THE MUSIC FINALLY DOES SOME TALKING FOR THE MAN: A REVIEW OF D'BANJ'S KING DON COME ALBUM

Of all major nigerian artistes,D'banj has thrived more off the viability he has engrained into his brand than the quality of his music.As a matter of fact,Dapo Oyebanjo alongside erstwhile producer and business partner,Micheal 'Don Jazzy' Enebeli taught the Nigerian music industry the full art of musical branding.They rocked the first platinum chains, made friends in the highest places,bought the flyest cars,set the 7 figure A-list minimum wage and basically introduced the rockstar element to our music industry.

Building a wall around themselves and keeping interaction and working relationship with other artistes at the barest minimum didn't get them hated,it deified them.Even P-Square who had more hits than their entire label combined couldn't boast being so much a force.

They both got signed onto Kanye's GOOD Music before breaking up and after that for D'banj came endorsement deals with Beats by Dre and Ciroc,rumours he was dating billionaire daughter,Adama Indimi,being received by a bevy of sexy ladies at London's Heathrow airport ahead of his UK tour and more recently,a secret marriage and child birth.He has managed to keep us talking about everything except the music which hasn't been quite impressive to say the least.Yet he signed a global distrubution deal with Priority Records and had an interview with Ebro on beats1 before this album dropped.That is how potent the D'banj brand is.It does the talking more than the music ever does.

The biggest question King Don Come had to answer was whether we were going back to talking about the man's music or stay talking the man without the music.

Lets see.

1.ITS NOT A LIE FEAT WANDE COAL AND HARRYSONG

This was released as a single a couple of months ago and it gave the impression that he had been working really hard on his craft.It was an out-of-the-box effort that ticked all the right boxes.The man once said he was not a singer or rapper but an entertainer.What way to prove that than talking magnificiently through the whole first verse.Harrysong blended the highlife element into this song perfectly and having him on the song was a nice touch.

2.BE WITH YOU

Another single we heard just before.Its no secret; D'banj can't ACTUALLY sing.Having him base content on his chord-pulling abilities wasn't a wise decision.Its a very weak effort.One that leaves you feeling you deserve to be rewarded for listening to the end.

3.TE NECESITO

Banga Lee was onto something with the concept for this song and its really sad it doesn't get properly breathed life into.The latin and french on the chorus have a great pull that he fails to sustain afterwards and leaves you feeling dropped from a skyscrapper high.

Take out that part and its a numb walk through what had the potential to be a much better song with a little more focus on depth.

4.EL CHAPO FEAT GUCCI MANE AND WANDE COAL

A truly stand out song.D'banj solicits the artistry of top american rapper,Gucci mane and it pleases to see he doesn't disappoint.You get absorbed by the guitar strings at the onset in time for eja nla to drop the very infectious-"Picture me flossing,Big fish rolling am frosty/Wo ni mo bossy,just because they cannot touch me/Feeling like El Chapo,Holy Grail El Chapo/PATRON PATRON PATRON!!!".Gucci couches a tight verse in a boss frame in line with the subject but did Wande Coal really have to rap?.Sounded very distasteful.But not enough to rub on the quality of the song though.

5.AS I DEY GO

Bangalee whips up a very commanding rhythm to create this feel-good song.And thats basically what this song has going for it.D'banj's seamless waltz through rhythms in a style reminiscent of the old kokomaster.Its also remarkable how the afro-beat element was harmonized in perfectly.A good song that misses Don Jazzy's back ground vocals.

6.TURN DOWN FOR WHAT (FOCUS REFIX)

Technically an afro-beat freestyle.The lady singing at the background and D'banj's strong vocals are what make this a mixtape material at best.It would take a whole lot more to score a hit out of a 100% afro-beat song.

7.EGWEJI FEAT PHYNO

Nothing works here.Not the beat,not the lyrics not even Phyno.A ridiculously pale effort.

8.THATS WHAT I MEAN

A jam for the dance floor.The 'Thats what i mean' chants don't sit too well and its really sad because that forms an essential part of the song.Other than that,eja nla does well.Plus it has a very groovy chorus and Kayswitch's impressive verse to help make you overlook that.

