David Ramos/Getty ImagesLeo Messi and Pedro celebrate yet another Barcelona win in La Liga.

Football flies at a frantic speed. Teams, players and fans desperately move on from one game to the next, always wondering what the next big story to be splashed all over the media may be. Unfortunately, not enough time is taken to pause and celebrate achievements -- which is exactly what I would like to do today.

Fact: Barcelona have not lost a La Liga match for seven months.

The last league defeat, a painful 1-2 at the Camp Nou against Real Madrid on the 21^st April, saw the Blaugrana hit rock bottom after a season full of controversy on and off the pitch. Being kicked out of the Champions League just three days later didn't help either. Pep Guardiola's dreaded decision to leave despite having the best generation of players in the club's history at his disposal could have ended in disaster but, fortunately for Cules, the transition seems to be going smoothly so far.

When you stop and think about it, new Blaugrana boss Tito Vilanova has many reasons to be proud which go far beyond the impressive 34 out of 36 points tally:

-- Lionel Messi keeps chasing every goal-scoring record under the Sun. The fact that he has already scored 80 times in 2012 and has eight more games to beat Gerd Muller's all-time tally (85) speaks for itself. I truly don't think Cules will ever be able to thank him enough for the level of excellence and success that he keeps bringing to the club.

Let's not forget a key point though: If La Pulga is capable of reaching such incredible heights at individual level, it is mainly thanks to the support that he gets from his world-class teammates and the coaches' decision to make him the focal part of the Blaugrana attack.

Players such as Pedro and Alexis Sanchez have definitely not scored as many goals as is expected of players of their caliber so far, but their constant desire to open up the pitch, take markers out of position, force rivals into mistakes and ability to recover possession shortly after being dispossessed has definitely made La Pulga's extraterrestrial stats possible.

-- The recent matches against Spartak Moscow and Zaragoza saw the Blaugrana midfield controlling possession, dropping freshly into spaces, being more mobile and confident. I also love how the mechanisms and philosophy remains the same regardless of which players are selected.

Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas have even shared playing time so far, following a carefully designed rotation system, which means that they should all reach the crucial stages of the season in a much better physical condition than the previous year.

Last but certainly not least: Thiago Alcantara just resumed training, so expect him to see him back in the team in the very near future.

-- The team is progressively reaching optimum fitness. After numerous matches where fielding a reliable defensive line due to player absences was an ongoing nightmare, Vilanova must be delighted with the return of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol.

The Catalan pair certainly have the ability to make every player around them feel confident enough to take risks, as they know their backs are safely covered. Sure, the more direct attacking approach adapted since Guardiola's departure leaves the back-line exposed much more often, but I am confident an improved whole-team approach to defending and the return of these key players will help improve the situation.

Xavi explained: "I've got a very good feeling, Tito is doing an extraordinary job. He's surprised us all a bit with his character and capacity for leadership. He's made few changes in terms of tactics and technique, but it's virtually all the same people, except for Pep, and we all feel very good. We've made a great start to the league and we are on track in the Champions League. We'll see if we win anything or not later on in the season, but right now we are playing good football and enjoying this new stage with Tito. We hope we will achieve our final objectives."

Final Word

Looking at the way Barcelona failed to reach the expected success at the end of last season, it is only natural that fans feel a certain degree of pride and a sense of achievement at this stage. Let's be honest: The current streak of results has certainly surpassed the more optimistic expectations considering the devastating effects that the departure of the most successful coach in the club's history may have had.

While I fully understand that Cules may feel confident due to the momentary eight point advantage over arch-rivals Real Madrid, the truth is that trophies that really matter are only awarded at the end of the season. Football is unpredictable at times. The fact that a team is leading the league table comfortably at this stage means nothing in the long run.

Things are clearly not perfect yet and many aspects need to be improved, but I hope you enjoyed the chance to pause for a second and appreciate the fact that, despite having a hugely challenging task ahead, the new coach and his players continue to impress fans by waving the Blaugrana flag with pride.

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