Barcelona 2018/19 season review: LaLiga is not enough | OneFootball

It’s come to something when just one trophy at the end of the season is deemed a failure.

But that’s exactly what most at the Camp Nou have deemed the 2018/19 campaign, with only the Liga title to show for what could be Ernesto Valverde’s swansong.

The Blaugrana were far and away the best side in Spain this term, but another embarrassing Champions League exit – this time to Liverpool – overshadowed everything.

Here’s what we made of it all.

Player of the season: Lionel Messi

Because really, who else could it be? It’s felt at times that this Barcelona side really is Messi and 10 others, with the Argentine taking his game to – quite unbelievably – the next level. We’re living in unprecedented times, let’s enjoy him while he’s still around.

Flop of the season: Malcom

Arrived to much fanfare last summer but has since become the personification of where Barcelona have gone wrong in recent seasons. Poached from under Roma’s noses, seemingly, just because they could, Malcom was lucky to survive beyond January and has since scored just four goals.

Rate the manager

Clearly a nice guy who seemed to have calm the waters since arriving from Athletic Bilbao in 2017. But this Barcelona side, with probably the greatest player of all-time, should be winning the Champions League, and unfortunately for Valverde he will ultimately be judged on his European performance.

What needs to be fixed

Of course it’s easier said than done, but at some point Barcelona really are going to have to stop depending so often on Lionel Messi. The signing of Frenkie de Jong is a start, but another midfielder wouldn’t go a miss, neither would a centre-back, but a striker that can really challenge Luis Suarez for the No.9 role should be the priority.

Rating the season: 6/10