Barcelona need to move on from an integral part of their squad

Ernesto Valverde seems to have run out of ideas as his Barcelona team continue to disappoint.

Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw against Slavia Prague in the Champions League with the Catalan side delivering yet another poor performance. Once again, Ernesto Valverde and his tactics, or lack thereof, were in the spotlight.

After dropping another game on the road against Levante, the plan heading into the game versus Slavia Prague was to regain some of their form at home. However, that plan quickly fell to pieces.

The question now is whether Barcelona will act and make a change because based on what he’s said, Ernesto Valverde has no intentions of resigning.

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For a while, calls for his removal have been most fervent on social media. Despite the collapses in Rome and Anfield, the board has stuck by their manager. But this season has proven even more difficult.

The club is currently on their worst run in 25 years providing ample opportunities of criticism toward the club and its manager.

Rumors are already swirling that the club may be looking at Ronald Koeman and River Plate’s Marcelo Gallardo as possible replacements.

ESPN report that while Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu “is not prone to making rash decisions,” a continuation of poor results and performances may force his hand.

Barcelona do not generally fire a manager mid-season. Given the way this season is going, however, they might.

The team simply does not look right and the performances on the field point to that.

They lost their opener away to Athletic Bilbao, drew away to Osasuna, lost away to Granada, and lost away to Levante. Under Ernesto Valverde, the thorn in their side was going on the road but in the Champions League.

Now, not only is it happening in the league but it’s also happening at home in the Champions League. No one can claim that they were the better side in any of their games in Europe. Had it not been for Lionel Messi and catching a few breaks, Barcelona could very well be bottom in their group.

The discontent in the locker room is palpable judging by the faces of the players as they walked off. For some it may solely be because of the result but for others it may be that and that they are not getting an opportunity.

Players like Antoine Griezmann, Carles Aleña and Junior Firpo are not being put into positions to succeed.

The left-side of the Barcelona attack has turned into a black hole since Neymar left. Malcom, Dembélé, Coutinho, and Griezmann have been tried there and seem to get stuck in purgatory.

The players need to take responsibility but after bringing in very good players and still not succeeding, the next place to look at is the manager. His job is to prepare his team and get the best out of his players which he has not been able to do.

The only saving grace this season is the struggles of their rivals, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. If not for that, Barcelona could have found themselves way behind in the title race. As it stands, they sit tied atop first place.

Winning at Barcelona isn’t enough. The team has to convince as well and they’ve left more questions than answers even in their victories.

The team is getting progressively worse under Ernesto Valverde. A more proactive board would have made a change after the collapse at Liverpool. They didn’t and now may be forced to make one in the middle of the season.

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Judging by the boos at the end of the game against Slavia Prague, supporters have seen enough. Ultimately, the board have the final say of when enough is enough.