Marc-Andre Ter Stegen – 7/10
A lot of questions were asked about the German’s ability to be the first-choice at Barcelona when Claudio Bravo departed for Manchester City at the start of the season. At the end of the season, it can safely be said that the Catalan giants got the better deal as the Chilean struggled at the Etihad while Ter Stegen thrived in his role.
It is not to say that the German is perfect, or there is no room for improvement, or that there are no flaws in his game. In fact, there are flaws in his game and there is a huge room for improvement but the Camp Nou outfit should be relieved that they are on the right track with their goalkeeper, at least. At only 25 years of age, Ter Stegen can only improve from here.
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Samuel Umtiti – 7/10
Umtiti was the only summer signing made by Barcelona, who looked to add quality to the squad and not just quantity. Barcelona only lost one league game with the Frenchman in the starting lineup and that speaks volumes about the impact he has had in his first season.
Umtiti is young and has tremendous room for improvement and it looks like Barcelona have found a real gem. With his calm presence and his ability to sniff out danger, Umtiti has proved to be one of the better players in the team and new manager, Ernesto Valverde, will be glad to have the Frenchman to build the defence with him at the heart of it.
Gerard Pique – 7/10
The Spanish defender was one of the better players for the Catalan club during the course of the season. When he was in the starting line-up Barcelona were much more organized in defence and as a result lost fewer games. Not only did he help marshal the troops, barking orders at his teammates, he also provided an outlet in attack if his side were trailing.
The Camp Nou outfit struggled in the absence of the Spaniard, which highlights his importance to the team and his understanding with Umtiti was one of the positives of the season.
Neymar – 7.5/10
Neymar, statistically, had his worst season in the colours of Barcelona, yet he received the second highest rating in the entire squad. He still scored 20 goals and assisted another 27 across all competitions.
The Brazilian may not have scored an inordinate amount of goals this season but he was the creative spark in Luis Enrique’s side which helped the team tick. He also won his side several games with his pace and trickery down the left-wing, as he would ghost past defenders before laying it on a plate for his teammates.
In a 7-minute spell of sheer magic, he inspired his side to the memorable comeback against PSG, scoring a sublime free-kick to instill hope in his teammates, who looked to have given up.
However, despite all of his dribbling and mesmerizing skills, the season also proved that the Brazilian is not ready to be the creative fulcrum of the side. He may be an insane dribbler and can ghost past many defenders but he does not have the decision making or prudence of a certain Argentine. Yes, he creates a lot of chances with his movement but he wastes more than half of them due to his poor decision making, he would pass when he should shoot, he would shoot when he should lay it off and so on.
Maybe he will develop those qualities with experience but as of now he should not be allowed to be the creative fulcrum of the side. Along with that, the free-role that has been afforded to him down the left has hurt Barcelona, as Messi does the same on the right. And having two players who don’t contribute in defence, enjoy free roles not only unbalances the team but it is also a recipe for disaster.
