Barcelona: 3 Reasons Carles Puyol's Best Years Are Behind Him

Barcelona’s incredible turnaround in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie with AC Milan on Tuesday may have been one of the most incredible results of the Spanish giants’ amazing last few seasons, but it was not without its low points.

Chief amongst them was Javier Mascherano’s ridiculous header, which left the door open for M’Baye Niang to race in on goal.

While Niang’s shot may have clattered off the post and left the door open for Barcelona to avoid conceding and book their tickets to the quarterfinals, those few heart-pounding moments left many asking a few questions.

Why was Mascherano, a defensive midfielder, put in the position of playing at center back in the first place?

After all, captain Carles Puyol was on the bench at the time. However, he was left out of the action until brought on as a substitute late in the second half.

While Puyol has missed time with injury this season, it is quite notable that Barca left the Spaniard on the bench in the biggest match of the club’s season.

Is Carles’ time at the club coming to an end? Or will he once more find his form for the Blaugrana?

Here are three reasons Carles Puyol’s best years are behind him.

Age

At some point in every player’s career, Father Time will impact performances on the pitch. That time seems to have come for Carles Puyol.

The Spaniard’s body has been breaking down and his speed has been diminishing, taking away some of the most important factors of his game.

Suddenly, Puyol’s versatility has come into question. His positioning has become an issue because of pace, and his work rate is lower as he can’t keep up his high level of play.

While 2010-11 Puyol was making 2.1 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per match, the 2012-13 Carles has just 1.3 tackles and one interception per match.

Perhaps Puyol can turn these statistics around and adapt his game to fit his attributes, which have not yet dissipated, but it is doubtful that Carles will reach the same level of effectiveness he once achieved.

Injuries

One is hard-pressed not to notice the amount of time Puyol has spent on the sidelines with injuries over the past few years.

The defender had gone nine consecutive seasons with at least 38 appearances for Barcelona before 2010-11. Since then, he has spent quite a few matches watching. Puyol played just 27 matches in 2010-11, missed Euro 2012 for Spain and has made just 22 appearances so far this season.

Combining these injury woes with his age, one gets the feeling that Carles is a player whose body is breaking down and will not reach the heights he once did.

After all, even if the defender finds a way to start contributing, his various injury concerns will make it hard to find a rhythm and top form.

Barcelona Looking Elsewhere?

One of the biggest factors that contributes to Carles Puyol’s high level of play is the style of the team around him.

Puyol thrives in the tiki-taka system that Barcelona have mastered. His great passing and positioning provide a bridge between the back and front and the side’s incredible ability to keep the ball covers any potential cracks in the Spaniard’s play.

However, with Puyol’s injury problems and slight dip in form, Barca may just be looking toward the transfer window for a replacement.

According to The Mirror, the Spanish giants are lining up bids for the likes of Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany, Chelsea’s David Luiz and Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels to replace their captain and center back.

Should these reports be true, Puyol is faced with somewhat of a catch-22.

To find consistent playing time, the Spaniard may have to start looking elsewhere. However, to get back to his best, Carles needs to stay at the Camp Nou.

Either way, the result is Carles Puyol failing to reach the heights he once knew.

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