Messi papers over the cracks during Barcelona’s identity crisis

There can be no doubt that Luis Enrique is a victim of his own success. When he walked into the Barcelona job at Camp Nou back in 2013, there was an air of uncertainty regarding what to expect from him - but a historic treble soon set expectations high. 

After a resounding 4-0 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain last week, the cacophony of criticisms, doubts and intrusive rumours has arguably reached its highest point under the Asturian coach. But for a 90th-minute penalty converted by Lionel Messi that was necessary to edge past Leganes 2-1 on Sunday in La Liga, the pressure would have ramped up further. 

There has been talk of late within Madrid-based newspaper Marca that Luis Enrique no longer has the same trust and relationship with his squad, while a range of writers from different publications question what has happened to the Barcelona of old. When you have lifted as many trophies as Luis Enrique, the question is no longer whether you can win, but rather how you do it. 

Under Pep Guardiola, there was a clear ideology. Control-based possession football, which would wear opponents down. Midfield reigned king, with ex-captain Xavi Hernandez playing a key role. Luis Enrique took the tools that were left to him by his predecessors and altered his system and style accordingly. 

The fact that Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez lead Barcelona’s WhoScored average ratings charts by some distance is a good yard-stick to explain Luis Enrique’s decisions. The trident, the famous MSN, are Barcelona’s key contributors. The rest of the team are geared around giving them the support and service required to perform well. 

A resurgent six appearances puts the injured Aleix Vidal next on the ratings list, with fellow bit-part player Rafinha taking up sixth position. It is clear that Barcelona’s system favours the front three, but does little to strengthen the collective. The MSN have combined to score 43 La Liga goals so far this campaign, while the rest of the squad as a whole offer just 19 across 23 league matches.  

Usually, against weaker or less organised sides, this issue does not rear its head. The likes of Suarez and Messi can feast. However, upon their visit to Parc des Princes, or when hosting a resilient Leganes at the weekend, this over reliance on the front three is harmful and can be easily exploited.  

Luis Enrique likes to play a little more directly than recent Barca coaches, with the midfield being willfully bypassed when the situation calls for it. Sergio Busquets is arguably suffering the worst season in his career as a result, while Andres Iniesta has been unable to keep himself fit enough to be the playmaking lynchpin that Barcelona need him to be in their 4-3-3 system. 

Intelligent coaches with the means to do so are pressing high, such as Athletic Club’s Ernesto Valverde, Real Soceidad’s Eusebio or Eibar’s Jose Luis Mendilibar, with two or three opposition players making it incredibly hard for Barcelona to play out through their full-backs during tight games. Others, who opt to sit deep and counter such as Leganes, still manage to compete. The underdogs rattled off 11 shots to the hosts’ 13 at Camp Nou most recently. 

PSG’s vertical approach saw them have both more dribbles (13 to 11) and shots (16 to 7) than Barcelona in the Champions League, as an early Angel di Maria goal forced the visitors to see more possession in an attempt to break down Unai Emery’s organised set-up. With Luis Enrique’s front three given premeditated attention, their contribution was whittled down to an occasional one-on-one dribble from Neymar, as the Blaugrana registered just one shot on target to PSG’s 10.  

Iniesta has offered three league assists for Barca, with full-backs Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba contributing a combined seven. Arda Turan has three, with no players standing out and providing a consistently creative link between midfield and attack because Luis Enrique’s system would happily manage without such a player in a game that his side is dominating. When things get tougher - the spaces get tighter and the contest gets more physical - Barcelona disappear. 

Cut the head off Barcelona’s snake, and its body has no means of finding its way down the right path. When Messi doesn’t show up, as he did against Les Parisiens, it is hard to see what Luis Enrique is sacrificing the club’s old identity for. After two consecutive games that have asked questions of the team, its coach, the board and the club’s philosophy as a whole, a trip away to Atletico Madrid next is a tough step to take.  

Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba should both make starts once again, after being rested against Leganes, but Barcelona’s last ever league visit to the Estadio Vicente Calderon is bound to be a huge test. Win, and perhaps the methods behind Luis Enrique’s victory will not be immediately questioned. Lose, and the Asturian is all the way back to square one again. 

This season, Barcelona have veered from disaster to optimism, and then back again on a regular basis.  Messi has scored important second-half goals against Leganes, Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Valencia in LaLiga this season, picking up points from tight games as Barcelona have struggled to find their own Plan B in times of adversity. Once the house of cards has been toppled by a poor result, a quick win can re-erect it. But each time chief foreman Lionel Messi sees to it that the structure is back in place, the foundations get that little bit weaker.