After the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich last night, it was clear that Quique Setien was on borrowed time at Barcelona. His sacking has not been officially announced as of yet, but it will be confirmed sooner rather than later.
Whoever replaces him will have a major job on their hands. They will inherit and ageing squad, one in desperate need of an overhaul. The club have had a disastrous track record in the transfer market over the last five years. They also carry an incredible amount of deadwood, all of whom are sitting on huge contracts.
It is difficult to know what direction Barcelona should go in with their next coach. They usually try to hire somebody with strong links to the club, although Setien was an exception in this regard.
Xavi will not be approached again on this occasion. Mauricio Pochettino has been linked, but his strong links to cross city rivals Espanyol make that a tricky one to pull off.
Former Everton manager Ronald Koeman is also thought to be in the frame, having spent six years as a player and two years as an assistant coach at the Camp Nou. However, he is currently in a very desirable position as the manager of The Netherlands.
According to France Football, Thierry Henry is a shock name under consideration. The Frenchman had a successful stint as a player at the club from 2007-2010.
His struggles during his brief time as a manager is what makes this link so surprising. Henry was a disaster in his first job at Monaco, getting sacked after only four months in charge with the club lingering in the Ligue 1 relegation zone.
He has since taken charge of Montreal Impact in the MLS, failing to get beyond the round of 16 in the recent league play-off tournament. It would seem doubtful that Barcelona could entrust a manager with that track record of changing their fortunes.
Having departed from what made them so successful in recent year, Barcelona will be looking to appoint somebody who knows the club. Still, Henry would certainly be an odd choice.
