Positions that need reinforcing at Barcelona to guarantee success

On the back of a dull summer transfer window, Barcelona were not expected to lead the way. However, Valverde had other plans in mind, taking Barcelona to an impressive unbeaten run in all competitions to-date. Known for his shrewd planning, Valverde chose to tread carefully throughout the season without rushing his ideas on the pitch.

At the beginning of the season, Valverde went back to basics with a shift to the famous 4-3-3 formation positioning Messi in his favoured False Nine role upfront. We saw Suarez moving to the left wing in a role, similar to that of David Villa's during his time with Barcelona. Meanwhile, Dembele became the traditional winger on the right-hand-side of the pitch. As weeks went by, Suarez showed signs of weaknesses since his form didn't allow him to make constant runs behind the defence the way a second striker should whenever Messi drops deep.

With Dembele injured and Barcelona's midfield unable to dictate play, Valverde found himself obliged to move into pragmatism in order to avoid losing points early in the season. The former Athletic Bilbao boss is an admirer of the 4-3-3 but knows that without the right personnel, it can't be implemented.

In this slideshow, my intent is to identify the 5 positions Barcelona's board must reinforce for Valverde's 4-3-3 formation to work perfectly .

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#1 Prolific Winger

Someone like Villa is needed

Doesn't matter if he'll play on the right or on the left - Dembele's ambidexterity makes him suitable for both wings, giving room for the new player to start in his favoured position. With two wingers in the frontline stretching the opposition's defence, Messi will be granted the space he thrives in; between the lines.

There's no doubt concerning Suarez's goal-scoring ability. However, with a prolific winger, Barcelona will have another dimension to their attack in case the Uruguayan has a bad day. The winger playing in a 4-3-3 must be fast when running behind defences and able to capitalise on Messi's creativity.

#2 Tempo Controller

Barca need someone like Xavi who can control the tempo of the game

Someone like Xavi. Ever since the veteran's departure, Barcelona lost its ability to fully control matches the way they used to. Opposing teams became courageous in pressing Barca's midfield and defence bearing in mind that Xavi wasn't there to dictate play.

Rakitic doesn't fit Barcelona's positional play like Xavi did. He's a box-to-box midfielder who plays well when the game is in transition mode. Whenever the tempo slows down and spaces become tighter, the Croatian often suffers in protecting the ball and finding his team-mates.

Having a midfielder who specialises in recycling possession and organising the midfield will do wonders to Valverde's plan. The midfielder should be fearless when being put under pressure to the extent of showing himself to his teammates even when it's extremely risky; that's what Barcelona's model is about, and that's how they reached their peak in 2011.

#3 Needle Player

Age is just a number for The Artist

Iniesta's replacement. Labelled as The Artist, Iniesta isn't showing any signs of old age -dazzling his opponent's with his slick footwork and dribbling quality. Valverde knows that later in the season Iniesta must be taken care of in terms of playing minutes; fielding him for 90 minutes in 2 consecutive games is almost out of the question.

The player willing to replace the Spaniard must have the same qualities on the ball in addition to being proactive in terms of making late runs inside the opposition's box. Why's that? It all has to do with Messi's movement deep into midfield. When done in full synergy, the opposing defenders wouldn't know who to mark: Messi or the rushing central midfielder?

There's no discussion that the perfect player for this position is Coutinho. Barcelona's directors are upping their game with Liverpool in order to land the Brazilian, with rumours being circulated that a winter surprise could be possible for the Catalans. In general, whether it will be this winter or next summer, Coutinho will be the most important piece of Ernesto Valverde's plan for implementing the False Nine 4-3-3 with Barcelona.

#4 Centre-back

Thomas Vermaelen

With Umtiti injured and Mascherano leaving for China, Barcelona's defence suddenly became wafer thin with only Pique and Vermaelen available to play. The Belgian showed solid performances in the matches he had played in, but his injury record is still the source of concern for the coaching staff making him an unreliable option for the whole season. On the other hand, Pique isn't in his prime focus at the moment, showing poor judgement and sluggishness in recent matches that have cost Barcelona avoidable goals.

A new recruit is extremely needed to fill the gaps and ensure that the squad keeps on showing dominant defensive displays thanks to Umtiti and Ter Stegen's heroics. Ideally, the centre-back should be adept with the ball and able to provide line-breaking passes to the advanced midfielders and attackers. It is the most important trait for a defender to possess in case he's willing to play for the Catalan Giants.

#5 A second defensive midfielder

Busquets in all his glory

Before you get me wrong, the pivot needed would be the second choice after the brilliant Busquets. Right now, there isn't a player matching Sergio's style at Barcelona to ensure the flow of play remains the same whenever the Spaniard is absent; luckily, Barcelona managed to reach mid-way through the season avoiding an injury to the La Masia graduate.

When it happens, however, Valverde's whole plan will take a hit and probably be scrapped altogether, since Busquets provides an unmatched layer to Barca's style of play.

The pivot needed should be calm on the ball, tactically intelligent, and defensively strong to protect the back four. Tough qualities to find at a low price in the transfer market, which gives reason to search within the academy, I am sure that somewhere among the youth ranks lies a player who has Barcelona' DNA enabling him to fit in seamlessly with the main squad. It is definitely a risky option to take, but without risks we wouldn't have seen Busquets playing right now.