Barcelona Player Grades for 2016-17: Gerard Pique

How did Barcelona and Spanish defender Gerard Pique fare in 2017? Is there anything that the central defender can do to improve?

Gerard Pique is a player that needs little introduction. He is seen by many as one of the top center backs in world football and both on and off the pitch as an asset to the club. The image of Barcelona his strongly influenced by the central defender.

Despite the struggle from the team as a whole, 2016-17 was yet another strong campaign for Pique. With 41 starts under his belt in all competitions, Pique saw plenty of action and became a true leader at the back.

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We can look at who scored and see his 90% passing percentage and see how vital he was on defense, but what Pique brought to the table in 2016-17 was leadership. In a season that saw Luis Enrique announce his plans to leave midseason and a team struggling at times to find its identity, Pique kept it all together. In big games once again he proved to be rock solid and just as Puyol did with him nearly a decade ago, he took young Samuel Umtiti under his wing. For many, he became the captain without the armband.

In buildup play, Pique proved to be the cog that linked a sometimes struggling midfield with a lethal front three. The story with Pique really became the games he didn’t play. When Gerard Pique was missing, it became as noticeable as a Busquets or Messi missing a game.

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Though 2016-17 was a disappointing season by the standards of both Pique and Barcelona, the Catalan defender once again was near perfect. Hopefully, the Spaniard can provide more great play this season. He and his Barca teammates look to bounce back from a tough 2017 season.