5 current Barcelona players who lack consistency
Barcelona have been home to some of the biggest names in football, including Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff and even Diego Maradona. Such legends have consistently performed for the Blaugrana during their spells with the club, taking Barcelona to soaring heights. Despite the quality of the current squad taking a substantial dip in recent years, there remains an elite group of players that still deliver on a coherent basis.
Current Barcelona stars who never fail to impress
Despite their defensive woes, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has proven to be a rock between the sticks, constantly putting in stellar performances. While Barcelona are yet to find a defensive recruit to match the German's consistency, they have plenty of reliable stars in their midfield.
A gentle reminder to not lose hope on Frenkie De Jong. He is one of the player who is actually very passionate about the club and works extremely hard. https://t.co/IiKWQ6obe5
Even though the evergreen Sergio Busquets has experienced a slight decline in form in recent times, he is still an absolute world-beater at the base of Barcelona's midfield. Fortunately for the club captain, he now has the likes of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong to assist him in the center of the pitch, with both youngsters always coming to Barcelona's rescue.
Nevertheless, their sorry state of the present has a lot to do with the dwindling forms of several first-team players. Barcelona's heavy reliance on Lionel Messi has finally come to light after his departure, exposing the shortcomings of his former teammates. On that note, let's take a look at the five Barcelona players who are severely inconsistent at the moment:
#5 Jordi Alba
Having recently been promoted to be one of the four designated club captains following Lionel Messi's untimely exit, Jordi Alba is one of the most senior figures at Barcelona. The Spanish left-back has been a loyal servant to the Blaugrana for over nine years now, with the ongoing season being his tenth at the club.
However, the seasoned veteran has experienced a slight dip in form in recent years. Alba, who is considered to be a double threat by his opponents, has been a little sluggish in his defending lately. While his attacking yield has mostly covered the rest of his shortcomings, with Alba producing 20 goal contributions last term, his output at the back has been somewhat inconsistent.
🎙| #BarçaAlaves | Jordi Alba: “This is a very bad point. We wanted to get 3 points here at Camp Nou. This is bad and unacceptable for Barcelona.” https://t.co/6jSlfg1ucl
The pacy defender has been a key figure on the offensive front for Barcelona, which has affected his involvement at the back. His runs upfront have taken a significant toll on his ability to track back during a counter-attack, with forwards finding it easier to dart past the ageing full-back now. At 32, Alba is not getting any younger and Barcelona desperately need an eventual successor to the veteran's throne.
#4 Philippe Coutinho
The most divisive figure in the current Barcelona squad, Philippe Coutinho has his fair share of admirers as well as doubters. The Brazilian maestro has failed to produce his best football following his record-breaking €135 million transfer to the Catalan giants.
Coutinho was expected to take the limelight at Camp Nou after Lionel Messi's departure to PSG, with Culers hoping to see him as Barcelona's chief creator. So far in the 2020-21 season, they have only witnessed flashes of brilliance from the 29-year-old Brazilian, with Coutinho blatantly looking a bit rusty.
Philippe Coutinho has been called up to the latest Brazil squad for the first time in a year 🇧🇷 https://t.co/cdoB7VX4IN
Under Ronald Koeman, the former Liverpool attacker could never establish himself as an essential member of the current Barcelona side. As a result, his recent form has been wavering, to say the least. If Coutinho can successfully maintain his fitness and nail down a starting role under the soon-to-be-appointed new Barcelona manager, he might be able to attain some sort of consistency.
Also read: Ranking the 10 best players aged under 23 at Barcelona