To say the start to the new year has been eventful at Barca would be an understatement. On the one hand, they narrowly lost a game of football 1-0, but analyzing in depth as to why that happened and the possible repercussions leave us with many unanswered questions.
The defeat at Real Sociedad was a disaster from start to finish, the start coming one hour before the game when Luis Enrique named his side with a host of star players left on the bench, right up to aftermath and more of the constant rumours that Lionel Messi is now closer than ever to a move to the Premier League.
In its wake, the club's sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, has left the club, but fortunately for Enrique -- as happens so often in football -- the next game at home to Elche in the Spanish Cup on Thursday comes around quick enough to sharply change a particularly delicate situation.
A convincing win in their upcoming home matches against Elche and title rivals Atletico Madrid would go some way to resolving Enrique's near future, but the questions will remain why his side was not at a competitive level to take the vital three points in San Sebastian, which would have returned the club to the top of La Liga after Real Madrid's earlier loss at Valencia.
The somewhat baffling team selection had been criticized severely and blamed for the defeat but the question as to why Messi, Dani Alves and Neymar were allowed to prolong their return from holidays in South America until just two days before the game has not been adequately explained.
All South American players at the club expected to play in the Copa America next summer were offered three extra days over the winter break, but Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez, who both stayed in Spain over the holiday period, decided not to take the extra days and reported back to training on Dec. 30 in time to prepare for the Sociedad game.
The three players who did take up the offer of the extra days were joined on the sidelines by Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic to make up a star studded bench. And any of those players could have helped Barca up the pace in what was a terrible first half performance from the side in Anoeta.
It was obvious something needed to be done and Messi was thrown on at half time together with Neymar less than 15 minutes later, but by that time the damage has been done. The resulting defeat and Messi's absence from training with gastroenteritis the next day has added fuel to the flames of a potential exit from the club by the Argentine in the near future.
Some local newspapers claim Messi argued with Enrique in San Sebastian and the fact that he managed to follow Chelsea from his sick bed on Instagram on Monday was for some media outlets more than enough proof that the London club is where his future lies.
However, the second half that both he and Neymar put in on Sunday lacked a lot and they looked like players who had only trained twice since their Christmas holidays. What was more baffling was the decision by Enrique to bench both Rakitic and Pique and not introduce them when things were obviously not going well on the pitch.
Jeremy Mathieu struggled all evening with La Real's forwards and both he and Mascherano were woeful at bringing the ball out of defence. Pique had shown enough before Christmas to suggest he was getting back to his best and would have been better placed to help with the early aerial bombardment Barca endured.
With Sociedad already showing a penchant for damaging big sides in the air with goals against both the Madrid sides, it was no surprise when they swung in a few high balls early on and got their reward from Jordi Alba's own goal. Pique is stronger than Mascherano, who appears untouchable in Enrique's Barca in this facet of the game.
Rakitic is another player that Enrique is quick to bench but his running was missed again on Sunday as La Real neutralized the influence of Sergio Busquets with some tight marking and easily dealt with the probing but gradually slower play of both Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
The recriminations will continue and changes have already been addressed with the sacking of Zubizarreta but Enrique will be allowed some time to recover from his New Year mistakes.
The margins for error are tighter than ever though, and only wins -- and if possible convincing ones -- in the next five days against Elche and Atletico Madrid will return the confidence of the fans, and more importantly the Barca board, in the rookie coach.