I’m honestly exhausted with this. Two disappointing seasons in a row, during a period where both Barcelona and Atlético haven’t exactly been at their strongest, and yet we’ve still managed to underperform. At some point, it stops being about bad luck, injuries, or “transitions” and starts being about accountability.
These players carry superstar status and some of the highest wages in world football. With that comes responsibility. Instead, what we’ve seen is inconsistency, lack of urgency, and standards that fall well below this club. Three managers have come and gone (I am counting Arbeloa as another casualty), and it’s getting harder to ignore the common denominator.
What frustrates me the most is the reaction from parts of the fanbase. A brace here or a penalty there suddenly wipes away weeks of mediocrity. Criticism gets brushed off. Underperformance gets defended or blamed on other players. Supporting the club shouldn’t mean blindly defending players when they’re not delivering.
We’ve always had legends wearing this shirt. Players who set standards, not just with talent, but with mentality, consistency, and hunger. That’s the benchmark. Right now, too many are falling short of it.
People love to throw around the term “plastic fans,” but what I’m seeing lately is something else entirely. A culture where criticism is shut down, where standards are lowered, and where loyalty to individuals seems to outweigh loyalty to the club itself. Wanting better doesn’t make someone disloyal. It means they care about what this club is supposed to represent. And right now, it just doesn’t feel like we’re living up to that. The club is above any player.