Player Focus: Neymar Leaves Behind a Stagnant Santos Side

Sunday's forgettable 0-0 draw between Santos and Flamengo was notable only for the circumstances of the game. Firstly, it was the first Série A game to be staged at the shiny new Estádio Mané Garrincha, one of Brazil's World Cup stadiums. The 71,000-seater arena hosted a local state championship game between Brasília and Brasiliense earlier in the month, but it took the arrival of two of the country's traditional powerhouses to the Distrito Federal to really draw the crowds in: an attendance of 63,501 people brought in a gate receipt of £2.24million – the highest figure ever recorded for a Brazilian league match.

That level of interest can be partly explained by the second story surrounding the game: this was Neymar's last club match before he embarks for Barcelona. The on-off-on-ON transfer saga was finally brought to an end on Saturday when the forward announced that Catalonia – and not Madrid – would be his destination this summer. The tears flowed down the striker's cheeks as the national anthem played, and he was embraced warmly by opposition players before kick-off. The Fla fans – who were comfortably in the majority in the stadium – were rather less welcoming, booing the 21-year-old's every touch in the first half.

Financial factors and personal preferences aside, there can be little doubt that the move comes at the right time for Neymar the footballer. Clearly, the chance to play alongside Messi, Xavi et al will be beneficial to his game, not only in the long run but also with the World Cup in mind. A genius owes it to himself (and to his talent) to associate with other geniuses.

The decision would have been harder were Neymar already plying his trade in a talented, dynamic side. There was certainly a case to be made that Santos were such a side the few times that Barça came knocking previously, but that is no longer the case. Gone are the halcyon days of weekly goleadas led by Neymar, Robinho and Paulo Henrique Ganso. In their place, Muricy Ramalho is serving up stodge so lumpen that even a master chef like Neymar has struggled to make it palatable. 

Sunday's match was a case in point. Ignore the scoreline; Santos were completely outplayed by Flamengo. Despite favouring a counter-attacking approach, the Rio side enjoyed more possession, made more passes and took more shots. Of Santos' 11 attempts, five came from dead-ball situations, highlighting how little the Peixe mustered in open play. 

With Santos struggling for fluidity, there has been a greater onus on Neymar to do it all himself. Against Flamengo he was repeatedly forced to come deep to conduct the play (only two teammates had more touches than his 54) and yet he still had more shots (6) than anybody on the pitch. Admittedly, this latter stat could be partially explained by his eagerness to end on a high note. 

This over-reliance has not helped Neymar's development over the past few months; bad habits crop up when a player feels he has to (and often does have to) win games single-handedly. With Walter Montillo (the player most likely to form some kind of productive partnership with Neymar) still struggling to adapt to life at the Vila Belmiro, the striker frequently looks to take his marker on directly rather than pass and move. The result? Neymar gets kicked a lot. Against Flamengo he was fouled 9 times – more than any other player in the league on the opening weekend. 

To his credit, Neymar has shaken off most of the youthful petulance that plagued the earlier part of his career. He now rarely complains, taking his punishment with the stoicism of a big fish in a small pond. But a player of such technical skill risks becoming predictable if he looks to dribble too often. At Barça, with a better structure around him, he will be able to pick and choose his moments.

So where does the move leave Santos? Up a well-known creek without a paddle? Maybe, maybe not. While they will undoubtedly miss their boy wonder, they might just benefit from the spotlight being shone elsewhere. Muricy has always been more comfortable setting up teams to be solid rather than spectacular, and will probably – on some level at least – feel relieved that the responsibility of nurturing Brazil's biggest star no longer falls on his shoulders.

The spine of the side (Rafael, Edu Dracena, Renê Júnior, Cícero) is already decent enough, so the key question is whether any of the club's supporting-act attackers can cast off the cloak of mediocrity. Montillo and fellow Argentines Ezequiel Miralles and Pato Rodríguez can certainly improve, although there is reason to have doubts over Felipe "Amazing on YouTube" Anderson. Promising youngsters Victor Andrade and Gabigol (who made his Brasileirão bow on Sunday) could also have a part to play. 

Of course, with the windfall of Neymar's sale there may even be scope for a big-name signing or two; the return of Diego and Robinho has been mooted. That prospect will excite fans, but time will be the only real remedy for the Neymar-shaped hole in their hearts. Not that this is necessarily a goodbye. As the player himself said after Sunday's match, "it's just a 'see you later'."