Time to solve issues

The international break gives Luis Enrique an opportunity to solve the problems that surfaced in recent weeks, after a promising Barcelona season start.

Nothing is lost, with just over one-quarter of the season complete, Barcelona is just two points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid and is already qualified for the next round of UEFA Champions League.

On  a normal team, just three defeats in 15 games would be a very good start for most coaches, but for Barcelona this is not the case, and after the game lost in the Santiago Bernabeu two weeks ago, Enrique has been under pressure.

With one week before the next changeling match against Sevilla at Nou Camp, the coach has time to deal with some long-term issues for the next fixtures to come.

One of the most pressing matter is Gerard Pique, who has been out of the pitch in the last three starting lineups and has been considering to move abroad during the January transfer window. A move that won’t hurt the club financially with a contract signed until 2019 after recovering the player from Manchester United in 2011.

The problem arises when we look at the defense line situation and the ongoing ban for Barcelona until January 2016; loosing a top-class defender like Gerard Pique will not help the team. 

Luis Enrique still has an opportunity to show the player that stills trusts the center-back in the next important games facing Sevilla, Valencia and Espanyol. Enrique needs some stability in defense more than anywhere else.

Luis Enrique has issues all over the field, with his decision to rotate the team so much, for example, in the last match against Almeria, Lionel Messi was paired in attack with Munir and Pedro Rodriguez, but after a terrible first-half, Suarez and Neymar where called from the bench and were able to turn things around.

Why have both players benched in the first place? With upcoming international break there is no need to rest the players, more when Neymar and Messi have begun to forge a relationship and Suarez in need of pitch time to get him up to speed.

There is no simple answer, and everyone has his own best starting XI; but only Luis Enrique can determine that and will be in his mind in the next 10 days.

Read more about FC Barcelona program for March break 2015, Training in Barcelona. Limited Spots!