Thursday 19 January 2017 12:11, UK
Barcelona may have thrashed Las Palmas, but there are underlying problems in Luis Enrique's system which need to be addressed if they are to win a third La Liga title in a row, explains Guillem Balague...
It was a good weekend for Barcelona. They thrashed Las Palmas on Saturday and then sat back and watched Real Madrid's undefeated run come to an end at Sevilla.
But despite closing the gap at the top of the table on their rivals there are still question marks over whether Barcelona will be able to bring home the big silverware this season.
There are worrying trends.
The 1-1 draw with Villarreal when La Liga resumed earlier this month was the seventh game that Barcelona have failed to win in the competition this season.
As it stands, they are currently on course for their lowest points total since the season before Pep Guardiola was appointed in 2008.
And it’s Guardiola who is relevant here, because there is a feeling that Barcelona have gradually been moving away from his style of play throughout Luis Enrique’s time in charge.
For Pep, it was all about the team. That was everything. But now this is a side reliant on individuals. The stats with and without Lionel Messi tell some of the story.
Think of Pep’s Barca at their peak in the 2010/11 season and they actually had a better win percentage in the seven La Liga games that Messi didn’t start that year.
It’s very different now. Both of their league defeats have come with Messi missing from the starting line-up.
It is clear that Enrique needs magic from the forwards to make this team function.
Look at the number of goals scored by players outside the main three goalscorers at Barcelona.
In 2012/13, there were 48 goals from others. Last season it was only 22.
The number has fallen four seasons in a row and when the form of the forwards starts to dip then you have a problem – as Neymar’s recent goal drought illustrates.
The Brazilian’s penalty in the Copa del Rey win against Athletic Bilbao ended a run of 11 games without a goal – by far his worst spell since joining Barcelona in 2013.
Elsewhere in the team, Enrique has sacrificed a little bit of fluency in the system and that seems to be reflected in Sergio Busquets’ diminished role.
The midfielder has made fewer passes per 90 minutes than in any season of his entire career. It’s a clue that Barca have shifted from that old style and it doesn’t suit everyone.
And the control that Busquets at his best provides is important from a defensive point of view. Barcelona are giving up more chances to the opposition than they have in the past.
In fact, Barca have conceded more goals year-on-year in each of Luis Enrique’s three seasons as coach.
It’s not stopped them winning La Liga in either of the previous two campaigns and they were impressive against Las Palmas at the weekend.
But unless there is a shift in style, Barcelona and Enrique, who seems tired both mentally and physically, will not make it three in a row.
