If someone tells you that Pep Guardiola hit the ground running at Barcelona, remind them of the coach's first months in charge.
The truth is that Barca struggled in the first five games under the new manager, at least in terms of results, as they recorded three losses, one draw and one win.
Barca 4-0 Wisla Krakow (Champions League qualifier)
Wisla Krakow 1-0 Barca (Champions League qualifier)
Numancia 1-0 Barca (La Liga)
UE Sant Andreu 3-1 Barca (Copa Catalunya)
Barca 1-1 Racing Santander (La Liga)
Guardiola had only been promoted from the reserves and there were many who doubted him at first. Not Johan Cruyff, though, who saw Pep's potential even after the defeat to newly-promoted Numancia.
"The best Barca side … in many years," the Dutchman would go on to write in El Periodico.
And Cruyff was definitely right. Barca went on a 19-match unbeaten run after the Santander game. The season also ended in the demolition of Real Madrid 6-2 at Santiago Bernabeu in May and a win against a very solid Manchester United to win the Champions League and complete the treble.
And we also have to note that, while the results were bad in the first five games, the signs were definitely positive.
Barca were simply unlucky to hit the post three times in the Numancia game. And the Copa Catalunya match was played by mostly youngsters from the academy, the first team was barely involved.
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2 games Pep Guardiola names as his favourite in charge of iconic Barca - not vs Madrid or United
In a book called Pep Confidential, Josep Guardiola picked two Barca games as his favourite in charge of Blaugrana.
Surprisingly, those were not the Champions League finals or the historic 5-0 and 6-2 Clasicos.
The first match is the 4-1 win against Arsenal in 2010 in the Champions League when Leo Messi scored all four. The second one is the 4-0 win against Santos in 2011 in the Club World Cup final.
It is the game against the Neymar-led Santos that deserves special attention because of the so-called 3-7-0 formation — or so it was called by fans at the time. Here is how the Catalans lined up when they played against Santos.
Not only did Guardiola's side comfortably dominate possession, they were also really effective at creating chances. Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Leo Messi were flexible in their positioning, making Barca's attacks even more unpredictable than usual.
Thiago and Dani Alves did an amazing job too, effectively supporting Blaugrana's attackers on the wings. Even when they succeeded at running down the flanks, they would not cross the ball into the box but rather look for a clever pass or go for a 1-v-1 opportunity.
Sergio Busquets was crucial to the team's convincing win too, occasionally dropping to the back three or simply connecting the defence with the midfield with the help of his smart positioning.
Although on paper the team had no designated striker, Leo Messi was scoring goals at a crazy rate. That’s why it might make more sense to call this formation 3-6-1.
This game also tells a lot about Barca's legacy. The 3-6-1 used by Pep Guardiola in that fixture has its roots in the 1990s and the early 2000s when Blaugrana were managed by Johan Cruyff and Louis van Gaal.
