What Has Happened to Barca?

What Has Happened to Messi and the Blaugrana?

The short answer is…Well! It simply is not the Super-Barcelona that with coach Pep Guardiola was capable of raising the bar of football to the highest level. It is not that team that in 2009 was capable of winning six out six competitions across Europe.

Though it is not that same Barca team that have made many fans smile for a long time there are many reasons to be disappointed with the latest results. It is not that the Blaugrana are spared from losing matches but the lack of character and winning attitude seems to have dropped by some of the players.

Barca still has those players that were part of the Guardiola era that made this team one of the greatest ones the beautiful game has ever seen. For that reason it is puzzling that this Barca team of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Victor Valdes drops points when they need them the most.

Messi seems lost in the pitch, he has become more of an opportunist than the creative player fans have been used to seeing. There is lack of connection in those plays where the ball needs to be finished in the back of the net. Barca and Messi need to find that compass that in previous seasons has led the team to glory.

Dropping three precious points against Real Valladolid puts the Blaugrana in a complicated situation for the title race. Now not only are they competing with their arch rival Real Madrid but also with Atletico de Madrid who are up there in La Liga standings with 64 points and are hungry to take some silverware home.

Barca really needs to quickly pick up the winning attitude and character if they want to lift a trophy this season. They’re not done just yet! They are only trailing Real Madrid for a few points and they are likely to go through the next round of the Champions League but they need to not just keep possession of the ball but to put it on the back of the net as well.