Luis Enrique Hits out at Jeremy Mathieu over Clasico Tactics, Talks Lionel Messi

Luis Enrique has opened up about Barcelona’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico, speaking frankly about the roles played by Jeremy Mathieu and Lionel Messi.

The former of the two aforementioned players admitted he was surprised to play at left-back against Los Blancos after shining in the centre of the Barcelona defence early in the season, per RTL (h/t Miles Chambers of Goal.com). But Enrique pulled no punches in his retort to his player’s comments, per AS:

Mathieu signed for the Catalans from Valencia last summer and, although he’s done well at centre-back, one of the positive facets of his acquisition was his versatility. During his time with Los Che, he featured regularly at left-back, and although his deployment in that role in El Clasico was curious, Enrique clearly had a tactical motivation for doing so.

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While Mathieu isn’t anywhere near as dynamic as regular left-back Jordi Alba—a man who’s vertical forays are vital to Barcelona’s stylistic principles—the Frenchman is defensively a lot more studious. With Neymar playing on the left wing, perhaps Enrique felt as though the 30-year-old’s defensive nous would afford his team some added solidity against the Los Blancos' firepower.

Of course, it’s a decision that didn’t work out, as Real scythed through the Blaugrana on the break time after time. ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan questioned in the aftermath whether Enrique’s decision showed a lack of conviction in the early principles he's instilled:

The same could be said with his decision to start Messi, a player who reportedly needed an injection to play in the showpiece at the Santiago Bernabeu. Per Marca, Enrique revealed that while he didn’t necessarily agree with the Argentine’s decision to play, it wasn't his choice to make:

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As a coach, I always recommend and advise players against having painkilling injections, but it's the player's decision.

You have to ask the doctors about medical issues: all I know is that Messi was fit.

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Messi was unable to make a sustained impact in the 90 minutes, which was a major surprise given he typically raises his level for these kinds of occasions. Even though the genial Argentine was not 100 percent fit, per El Confidential (h/t Tom Conn of insidespanishfootball.com), it would have been a major decision for Enrique to leave out his star man for such a crucial spectacle.

He lined up alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar in an attacking threesome bristling with quality, and although there were signs of the three forging an understanding, it’ll take a while for them to click fully into gear.

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While things have gone well for Enrique since he took over from Tata Martino at the Camp Nou, the whole El Clasico package will have been a vital experience for him. Let’s not forget, he’s still a relatively young coach, one that certainly will have never encountered—as a manager—the raucous hyperbole that accompanies these enormous occasions.

Consequentially, Enrique has admitted that while he pays little attention to critics, he’s happy to shoulder the blame for the defeat, per Marca:

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I don't read the criticism. I know there's been heaps of it, but I don't go into it

I take full responsibility for the defeat at the Bernabéu. But we're still joint-top of the table with Sevilla after nine matches. I'd be worried if there were an attitude problem, but that's by no means the case. We lost for footballing reasons and I hold my hands up, it was my responsibility

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A defeat in El Clasico is always tough to take for those associated with the Camp Nou outfit, but it’s vital that some perspective is strived for here. Enrique has done plenty of fine work in the infancy of his managerial stint with the club, and up against a side with the quality of Madrid and a manager as savvy as Carlo Ancelotti, things were always going to be difficult for the new Barca boss.

It’s also worth noting that Barcelona remain top of the table, as the Blaugrana boss was quick to remind us:

What is vital is that he learns from this experience. Enrique shied away from the principles that he’s instilled in this team so far this season, withdrawing the dynamism of Ivan Rakitic and Alba for the safer options of Xavi Hernandez and Mathieu. Given the swagger and cohesion with which this team has played in La Liga up to their Bernabeu humbling, in hindsight, that was a major error of judgement.

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At Barcelona, an incessant stylistic mantra is probably more important than at any club in the world. The club's former midfielder has already instilled some wonderful ideologies within his squad, and by the time the next clash with the European champions rolls around, Enrique must be true to them.