Why Luis Enrique's presence is key to Barcelona sustaining their success

Luis Enrique has been integral to Barcelona’s success

Barcelona under Luis Enrique have just enjoyed one of the best seasons in the history of the club. Hot on the heels of the incredible Guardiola years, Lucho has reinvented the wheel in Catalonia and with exactly the same results as Pep in his debut season at Camp Nou.

Considering that Barca were well off of the pace whilst Real Madrid were on the rampage with a club record 22-match winning run, it’s been some turnaround from the men in Blaugrana.

The stats, both team and individual, are quite incredible.

Lionel Messi – all time La Liga top scorer in 2014/15. All time La Liga assister in 2014/15. All time Champions League top scorer in 2014/15.

Messi, Neymar, Suarez – 122 goals in all competitions. More than 94 of the 97 teams in the top five leagues in European football.

During 2014/15 on the way to the treble, Barcelona beat the reigning English champions (Manchester City), French champions (PSG), German champions (Bayern Munich), Italian champions (Juventus), Dutch champions (Ajax), Spanish champions (Atletico Madrid), Cypriot champions (APOEL), European champions (Real Madrid), World champions (Real Madrid) and Europa League holders (Sevilla).

How on earth do you improve on that?

Well, that is the conundrum facing Barcelona if Luis Enrique vacates the managerial post. It may not even be his choice to leave but with presidential elections looming, that is a possibility which remains.

At this stage, the manager has stated his intent to remain in the post subject to boardroom changes, but what if he were to go? Stripped of his role after guiding his team to a wonderful treble. The double treble too. No other team in Europe has managed the feat twice.

A new manager brings associated instability, something Barcelona cannot afford

There would be many factors for a new incoming manager to consider if that situation does arise.

For a start, despite any disagreements that Enrique may have had with the squad earlier in the season, particularly with Lionel Messi, the manager came to an accord which paved the way for such a successful end to the season.

Enrique and Messi worked out their differences, the Argentine had one of his best seasons ever

Three managers in three successive campaigns is two too many, and to then have a fourth post-Guardiola having to impose his will would do nothing for squad morale, let alone the equilibrium of a finely balanced unit.

Dani Alves has finally signed a new contract at the last possible moment, so there is some good news to be had alongside the capture of Sevilla’s Aleix Vidal. If Barcelona are able to secure more new signings before the end of the summer transfer window, that will at least stand the manager in good stead for the second half of the season.

There is little doubt that with the front three in situ and fit that the Catalans will continue to dominate domestically because there simply isn’t a team in Spain that can rival them at present. They’ve shown beyond doubt too, that, when on song no team in Europe can touch them.

Neymar may, however, suffer from the rigours of another summer without much rest, but as long as any recovery time from the Copa America is studiously managed, then there is no reason for Barcelona’s participants in the same to feel any long-term ill effects.

Indeed, one of the most noticeable parts of Barca’s 2014/15 was the lack of injuries to key players throughout the season and a huge debt of gratitude must be given to the fitness coach and his team. Just as important as the loss of a manager is that of his backroom staff. People that players trust implicitly, especially when their methods are found to be complimentary to the squad as a whole.

Once your players buy into a certain way of working, you are halfway there as a coach or manager. Barcelona certainly couldn’t afford to lose anyone from that close-knit group of people. We saw how the entirety of the group celebrated the Champions League win, noting the closeness. If a new manager were to arrive and insist that he brings his own people in, that would certainly have major implications.

We only need to look at how much Tata Martino struggled with his staff, and the first couple of months of Luis Enrique’s reign before things fell into place.

At the moment, everything is just right at Barcelona. It doesn’t require any tweaking, any egotistical manoeuvrings by a new man in charge so that he can “put his stamp” on the team. There’s an old cliche that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and that’s exactly where Barcelona find themselves right now.

Certainly the right elements are in place to be able to dominate post-Enrique but if you begin to strip things away piece by piece then whilst the club will still win the majority of matches, the victories wouldn’t perhaps be quite as comprehensive.

Remember that it’s taken four years of evolution for the Catalans to get back to anywhere near what they were under Guardiola and Enrique has been fortunate to have players like Messi still at the peak of his powers. The team is functioning in a perfect manner, in all departments.

The hardest part for any manager who may come to Barcelona over the summer is following in such footsteps. Guardiola himself has found out at Bayern that expectations go through the roof once a treble has been secured, and despite Bayern taking almost all before them since, Pep hasn’t yet replicated Jupp Heynckes’ vintage side, so he is, in many Bavarians’ minds, not quite as good as his predecessor.

The addition of Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic have helped Barcelona be devastating on the counter-attack

Enrique has brought about a welcome change in philosophy

Of course, that neglects the fact that the entire philosophy has changed and herein is the crux for Barca.

Bring in a new man with the brief to continue the success. But be prepared to wait two, maybe even three years for similar success. No, that wouldn’t do, would it? Of course, it is worth dwelling on just why Enrique has decided to sign until 2017, given that it was by no means certain he was going to do so before the final.

Perhaps he sees a group of players that despite the many trophies won in their Barcelona careers, still retain the hunger and desire that marks out the very best players. A quality that Enrique himself had as a player.

After a modicum of success in his managerial career before Barca, he now has the platform to build something even more special than Guardiola. Something that even the most fervent Barca fan wouldn’t have thought possible. To have his legacy cemented alongside the names of Herrera, Guardiola etc

And the thought that this team could get even better is a mouth-watering possibility. The first team in the modern era to retain the Champions League would be just one of many reasons to have tempted Lucho, and time will be the judge as to whether it was the right decision as long as a new president doesn’t want to play God.

Best remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day...and neither was Barcelona. But Luis Enrique has already laid the foundations...