Vitor Roque’s future even bleaker with the emergence of Pau Victor

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Sensational impact

They say luck and timing can often play as much of a part in people getting to the very top of their chosen profession as their dedication, effort and innate understanding of the task set before them.

After scoring with his first touch in professional football — what timing! — and looking as though he could be a contender for Barcelona’s first-team, Marc Guiu, whilst he hasn’t exactly sunk without trace, quickly wasn’t considered good enough for the senior side.

He’s not the first and won’t be the last player that people have spoken about in reverential tones as they’ve made their way through the junior ranks at the club only to feel the full weight of responsibility hit them when things get serious.

Occasionally, outsiders are expected to make similar impacts without really understanding the gravitas of playing for the club, despite shining for their previous employers.

Take Vitor Roque.

Barça were desperate to get him in, and paid handsomely for the privilege.

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

Whether or not there was a political game going on as a sideshow to his selection — or more accurately the lack of — is a moot point.

When he did get on the pitch, he ran around like a headless chicken for a few games and didn’t really do a lot else, the odd goal notwithstanding.

The Tigrinho whilst at Athletico Paranaense, he was El Pussy Cat when wearing the Barça shirt.

Maybe that’s even a little unfair given that he’s still only 19 years of age, however, he did arrive at the club with a certain reputation and he has spectacularly failed to uphold it.

Pau Víctor has emerged in pre-season thanks to his movement, anticipation, appreciation of space and for those around him, and his eye for a chance or goal.

It’s like chalk and cheese when compared with Vitor Roque’s contributions and it’s no wonder Hansi Flick is already excited by what he’s seen.

There’s a temptation for Culers to go all in for Pau Víctor at this stage too, though if we remind ourselves how things turned out for Guiu et al — and there are plenty of other examples — it’s better just to allow the player to develop at his own pace rather than putting a label on him from the get go.

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

‘The new’ whoever isn’t helpful to anyone, least of all the player himself.

With a year behind him at Barça Atlètic, where he was a revelation, the lineage works for the club from a PR perspective too.

Vitor Roque has had his chances — not too many, granted — but when you’re paying that much for a player, no matter the age, they have to do the business straight out of the gate.

Personally, I no longer see a future for the Brazilian at Barça and the sooner he accepts that fact, the quicker he can get his own career back on track.

Pau Víctor? Sit back, relax and let’s see what level he can reach...

Source: barcablaugranes.com