5 current Barcelona players who lack consistency

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga Santander
Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga Santander

#3 Clement Lenglet

Lenglet has been very disappointing recently
Lenglet has been very disappointing recently

Clement Lenglet made a bright start to his Barcelona career, adequately replacing the injured Samuel Umtiti on his arrival in 2018. While many critics had their doubts about the amount that the Blaugrana had spent to acquire his services from Sevilla, a strong debut campaign seemed to have comfortably silenced them.

Nevertheless, his inconsistent nature soon kicked in, and Barcelona were forced to pay a hefty price for his mistakes. He inexplicably gave away a massive four penalties in the 2020-21 season alone, confirming his status as one of the most error-prone defenders in football right now.

Subsequently, the French centre-half has lost his spot in Barcelona's starting lineup, with the likes of Ronald Araujo, Oscar Minguez and newcomer Eric Garcia now ahead of him in the pecking order. Lenglet's discouraging inconsistency has stripped him off of his reputation as an elite defender, with the likes of Newcastle United now showing an interest in the Barcelona outcast.


#2 Sergi Roberto

FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad - LaLiga Santander
FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad - LaLiga Santander

The quintessential utility man, things have taken an ugly turn for Sergi Roberto in recent years. A respected personality in the Barcelona squad during his prime, Roberto has successfully tarnished his reputation as the hero of the fabled 'La Remontada' against PSG due to his recent antics.

One of the longest-serving players at Barcelona right now, Roberto has completed his journey from being an undisputed starter to just another squad member at the club. His 'safe play' ideology has seriously affected Barcelona's on-field performances, with the Spaniard failing to provide anything substantial during build-up play.

His versatility and defensive contributions are the only things, aside from nostalgia, that have kept him from being ousted from the club. Having been an amazing servant to the Blaugrana since his La Masia days, Roberto's days at the top are swiftly approaching their end. The inconsistent 29-year-old is on track to become a free agent next summer. From the looks of it, though, not many people in Barcelona should miss his absence, come next year.


#1 Ousmane Dembele

Dembele hasn't made a single appearance this season
Dembele hasn't made a single appearance this season

Undoubtedly the most erratic player currently plying his trade at Camp Nou, Ousmane Dembele has never been a reliable figure upfront for the Catalan giants. While he has indeed been unlucky with injuries during his four-year stay with Barcelona, the French playmaker has shown a certain sense of immaturity in his game when fit.

The 2020-21 season was his first full season with the Blaugrana, following his €135 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund. For the first time in four years, the footballing world finally got to see the brilliance of Dembele in a Barcelona jersey. In 44 appearances, the 24-year-old prodigy managed to rack up 11 goals and five assists, his best output since 2018.

However, with increased exposure, several of his shortcomings also took center stage last season. The most pivotal drawback of his game has turned out to be his poor decision-making skills. His failure to adequately read the game in the final hour has resulted in Dembele squandering numerous golden opportunities. Still spending time on the treatment table, Dembele will have to adopt a much more careful approach to the game if he desires to achieve success at Camp Nou.


Also read: 5 times PSG overpaid for a player

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