Barca | Burn out or lack of confidence?

[Someone]

Obviously this isn't a long term issue, but i'm curious as to what would cause a top team to suffer a massive drop of form at a crucial point in the season. Have they just played too many games or is it a case of shattered confidence after the real madrid loss?

Most likely it's a little bit of both, but personally i'm leaning towards confidence being the main reason here. Imo nothing could destroy a player more than losing confidence, it changes your whole game, you're more hesitant now, and if you don't recover the next game, you start doubting your self.

It's the main reason chelsea are where they are now i think, and a big reason why LC are top of the league.

So what's the reason in your opinion? and are they going to bottle it?

 

[LouisDanGaal]

I think its a combination of both but primarily confidence. If you're not playing with confidence and the results are not going your way you are more likely to feel your heavy legs, obviously Barcelona also don't rotate a huge amount so fatigue could be a bit of an issue. It's incredible what confidence can do for a team though, unbeaten in 39 and then one goal with a few minutes remaining for Madrid and Barcelona's season turns upside down. I think another way of looking at it is momentum, when a team is firing on all cylinders you can sense it, like liverpools title charge was when they pulled out that result at city to put it into their hands after a great march, Leicester city this season or us countless times towards the end of seasons in the fergie era. It depends what is happening behind the scenes if they will bottle it, how are the players relationship with Enrique, how they react to another setback, do they have what it takes to pick themselves up. On paper at least they should win all of their remaining games quite comfortably and even if atleti do too they take it on head to head.

 

[ATXRedDevil]

Their squad is paper thin. Their starting 11 is probably the best in the world but they have no depth. They're tired.

 

[cyberman]

They're out sesrching for sponsors so they can afford Messi and Neymars' new contracts. It's the football version of living paycheck to paycheck. How can they afford quality squad depth on top of that?
Also past the top 3.. What sellable assets do they have? Its an aging side that will need reconstruction sooner or later.

 

[Damien]

Someone mentioned earlier that every game Luis Suarez has started this season, he has never been substituted which is insane, and given he's not had a lengthy suspension for a change that is a lot of minutes and for me that lack of rotation is a big reason.

http://www.transfermarkt.com/luis-suarez/leistungsdaten/spieler/44352

Luis Suarez' minutes in all comps season by season:
15/16: 4,260' (so far, with max 540' left to play of the season)
14/15: 3,528'
13/14: 3,249'
12/13: 3,720'
11/12: 3,251'
10/11: 3,212'
09/10: 4,100'
08/09: 3,800'
07/08: 3,244'
06/07: 2,834'

He's also had a couple of international fixtures too but they only happened last month as he was suspended for the other international games.

Looking on soccerway it says not a single sub was used today. Is that right?
http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/201...ncia-club-de-futbol/2086587/?ICID=HP_MS_06_05

Okay with pretty much all of their bench being defenders there wasn't a great deal they could change but still odd not to use one.

Lack of confidence might play a part but for me a thin squad playing too many games is the main reason.

 

[simonhch]

Yep, agree with what has been stated here. Just a lack of rotation. The difference at the top level is so small that tiredness can make a huge difference. Also, this Barca team relies so heavily on the individual brilliance of their 3 superstars, rather than the systemic strength evident in the past, that a dip in form for the individuals, has a huge effect.

 

[lem8sh]

Absolutely knackered.

 

[NinjaZombie]

Wouldn't it have been more prudent to rest the likes of Messi, Suarez and Neymar in those matches where they were whacking teams four, five and six-nil? Some bad squad management going on over there.

 

[Someone]

Wouldn't it have been more prudent to rest the likes of Messi, Suarez and Neymar in those matches where they were whacking teams four, five and six-nil? Some bad squad management going on over there.

Maybe this whole MSN Vs BBC isn't doing them any favors in the sense that no one wants to be subbed even when they're destroying teams simply to score as many goals and assists as possible.

 

[Suedesi]

Yeah, Enrique went from being Mr Tinkerman beginning of last season when he was changing and chopping (which caused a minor player revolt), to basically sticking the same 11 game in game out. They look tired since Real Madrid game. I thought it was because of international travel, but they seem incapable of kicking on. Bad management from Enrique.

 

[fontaine]

A lot of it is being tired specially after a tough south american trip for MSN, but a lot of it is down to pure luck. Suarez missed a goal on the goal line and Neymar, Messi missed some sitters. It would've been a totally different game today, as would Suarez terrible miss against Madrid.

 

[cyberman]

Wouldn't it have been more prudent to rest the likes of Messi, Suarez and Neymar in those matches where they were whacking teams four, five and six-nil? Some bad squad management going on over there.

