they were actually worse, the difference being City were much worse so Utd won the title because they regressed the least. It also means that despite the much lauded signing of Van Persie the team scored more goals the season before he arrived than they did with him.

Sometimes a team wins the title by virtue of being the only side that turns up that year, the season we finished second with 85 points would have been enough points to take the title a couple of seasons in the last decade but we were up against a really good Utd team that year.

If there is a strong challenge from City and Chelsea next season I expect Utd will find it very tough going, I wouldnt be at all suprised if they finish 3rd next year. Barca are in a totally different position they know they have only one credible challenger and Real are in a bit of a mess at the moment so its much more likely they will maintain their current position than Utd will.