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We and our partners utilize technology, such as biscuits, and gather info that is browsing to personalise the information and advertising and to provide you with the very best online experience. Please let us know whether you agree. From Andy West Spanish football writer A few weeks ago, had you seen Barcelona's trip to Granada on Saturday night in the La Liga program, you could well have predicted that the winning team would be topping the desk in the evening's end. You wouldn't have guessed that team would be Granada. But that is what occurred, the recently promoted Andalusians gaining a deserved 2-0 victory to leave Barca floundering in mid-table, using seven points out of their first five games. It is the worst beginning for 25 decades of Barca, but even more worrying than the result was the performance, since Ernesto Valverde's men managed two attempts on goal while looking vulnerable at the end. What is going on? And what is the champions do? BBC Sport overlooks a full-scale crisis that is early-season . The first point to note about Barca form is their troubles have been exclusively reserved for off trips. Even the Nou Camp has remained a near-fortress, with Barca winning their past 12 straight home games and only losing two in their own patch since Valverde arrived as director. On the roadthey have been nothing short of catastrophic lately, turning in a set of performances far often for this to be a coincidence. Valverde's men have now failed to win some of the past eight games away, with Saturday's loss at Granada following an extremely lucky Champions League draw at Borussia Dortmund, where they only escaped due to a collection of fine saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, wayward Dortmund completing along with also the support of the woodwork. Following Saturday's setback supervisor Valverde confessed:"I am worried. Away from home we are not getting good results and if that happens a couple of times, like today, it is a symptom of never [playing] . We aren't playing good games." For a variety of reasons, when Barca are away from the comfort blanket of their surroundings, they seem uncomfortable. So what are these reasons? In defence of Valverde and his players, their groundwork for the campaign was far from ideal. Several players missed a sizable chunk of pre-season due to their involvement while the group that was skeletal embarked on a driven programme of friendlies featuring games on three continents in 13 days. Since the serious action started as a consequence, they have endured a succession of injuries. Skipper Lionel Messi was sidelined before the curtain-raiser at Athletic Bilbao, and there have been absences for Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti. Thus, use many players in a selection of positions and Valverde has been forced to shuffle his pack. Frenkie de Jong and new signings Antoine Griezmann, as an example, have been lined up in every position in the forward line and midfield respectively - beneficial to their procedure. Another disturbance that is self-inflicted was that the Neymar saga. The club's unpleasantly public courtship of the opinion-dividing former star, which lasted straight before Spanish transfer deadline day in early September, was a significant distraction and created a strong impression that the group is composed of a handful of untouchables alongside a bunch of players (Dembele, Umtiti, Nelson Semedo, Ivan Rakitic) who would have been happily jettisoned in case a part-exchange bargain for Neymar was struck with Paris St-Germain. Messi, specifically, is facing allegations - like those he has regularly faced at international level - that he wields too strong an influence over group selection and the overall hierarchy, particularly given the ongoing starting XI status of his very best friend Suarez, despite the Uruguayan's inconsistent form over the past few years. Any power is likely unlooked for, coming rather as a pure side-effect of their obvious expectations heaped on his shoulders , but the hints add gas to the concept that the Spanish champions are far from a camp that is combined and joyful at the moment. It's indisputable that a squad with the depth and quality of Barca should still be capable of overcoming competitions such as Osasuna, Eibar and Granada. For most observers, the very fact they have failed to do so could be attributed fairly and squarely on the tactical approach used by Valverde, whose position is again coming under serious scrutiny after he survived the chop in the wake of his group's horrendous collapse at Liverpool in last year's Champions League semi-final. Valverde has at all times been accused of having an coach, setting up his teams first and foremost to avoid defeat from the ball-playing principles. According to his critics, he also places everything at the feet of Messi. An over-reliance on Messi - dubbed'Messidependencia' from the Spanish press - was a recurring issue for five or six decades, and it's certainly the case that Barca have appeared bereft of ideas during his absence in the opening weeks of this year: Griezmann, as an instance, has not managed a single shot on goal throughout his four away games for the team. More worrying yet, perhaps, is that Barca have the joint-worst defensive album in La Liga. The home games they won (both 5-2, against Real Betis and Valencia) were distinctly uncomfortable by a defensive viewpoint, along with the waters of space regularly available to Dortmund and Granada counter-attackers throughout the latest games was an alarming indication of a group that currently knows neither how to strike or to shield. Valverde appears particularly concerned by his own midfield trio, running through four different combinations throughout his team's six matches and attempting a few more from the bench when they haven't worked out, meaning seven players have already received considerable playing time in the centre of the area - with no looking particularly convincing. Those failings have generated something of a vacuum, resulting in a lack of sufficient support to a back four and a inability to provide sufficient ammunition to a toothless attack. Configuring a successful midfield is the job facing Valverde and it is. The poor start to the season of barca, about the rear of a much worse end to last year, is piling pressure on beleaguered boss Valverde, who accepted he should take responsibility to the form of the team. Two variables depend in Valverde's favour: Anyhow, he is believed to enjoy assistance from Messithe same is applicable to the majority of match-going lovers. Although social media has turned against the Barca boss (any mention of the name on Twitter is followed by the word'outside'), there were hardly any stirrings of discontent against him in the Nou Camp - probably as a result of the excellent home type on his view, meaning fans who attend matches have only really ever seen his team winning. That, though, could change. Patience is running out and it'll be intriguing to find the reaction Valverde receives on Tuesday night, even when Barca come back in action at home to in-form Villarreal, who have taken points off Real Madrid this season. If the worst happens, there are loads of potential replacements - the very long list of currently available bosses includes Pablo Machin, Quique Setien, Abelardo, Massimiliano Allegri, Laurent Blanc and (surely not?) Jose Mourinho. (Marcelino, recently fired by Valencia, isn't an option because coaches in Spain are not allowed to manage more than one group in a season.) Of those already in employment, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman would inevitably be heavily connected given his past for a playing great with the team, as might former midfield star Xavi Hernandez, although only just starting his managerial career with an appointment at Qatari side Al Sadd. It's odds-on that Xavi will handle Barca at any stage - that the question is if now would be. Before long, we may find out. Tense, belly-laugh filled with awwwwww , mind-warpingly weird, and humorous Get latest scores and headlines delivered to your phoneto our newsletter and learn where to locate us on internet. 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