5 Ways Luis Enrique Has Turned Around Barcelona and Lionel Messi
Luis Enrique has certainly got everyone at Barcelona back onside in a relatively short space of time.
It wasn't too long ago that there were very strong rumours, including one from Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail, that Lucho was actually on the verge of being sacked.
Those talks have been replaced by chatter on whether this side can emulate Pep Guardiola's and win the treble.
At this juncture, and given the way the team is playing, you have to say that they are in the box seat for such success.
Let's take a look at five ways Lucho has turned things around with Barcelona and Lionel Messi.
Stopped Rotating
1 of 5
Probably the most visible sign of a change in the side.
After using a different starting lineup in 29 successive matches in all competitions, Enrique finally had his fingers badly burned in the match against Real Sociedad at the turn of the year.
It turned into a watershed moment for him and the team.
Immediately thereafter the rotation stopped, and any rotations since have been minimal and done sparingly.
The improvement in performance and results has been there for all to see.
Talking Up Messi in the Media
2 of 5
The manager has played another blinder here.
Against the alleged backdrop of dressing-room unrest and rows with Lionel Messi, having Enrique come out and essentially fawn over his star player is a masterstroke.
Peter Stevenson of Reuters notes Enrique's words from a press conference earlier in the season when he said:
"Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, football is the king of sports and he will continue to surprise everyone for a long time."
Praise doesn't come any higher, and it has no doubt gone some way to diffusing a potentially ruinous situation.
More Variation and a 'Plan B'
3 of 5
The 4-3-3 template that Barca generally stick to, come what may, has been placed alongside any other tactical variations that Enrique thinks will win him the game.
Who can forget the 3-5-2 against Paris Saint-Germain with Pedro as the right wing-back.
If its a Plan B that Barca are after, it appears that Enrique may finally be the man to provide it.
By way of example, some of the counter-attacking football that we have seen from the Catalans this season has been out of the very top drawer.
Both long- and short-passing variations are taking equal precedence. "Tiki-taka" isn't dead, but it's definitely taking a back seat when required.
Asserting Authority
4 of 5
When Tata Martino left Barcelona at the end of last season, he disproved the theory that anyone could manage that group of players.
It takes a special sort of manager to mould such a set of superstars, with egos to match, into a cohesive unit.
Enrique has been steadfast in his refusal to deviate from his methods, and this perhaps had something to do with squad disagreements earlier in the season.
But the manager has stuck to his guns, and as Gerard Pique noted on Spanish radio programme El Partido de las 12 (via Marca):
"Luis Enrique calls the shots more than Messi, obviously. He's the coach, the boss, though Leo has a lot of clout in the dressing room.
There are disagreements in every squad. Luis Enrique and Messi had a spat, but it's a thing of the past.
"
Freedom of Expression
5 of 5
Barca's front three are on fire at the moment, and their movement has been first class.
Given licence to roam, it's not been uncommon to see any one of the three dropping deep to receive the ball, and either keeping the width down the channels or being more direct centrally.
With all three keen to work in tandem, their freedom of expression and interplay is paying wonderful dividends.
Since the turn of the year alone, the trio have scored 39 between them and also racked up 16 assists, per WhoScored.com.
That's title-winning excellence.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
