After fielding 25 different starting line-ups in his 25 games in charge, it appears that Luis Enrique does not have a clear way forward for his team.
And infuriatingly, Enrique himself encourages that widespread perception by routinely refusing to give any proper explanations for his decisions.
It has become apparent he regards the media as an enemy. That is a reasonably understandable viewpoint – shared by many managers – considering the tendency of some to wilfully distort, omit and misrepresent pre and post-match comments to fit in with their predetermined biases.
However, Enrique is looking at his relationship with the press from entirely the wrong angle, and what he needs to remember is this: when he is addressing the media, he is not talking to ‘the media’ as such – he is (or, at least, he should be) using them as a vehicle to express the messages he would like to convey to the team’s supporters.
Enrique might not like the way that some publications use any excuse to criticise him and the Barca board while others will always project a positive spin, and yet more will turn everything back around to the club’s rivalry with Real Madrid.
That’s fine, he doesn’t have to like it – but he should rise above it. Press conferences are broadcast in their entirety and can be found by any fan with internet access, so if a publication does distort his words, supporters can easily discover what he really said.
Enrique doesn’t have to make friends with the press, but he should selfishly and intelligently use them as a platform to say what he wants to say.
Instead, he refuses to give straight answers, snaps at questions he doesn’t like and generally gives away as little as possible.
It is a self-defeating policy.
Omitting Lionel Messi against Real Sociedad is one thing, but failing to explain why is another, and he is only leaving himself open to more criticism by being so guarded.
There are currently so many questions marks over Enrique’s plans for the team, in terms of individual players, match tactics, team selection and so on.
And by not even telling us what he’s thinking, he is only encouraging the notion that he doesn’t have a clear plan, and making it more likely that fans will turn against him in increasing numbers.