9.NTSWEMPU FEAT BUCIE AND BUSISWA

This has to go down as the best D'banj song in a long while.The South African connection was magic-Oskido with the mad beat and songstresses Bucie and Busiswa with their scintillating singing.The man said it all-"D'banj okpe meji (No 2 D'banjs)".This isn't just flawless,its Classic.

10.EMERGENCY

This song is about 2 years old.The instrumentation is stunning and D'banj opens well with the first few lines and things start to get less sticky from there on.Its an average effort.

11.OLIVER TWIST

What was D'banj thinking?.Oliver Twist was first released 5 years ago.Only logical reason would be he wanted it released in the States after signing a distribution deal recently.It was never released by GOOD Music there when he was on the label.Anyways,Oliver Twist is a great song that had everyone optimistic about D'banj and Don Jazzy's chances of conquering the world.Felt good to hear the 'lebete',the 'labata' and the 'zebede'.How time flies.

12.SHOULDA

Shoulda is a great piece of work.Does some fabulous singing on the verses before switching the tempo in heart-stopping fashion to render a very arresting chorus.He also plays his harmonica to marvellous effect.We already know on his day,D'banj can make a really good love song.He was in that zone.

ACE HOOD MAKES A RATHER LAME STATEMENT WITH TRUST THE PROCESS

Trust the process is Ace hood's first album since leaving DJ Khaled's We The Best Music and whether he severed ties with Khaled because he wasn't getting due respect or because he wanted to 'do his own thing' like he claims,what is for sure is that he had a point to prove.

Between the guy that made one of the best albums of the decade thus far in Trials and Tribulations and the guy who tried toning down to a 'gangster drake' level just afterwards,he had to find a winning combo somewhere.

Ace doesn't quite live up to expectation on this project and more astonishing,is how he plays like there is nothing to lose.In the plainest terms,he needed to play at scoring a hit in the mould of Hustle Hard or Bugatti and the bravest go at that was Ego trip.Decent as it may sound,it lacks some real taste and is just too loose to hold the intended catchiness.

He opens with To whom it may concern,a soul baring message to the listener.Ace tells a contradictory story of strength with a chorus that starts by asking-"If i give you all of me,would you give me all of you?/If i told you i was annointed,would you see the proof?".In as much as its a mere letter to his fans,worrying what anyone thinks of him chunks out what we are supposed to relate to-strength.With verses containing only occasional glimpses of lyrical class,only thing you are bound to remember is that he's left Khaled and critics want beef but he's not feeding them.

At a time Ace had to win like his life depended on it, the industry's finest hands were expected to handle production for this project.

No metro boomin,no murda beatz, no london on da track,he had Foreign Teck produce his entire album and that didn't seem an entirely good decision.Passion was the closest reminder to the hard hitting delivery Ace hood was noted for in his hey day but he sounded like he was doing the right thing on the wrong beat.His hook sits well on the flutes but the drabby base takes the sting off some tight verses.

Life after tells better Ace's sad predicament-an artiste not at the top of his game having to contend with production even his contemporaries who are would struggle to make anything meaningful out of.Its a ridiculously shallow effort with Ace spitting nothing out of the ordinary on a beat dead-on-arrival for what he had in mind.

Get to me is however, a perfect pointer to just how the bulk of the blame lies with the artiste.He exudes some class with the laid back delivery and even lets you in how much he understands whats at stake with the lines-"Gotta find my grooving again,gotta get back moving again/Gotta get that half in again,step on they neck for the win/Gotta add that ace to the end",but if you could excuse the stagnantly repititive hook at the begining,it gets harder to do that later on.Its a 15 line hook with just 11 words and whatever sing-along bite it has wanes out before mid-way.

This album will get a couple more knocks than usual from critics largely due to the disparity between the good songs and the bad ones.Not forgetting also the part played by the sudden buzz built round his We the best departure.A lot was expected from him.But for emphasis,he did make some really good songs.

Blessed and Came wit the posse are tight cuts though not quite reflective of the urgency involved.He gets set up to wax righteous with that all too familiar key pattern on Blessed and he does that quite well albeit a hook that seemed more the first take of a 'fooling around in the studio' session.A little more work on depth would have done much good.Foreign made a good beat for Came wit the posse but its as monotonic as having a virtually inconspicious divide between hook and verse.Would have been just perfect for verses laced with the reputed fast and hard delivery to help switch things up.

