So things didn't go according to plan for Barcelona on Saturday, as the team was again unable to win for the third straight game, drawing once again with Deportivo La Coruña, just like last season, conceding the tie after a two-goal lead, just like last season. It was a disappointing afternoon, and here's a few takeaways from it:
1. Luis Enrique is human
Every coach makes mistakes, and Barça's coach is no different. But Lucho was on an unbelievable hot streak, just like the players, making great decision after great decision and having significant impact on the team's amazing run in November. But he was due for a bad game as was the team, and he certainly had it on Saturday. The first two substitutions were necessary and correct (Roberto for Rakitic, Munir for Sandro), but the third one was horrible. He took out Jordi Alba for Jérémy Mathieu, WHO IS NOT A LEFT-BACK AS WE HAVE KNOWN FOR OVER A YEAR, and the French was literally involved negatively in both goals. It's easy to go after Enrique, but that is not a good decision in any game, even if the team wins. But I've seen people calling for Lucho's head, and that's absurd. Come on. The fans should know better.
2. Barça has not yet peaked
November was incredible, but was not remotely the peak of this season. It was a combination of factors; first, the schedule: other than Real Madrid, it wasn't the toughest calendar, and even though the Blaugranes played very good football that would beat any team at that moment, it's undeniable that the opponents were not the toughest. Second, it was the first time all season that Barça had everyone (except Rafinha) healthy, and they just did what they did to win the Treble. There was nothing special, just what we saw in the first 6 months of 2015. Now, Neymar is out, and his absence was certainly felt both in Leverkusen and at Camp Nou this weekend. November was just a sneak peek of what this team can do when fully healthy and with reinforcements. It was not the best this team had to offer this season. Which brings me to point three...
3. Can't Arda Turan just play already?
The next 20-25 days until Arda makes his debut will be the longest of my life. Saturday was just an example of what Leonidas can do when one of the 'MSN' members is out. I'm sorry, but Munir and Sandro aren't good enough to backup the three best players in the world. Arda is not as skilled as Neymar, but he can certainly take defenders one on one to change gears in the attacking plays, something Barça dearly missed against Depor. He'll need some time to regain fitness after 6 months away from competitive football, but his presence will add something different that the squad doesn't have: a real bench star, a game-changing backup. We just don't have that now. Maybe we never had. And we need it. Saturday just showcased it.
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