The best from Messi but worst from Suarez, the good and bad of Valverde's 100 days in charge

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  • A summer of Camp Nou chaos has made way for an autumn of hope and as winter approaches the cool hand of boss Ernesto Valverde has Barcelona supporters contemplating success.

    Indeed, after the turmoil of Neymar’s departure, Valverde has steadied the ship with Barca opening up a four-point gap at the top of La Liga and seemingly cruising into the knockout stages of the Champions League.

    It’s not just been on-pitch matters he’s had to contend with, though. His press conferences have ranged from topics such as the terrorist attack in Barcelona, a coup against the club’s board and Catalonia’s push for independence from Spain.

    Still, the 53-year-old has won over fans with his common-sense style and he has hit an important milestone having taken charge for 100 days. With that in mind, we look at three success stories from his first 100 days, and three things he must work on for his next 100.

    THE GOOD

    BRINGING THE BEST OUT OF MESSI

    Valverde has opted for a pretty simple solution to Neymar’s departure – allow Messi a free role.

    The Barca boss has shifted the Argentine genius further forward in either a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 and it’s resulted in 11 goals in eight La Liga games.

    He’s scored three in three in the Champions League, reaching the milestone of 100 goals in European competition in midweek.

    The concern of course arrives when Messi is a little off colour because Neymar’s emergence last season as a more pivotal figure in the side alleviated some of the burden.

    But Messi so far hasn’t just shouldered the extra responsibility but thrived on it and Valverde has effectively allowed Barca’s No10 the freedom to display his artistry.

    Messi is Barca's top scorer with 11 goals in 8 league games

    Messi is Barca’s top scorer with 11 goals in 8 league games

    SURVIVING DEMBELE’S INJURY

    It’s probably linked to the above point considering the form of Denis Suarez and Gerard Deulofeu but record signing Ousmane Dembele’s long-term injury absence has barely been given a mention.

    To be frank, the injury coming so early in the season is potentially the best time it could have occurred for Barca because the Frenchman hadn’t even integrated into the side yet.

    And considering Valverde has operated with restricted squads in the past and found success, he’ll see the options he has at the Catalan club as somewhat of a luxury.

    His rational and calculated approach has banished the hyperbolic hysteria which surrounds the Blaugrana and in the instance of Dembele those personality traits have been helpful.

    Still, Valverde will be hoping Suarez, who didn’t play a minute against Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos, and the wildly inconsistent Deulofeu will step up and stamp their authority on the right-side spot in the coming months in order to give them more width.

    Ousmane Dembele has been out injured since September 16

    Ousmane Dembele has been out injured since September 16

    UMTITI KICKING ON

    A Barcelona captain in the making, Samuel Umtiti has been a rock at the back, cementing his spot in the team alongside Gerard Pique with towering performances.

    While Messi has been the man to grab the plaudits going forward, the 23-year-old is a large reason why Barca posses one of the best defences in La Liga. Their success so far this season has been built from the back having conceded only three goals in eight games – a mark matched only by Leganes.

    The Frenchman showed his class last season but he’s stepped it up under Valverde. His pass success rate sits at 93.7 per cent (the highest by any Barca player this term) and his 489 passes is the second-most by any defender in La Liga so far this campaign.

    His dynamism on the deck is meshed with a generalship in the air and in the tackle and he’s been a commanding figure, a consistent 8/10 performer and a real highlight of Valverde’s reign.

    Umtiti has been a rock at the back for Barcelona

    Umtiti has been a rock at the back for Barcelona

    THE BAD

    SUAREZ’S FORM

    Luis Suarez preserved Barca’s unbeaten start with a crucial headed equaliser against Atletico Madrid last weekend and but his finger-to-lip celebration was only enough to silence the critics for one night.

    While the defence has been resolute and Messi magical the one main drawback in Valverde’s 100 days has been the form of Suarez.

    Granted, the knee injury he suffered against Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup meant he was always going to start the season slow but it’s the lack of confidence which is drawing parallels to the struggles he suffered at the start of his Barca career.

    Frustration has hallmarked his campaign so far because with Messi operating more centrally he’s been forced wider. While the Uruguayan has the capability to occupy the ‘David Villa’ role, his touch and passing isn’t to the level of Neymar or Messi and with Valverde rightly choosing to accommodate the Argentine, it’s meant Suarez has found himself away from threatening areas.

    He’s scored less – just three in five – and his impact has been much more withdrawn, the nine on the back of his shirt now a hallow number. The Barca boss will have to find a way to fit both into his set-up because Suarez at his best can inspire triumphs like the treble-winning campaign.

    Suarez has scored three times in La Liga this season

    Suarez has scored three times in La Liga this season

    THE CREATIVE OVER RELIANCE OF INIESTA

    Attacking thrust and defensively sound, if there’s been one area of concern for Valverede it’s been in midfield.

    Indeed, their only source of creativity is through ageing skipper Andres Iniesta and while it should be celebrated he penned a new deal recently, it is still concerning his influence is so great at this stage of his career.

    The 33-year-old is the only player from midfield capable of breaking between the two opposition lines and is arguably the only one creating chances on a consistent basis.

    And while that’s great from an individual perspective, at some point he will need a rest.

    Ivan Rakitic started the season really out of form and while he’s enjoying a slight resurgence, Valverde will hope that his faith is repaid with more regularity.

    Denis Suarez and Sergi Roberto are both waiting patiently but the long-term creative burden is an issue which must be resolved.

    Andres Iniesta shoots during the draw with Atletico Madrid

    Andres Iniesta shoots during the draw with Atletico Madrid

    TOO MUCH TACTICAL SWITCHING

    During his managerial career Valverde has almost exclusively been married to a 4-2-3-1 set-up but he’s shown in his time at Camp Nou that he’s willing to move away from this trusted formation.

    However, his experimentation has meant it’s been difficult to see what direction Barca are heading in from a tactical perspective.

    There have been two clear changes from Luis Enrique with the return of the high-intensity press and the back-to-basics handling of Messi but there are imperfections and the Atletico Madrid draw is exemplary of that.

    As Andy West pointed out last week (read his piece for more here), Valverde began the game with a loose version of a 4-4-2 with Messi given licence to roam behind Suarez in attack while Andre Gomes and Iniesta were wide midfielders alongside Rakitic and Sergio Busquets.

    But with no avenue to score and a goal behind, Valverde was forced to completely change his approach and brought on Deulofeu to switch into a 4-2-1-3 with Messi behind the front three.

    Ultimately, the move worked and the boss should be praised for having the acumen to change it up but a consistent formula is the only way to creating longevity at Barca.

    Valverde has experimented moving away from his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation

    Valverde has experimented moving away from his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation

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