He gives us a dose of that though in the breath-taking Play to win .Ace somehow always manages to keep you hoping for a return to his best with a song or two on all projects since Trials and Tribulations.His singing works on the catchy hook and he fires on all cylinders in the verses."Me and the gang gang lit/Pull up in a new thing with a new thing let the Lu-Kang kick".Definitely one for the archives.

In Top,he made perhaps the best work of this project.Its pretty much copacetic stuff as everything combines perfectly to spawn off this awesome track.He drops some really sick lines-"Made our way from Broward/Drippin so much sauce,i might need a towel/I can't hold my bowels,shittin on you cowards/You can still be p***y with all that money and power".And hows this for some wit-"If she got some jelly,this a muthaf**kin jam!!!".

Overall,Ace hood made an album,you wouldn't call bad,it just falls below the levels set for it.

WO!:OLAMIDE'S BLUE-RIBBON PLOT FROM HOME

Olamide's Glory  album was a compilation of good songs that lacked anything close to a vicious cutting edge largely due to his decision to let go of some groove for more sobriety.The little popularity enjoyed by the Pepper Dem Gang song was powered more by the Olamide brand itself rather than its quality.

Being unarguably the most conspicious A-list artiste out there, the album helped trigger off a contemptous feeling towards Nigeria's number one indigenous rap act.With features at a second-to-none rate and a release-freak reputation,the one exception to the excess familiarity rule appeared very vulnerable and for the first time since he broke into the limelight, we were starting to get tired of him.

A 911 attempt at salvaging the situation turned him to Davido for Summer Body and that didn't quite work out well.If anything it only underscored the point that he may have come full circle.

But like they say no place like home.Olamide has always been about the groove.First of all and Omotoshan opened more doors for him than an Eni Duro ever did.

His latest single WO! doesn't just clear all doubts as to whether he has lost it,it makes you fall hard back in love with him like it was the first day.Its a street recipe served on an irresistible dance platter.Baddo weaves impeccably through an infectious Young John beat to make the safest bet for next big hit of 2017.

WO! is quite honestly, the easiest review anyone would have to do because what Olamide gets right is everything.Nigerians love to dance and a chorus is almost always your whole song down here.Baddo exploits that handsomely to transform an everyday yoruba word into a sing-along lyric on a very catchy hook with a barrage of breathtaking lines to match.

WO! is a strong thrust back to the artiste you loved and respected for having no strategy surrounding the artistic aspect of his brand,its features and releases all year long.All he has to do is measure up to the WO! standard.

WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG WITH OUR PRESIDENT?

The rumour mill has been agog with stories that President Buhari could be returning back to the country any time soon.This is coming shortly after photos of him with some visiting governors were greeted with wild excitement by his supporters.On the other hand,there couldn't be a more rueful time for the patriotic nigerian who places the nation first.That nigerian is more concerned with the unanswered question-What exactly is President Buhari suffering from?.Over the last week,that nigerian has had to contend with imbecilic comments about how Buhari is overcoming death and how those who have dared to ask questions will die in his place.

We already know his medical costs are expensive enough to be tagged a 'matter of national security' by Lai Mohammed,the minister of information.The same Lai Mohammed who demanded daily updates on the late President Yar'adua's health from the ministry of information when he was receiving treatment abroad.The country reportedly pays as much as £4,000 daily for the presidential plane parked in London while £1,000 per day is been bandied around as the official sum and even at that rate,we have spent over N43M on just having a plane ready for him alone.

While the nature of the President's ailment is serious enough to be kept secret,it bothers the true nigerian with the best interests of his nation at heart whether he is coming back to stay indoors,sit out FEC meetings and take pictures with files in his office in an attempt to hoodwink us before heading back to his doctors or if he is coming back to face the rigorous job we voted him to do.

His performance while on seat has been lacklustre at best and it baffles me why anyone would overlook the extra burden we have had to contend with.The man simply isn't fit to be in office.

