3 Things We Learned: FC Barcelona vs CD Leganés

Barcelona struggled to a 2-1 win over the southern Madrid team in what was a poor display.

Expectations

Do we expect too much? We, meaning culés. Barcelona have an impressive history, which backs up their status as one of the top clubs in Europe. Even by those high standards, the last decade has seen a wealth of trophies. This, in turn, has moved up the standards to a ridiculously high level where a European treble seems to be expected every season. Unfortunately, this standard can’t be kept up because the players and the manager are only human.

There are going to be times where they have a bad spell, and there is going to be seasons where they go through a transitional period. Both of these statements apply to the current period. This week has been a tough week. The humiliating loss to PSG, and the struggle to beat Leganés have hit the club hard. This has led to questions from all sides as other clubs and some parts of the media aim to jump on this brief lapse, and label it as ‘the end of an era’. Meanwhile, support of Luis Enrique from the fans has waned significantly to its lowest point, although he was never hugely popular anyway. It’s a tough time for the club as well as the manager, and one they need to bounce back from.

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However, this is a transitional season as the six summer signings, with an average age of twenty-three, settle into the club. They are still adjusting to the role, so poor periods of form will happen, and sometimes they will struggle to win matches against limited opposition, but they are part of the future of the club. Just look at some of Real Madrid’s results this season. They have struggled against teams such as Deportivo (3-2), and Málaga (2-1). These were absorbed into their mentality of the result being the most important aspect rather than being pointed out as the club going backwards. Whereas, in contrast to this, some Barcelona fans expect to dominate every game with a beautiful style of play, which is untenable.

At the end of the day, they still beat Leganés, and while Barcelona have players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar, the Catalans still have a chance of producing a miracle result to come back and beat PSG over two legs. Questions about the future of Enrique should wait till the end of the season. Increasing the pressure on him isn’t going to do anything productive for Barcelona’s season. His exploits in the first two years means he deserves a chance to see out the season with respect.

Whistling

André Gomes was the target of whistling after he was substituted for Andrés Iniesta. He was the target of these actions because of his poor display in this match, and the PSG match. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and are allowed to voice their feelings in this way. However, I don’t think it achieves anything.

The worst thing to do for someone low on confidence is booing them, and singling them out as the enemy. The team and individuals such as Gomes need the fans more than ever. Key games against Atlético Madrid and Celta Vigo are on the horizon as the title race heats up.

There is also the huge return leg against PSG where Barcelona are going to need a mammoth effort to qualify. It would be beneficial if the fans didn’t turn on them, and make it even harder. Camp Nou needs to be turned into a fortress, and the energy currently being expelled by the fans would be more useful if it was directed at the opposition.

Individuals such as Gomes are more likely to play better and work harder for the team if the fans are on their side. The Portuguese midfielder is only twenty-three years old, so he has plenty of time to develop into a world-class player. He just needs the fans to be patient as he turns his potential into results for the team.

We, as supporters, are better than this. Lets leave the booing to supporters of other teams such as Real Madrid. The team needs support in a crucial part of the season. If we want them to be successful, we have to help them.

Next: Dani Alves' comments on the Barcelona board

Lionel Messi

Taking this result out of the context of the season, and treating it individually shows that it was a poor performance. The Argentinian magician saved the team once again. He scored the early goal to take the pressure off of the team. This didn’t go to plan, though, because the team seemed to get complacent. Leganés were able to come back into the match, and find an equaliser.

Thankfully, Neymar was able to win a penalty in the ninetieth minute. There was still a job to do, though. Someone needed to step up and take responsibility. The pressure was on. Miss this penalty, and Barcelona would be out of the title race. Messi was up to the occasion, though, and calmly dispatched the penalty in the corner. This is the second time this season that he has come to the rescue from the penalty spot in the ninetieth minute. It seems like he has finally put his penalty woes behind him after his Copa America loss in the summer and multiple penalty misses over the last few seasons.

His lack of celebration was telling. It suggested that he knew the performance as a whole was poor. This is not the first time that he has had to salvage a poor performance, and it won’t be the last. There may be issues with the team and manager currently. But, remember, we have the best player in the world, so anything is possible.