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Andres Iniesta makes shock admission about Barcelona

By Rucker Haringey

BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 19: Andres Iniesta of Barcelona avoids the tackle of Pablo Zabaleta of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 19: Andres Iniesta of Barcelona avoids the tackle of Pablo Zabaleta of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /
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Andres Iniesta insists playing with style is just as important as winning at Barcelona

If Barcelona fans want to know why their club have fallen behind Real Madrid in the La Liga standings, they need only read Andres Iniesta’s latest comments. Their midfielder has articulated his belief that playing with style is just as important as winning for the Catalan giants.

Iniesta made these comments to the media after being questioned as to whether or not the club have changed their philosophy under Luis Enrique. It’s fair to say that Barcelona haven’t always played beautiful football under their current manager. With that being said, they still feature the world’s most famous attacking trio composed of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Despite their world-class talent, Barcelona fans will tell you that the football just hasn’t looked the same this season. The concerns of the fan base on that issue are magnified by the reality that Barcelona trail rival Real Madrid by six points in the league standings.

Barcelona fans need to understand that they aren’t trailing Real Madrid because they don’t play stylish enough football. The reason they trail Los Blancos is because they remain too occupied with playing pretty football. It’s their obsession with style over substance that has them chasing their arch rivals in the standings.

Not convinced? Just look at who Enrique typically starts in his midfield three. At the place on the pitch where his club really needs steel, he trots out Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Denis Suarez. The only one of those three who really concerns himself with defense is Busquets.

Against a lot of La Liga opposition, Barcelona don’t need to concern themselves with midfield balance. They can simply overwhelm their competition with offensive brilliance. It doesn’t work against everyone though. Against the top echelon of Spain’s top flight, Barca would be well served to put out a more balanced midfield three.

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Unfortunately, the demanding style of the club prevents Enrique from making this sort of adjustment. I’m guessing if he truly had his preference, he’d be inclined to select two defensive-minded midfielders against teams like Real Madrid and Atletico. That would give him a much better chance at grinding out meaningful results. Instead, he’s hamstrung by the demand for expansive football at Camp Nou.

If Barcelona want to catch Real Madrid, they’re going to have to start valuing results over style. That doesn’t mean they should rush out and hire Tony Pulis to lead their club, but it does mean they should stop trying to impress the fans at the expense of their ability to accrue points on the pitch. Only then, can they top Real Madrid at the pinnacle of the La Liga table.

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