5 Questions Barcelona Fans Would Love to Ask Luis Enrique

As they begin the defence of their La Liga crown on Sunday, Barcelona are doing so under something of a cloud.

The embarrassing 5-1 aggregate defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup simply wasn't on the cards for last season's treble winners, and as fate would have it, it is to Athletic they must go for their first La Liga clash of the new campaign.

Manager Luis Enrique has had some serious questions asked of him since these struggles in the formative weeks of the season, but what would the Barca fans love to ask him if they had the chance?

What's Happened to the Defence?

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Four goals conceded in the European Super Cup against Sevilla and then five over two legs in the Spanish version against Athletic adds up to shipping nine strikes in three games for Barca, which is hardly European champions' form.

With Claudio Bravo in goal, Barca conceded just 21 times on their way to winning La Liga last season, a remarkable record and one that earned the Chilean stopper the Zamora Trophy for the league's best goalkeeper.

With "Copa keeper" Marc-Andre ter Stegen having struggled in these early season matches you can expect Bravo to return at the weekend, and he's going to have to be on top form to help control a defence that suddenly seems very accident prone. 

Why Was Pre-Season so Underwhelming?

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Over in the Premier League, reigning champions Chelsea are facing criticism following a below-par pre-season that has led to just one point from their opening two games of the campaign.

Barca were one of the clubs the Blues faced while in America, where the Catalans were decidedly undercooked and suffered defeats to Manchester United and Fiorentina, as well as Chelsea on penalties.

Enrique was hampered by the unavailability of Neymar and others following the Copa America, but there didn't seem to be any fluency about the club's summer preparations, with that lax attitude seemingly seeping into both the European and Spanish Super Cup games.

The manager will need to make sure his troops are fully up to speed on Sunday. 

What's He Going to Do with Arda Turan?

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Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic. Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez.

It was a personnel and system that worked wonders for Barcelona last season, and you'd think it'd still be pretty good when they field it this time around, too.

But in January when the club's transfer ban is ended we'll see Arda Turan come into the mix following his move from Atletico Madrid, and what does Enrique do then?

Turan is 28 and so can't be regarded as one for the future, so is the Turkish international's addition a sign that some of Enrique's midfielders need more rest? And if so, will they be happy to accept that?

Can He Control Gerard Pique's Temper?

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The red card Gerard Pique received in the Spanish Super Cup second leg clash with Athletic Bilbao was just the latest example of the centre-back's tendency to sometimes lose his head.

Pique is a fiery player, but there is no excuse for the loss of temper he demonstrated when insulting a linesman during the 1-1 draw, with the unpleasant exchange reported here by the Daily Telegraph.

In many instances if you remove that passion from a player you sometimes make them less effective performers as a result, but Pique is no use to Enrique and Barcelona when he's watching on from the sidelines as he will be at the weekend, and the manager has to find a way to get him to control his temper.

Who Will Step Up and Be Pedro's Replacement?

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With Pedro having been finally sold to Manchester United Chelsea and the transfer ban in place, Enrique will need to rely on one of his young players to play as back-up to the electric front three of Messi, Suarez and Neymar.

Nineteen-year-old Munir El Haddadi and 20-year-old Sandro would appear to be the logical choices, but will Enrique prioritise one or the other?

Sandro has got the better record in the first team having netted four times for them last season, but can the Spain under-21 international handle the demands of an increased role within the first team, something that Pedro became incredibly adept at.