Player Focus: Rakitic's Waning Influence in Enrique's New Barcelona

In Barça’s 5-0 win at Levante in September, Ivan Rakitic was the game’s outstanding player. The Croat had 139 touches of the ball, made 123 passes at a 91.1% success rate, securing an outstanding 8.84 WhoScored.com rating. The 18 million euro summer signing from Sevilla also scored his first goal for his new club that night, and was basically at the heart of everything Barça did in game.

Those were good times for Rakitic, and for new blaugrana coach Luis Enrique. With 12 points gained, 11 goals scored and zero goals conceded in their first four games, Barça already had a six point advantage on rivals Real Madrid, with defending champions Atltéico also four points behind. Veteran Xavi Hernandez was watching from the bench as the team’s new main playmaker settled in nicely.

That seems quite a long time ago now. In the comeback 2-1 win at Almeria on Saturday, Rakitic was much, much less involved in the play. He had just 67 touches, made only 53 passes, as play often passed him by. 

When the 26-year-old did get on the ball he use it well, almost scoring with a close-range header in the first half, and making 3 key passes to receive a decent enough 7.26 overall rating. But he still looked lost for long periods, and the overall impression was of someone unsure of their role and trying to force the situation, rather than a player confident he was a leader within the team.

Against Almeria Barca's main playmaker was actually Javier Mascherano. Despite figuring at centre-back, the Argentina international completed 94 passes at 93% success. Few of these passes were typical tiki-taka balls to feet, looking for starting midfield trio Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Rafinha. Mascherano generally first immediately sought out Lionel Messi, and when Messi was unavailable the ball often went long to the wings. Over the 90 minutes the former Liverpool-man attempted 16 long balls [12 were successful].

Pretty shockingly, all of the blaugrana’s back four made more passes than any of their midfielders, and between them they attempted 27 long balls. Even Xavi made a limited contribution when he was introduced for Busquets with Almeria still leading 1-0 on 65 minutes. The 34-year-old completed a relatively low 19 passes in this cameo role, while attempting no through balls and making no key passes. 

The two goals which turned the game around came from individual moments of brilliance from another substitute Luis Suarez, not from long passing moves carefully picking apart the opposition’s defence. This was similar to the midweek performance in the Champions League at Ajax, when Barça’s midfield also struggled to control the game, and Messi was the match-winner with two goals. Mascherano also made the most passes in that game [90], just ahead of Xavi [87]. Rakitic made 69, before being subbed off with 11 minutes remaining.

So what has changed for Barça, and for their new midfielder? The turning point looks to have been the 3-2 defeat at Paris Saint Germain on September 30, just nine days after the masterclass at Levante. Barça regularly coughed up possession while trying to play into midfield that night, and Rakitic was given just a 6.75 rating as he was substituted for the first time this season. Luis Enrique appears to have drawn the lesson that his side need to get the ball forward quicker, and not take risks in their own half.

After PSG, Rakitic was not in the starting-line up for any of Barca’s next three La Liga games, including the ‘clasico’ at Madrid when Xavi and Andres Iniesta were the starting 'interiores'. Then, on coming on at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as a substitute, his first touch was a misplaced corner which led directly to the home side’s killer third goal. That, surely, did not help his confidence.

With Iniesta having picked up a calf injury at the Bernabeu, Rakitic has been back in the XI for Barça’s last three games, but without reaching the levels of the season's early weeks. Asked last week whether being left out had been a blow to his morale, his comments suggested he was not feeling at his most secure.

“These are things that can happen,” Rakitic said. “You learn from everything. The best thing is that every three days there is another game, to lift up your spirits and look to turn things around.” 

It is easy to have sympathy with Rakitic's situation, as it’s pretty difficult to play as an organising central midfielder in Luis Enrique’s current blaugrana side. Against Levante in September, Barça made a whopping 747 accurate passes. Against Almeria on Saturday that figure had dropped almost a third, to just 496. The change to a more 'vertical' or direct style of play has been accelerated.

For contrast, the total passes average made by Gerardo Martino’s side last season was 660. In both 2012/13 under Tito Vilanova and 2010/11 under Josep Guardiola that figure was 752. Barça's current campaign average - which is dropping by the game - is now 653. No longer is the idea to try and control game through midfield possession, which makes it difficult for Rakitic [or Rafinha, Xavi or Iniesta] to do his usual job.  

“We are looking for a better version of Barça,” Luis Enrique said last week before the Ajax game. “We will be true to this team, we will look to grow and improve. There will be ups and downs, but we must be faithful to what we believe in. This club, in recent history, has been among the most successful in the world due to its style, so why would we change. We will stick to our possession game, and look to be the best at it.”

It does indeed seem that Luis Enrique is looking for a different Barça. It was widely thought that Rakitic would be a key figure in this new side, but the stats suggest that may not be the case.

What do you think of Rakitic’s waning influence in the Barcelona team? Let us know in the comments below