Barcelona will only have themselves to blame if they continue on the path of self destruction that has beset them throughout their 2015/16 pre-season fixtures.For a team so full of talent to be making such elementary defensive errors is embarrassing at best, but it is becoming a recurring trend that needs to be nipped in the bud immediately.Some will point to Luis Enrique's tinkering again as the problem for the under-par performance at Athletic Bilbao, and perhaps there is some truth in that.For a cup final that would bring a possible fifth title to the club in 2015, his selection would've certainly raised eyebrows in many quarters.One or two changes would be understandable given the long flight to Tbilisinot four, five or six. It was always going to be a recipe for disaster.But frankly, those players with whom the manager has placed his trust need to do better. Much better.Marc Bartra has been knocking on the first team door for some while now, but his performance alongside Thomas Vermaelen was abysmal.Why were both heading toward the near post in the lead up to the second Athletic goal, leaving just Javier Mascherano, one of the smallest players on the pitch, to do battle aerially with Aritz Aduriz, arguably one of the finest headers of the ball in La Liga and a worthy recipient of the match ball'Far too gung-ho for this type of fixture, Bartra showed his inexperience. On this showing you'd be hard-pressed to disagree with the manager's usual choice of Gerard Pique and Mascherano in the position if these are the standards that the club hold in reserve.Ditto Adriano Correia.Ernesto Valverde might have identified a weakness down that left channel in the absence of Jordi Alba because there was certainly a tendency to target the Brazilian. He was at fault for the hosts' third goal for example, with his weak challenge allowing the ball to be crossed in before panic ensued.A team that recorded a record 33 clean sheets throughout last season has already gone to pieces at the back and conceded 16 goals in pre-season including eight in two games. When was the last time that happened'!It won't have done Marc-Andre ter Stegen's credibility as first-choice keeper any good either. The young German recently told German Magazine 11Fruende via Sport (h/t Renato Goncalves of Barca Blaugranes):Having to alternate appearances with Bravo' It's not the most pleasant situation, which is no secret. I would obviously like to play in all matches.I have a very good relationship with Bravo, and I don't have any problems with him. We talk constantly, and wish nothing but the best to him. That said, I want his spot.On this performance and the one against Sevilla he won't get it, plain and simple.And that we are supposedly not into "competitive" fixtures as yet cannot be used as an excuse.It's worth dwelling on whether the club in its entirety just didn't take Athletic seriously, given that Los Leones only won one game in the last 25 meetings between the sides, per Fussball Wettpoint,and lost 5-2 to Barca at this venue in their last battle at the San Mames.How else do you make sense of yet another woeful 90 minutes'Only Roma have failed to score against them, which says much about the defensive turmoil that the Blaugrana are currently trying to overcome.With dreams of a second sextuple all but ended unless Barca can mount the mother of all comebacks, what the result and manner of it shows us is just what little strength in depth the Catalans do have in certain positions.La Masia, an academy that is supposedly the exemplar, hasn't produced any player of note since Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez came through in 2008.With Barca's B team now relegated to the third tier of Spanish football, the only possible silver lining could be the promotion of Alejandro "Alex" Grimaldo to the first team.An accomplished and cultured left-back, supporters of the club might at least see a player with some passion and pride.Something that has been sorely lacking in the back four during these last few weeks.Knee-jerk reactions aren't necessary, of course, but losing can become just as much of a habit as winning.Barca need to reverse the trend.
Click here to read full news..