I still can't seem to get my head around how a man would plunge his people into hunger,run the country to the brink of disintegration,have them cover his medical expenses and yet return home to a thunderous ovation.

Our number one priority when and If he does get back is to have him disclose to us what he is suffering from.If he conveniently justified his incessant trips abroad in the early days of his administration with claims he was courting foreign aid and investments,then it is important to know not only if he is going to be around, but also strong enough to do things as 'important' as that.

If the Federal government thinks medical costs are 'matters of national security', then it would be sheer madness to classify the nature of Buhari's ailment as such.We need to know in emphatic terms, not only if he is capable of carrying out his duties but also exactly what we are spending our money on.No one expects him to resign any more like he once said he would if he fell very ill because of the luxury of having to treat himself with taxpayers money.

A medical report surfaced online before the 2015 presidential election indicating President Buhari was battling prostrate cancer and some of his photos,especially ones taken since his last return have shown vivid signs of a man undergoing chemotherapy.But all these have stayed in the realm of speculation,we need to be told unequivocally exactly what our ailing president is suffering from.

TERRIFIC ALL ROUND DISPLAY: A REVIEW OF MEEK MILL'S WINS AND LOSSES ALBUM

Meek Mill's Meekend Music 2 EP dropped a day after Tunechi's In Tune We Trust and though Tune's Mula Gang was by miles the dopest song of both 4 track  EPs (Wayne only laid a verse mind you), Meek had the better mixtape with 3 good songs out of 4 in Organized Chaos,Save Me and Young Nigga Dreams as against only one solid for Wayne in Mula Gang and a 'well,well' track in Loyalty.

Meek rightly earned our anticipation for the Wins and Losses album and when it dropped, it blew to bits.Not that Meek had been a bad rapper prior,its more down to the sheer quality of this work.
We witnessed a huge Meek step up in Dreams Worth More Than Money where he worked on his weaknesses and utilized his strengths to become a better all round Mc.In Wins and Losses,he sounds accustomed to being just that and even goes on to try his hands at new things.Yea,Meek sings now.
He opens the album with the title track,Wins and Losses and like it suggests,Meek has elevated from a dreamer to being thick in the mix.He chops it down in thumping Meek fashion.."Wins and losses come with being bosses....Top of the food chain,head of commission,we breaking niggas without permission".You should get the memo.
He sounds far more comfortable speaking from deep and on Price and Heavy Heart,we see a Meek speaking introspectively to captivating effect about the challenges being him and not only the long ride to where he's at like old Meek would.
1942 Flows is a lot like both songs albeit a bit more edgy.He has being on a lyrical ascent since DWMTM and he puts that to good use as he tells you a gripping tale with a strong message for his haters.He renders what is perhaps the best singing performance of 'grown' Meek on the hook and he drops some lines on his ex-Nicki Minaj as well..."Ain't doing no interviews,i'm busy,nigga we litty/So when you see me out don't ask me about no Nicki/F**k i look like telling my business on Wendy/Niggas gossip like Queens,we was serving fiends".He jumps on Jigga's Momma Loves Me Instrumental alongside The Dream for YBA (Young Black America), an arresting walk through the tribulations of the young black american.A single off this LP and it played a huge part in the anxious wait for Meek.Epic stuff.
He takes grieving to new heights on We Ball where he reminisces on Lil Snupe and his other lost soldiers by doing it major for them.He solicits Young Thug for this great tune and Thugga did get his 'sober' on real nice.Further proof of Meek's comfort in the growth zone is packed in Never Lose which is one of the best songs of the album.Meek gets on beast mode delivery and his guest,Lihtz Kamraz supplies him a bomb of a hook.Meek reminds you he is one of the very few rappers in the game with a distinctive style and it happens to be one that places less emphasis on lyrics and he makes you very appreciative of him for going through the trouble of dropping enough catchy lines.Watch out for Lihtz Kamraz.Cut out for really huge things.
Meek drops some really tight bars on Issues and matches it with some great singing.Save Me off Meekend Music 2 already gave a hint as to a more versatile Meek and it felt great to see him sync the new and old aspects to his game on this song.
And talking about old Meek, he reassures you he still speaks up tempo just as fluently as anyone in the game.He recruits Quavo for Ball Player and he puts his talents to stupendous use.Hard to stay put when this comes on.
Lil Uzi Vert joins him for the trappy Fuck That Check Up where Meek struts major with a classy hook to match.Glow Up completes the roll call of 'built for speakers' songs that make you want to bribe a DJ before clubbing on a Friday night.
He brings his street soldier status to the fore on the hard-hitting Connect The Dots where he features Yo Gotti and Rick Ross.It oozes a mind-blowing grittiness with all Mcs firing on all cylinders.Gotti has been killing major features lately and he follows up his outstanding verse on DJ Khaled's That Range Rover Came With Steps with another one here.Hows this for an opener-"Lets talk about the trap,lets talk about the streets/You looked up to Jordan,we looked up to Meech"?.
Meek softens up that mode for Made It From Nothing and boy,does Teyana Taylor pull those chords?.Ross was again on hand to help make this beautiful tune.
'For the ladies' may have hit a rough patch in Whatever You Need feat Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ which certainly doesn't measure up to his previous Breezy collabo, All I Wanna Do but he makes up for that in the amazing Fall Thru where he flaunts his singing in breath-taking fashion and even ups the ante to baby making level on Open with Verse Simmonds.

