Barcelona have lost 16 points in the 10 games they have played in LaLiga Santander this season, which is almost unthinkable for a team of the Blaugrana's size. Ronald Koeman's side have lost four times and there could be many reasons as to why the club have experienced some hiccups this year.
The end of a cycle at the club, a new coach and Lionel Messi not being at his best could all be factors behind Barcelona's demise, but one factor that stands out the most are the poor performances of several players that either are or were expected to be around the starting XI.
Players like Philippe Coutinho, Frenkie de Jong, Clement Lenglet, Miralem Pjanic and Francisco Trincao are not living up to the expectations that were created about them when they arrived at the Camp Nou.
Some of those players arrived last summer, while others have been around for much longer. These named and shamed players cost the club a total of 350 million euros.
Coutinho's confidence is deflating
At the start of the season, Coutinho returned hungry, seemingly as if Bayern Munich had changed him. His physical condition had improved, he had a new lease of life and looked sharp in the opening matches of the season, even getting himself on the scoresheet.
However, similarly to what happened three years ago, over time he has faded into background. From being a main part of the team to becoming a passenger, as we saw against Cadiz in a poor first half for the Brazilian.
De Jong and his false starts
The Dutch international has already started to tire. He arrived as a key player for the midfield, with his education at Ajax meaning that he already has already has Barcelona's DNA in his blood.
However, Barcelona have been waiting for a year and a half to see the true De Jong, and so far he has only impressed three times in that period. A very uninspiring return from a player who cost the club 75 million euros and was set to lead the new-look Barcelona side in the heart of their midfield.
Pjanic: Very little contribution so far
Pjanic is another player that has cost the club a lot of money, and a 60 million euro signing has to contribute more than just good sideway passing. Much more was expected of him, despite the fact that he is still in his adaptation period.
Barcelona urgently need a midfielder who will command, given that De Jong is not delivering. This is a golden opportunity for Pjanic, but he is simply not taking his chance.
Trincao: An explosive signing
The Portuguese winger arrived for 30 million euros and had a couple of good performances in pre-season that aroused a lot of hope amongst Barcelona fans.
While Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele and Pedri have had good performances, Trincao still hasn't woken up.