Analysis: 10 reasons for Barça's worst league campaign in a decade

Lionel Messi's face during the 90 minutes of Barcelona's defeat against Osasuna said as much as his explosive comments after the game as Real Madrid's league title was confirmed. The Barça captain was angry at what has been Barça's worst season in a decade. 

The result against Osasuna, a 2-1 loss, summer up the team's ills from the 2019-20 season, becoming a diagnosis of the problems that started under Ernesto Valverde and finished under Quique Setien. 

Here are the 10 reasons Barcelona came up short in their bid to win a third title in as many years.  

1. POOR PLANNING  

Signs of wear and tear were already on show as the project was the same one that won the treble in 2014-15. After the Anfield humiliation last season, the team lost the Copa del Rey final, but president Josep Maria Bartimeu kept Valverde on, even though it was clear his credit was running out. 

The critical moment came in January, with the exit of several players on loan or even sold (Wagué, Todibo, Carles Pérez) coinciding with injuries (Luis Suárez, Ousmane Dembélé, Samuel Umtiti...) that forced the club to sign Martin Braithwaite on an emergency deal due to poor planning. 

2. SIGNING DoN'T FIT  

Four signings were made (Neto, Firpo, De Jong and Griezmann) to complete the squad. Neto arrived as competition for Ter Stegen, Junior, still raw, to compete with Alba and De Jong and Griezmann to strengthen the XI. De Jong has never played his ideal position nor offered the performances he did at Ajax and has been injured in the final stretch of the season. Greizmann has not quite adapted and Setien benched him for three games when Barça dropped points after the restart. 

3. SALES CAUSING PROBLEMS 

First, it was Rakitic and Vidal. Then it was Arthur Melo. Barça decided to get rid of the first two for sporting and/or financial reasons, but couldn't find a deal that benefitted all parties and they ended up staying. The Croatian and the Chilean didn't take their change of role well. 

In Arthur's case, his situation, funnily enough, changed with Setien, under a coach more open to positional play and one-touch football than Valverde. Arthur was sold to Juventus weeks ago and hasn't had a minute since. Miralem Pjanic will come in the other direction. 

4. SQUAD GETTING OLD 

Barça have continued to bet on the spine of the team that won the Champions League in 2015. There's no doubt about the quality of those players -- what a generation they are and have been -- but they're now five years older. Eight of the squad are between 30 and 33 now and, most importantly, six of them are regular starters. 

5. LA MASIA 

Valverde was criticised for not looking at the B team but Setien hasn't been too different. It's true Valverde gave minutes to Ansu Fari and Setien has turned to Riqui Puig and Araujo in recent weeks. But Carles Perez left the club in January after starting the season well and that's a symbol of the academy's role at the club in recent seasons. 

6. COACHING CHANGE 

Regardless of whether Valverde had the blessing of the dressing room to the end or if Setien hasn't connected with the players, the coaching change hasn't had the expected effect. 

Setien, a confessed Cruyffista, hasn't recovered the style. What's more, Barça have become less recognisable and duller, incapable of matching their equals (Real Madrid, Atletico) and, in the end, even losing to more modest sides (Osasuna).

7. WEAKER AFTER PANDEMIC

Some teams returned motivated after the three month enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic -- Real Madrid, Atletico, Villarreal, Granada -- and others struggled to get going, like Real Sociedad. 

The lockdown didn't do Barça any good either (six wins, three draws and one defeat). They always seemed to be lacking freshness and to top things off they suffered injures at the worst times. The only positive was the return of Luis Suarez.  

8. Messi & MARC NOT ENOUGH 

Goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen's had a sensation season even though his statistics (36 goals conceded, 14 clean sheets) aren't as good as previous seasons. Messi is still Messi (top scorer in La Liga with 23 and most assists with 20). But the two alone could not help Barça hold on to their title. 

9. FRAGILE AWAY FROM camp nou

One of the characteristics of this team has been their form away from home. Barça, with one more road game to come at Mendizorroza on Sunday, have 50 points at home and 29 away. In 2018-19, they managed 48 at home and 39 away. 

10. LOWEST POINTS TALLY SINCE 2007-08

If they beat Alaves in the final game, Barça will end the campaign with 82 points, the lowest number since Frank Rijkaard's last season: 67 points, third in the table. No trophies. 

In the current season, Valverde got 40 points from 19 games in the first half of the season; Setien has 39 and could reach 42.