5 problems FC Barcelona need to take care of as soon as possible

The 18/19 season is underway and after achieving domestic success consistently over the past few years, there's only one trophy that could relinquish the Catalan thirst. Being a Barca fan in these past 3 years could be hard, seeing your team constantly choke in the UCL while your main rivals win it thrice in a row.

First team captain Lionel Messi promised the Camp Nou that they would do everything they could to bring the UCL home this season, and therefore gave Barcelona supporters something to look forward to. However, things don't seem to be working out at Barca as well as they hoped for, dropping 7 points in their last 3 La Liga games. More importantly, they seem to lack their identity so far this season and unless they find a way to regain their fluency, things could get complicated further on. It'll be interesting to see how Valverde handles these issues. Nonetheless, this is football, and as we know it, predicting how triumphant aside will turn out to be is nearly impossible. We all know that every season faces major turning points midway.

Keeping that in mind, let's take a look at the obvious problems Barça need to rectify, from a supporters perspective:

1. Luis Suarez's decline in form

Suarez needs to regain his sharpness in front of goal

We haven't witnessed Suarez at his best since his prolific 15/16 season. Although he does manage to pull off wonders in a few games, he lacks the consistency he once had and doesn't seem as critical as before. In addition to that, he is often dispossessed after which, what we've seen many times, is him trying to cover up with silly play-acting.

With the club pursuing a deal for Griezmann last summer, many supporters were convinced that Suarez's time as the first-choice striker had come to an end. Although Griezmann decided to stay at Atletico Madrid, it won't be long before Barça start the hunt for a new striker considering not only Suarez's loss in dominance in front of goal but also the fact that he has only a few seasons left at the top tier.

Suarez has had a fair share of special moments at Barça and will definitely go down as one of the best players in Barcelona's history. However, what seems evident is that Suarez, at 31, is way past his prime, and has clearly lost something he once had. If he doesn't find a way to change things, it won't be long before he bids adieu to the Blaugrana.

2. Ousmane Dembele hasn't fully adapted to the Barça style of play yet

Loads of room for improvement in case of Ousmane Dembele

Netting 3 goals already in just 7 La Liga games this season, equalling his last season tally in 17 games played, statistics seem to prove that Dembele has been playing as well as he should be.

However, analyzing Barcelona games would prove otherwise. Dembele might have adapted well to the team when compared to last season but there still remains loads of room for improvement. Despite his blistering pace along the right wing, he tends to break down promising moves with poor touches and gives the ball away way too often, many a time in dangerous areas.

Of course, it's way too early to criticize him, considering it's just his second season at the club. Also, he was ruled out with a hamstring injury for more than half of last season. However, when you're at Barça, the expectations are as high as they can be, especially when you've been brought in for a sum of 147 million Euros to replace Neymar. It's therefore of paramount importance for him to fix his faults on the pitch at the earliest.

3. The defensive situation needs serious amendments

Valverde confirms Samuel Umtiti's knee injury

Perhaps the most important problem on this list is that the Barça defense is in shambles. With Umtiti expected to be out for several months due to a knee injury, Valverde is going to have a rough time reforming the defense.

The defensive situation at Barca is far from great

Gerrard Pique seems to lack focus, making many silly errors which lead to Barca conceding eventually and is often outpaced by the opposition. With Lenglet yet to be accustomed to the team, only Jordi Alba and Semedo happen to be affluent at the back. However, the main problem, in this case, is the central defense, for which Barça do not have quality options at the moment. Furthermore, dragging Busquets back into a defensive role often causes the middle fall apart.

4. There isn't a potential replacement for Sergio Busquets yet

FC Barcelona centre mid, Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets, now 30, is the pillar of the Blaugrana midfield. The last of the golden midfield trio along with Xavi and Iniesta, Sergio Busquets still happens to be the teams most pivotal player, opening up the game from the central midfield while no other player can.

While Barca now has potent players including Coutinho, Vidal and Arthur who could probably fill up the Xavi-Iniesta role when need be, there still doesn't exist a replacement for Sergio Busquets. Although he still has many years left at the top level and recently signed a contract extension till 2023, a single injury would likely see Barça's season fall apart, similar to what happened in the 16/17 season.

5. Over-reliance on Lionel Messi

The "Greatest Of All Time" for many, has been carrying Barca for quite some time

How often have we seen Barcelona trailing and Messi come on to save them from defeat? No other European team relies on one player to the extent that Barça relies on Messi.

It's impossible to quantify the brilliance of Messi. His influence on the team cannot be overstated. Messi has been saving Barça for years and a future without him really is the bleakest of perspectives for the Catalans. With the magician now 31, that day is, unfortunately, edging ever closer.

The last time we saw a Barca without Messi was in was the 15/16 season when Neymar took up his responsibility perfectly and made sure nothing felt vacant in his absence. However, Suarez and Dembele couldn't possibly replicate the chemistry of the MSN after playing with each other for barely half a season in case another injury were to happen.

Champions League failure also meant that Messi missed his chances on grabbing individual awards despite him being, by far, the most consistent player in the world throughout nearly every season.