beIN SPORTS

By David Cartlidge (@davidjaca)

There was an all too familiar feeling in Barcelona on Wednesday morning.

For as much of a shock to the system Tuesday night's drubbing at the hands of PSG was, Barça had been here before. They had been at the end of an era. 

Back in April and May of 2013 it was Bayern Munich in PSG’s shoes, playing the role of destructor. A 7-0 aggregate win for the Germans, in their pomp of blending physical and technical prowess to dismantle a creaking, ageing team, was what Barça needed. At the time it was difficult to swallow. The manner in which it had been done was ruthless. But Barça learned from that night, and in time came back stronger than ever. 

Tuesday night, and this hammering at the hands of PSG, could well provide a similar jolt in the arm of the club. Barça were told in no uncertain terms by the French giants that they can no longer rely on MSN when playing Europe’s elite. As great as the trio are, they simply cannot be the only outlet for the team.

There needs to be more. There needs to be a midfield, there needs to be a shape to the team, there needs to be tactical nous. Unai Emery found a Barça coach in Luis Enrique who needed a lesson tactically, and it was duly handed to him. Even Luis Enrique’s own players, hinted something must change.

“They have played better and their planning tactically was better than ours,” said Sergio Busquets post-game. And while he insisted Barça did prepare for the game, his description of doing so ‘differently’ made it clear that something had gone amiss. 

Luis Enrique played down Busquets’ comments, insisting he wasn’t sure what the midfielder was referring to. Rather than cool the situation, which the coach has done expertly during his time at Barça, it only emphasised further the divide within the current setup. For a team of Barça’s quality to be beaten so soundly, there has to be something else wrong. Something deeper.

This drubbing was not a one off of course - there have been signs, albeit more subtle ones, over the course of the season. Outside of MSN, Barça has lacked the tenacity of any previous vintage. It has perhaps been more evident due to the drop off in form of Busquets. The midfielder has been the one constant for a number of years but has suffered from his most striking downturn in form since becoming a regular at the club. It is through no fault of his own, either.

Busquets has not been afforded any help in midfield for sometime, and Luis Enrique only exposed the player even more with his setup in Paris. It’s decisions like this that have become frequent this season. Bad starting XI’s, and if that’s not enough, bad changes mid-game too. Poor overall in-game management has hindered Barça, and if Busquets’ words are to be believed then you can consider pre-game too.

Luis Enrique has done an incredible level of work at Barça, he took them out of a previous lull and rendered the team powerful once again. And he did so with a style that few liked, but was what Barça needed at the time. To go beyond tiki-taka, to find more substance. His record in finals is near impeccable, and the trophies won in his time at the club are not solely due to MSN. The return of Gerard Pique to the top of the world centre-back table, MSN’s general rise to historic levels and other instances are all down to Luis Enrique’s tireless work. He should be praised, and fans should be grateful for his efforts. 

But a ceiling has now been hit. It’s best for everyone involved to go their separate ways. This after all, even for Luis Enrique himself, was never meant to be for the long haul. He may need to step away, just as much as Barça needs to distance itself from him too. There are also deeper problems aside from the coach. La Masia and its deteriorating state needs to be addressed, and seeing a PSG side featuring numerous young talents was a stinging reminder to how much Barça have fallen behind in their remit to nurture their own crop.

A second leg may still be left to play, but for Luis Enrique these are his last legs.