The world has always paid serious attention to the performances of Barcelona’s tricky triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Luis Suarez, but with 2017 only a couple of games old for the Blaugrana, heads are starting to swivel towards ‘MSN’ for all the wrong reasons.
A sublime free-kick from Messi on La Liga duty against Villarreal managed to steer his club away from two consecutive defeats this year, but despite its eye-catching execution it couldn’t deflect attention away from the fact that Barca are woefully underperforming – and the decline in goal output from Neymar, in particular, is a real cause for concern right now.
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The reigning La Liga champions are already five points adrift of bitter rivals Real Madrid and the gap looks set to become even wider with Zinedine Zidane’s men holding a game in hand.
Much more is expected, and needed, of Barca’s chutzpah-oozing Brazilian marksman, but can he deliver enough to close the gap at the top and ensure they keep on fighting to the bitter end?
Goal drought is a genuine concern
Not so long ago, plenty of football pundits were tooting Neymar’s horn that he could go on to become the greatest goalscorer in history, such was his phenomenal record, but right now any gushing talk has been put on hold.
It’s fair to see why.
Having brushed off the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America disappointments to help Brazil win gold at the 2016 Olympics as well as surging past Zico as the nation’s all-time greatest goalscorer with a gob-smacking 46 strikes in 70 international appearances, the 24-year-old was on course to break yet more records as an outstanding forward, but in recent times the goals have alarmingly dried up.
In fact, he has not scored in 11 straight matches for Barcelona – that’s a whopping 975 minutes without rattling the back of the net.
It’s uncharacteristic form from the tricky wide man and a huge concern for a team in real turmoil.
Because while Messi and Suarez are continuing to score regularly enough, the third prong in their normally fearsome trident has been lacking some real sharpness in recent times and it has baffled fans, the wider football community, manager Luis Enrique and, no doubt, Neymar himself.
The games will continue to come thick and fast this month and by the end of January, the team will have completed six gruelling matches following a return from festivities, and all in the effort to play catch up.
Surely, the pressure on Neymar will build with each passing game because, while he has been managing to keep ticking the assists counter (with five in the same spell as his drought) it is goals that the former Champions League winners really need from him right now. Plenty of them.
Has Enrique lost the dressing room?
It can’t be easy trying to achieve greatness every time a team takes to the pitch. Finding new, refreshing and feasible tactics to work around a team that seems to rely on the front three lashing in goals can’t be an easy feat, despite the fact some critics like to portray Enrique’s job as simply letting them have the ball.
Then again, it is his job to take control and when the referee takes centre stage for his decisions, and the coach refuses to criticise the players and the team looks out of ideas and enthusiasm, there is only one plausible answer as to who is to blame: the manager.
The spark has deserted the team’s approach in recent weeks and not enough is being done by the former Barca player to rectify that, and with rumours circling that Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino is set to take over the Camp Nou hot seat, it forces the question – has Enrique lost the dressing room?
It’s impossible to tell for sure, but the signs point to a great deal of unrest, something manifesting itself in Neymar’s worrying downturn in form.
Enrique has publicly backed the striker to end his goalless streak, but not even a break from football action for over a fortnight was enough to see Neymar return rested and full of energy to get back amongst the goals. There is something else at play, and it most likely lies in the tactics selected by the coach.
As evidenced by some key mid-match stats against Villarreal, pretty much everything was coming to Messi, and not enough was being directed to Neymar. Indeed, even when the Brazilian maestro did find himself in possession, he was often forced backwards in retreat by defenders. It was stagnant stuff and indicative of a team merely going through the motions.
The players don’t look like they are working for the manager and while this could well be just a natural dip in form which is harming them collectively, it is Neymar who is bearing the brunt of the attention.
It’s his name in the headlines – he is fast becoming the scapegoat.
Neymar needs time – he will find his golden touch again
Of course, while it’s uncertain for just how many more matches his unfortunate streak continues, there is an undercurrent of faith sweeping through much of the negative narrative that Barca’s No.11 will get back amongst the goals sooner rather than later.
Everyone knows he is a dazzling striker with the skills to unlock even the best of defences – just like he did the last time he converted, against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League – and that is what makes his current slump all the more frustrating.
The key element here, though, is whether he manages to kick back into gear before their Spanish domestic league title challenge becomes irreparably damaged by too many poor results.
A starring role in a heroic Copa del Rey comeback against Athletic Bilbao would be the perfect way to silence his critics and slip straight back into that familiar goal-scoring groove. How about it, Neymar?