Yep. The kicker is goal difference doesn't even matter in Spain.
There was those stories around Christmas that Barca wanted Suarez to replace Ronaldo in the Balon Dor list next year so they wanted to make him more prominant in their play. It's a fecking joke that it's even in their thinking. The front 3 were never getting rested from there on in.
They reap what they sow.

 

[11101]

Theyre nackered, especially Messi who is chief talisman.

With the possible exception of a couple of the defenders every player in the previous Barcelona team could make a case for being the best in the world. Now they rely almost entirely on 3 stars and they cant add depth to the attack because everybody knows they'll only ever be warming the bench if they go there.

 

[WR10]

Combination of complete fatigue and messi losing his killer touch lately. Previously whenever they felt like needing a breather messi would wrap the game up for them, but he hasn't been able to do that lately and they'll feeling the real burn (ha get it)

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Fatigue. They have no depth at all. Messi was also out of whack during the most crucial fixtures.

Also Neymar is horribly out of form. A lot of focus on Messi lately, but Neymar has been poor for months now. The Barcelona forum I visit is livid with him.

 

[Cait Sith]

More than half the Barca starting XI consists of South Americans: Bravo, Mascherano, Alves, Neymar, Messi, Suarez. They all flew to the other side of the world to play competitive World Cup qualifiers only to play against Real Madrid (top 5 team in the world) immediately after returning, then followed by Atletico (another top 5 team in the world) twice. So the short answer is: international break (fatigue) coupled with an insane schedule. Look what happened to Real Madrid against an average midtable Bundeslige side in the first leg which was a few days after the tiring Clasico. That's what tiredness does at this level. If Barca had drawn Wolfsburg in the CL and played Getafe and Eibar in La Liga, this thread wouldn't exist. Tough luck.

 

[MDFC Manager]

They'd probably not have a thin squad if they hadn't had sanctions due to cheating

 

[YzWayne]

Cursed

 

[kouroux]

Not just physical but mental too and its impact can be underrated.

 

[Adisa]

They'd probably not have a thin squad if they hadn't had sanctions due to cheating

Doubt it. They simply don't have the money to buy more players.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Doubt it. They simply don't have the money to buy more players.

Partly that and partly some really, really poor transfer planning. Who the hell decided buying both Mathieu and Vermaelen was good decision? They cost the same as 1 top centre back would have, more in wages and are both old(ish) so no long term benefit. Obviously in terms of squad depth that's 2 instead of 1, but what's the point if only 1 is trusted as a rotation option anyway?

I think they could have a bigger squad without spending money if they'd planned better - could have sold Adriano when he had some value, not wasted money on Douglas etc.

To me their biggest problem is they buy crap squad players with no long term value. Maybe if they'd saved that money they could have give more minutes to their own youth who'd now be in a better place to enter the rotation.

 

[RedStarUnited]

They should have won on Saturday. Really bad finishing cost them.

Like someone above said, Neymar and Messi have been in real bad form in the past month or so.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

They should have won on Saturday. Really bad finishing cost them.

Like someone above said, Neymar and Messi have been in real bad form in the past month or so.

Messi played well last night. Ignoring last night though, I agree (and Neymar was dreadful again).

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Neither.

Atletico are a very very good team and Valencia are a team that has some very talented players and are getting their confidence back.

Neither are shameful to lose to

 

[Cheesy]

Neither.

Atletico are a very very good team and Valencia are a team that has some very talented players and are getting their confidence back.

Neither are shameful to lose to

Losing to Valencia, Sociedad, Atletico and Real Madrid in a short space of time is pretty concerning though for a side who were unstoppable for months on end.

 

[Aporkalypse]

Their PED off cycle has aligned at an unfortunate time.

 

[cyberman]

Neither.

Atletico are a very very good team and Valencia are a team that has some very talented players and are getting their confidence back.

Neither are shameful to lose to

But their very own twitter account claimed they had an easy run in..

 

[clarkydaz]

Suarez isn't used to playing full seasons is he?

 

[WhoDaGOAT]

I've always loved Barcelona's approach to the game. But their fans over on FCBarca's forum are complete bellends and it's great to see them sweating.

 

[Brown Toothpick]

Partly that and partly some really, really poor transfer planning. Who the hell decided buying both Mathieu and Vermaelen was good decision? They cost the same as 1 top centre back would have, more in wages and are both old(ish) so no long term benefit. Obviously in terms of squad depth that's 2 instead of 1, but what's the point if only 1 is trusted as a rotation option anyway?

I think they could have a bigger squad without spending money if they'd planned better - could have sold Adriano when he had some value, not wasted money on Douglas etc.

To me their biggest problem is they buy crap squad players with no long term value. Maybe if they'd saved that money they could have give more minutes to their own youth who'd now be in a better place to enter the rotation.

