It always becomes a concern when a player over 30 has a poor run of form. You hope it’s down to injury or something that means they can recover and get back to their best, and not a case of them being unable to play at the top level anymore.
Ernesto Valverde has come under a lot of pressure recently after a poor start to the season for Barcelona. They’ve had to cope without Lionel Messi and have obviously struggled with poor results against Osasuna, Granada and Bilbao.
READ MORE: Reports suggest Neymar is ready to complete a dramatic U turn and pledge his long term future to PSG
One of the players to come under heavy criticism is Luis Suarez, but his manager has been keen to stick up for him:
???VALVERDE: “Luis SUÁREZ ha estado LESIONADO y tiene que ir recuperando la FORMA. Sabemos que con el tiempo nos ayuda mucho”. ¡A las 23:59h @elchiringuitotv! pic.twitter.com/cq48vhNcX4
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) September 24, 2019
The comments from Valverde insist that Luis Suarez has been injured and will need some time to get back to form. He also says that over time he will still be able to help the team a lot.
His poor form has exposed the biggest problem that Barcelona have when they construct a starting XI full of superstars. It’s impossible to get squad players with the quality required to step in and play at a high level, because they know the only way they will ever play is if someone gets injured.
Paco Alcacer is a fine example of someone who would be great to have around, but he left for Dortmund because of a lack of any first team opportunities.
They might have got lucky with Ansu Fati breaking through and showing he has the quality to play in the first team, but sooner or later he will want to play more often or want to leave.
It’s further evidenced when you see them making bizarre signings like Kevin Prince Boateng, players who will accept a place on the bench for a season or two because they know they wouldn’t be able to play for such a huge club otherwise.
The fitness of Lionel Messi still seems to be in question, so Barca fans will need to hope that Suarez get’s back to his best soon or the league could slide out of reach.