As Barcelona slipped to their third consecutive La Liga game without a win on Saturday, it became clear that Barça manager Ernesto Valverde has no shortage of short-term problems to solve. But perhaps more worringly, the draw with Athletic Club at Camp Nou hinted at a longer-term problem. What happens when their La Masia-trained spine is gone?
Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi have been at Barcelona’s core for a decade now, and all played key roles in the Catalan side’s tremendous success, first under Pep Guardiola and latterly under his various successors.
But with Piqué currently in the middle of the worst run of form of his career to date, and Messi and Busquets rested to keep them fresh for Wednesday’s visit to London to play Tottenham, the game with Athletic provided an insight into what life will be like after the ageing trio follow the likes of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta into the sunset.
Without Busquets’ unparalleled ability to win the ball, find space, and make the correct pass in the centre of midfield, and without Messi’s drive, creativity and flair for the unexpected, Barcelona toiled. They dominated possession, but lacked inspiration, and the better chances in the first half went to the away side, with Athletic taking a one-goal advantage into the break.
Given the quality of the players that started in Barcelona’s midfield and attack – Arturo Vidal, Sergi Roberto, Ivan Rakitić, Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Suárez and Philippe Coutinho – it is a cause for concern that Valverde was forced to send for Busquets and Messi shortly after half-time to try and turn the tie around.
Messi made the difference in the end, creating an equaliser for fellow substitute Munir El Haddadi, but Barça were unable to push on and get the three points.
It ended up being the worst of both worlds for Valverde; his side dropped points, and neither Messi nor Busquets will be fully rested pre-Spurs.
The draw means the reigning champions have dropped seven points in their last three games, a third of the total number they dropped in the whole of last season. They should count their lucky stars that Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have also struggled early in the campaign, or they could be several points off the pace already.
As it happens, they are somehow still top of the league, albeit on goal difference, but they won’t be for much longer if they continue in the same vein.
Perhaps their biggest initial concern is the defence, and Gerard Piqué in particular.
His form in recent games has been alarmingly bad. He was at fault for both goals conceded in Barça’s 2-2 draw with fellow Catalans Girona last week, and gifted Leganés midfielder Óscar Rodríguez with his side’s winner in the surprise midweek defeat to los pepineros.
Against Athletic, it was he who played Óscar de Marcos onside, allowing the right-back to open the scoring for the Basque side.
Piqué is replaceable, whereas Messi and Busquets are not. If they are out of the side, then the better-than-very-good players brought in to replace them lack what it is about Messi and Busquets that makes them the very best in their positions.
It’s clear that the only way forward for Barcelona is to find another way to play when those two are not in the team. Valverde needs to find a system that suits the players selected, and not just apply the same tactics and formation with different personnel – who will have different strengths and weaknesses to the two blaugrana greats – and still expect the same results.
Barcelona need to start planning now for a life without the legendary backbone of their side. There will be a time in the not-too -distant future when they will not be there anymore, and Barça have to be ready to adapt.