Barcelona are not playing well...

The result of the ‘Observatori Blaugrana’, a poll of 1,000 Barcelona socios and 1,000 Barcelona fans, caught my attention because a large percentage of people polled said they would prefer Barça to play well (nice, pretty football) than to win every title. That declaration is a way of being, the Barça DNA, the style... and it's worthy of applause. But allow me to be a little cynical, because I have never met a single Barça socio or fan that doesn't get angry if the team loses against Real Madrid or Espanyol, to give two examples, even if they have played nice football. 

That said, and returning to what is demanded from the team, which features some of the best-paid players on the planet, I don't think the socios will be satisfied with the performances offered by Ernesto Valverde's side so far this season, even though they have won all their league games. In Valladolid, for example, if the game had been played last season, it would have ended in a draw, because the home team's late leveler was ruled out by VAR. On Saturday, at Anoeta, the win against Real Sociedad arrived after an insufferable first half in which Barça didn't create any danger. Only brilliance from Marc-Andre ter Stegen allowed them to win the game. 

No, this Barça can and should play much better. Throwing away games, like against Roma last season and in Paris and Turin the season before, this Barça will not win the Champions League. Valverde's been given a squad competitive enough so that you should not notice when one player plays or another, except for Lionel Messi, of course. He has to be capable, therefore, of using it correctly so that Barça are close to the level of excellence demanded by Barça's socios in every game. With performances like those in Valladolid or San Sebastian, he will not achieve it.