"When Rijkaard or Guardiola took the manager's job at Barcelona, I knew they could handle the dressing room because of their previous experience as players at the highest level," Johan Cruyff explained. "Tito Vilanova has to prove his worth when the going gets tough. We'll have to wait and see before we jump to conclusions about him. Working behind Guardiola is not the same as being in charge, it's completely different."

I sometimes doubt where Cruyff's allegiances lie. Having secured nine out of nine possible points in La Liga and lost La Supercopa due to our own mistakes, I honestly don't think Barcelona have started the season that terribly. I am fully aware that we need to improve many aspects of our game but so does every other major team at this time of year.

Let's start by saying that I have nothing but respect for the man who brought our unique attacking football philosophy to Barcelona but, on this occasion, I must say that his words come at entirely the wrong moment.

This is a time for Cules to stay together. The departure of Pep Guardiola, the manager who took us to the most successful era in Barcelona history, could have been traumatic. Fortunately for us, it hasn't been half as bad as many predicted. Results are mostly positive, the players are focused, the institution as a whole remains calm.

I am not saying that Cruyff's argument is entirely wrong but, in my opinion, some things are better left unsaid, especially if your words may instantly bring instability and unnecessary debate to the club we all love.

Let's stick together and move in the same direction.

Barcelona don't need a new stadium

Sandro Rosell, Barcelona president, is considering the holding of a referendum amongst the Socis (Blaugrana members) in order to decide on the next steps to take our Camp Nou stadium into the 21st century. The two main options being considered are a remodeling of the stadium or a change of location.

The Camp Nou was officially opened in 1957, responding to the urgent need for expansion caused by Barcelona legends such as Kubala or Ramallets. Our stadium then underwent expansion ahead of the 1982 World Cup, taking capacity to a mind-blowing 121,000 seats. Back in 2007, former president Joan Laporta agreed to remodel the stadium but, due to the €250 million cost and the unpopular decision to sell our Mini Estadi in order to finance the project, the idea was dropped.

After many years attending matches at the Camp Nou, I must say I regard the 55-year old stadium as home. The place lives and breathes football, having witnessed the careers of legendary stars such as Guardiola, Cruyff, Migueli, Stoitchkov, Maradona, Rexach, Eto'o and Lionel Messi. Our stadium has also become an icon for the city of Barcelona in its own right, attracting millions of visitors who can instantly find themselves walking into a temple of history and heritage.

Having said that, I am fully aware that more modern constructions such as the new Wembley Stadium or the Olympic Stadium in London offer a large range of services which the Camp Nou simply can't compete with at this moment in time.

In my opinion, moving the stadium outside the city of Barcelona (which is exactly what Espanyol did when they moved to Cornella in 2009) is simply not an option for us. The current location offers excellent transport links and our club's identity is part of the city of Barcelona itself. As a result, the only option left is the remodeling of the stadium, a few essential touches which would ensure our home remains fully functional and can compete to be amongst the world's best once again.

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