Basically,Wins and Losses is an album you could bump from start to finish without skipping a single track.Meek has come of age and he deserves respect.A whole lot of it.

GOOD COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: A REVIEW OF WIZKID'S SFTOS EP

Who releases a 12 track EP in 2017?.A Nigerian musician.Wizkid to be precise and perhaps this was what Seyi Shay meant by 'Electronic Package'.(lol).

But on a real,its just another pointer to the fact that this incredibly talented young man needs to understand the 'biz' in showbiz better than he already does.There couldn't be a better illustration than letting 4 songs and a video leak with an RCA/Sony Music deal to protect.

Without a doubt,Wizkid is Nigeria's largest ever music export and Sounds From The Other Side (SFTOS) is the only bonafide afro-international release by a Nigerian artiste.

But in the end, it all boils down to the quality of the music.Walk with me.

1.SWEET LOVE

If the goal was to score big at the onset, then Starboy did just that.He weaves his singing prowess round heavy Fela and Bob Marley influences to make a great afro-beat song.On his day,when he rides the tempo perfectly all the way to the chorus,Wiz can make you sing along to just about anything.

Theres a slight let off at the end however, when he refuses to stop at Fela's original Shakara lyrics but goes on to distort it with a scream and some out-of-tune words of his own.Nonetheless this song speaks impressively of Wizkid's ability to soar in the International market on his own terms.Afro-beat with some Marley says a lot.

2.COME CLOSER (feat Drake)

This would have been the most anticipated song of the EP or a perfect 'days before' single if a leak hadn't necessitated an early official release.Upping the ante doesn't come any better than Dreezy on a track.

To the topic, this would have been a much better song if Wizkid had gotten his verses right.The beat and hook suggest Wiz had Drake in mind all through the cooking process but when Drake comes on, he reminds just how much he puts into songs like this to make them work and Starboy needs to learn a thing or 2 from that.The first verse which isn't as horrible as the second highlights just how key delivery is.There were a few catchy lines that would have sounded better with the right modus.An average ragga verse and a way-out-of mark second help Wiz put a great beat and infectious chorus to awful waste.A singing Wiz on the second verse would have helped switched things up for the better.

3.NAUGHTY RIDE (feat Major Lazer)

Is it just me or is there anybody else who couldn't seem to find Major Lazer any where on this track?.Trust me i tried real hard.

Well, its a quite decent effort where Wiz tries to match his real elements with the need to sound global in awesome style.A throwback to the Wiz that could rap,sing and chant a single line all day and still have you love the song to bits.

But Starboy is making Sony type music for an international market and it would help if he tones down on our 'accepted' repetitive singing pattern.The really nice 'ride naughty ride' chorus starts to give off a shallow and lazy feel when you hear him say it more than thrice.

4.AFRICAN BAD GYAL (feat Chris Brown)

Sarz is a producer i have a lot of respect for but the beat for this song was to put it in the mildest terms, too much of everything.The only point where it doesn't gurgle up the great vibe Wiz was on is at the start of the chorus where he obliges you a little window to enjoy something at least before he reverts back to status quo in time for Wiz to say "Feelin ur dancing" and shout him out for a badly done job.

