#360view: Transfer problems leave Barcelona looking vulnerable

Andy West 05:31 26/09/2015
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  • Much to ponder: Enrique.

    No football team can win every game and there is no great shame for Barcelona in losing against highly-capable and bang-in-form Celta Vigo on Wednesday night.

    However, the manner of the 4-1 defeat is a major cause for concern, especially when you consider it is the third time they have conceded four in nine competitive games this season.

    To put it bluntly, Barca look soft. They have conceded too many too easily, and that even includes games they have won against Atletico Madrid and Levante, who were both allowed to score goals which could have been avoided.

    Worryingly, the Celta loss came on the night when their supposed defensive leader, Gerard Pique, finally got his first taste of league action this season after serving a four-match suspension.

    Rather than providing a renewed sense of assurance, however, Pique’s presence only served to make everything worse and he was culpable for Celta’s second goal on the night.

    Barca’s troubles in midweek once more raised the question of who is their first-choice central defensive pairing – a topic which has never really gone away since the retirement of Carles Puyol.

    Even though the rest of the world still regards him as a midfielder, Javier Mascherano appears to be the man trusted by Luis Enrique to fill the void, but the Argentine is an erratic if committed defender, prone to leaping into rash decisions.

    Centre back isn’t the only problem position, however. Indeed, it is instructive to compare Barca’s squad from the capitulation in Vigo to the players called upon by Real Madrid for their victory over Athletic Bilbao on the same night.

    Los Blancos were missing several key men through injury, with Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Sergio Ramos and Danilo all sidelined.

    However, they were still able to call upon Isco, Mateo Kovacic, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal – all internationals who would walk into practically any other team in the world.

    Enrique, in contrast, started in Vigo with Sergi Roberto in midfield despite consistently failing to convince in that position, and Jeremy Mathieu at left-back even though he has barely played in that position in the last three years.

    And when Enrique needed to change things in the second half, his only attacking option was Munir El Haddadi, a 20-year-old with little first-team experience and desperately low on confidence.

    To an extent, Barca’s squad failings are a consequence of their transfer ban from FIFA, which has prevented them from signing any new players since last summer.

    The option of introducing Arda Turan to provide more control in midfield, or Aleix Vidal for an extra burst of pace, would certainly have not gone amiss on Wednesday.

    They will have to act in the transfer market in January when their ban is finally lifted, and ironically enough their chief midweek tormentor, Celta forward Nolito, is likely to be their chief target.

    But January is a notoriously difficult time of year to make purchases, and Barca’s squad has too many holes to address in one month. They had better hope for the same good luck with injuries they enjoyed last season.

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