Money won't be much of an issue this summer. Buying 2 CBs wasn't the mistake, it was who to buy and how much. They were panic deals right before the sanctions took effect. Mathieu was a good deal in the end, but he's expired now and should be sold. The club chased Marquinhos for too long but the fool chose money over glory, which is why I don't want him coming in next season. The problem was that Vermaelen is made of glass and Lucho doesn't trust Bartra, unfortunately.

Adriano helped at times last season, but another stupid mistake was giving him an option of extending a year if he wants to. Selling Grimaldo and Alba's injury earlier this season made it too risky to sell him to Roma, which the player himself refused to join. Douglas is a shady Rosell deal that is bound to be uncovered any day now.

While there is a clear short term thought in these deals, the market for talented young CBs and defensive players is thin, with only Marquinhos and Laporte standing out and being reasonable targets. Adding in the two year ban, it wasn't making things easy for a team in turmoil at the time.

Suarez isn't used to playing full seasons is he?

He's actually the most lively player from the trio. Can't blame him as much.

I've always loved Barcelona's approach to the game. But their fans over on FCBarca's forum are complete bellends and it's great to see them sweating.

That forum is toxic. Couldn't stand it.

 

[Brown Toothpick]

It's more mental than physical. Enrique made a huge mistake in not resting the players when the points deficit was big. Now he can't even risk changing the starting eleven, with the majority of them being a shadow of themselves. It was starting before the Clasico, but the team suffered the most up front rather than defensively. Only scoring 4 goals in the last 5 games? That's pathetic, with 3 home games too. The team has been creating so many chances too, but the attacking trident has been so wasteful it's not even funny. Each and every loss we suffered could've easily been avoided/turned around if we scored half the chances created. Add to that a physical element of fatigue and you get this frail version of Barcelona. It's so frustrating as it could've easily been managed better by Lucho, but it seems he himself is cracking under the pressure. Second half against Valencia should've subbed in Vidal instead of a Roberto and throw in Munir as another CF with Suarez instead of asking Pique to go upfront and risk a third goal.

 

[Spoony]

EPO would help IMVHO.

 

[rcoobc]

I'd say that MSN will get a break this year whilst the Europeans are busy at the Euros... except that's not true now as they will be playing the Copa America Centenario (probably).

Well, at least theyll have a break next year

 

[fontaine]

"Brown Toothpick, post: 19070870, member: 69266"
Adriano helped at times last season, but another stupid mistake was giving him an option of extending a year if he wants to. Selling Grimaldo and Alba's injury earlier this season made it too risky to sell him to Roma, which the player himself refused to join. Douglas is a shady Rosell deal that is bound to be uncovered any day now.it.

Douglas is a 5m euro buy. Such a big fuss was made out of it, it was more of a low risk investment.

 

[Brown Toothpick]

I'd say that MSN will get a break this year whilst the Europeans are busy at the Euros... except that's not true now as they will be playing the Copa America Centenario (probably).

Well, at least theyll have a break next year

Olympics too, which Brazil want Neymar to also take part in.

Douglas is a 5m euro buy. Such a big fuss was made out of it, it was more of a low risk investment.

He's the worst Barca player I've ever seen. There's a reason that him sitting on a bench is surprising enough.

 

[red_devil83]

I don't care what the cause is but I'm loving it! Hope they blow it and Atletico win the double.

 

[RedStarUnited]

I cant believe Messi gets boo'd. After everything he has done there, he should be immune to abuse for the rest of his life.

 

[Charlie Foley]

I think it was the lads on Second Captains, Ken Early and and Eoin McDevitt, were talking about how if one thing goes wrong for Barca, it can make them fall apart. But all it takes is one win to get them back on track. when they lost to Chelsea in 2012 Early was mentioning how when you're so used to a certain result from something (for them the result is winning) that when it doesn't go to plan, on a certain level you're more likely to say 'this doesn't work anymore' and get overwhelmed, even on a subconscious level. Whereas if disappointment comes more regularly, it's easier to take it on the chin.

I think a combination of that, and physical tiredness (but I think mental energy can mask physical tiredness quite a bit).

 

[GiddyUp]

I cant believe Messi gets boo'd. After everything he has done there, he should be immune to abuse for the rest of his life.

You would think. I put nothing past Real and Barca fans, spoiled brats. I would like them to throw a pigs head at him though, it would be funny watching Suarez pounce and start devouring the snout. He would say the pig charged at him and that snout chewing is an ancient Uruguayan feasting ritual. The scousers would love it and immortalize it in a poem.
I do think it's time for Messi to make a move. United, Chelsea and Bayern seem like a decent fit for him. Everyone loves a one club man but when you are nailed on to be the best player in history it would be nice to have another club beside you're name.

 

[Welsh Wonder]

Only scoring 4 goals in the last 5 games? That's pathetic

We know the feeling well