FC Barcelona: 10 Reasons Reigning European Champions Are Worse Than Last Year

Barcelona find themselves second in La Liga at present, some 10 points behind first-placed Real Madrid.

Having won the Spanish title and Champions League so comfortably last year, why is it that Pep Guardiola's men are struggling to catch Los Blancos?

The simple answer is that their team isn't as good this season, and here we'll look at 10 reasons why that is.

Lionel Messi

Best player in the world? Probably.

Best player of all time? Difficult to compare different generations, but again probably.

Whilst in white-hot form of late, Barcelona are in danger of becoming too reliant on the Argentinean Lionel Messi.

In the six league draws and two defeats that Barcelona have suffered this season, Messi has only scored one solitary goal.

It seems that when he plays well, Barca play well.

Pep Guardiola to Leave?

Pep Guardiola only signs yearly contracts with the club in an effort to maintain his focus and not get sloppy.

Many people expected him to resign after winning La Liga and the Champions League last season, but Guardiola opted to renew for another attempt.

There has been speculation linking the manager away from the club in the newspapers recently, and perhaps Guardiola has had his head turned.

Jose Mourinho to Blame?

From one manager to another, perhaps Jose Mourinho is to blame for the Catalan club's dip in league form.

They say Mourinho is the best coach in the world—perhaps he has Real Madrid playing so well that it's just making Barcelona look worse than they actually are.

With 12 games remaining, Barcelona could still achieve 96 points.

Last season they won La Liga with...you guessed it...96 points.

Influx of Cash

Malaga are the latest club to receive an influx of cash from rich owners—in this instance, Qatari investor Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah Al Ahmed Al Thani.

So could it be that the Spanish teams below Barcelona and Real Madrid are finally beginning to improve and catch the big two?

Only time will tell.

Ageing Squad?

With Carles Puyol aged 33, Xavi Hernandez aged 32, Seydou Keita aged 32, Eric Abidal aged 32 and David Villa at 30 years of age, is it possible that Barcelona—whilst still hugely impressive—are coming towards the beginning of the end of their golden era?

How they conduct themselves between now and the end of the season may show how much there is left in the Catalan tank.

Eyes on the Prize...Money?

The money given to the winner of La Liga is nefariously low; however, the clubs make their money through the intricate TV deals they have set up.

Barcelona received approximately €50 million from their Champions League victory in 2011.

Perhaps the club is beginning to put European success before domestic.

Off Season

Of course, it could be possible that Barcelona are having one of those league seasons in which things just don't go their way.

Some people believe you get what you deserve in football, whereas others think it can be a cruel sport that doesn't always merit the effort put in.

Could it be that Barcelona have hit a period of uncertainty that they can't quite shake quickly enough?

It's clear their league ability isn't bad, it's just not as good as last season.

Away Day Blues

Barcelona's main downfall in the league has come away from home this season.

With two away defeats and five away draws already, Barcelona have already worsened their away record versus last season, which featured one away defeat and four away draws.

Is Defending a Problem?

As you'd expect with Barcelona, scoring goals isn't usually the issue.

One thing that is clear is that they aren't as tight defensively as they could be.

Having conceded 21 goals in the league in 2010-11, Barcelona are already just two goals behind that mark in 2011-12 with 19. 

With 12 games remaining, Barcelona are almost certain to surpass that mark before the end of the season.

David Villa

Losing David Villa to a broken shin injury in December has perhaps been a bigger blow to the club than people realised.

Despite Villa being one of the best strikers in the world, many thought that Barcelona would be comfortable playing on without him.

At times, that has clearly looked the case, but occasionally the team has lacked his deadly finishing.

Barcelona have already scored seven more goals at home this season in La Liga than they did in the whole of last season, but, again, their away record is suffering.

With 22 goals dispatched so far away from home, Barcelona are 27 short of last season's away tally.

They have six away games remaining.

Afterthoughts

Let's not get things confused here: Barcelona are an amazing team that are going superbly in the Champions League—it's just their league form letting them down.

Barcelona will impress and amaze with their football for years to come, but unless Guardiola figures out what has changed this season, the Champions League is the best they can hope for.

I wouldn't be surprised to see an all-Spanish final with the way Real Madrid are negotiating their path, either. Jose Mourinho certainly seems to know what he's doing, which must be cause for concern for their Catalan rivals.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out Carlos Tevez and the 15 Most Annoying Transfer Sagas, as well as Liverpool's Future:10 Steps To Ensure Champions League Qualification.

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