When Ronald Koeman was hired to manage Barcelona, the club knew what it was getting.
He was stubborn and wouldn’t be pushed around. In August those sounded like positive qualities. The team was humiliated, Lionel Messi was determined to leave, and president Josep Maria Bartomeu was determined to stay.
It felt like rock bottom, the consequence of years of short-sighted decision making. Few people at the time were expecting Koeman to come in and win a league title. He inherited a mess, but with his reputation as a disciplinarian, he could provide stability and leadership.
In spite of the disappointing results, and general inconsistency from week to week, it could be argued that with elections for the new president around the corner, Koeman has done about as well as anyone could expect.