After two years of success under coach Luis Enrique, Barcelona have been found wanting for consistency this term. The Catalans have had to endure an out of sorts season and look like finishing the season with no major trophies, except for the Copa Del Rey where they have already made it to the finals. After the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash, the Catalan Club’s Champions League exit is imminent and despite trailing league leaders Real Madrid by just one point in the La Liga, it looks highly improbable that the Blaugrana can finish as winners once again, given that Real have two games in hand.
Enrique has failed to show any tactical ingenuity and has at times been criticized for team selection as well. While some fault lies with the manager, many of the players have struggled to display their best form for the team, leading to some dull performances and poor results. Here, we pick out three players from the Barcelona team, who have let their manager down big time this season:
3. Sergio Busquets
The Spaniard, who is widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the game, in recent times, has struggled to reach his usual level of performances and has looked like a pale shadow of his former self.
Sitting at the base of the midfield for Barcelona, Busquets has failed to offer a strong shield to his defence. He has also been ineffective in linking up play with his attackers and as a result, Barcelona have looked much weaker in the middle of the park than usual. Busquets is absolutely key to the way the Catalan team play and he is the vital cog in the midfield that keeps them ticking. But with Sergio performing poorly this season, Enrique’s men have struggled to find a strong foothold in the centre of the pitch.
