Barcelona: Four reasons why the Blaugrana still need Neymar

Anyone remembers the time when the fear of Barcelona was the beginning of wisdom? When just the mention of Barca sent players and managers, even the owners of football clubs running for the exit? Yes, that was the era of the MSN, the era of the most devastating attack in world football.

Fast forward two seasons after and people are still wondering what has happened to these trailblazers. Yet, the three of them are still active in football but unfortunately, a piece was removed from the equation, making it unbalanced - Neymar!

After Neymar left, Barcelona believed they had gotten replacements in the form of Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho. But after the duo were handed two seasons to prove their worth, none of them was able to replicate the proficiency of Neymar. The procurement of Antoine Griezmann this summer does not appear to be papering that crack either.

Hence, it has appeared evident that Barca still need to reunite with their prodigal son. Below are four reasons to support the notion:

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#1 Struggles in attack

The Blaugrana are finding it difficult to break down opposition defenses at the moment

During the MSN era, is there any team that can dream of coming from a 3-goal deficit to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League? Have we so soon forgotten the most remarkable comeback in football history - the 6–1 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain at Camp Nou?

Nowadays though, the Blaugrana are finding it hard to get goals. In fact, they have gone goalless in three of the seven matches they’ve played this season. Although, it is too early to complain but Barcelona are not a team that struggles for goals and not this early in the season.

Bringing back Neymar, with his defence-unlocking passes and attacking runs can help find the scoring boots of Suarez and the magic of Messi. The trio combining their efforts would surely make Barca the most feared attacking team on the continent once again.

Griezmann is yet to prove he is the player Barca needed to fill up the holes in attack.

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#2 To relieve the pressure on Messi

Re-signing Neymar would help to reduce the burden on Messi's shoulders.

Last season, after the abysmal display at Anfield where the Blaugrana conceded four goals, after being ahead by three goals, some sections of the fan base started calling out Lionel Messi and questioning his contributions. But, they were forgetting that he was their best player throughout the season.

Besides, since the departure of Neymar to Paris Saint Germain in the summer of 2017, Messi has been the one single-handedly steering the team towards success, especially when the chips were down. But unfortunately, Messi is human after all, and all humans have off-days.

When those Messi off-days come, the team always appear helpless and uninspiring. Bringing in Neymar would, to some extent, bring a bit of relief to the little magician, as Neymar could step up and save the day, inspiring the team to success on those days.

#3 To reignite the MSN magic

Bringing back the MSN would restore Barca's attacking magic.

During the MSN days, the front three of Messi, Suarez and Neymar were a joy to behold. They plundered goals as if they were eating and made scoring goals look very easy. But at present, the three of them are still picking the pieces of their terrible experiences last season.

Bar Messi, none of the other two members of the MSN attacking trio can hold his head high and be proud of what he did last season. Bringing Neymar back to complete the puzzle of the Barcelona attack might unlock the beast we all know the Barcelona attack to be.

The Brazilian too, on his own, cannot even recreate the kind of form he was in at the Camp Nou. It appears he was missing his partners-in-crime and reuniting them can treat us to the kind of attack performances we like to see from Barcelona.

#4 The Champions League

The Brazilian could help Barca to return to the summit of European football once again

During the last Barcelona success in the Champions League, Neymar took the driver's seat in the realization of that success. In fact, in the final of that tournament, the Brazilian played a pivotal role in the 3-1 win over Juventus. But since his departure, the Blaugrana have been struggling in the Champions League, especially during the knockout stages.

Take a look at the 2017/2018 season, Barcelona were knocked out by Roma, after being in front in the first leg. Last season was not any better as they got knocked out by Liverpool, also in the same fashion as the previous season, only a bit worse.

Bringing in the Brazilian can go a long way in deciding whether Barcelona will be successful in the Champions League once more or not. Neymar can be the key to unlocking the inspiration to go the extra mile at the competition. Remember what he did to his current employers when he was still a part of the MSN demolition machine.