The Four Biggest Problems plaguing Barcelona This Season

[caption id="attachment_5686" align="aligncenter" width="671"] (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Barcelona have faced many problems this season. However, four problems standout above all of the rest. rnIt would be safe to say that Barcelona have been plagued by numerous problems this season on and off the football field. It seems as if certain tactics that are being employed by the team have ceased to be effective and have cost the team dearly on many occasions. Many players seem to have lost the kind of form they had for Barca, just a few seasons earlier. Here is a list of the 4 biggest problems faced by Barca as of late.rnrn[apply_now site_url="everythingbarca.com" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_5360" align="aligncenter" width="850"] (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 1. FAILURE OF THE NEW SIGNINGS rnThis is a major problem for Barca, at the moment. While Barca bought a lot of quality players this season, none of them have stepped and delivered. Samuel Umtiti, who has looked solid in defense and comfortable on the ball, has performed well. However, the other new signings have fared miserably in the Blaugrana shirt and have failed to impact games. The stats do not lie either. In 21 games for Barca, Paco Alcácer has only managed 5 goals and 3 assists. Similar stats appear for the other signings as well, such as Denis Suarez, Lucas Digne and even Jasper Cillissen.rnrn[recentposts align="right" thiscategory="no" /]rnrnEven players such as Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan, who were bought the previous season, have failed to step up. Arda has done something significant on certain occasions. However, he has not even been able to cement his place in the starting XI. There is a certain trend that is becoming more and more evident with Barcelona in the past few years. The trend is the growing number of players being bought to add to the bench strength of the team is growing exponentially. However, these players often come from clubs where they are the main players and are unable to handle the pressure of playing for a global club like Barca where expectations are exceedingly high.rnrnIf these new signings were able to meet expectations and perform, Barca would not be dropping points in games where the squad is rotated and would not be having such a woeful season. rnrn[caption id="attachment_5584" align="aligncenter" width="4507"] (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 2. A CHANGE IN THE CLUB PHILOSOPHY rnGone are the days when almost the entire Barca squad was filled with homegrown talent coming straight from La Masia. In fact, the continuous decline of La Masia has become apparent only in the last few years when Enrique has been at the helm. It is not even the most successful youth academy anymore. Barcelona has become a more global team with talent being bought instead of being developed. While this is not a problem in itself, it is creating a sort of negligence towards La Masia and homegrown talent which could prove catastrophic in the future .rnrnAs Barca grows out of its 'Guardiola shell', it is also shedding the dependency it has on La Masia. This marks a complete change in the identity of the club. Enrique has sold a lot of youth players during his reign who had impressed in the youth ranks. This could cause problems Barca in the future. rnrn[caption id="attachment_5700" align="aligncenter" width="850"] (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 3. INCONSISTENCY rnIt is safe to say that Barca has extremely inconsistent this season. While they have put up some breathtaking performances on certain occasions , they have looked like a 2nd rate team on others.. After a breathtaking 3-0 win against Sevilla, Barca lost 2-0 to Malaga and then got thrashed 3-0 by Juventus.rnrnThis inconsistency has prevented them from dominating La Liga and has pushed them onto the brink of a European exit. In a long domestic season of 38 games where the key lies in consistency, Barca has dropped points on far too many occasions. On the other hand, Real Madrid has been able to put a string of wins which has enabled them to take a 3 point lead in La Liga with a game in hand. When a manger takes charge next season, his primary goal should be to ensure that the team puts 100% in every game and doesn't drop points consistently. rnrn[caption id="attachment_5699" align="aligncenter" width="850"] (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 4. LUIS ENRIQUE'S TACTICS rnThis is by far, the biggest problem for Barca. Teams have been able to figure Barca out and have been able to exploit a leaky defence may it be on the counter or by pressing. Even after shifting to a 3-4-3, Barcelona have encountered many problems.rnrnLuis Enrique's tactics rely very heavily on the MSN trio and the team always looks to bypass the midfield when attacks are initiated. This is one of the reasons why no Barcelona midfielder is having a good season this time. Also, in the 3-4-3 system, Messi plays at the tip of the midfield diamond. This makes it easier for the opposition to mark him and check his marauding runs. In this system a lot of the pressure to move the ball is put on the wingers .Denis and Arda, who have been deployed in the wings have been unable to complete the job assigned to them.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Lucho's Juve Plan" url="https://everythingbarca.com/2017/04/18/luis-enrique-believes-barcelona-needs-5-goals-vs-juventus/" /]rnrnHowever, as stated earlier, the biggest problem remains the susceptibility that Barca have exhibited against teams which press and look to play on the counter. This was evident in the PSG game where Barca lost 4-0. It is evident that Luis Enrique has run out of ideas. It shows in his game plans and that's why most fans will be happy to see him leave after the season.

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The Four Biggest Problems plaguing Barcelona This Season

Barcelona have faced many problems this season. However, four problems standout above all of the rest.

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