And for the record, Chris Brown murdered Wizkid on an afro-pop song.Ain't that something?

5.DADDY YO (feat Efya)

Contrary to what the big labels may lecture african artistes on altering their sounds to fit into the international market, no one necessarily has to go reggae or calypso.The Latin Americans penetrated the global music scene on their own terms with reggaeton in a manner that intrigues me to no end and i was thrilled to see Wiz put its elements to awesome effect on Daddy Yo.That all too familiar drum on kick mode and a 'Latin' Efya on the chorus captivates you from the jump.

I'll still say Wiz neglected a key element to making reggaeton work; the 'Punch' factor.This song really needed that and if ever he chooses to tow this path again, i hope his voice won't sound too soft.A great effort nonetheless.Speaks volumes of Starboy's artistry.

6.ONE FOR ME (feat Ty Dolla $)

Starboy steps up his lyrical game a notch and keeps his delivery 'disciplined' to keep you enthralled from the mumble at the start to his very last words.You get a K.O at the bridge with the 'In my life' lines.From a Nigerian perspective,its pretty much one of those very rare occasions when you look forward to an artiste's verses more than you do his chorus and from a global market perspective, i would say the Ty dolla $ hook sounded a bit too slow and 'choirish' to hand the song a little more ordinary feel than it deserves.

7.PICTURE PERFECT

Wizkid blends his singing perfectly into an air-tight instrumental to drive you nuts and hit repeat on what may pretty much be the best song on the EP.His laid back vocal prowess is so out of here and its bound to have you 'feeling the wave' all through.International stuff.

I hope the eggheads at Sony's A&R department have suggested shooting a good video for this song to Wiz.It could just be the catalyst for major global recognition.

8.NOBODY

Its all good till Wiz pulls some really strung-out chords on the 'I will hold you tight' part.He spends more than a whole  minute remedying the grave misdeed only to repeat it again.Yanked a chunky piece of flavour off what is otherwise a very good song. 

9.SEXY

 Sexy is a pretty infectious tune that underscores Wiz's position as the best Fela prototype of his generation.It kicks in that 'good feel' vibe and seems destined to be a DJ favourite.In as much as i must say Spellz set Wiz up nice with a good afro-beat instrumental,we musn't forget how key the heavy use of instruments were to the acceptability of this genre home and abroad.A saxophone just had to fit somewhere in this 3:07 mins track to spicen things up.But it only played in my head.

The lady screaming an unwarranted 'Sexy' at the background was a let-off as well.I'm afraid there may be a day when Starboy's genius may not be able to make up for some shabby aspects of his composition.

10.ALL FOR LOVE (feat Bucie)

He recruits South african singer Bucie for this house music special.While i admire Wiz's balls for striving at versatility by trying out different genres, i can't help but say here he had a great idea that wasn't properly breathed life into.

Its so ridiculously shallow,you feel you can count his whole lyrics on your fingers.He owes Bucie loads for her attempt at giving it a little more life.

11.DIRTY WINE (feat Ty Dolla $)

Ty did come through for Wiz on this one in some style.He complements him on a hook made for the dance floor and Starboy was tight with the verses.

Production could be much better though.There is a sad loss of synergy between the beat at the verses and at the hook.The surge of extra life at the chorus sounds rather too abrupt.

GBESE (feat Trey Songz)

Add the lacklustre display by Wizzy to the awful beat and you have what may very well be the worst song of this project.Who makes a beat like this in 2017 anyway?.Sad.

It totally robs this song a chance of spawning a positive at the very least.I really must shout out Trey Songz for his humility because i would ordinarily think an artiste of his calibre won't be caught dead recording on an instrumental like this.

After all said and done,Wizkid made a good EP that could have been much better.

LUIS ENRIQUE: MOVING ON FROM SUCCESS AT A SAD COST

Luis Enrique won a treble in his first season as Fc Barcelona Coach and in the process, went on to shatter the club record haul of 40 victories in a debut season held by the only other person to have managed such,Josép Guardiola.He had won an impressive 9 out of a possible 13 trophies by the end of his 3 year stint at the club this season but what many may not have noticed is that he left the club in its worst state in years.

