Amid the euphoria of Lionel Messi’s record-breaking hat-trick during Barcelona’s 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna on Sunday, one man was conspicuous by his absence.
While Barca ran amok against their outclassed visitors from Pamplona, Neymar was a picture of frustration as he was left to stew on the bench as an unused substitute.
Maybe the television cameras caught him at a bad time, but on every occasion he came into shot, the Brazilian winger did not appear to be enjoying his team’s goal-fest in the slightest.
That impression was further enhanced after the game when, one by one, Barca’s players took to Twitter to send effusive messages of congratulations and encouragement to Messi after the Argentine star became the leading scorer in the club’s history.
Neymar, notably, did not, and his ongoing struggles continue to loom large as a highly significant sub-plot in the Nou Camp soap opera.
As manager Tata Martino admitted last week, fielding two of the best players in the world in the same team does not automatically mean they will perform well together, and it remains to be seen how Martino – or his successor – can find a formula that allows both Messi and Neymar to shine.
In the long-term Barca will have to, because Neymar will not be prepared to sit forever on the bench while Pedro and Alexis Sanchez willingly do the dirty work which allows Messi to shine.
And therein lies the problem: for Neymar to become a genuine success, Messi will have to give up a share of the limelight in a manner that is not necessary when he lines up alongside ego-free team-mates who are happy to give him all the glory.
Unlike Pedro and Sanchez, Neymar will not be happy and nor will he thrive in an environment where he constantly plays second fiddle to Messi. He needs the freedom to express himself, take chances in possession and go directly for goal rather than always being expected to look for his Argentine team-mate.
The same can be said of Cristian Tello, whose progress has ground to a halt, partly because of his own inconsistencies but partly also because of his difficulty in subduing his natural flair to serve Messi.
And, in the future, the same will be said of Gerard Deulofeu, who will eventually return from his loan spell at Everton with designs upon becoming a genuine superstar in his own right, not simply fulfilling a selfless secondary role to the team’s main man.
The issue can wait for now because Messi is capable of scoring enough goals to win major trophies without the meaningful intervention of others. But if his powers start to wane, Pedro and Sanchez – without being disrespectful – are not game-changers.
Neymar is…but at the moment he cannot shine.
The problem won’t go away and there is no easy solution – but Barca must find one.
