5 things Valverde needs to sort out before Barca's next match

#4 Lack of balance in the Midfield

Arturo Vidal brought in much-needed energy into the Barca midfield

Barcelona seemed out of sorts against Betis. The defense left huge gaps which Betis exploited numerous times. The midfield though did not cover for the backline either. The midfield trio of Arthur, Busquets, and Rakitic seemed a bit jaded, and neither of them finished the match. While Arthur and Busquets were substituted, Rakitic was send off for two bookable offenses. That means the Croatian will miss the next match against Athletico and this is another blow for Barca after they already lost Coutinho to injury. Arturo Vidal will likely take his place after he came on to give Barca the much-needed energy in the midfield. The Chilean has found a place in Valverde's good books and is looking like his old self as the weeks go by.

Arthur and Busquets will keep their place in the squad despite being substituted. The Brazilian could not control the game like he usually has done this season, but this match will be a valuable lesson for him to keep improving. Busquets will protect the backline as usual but Valverde will have to start thinking about bringing him a backup. Busquets is still a class player but on days like the one this past weekend, a like to like replacement is missing in the Barca squad. Valverde may need to switch on his TV and watch a few international matches this week to find a suitable option in the future.

#5 The Dembele issue

Ousmane Dembele is turning out to be a problem child for Valverde

Ousmane Dembele is turning out to be not the player Barcelona wanted. Barca paid over $100 million for the Frenchman last year but he has yet to show his worth. While his first season was riddled with injuries that sidelined him, this season he is also not a regular feature in the starting eleven. Only this time the cause is not an injury but disciplinary issues off the field. After starting brightly, Dembele has faded into the bench. Arthur's emergence and Coutinho being moved up front meant that Dembele chances were cut short. But the lack of interest to fit back for his place is also striking for a player with his talent.

Dembele angered Valverde when he was late to get ready to replace Messi when the Argentine got injured. The Barca manager rightly dropped Dembele to discipline him but Valverde picked the Frenchman for the midweek fixture against Inter. Dembele failed to impress and his replacement Malcolm scored the goal for Barca.

Dembele was still expected to start the match against Betis, but then reports surfaced that he missed training last week. Some reports suggested he was suffering from stomach flu while others reported he slept through the training session. In the pre-match conference, Valverde did not say that Dembele was suffering from an injury. So Dembele being dropped was another disciplinary action against him.

The winter transfer window is approaching soon and reports have suggested that the Barca hierarchy are ready to sell Dembele and cut their losses. But it would be a huge waste of money and Barcelona will be hoping Dembele becomes more responsible. It will be up to Valverde to make sure the winger is not isolated and to help him bring out the magic that Dembele has shown he has.