Altering Barça's footballing philosophy came at a huge price.Whatever fears that arose from doing so in his first year on the job were wiped out by the epic treble he won but the harsh realities have caught up and there is no running away from them.

Luis Enrique shed some of the close and compact passing for a looser style that allowed for longer passes and swift counter-attacks bolstered in large by the fact that half the job was getting the ball forward to any of the devastating trio of Messi,Neymar or Suarez. Barça no longer enjoyed the uninhibited luxury of closing down opponents in record time which came from having more men in spaces around the ball and keeping passes short.The defensive aspect of their game became more individualized.

Players who perhaps wouldn't have made it on board in the last dispensation were recruited especially in the midfield because they added more physicality and in all of Enrique's 3 years in charge,no player from the club's world acclaimed La Masia academy broke into the first team largely down to the fact that they were accustomed to barça's customary tikitaka style of play.No one says Ivan Rakitic,Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal aren't good players,its just that they don't belong in a club like barça.Only Rakitic would as much as get a fringe role if one must be picked.

There is far more less creativity in the middle and if not for the prolific trio of Messi,Suarez and Neymar who create and bury most of their chances, things would have gotten out of hand.

The Xavi Hernández-Andreś Iniesta partnership was one of the best the game had ever seen and it was always going to be hard to have Iniesta hit those heights with any other player but the players he has hard to work with have proved grossly inadequate.While Rakitic and Turan are better defensively in a way both aren't ,none has come close to the string-pulling genius of Xavi or Iniesta's incredible ability to weave through the opposition and create space for the attacking trio when he isn't looking to give the final pass himself.What happens is barça going forward with an Iniesta that has assumed Xavi's old role and another player behind the pointsman who compared to those before him, is a little too passive to be true.He adds nothing other than grabbing an occasional goal.

By Enrique's final season in charge, Barça had become astonishingly easy to stop as more teams had learnt to exploit the weaknesses of its style.It became much easier to defend against as all its opponents had to worry about were just the movements of MSN and it also became much more easier to attack against with a looser marking style and a porous backline to further compound its problems. Barça has always been vulnerable at the back and ironically, it was Enrique who seemed to have solved that problem in his first year but over time, Gerrard Pique has returned back to his erratic self while Jeremy Mathieu has not replicated the brilliance of his debut season and the little details still give Javier Mascherano away as an 'unnatural' centre-back; positional skills et al.Samuel Umtiti has looked promising but still needs time to mature into the perfect centre-back.He has faltered in very key games notably the one against PSG and none of the aforementioned 3 have proven capable of providing him the right leadership.Something a Carles Puyol would have done quite well.

Barça's transfer policy under Enrique was geared towards ensuring the viability of his style and now that he is no longer there,the club is left with players a lot of fans would want to see go-Paco Alcacer,Arda Turan and Ivan Rakitic(i dare say).

That Marco Verrati is the club's transfer priority to complement Andres Iniesta in the middle tells that the heirachy understand the direction things should take.Verrati is the closest in world football to Xavi in terms of style and it would be great to return back to the good old days.

Allowing Dani Alves leave (he said he wasn't made to feel wanted by the way) without Adriano or Douglas to fall back on has to rank among the most outrageous transfer decisions in world football but Sergi Roberto has stepped up to fill the vacuum in great style.His excellent performances nonetheless, he would better serve the blaugrana in a midfield capacity.The club seems to have jettisoned the idea of signing Nelson Semedo,the benefica right-back and portugese international (whom suits its tikitaka play perfectly well) for Hector Bellerin,the Arsenal defender.That is a good step towards making things right but it is important some changes are effected in the central defence as well.Off loading a reportedly agitated Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu could raise funds to get a quality centre back.

Ernesto Valverde is a quite good coach and i hope he is the man to restore Barça to its rightful place as Europe's best team and ensure the entrenchment of a better playing style if not a full reversal to the old one.No club in the world rivals the effective utilization of players from its lower ranks like Barcelona does and Enrique's disregard for that was a huge low.Valverde must learn from that as well.

Visca El Barça.