Those singled out for blame after Barca's Anfield catastrophe

The 4-0 defeat by Liverpool has left Barcelonismo looking for answers. Who is guilty for the elimination? These are the protagonists…

ERNESTO VALVERDE

They always say the coach is responsible for defeats, but this needs to be looked at. He gave Arturo Vidal and Coutinho starts at Anfield. “We don’t want control, we want to attack,” was his message.

Arturo shone but Coutinho had no pulse, footballistically dead. Two bad signs for a team that is said to want the ball.

“Power without control is nothing,” goes the phrase. Barcelona had one warrior to fight 10 ninjas and it led to disaster. Liverpool played well, in their style, in both games. Barcelona had no style across the 180 minutes.

JORDI ALBA

A real pity for one of the footballers of the season, that he was involved in two errors that led to goals. The left back is fundamental for Barca but gave away the first two goals.

Jordi couldn’t unpick Liverpool going forward on the left flank either.

His negative balance denied Valverde’s team one of their greatest footballing assets against Klopp’s side.

SERGIO BUSQUETS

Smartest in the class, amazing talent, incalculable tactical intelligence. The guardian of the style in the absence of Xavi and Iniesta.

But Busquets needs to play with other players who interpret the game in the same way as him.

He’s not the quickest or best runner but at this point he has more kilometres than anyone in his boots. Without fresh legs, he’s not as quick mentally or as precise with is play.

IVAN RAKITIC

The Croatian, like Busquets, is running on empty, fully juiced because of his versatility, quality and sacrificial spirit. Since he arrived, Rakitic has run all the kilometres his team-mates didn’t or couldn’t.

At Anfield he could not help Barca control the ball or offer enough physically against Liverpool’s army. If he and Busi can’t, then Barca can’t either.

LUIS SUAREZ

The Pistolero is living history at Barca, one of the best forwards to wear the shirt. But it’s difficult, very difficult, to win the Champions League if your centre-forward has gone 1,330 days without scoring away from home in Europe. He last did so in 2015, against Roma.

PHILIPPE COUTINHO

It’s very hard to define Coutinho’s season. Beyond the support from the dressing room he has, he does offer Valverde discipline and tactical intelligence. But that is very little compared to his quality and the expectations upon him from his time at Liverpool.

Maybe he wouldn’t have started if Dembele was fit to play. Or maybe he would. That is the problem.