Barcelona could only grab one point against Malaga at La Rosaleda in midweek. While the Catalans are still unbeaten and haven't even conceded a single goal yet, the new coach and several key players have received plenty of criticism from the local media.
Luis Enrique has been blamed for not being able to add anything new whenever Barca are forced to battle against well-organised sides whose players focus all their efforts in covering up gaps in their own defensive third. Doubters are already arguing that, despite the club's colossal investment this summer, the Blaugranas are still unable to unlock games against teams who opt to sit back and protect their goal while hoping for an eventual break on the counter.
Let's be clear: Not taking a single shot on goal in 90 minutes of football is unacceptable for a team with such a successful history. Having said that, Barca are in fact doing remarkably well this season, especially when we consider the many new faces and tactical variations that have been introduced since the Asturian manager took charge. Obviously, all Cules would love their team to smash their opponents every three days, but having such high expectations and constant criticism when expectations aren't met at this early stage is unreasonable.
Change is a process that takes time. Assimilating Enrique's new concepts was always going to be a difficult, time-consuming challenge. Luckily, the former Barca B coach has used his previous experience and in-depth knowledge of the club to add to the traditional formation while adding a new twist to the famous pass-and-move philosophy.
Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, the idea is to fine-tune those all-important elements that had been lost since the very successful Pep Guardiola era. Sure, the current team is still far from perfect, but seeing players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar tracking back defensively when needed, youngsters such as Munir El Haddadi or Sandro Ramirez bursting into the first team at only 19 years of age, or finally being able to stop the nonsensical goal leakage from set pieces is an encouraging start.
Messi is making an obvious effort to return to his former best, to the level which granted him the four consecutive Ballon d'Or trophies currently standing proud in the Camp Nou museum. The talented Argentinean has been much more eager to get his teammates involved than ever before, with five assists and 'only' three goals so far.
This more generous version of Messi also comes at a time where the legendary Xavi Hernandez has been given a more secondary role. With the Catalan maestro now firmly behind new signing Ivan Rakitic in the pecking order, Messi has been given the freedom to drop deeper into midfield and start building forward from there. This adds yet another player in the middle of the park and makes that zone more congested. At the same time, it also provides more opportunities for quick combinations and increased spaces from wingers and full-backs to run into.
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With Luis Suarez scheduled to make his official debut in the October 25 Classico match with Real Madrid, it is certainly not long until Enrique has another world-class striker to challenge rival defences with. Don't be surprised if the decision to place Messi further away from the central striking position is in fact a strategy to ease the incisive Uruguayan into the team once his four-month ban is over. Only time will tell if Enrique's risky decision ends up paying off in the long run.
These are exciting times at Barcelona: New year, new ideas, new faces. The manager and players need time to get used to the many changes made -- even if that includes giving away a couple of points against a mid-table team once every five games until new mechanisms and ideas are finally embedded.
This Enrique quote says it all. "I have looked for solutions in every game but these may not have been too obvious yet. If I substitute a player, the one coming on doesn't necessarily have the same role to play in the formation. Pressure? This is only the beginning of a beautiful journey".