Life at Barcelona continues to be a jigsaw puzzle

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The problems at the Camp Nou run deep

Beneath all the dark, there’s always a small light of hope, a light that gives you the slightest aspiration that things will get better. However, it’s apparent that FC Barcelona have been incapable of discovering their light for quite some time. The Catalans are still trapped in the dark since their Ainfield nightmare despite their thrilling victories at home that try to tell another story. The root of the problem could be the head coach, Ernesto Valverde. This Saturday, the newly-promoted team Granada made sure to expose Valverde’s side’s poor tactics, picking up a 2-0 win at Los Carmenes, and converting Barca into the team with the worst defensive record in the league.

The light of hope for Barca always comes in two forms: Lionel Messi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. But now a teenager is also emerging from that light and he goes by the name of Ansu Fati. The 16-year-old, who made the leap from Barcelona’s U-19 team straight to the first XI without racking up a single minute in the B side is being used as the solution to all of the team’s woes and problems. Let’s put that into perspective. One of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest club, is relying on a 16-year-old to fix their on-field issues. And, the youngster takes on the pressure with a smile and delivers every time he is given a chance to play with the big guns.

But even with the inspired, ambitious and fearless teenager attempting to solve the puzzle, the problems run deep. The only positive takeaway from the 2-0 defeat against Granada, a match in which the team were only able to find the target once throughout the 90 plus minutes, was the connection and natural chemistry between Lionel Messi and Ansu Fati. The captain’s first instinct once he received the ball was to find the youngster and link up with him. Looking to the future, this chemistry could prove to be fruitful but for now, the puzzle at Can Barca still remains unsolved.

Source: barcablaugranes.com