Barcelona Were Humiliated Against Bayern - But it Had Been Coming for a Long Time

With Bayern Munich 5-2 up and cruising with 15 minutes remaining, the last thing a deflated and dejected Barcelona needed was yet more embarrassment.

But this is exactly what they got as Philippe Coutinho ran the show in the final quarter of an hour. The Brazilian - who has struggled to hold down a place in the starting lineup during his loan spell with Bayern - came on with a real point to prove, grabbing himself one assist before then finding the net twice in the closing stages.

6-2. 7-2. 8-2. Sure, the damage had already been done, but the on-loan star's display merely rubbed even further salt into the already gaping Barça wounds.

Indeed, Coutinho was one of three players to cost over €100m who started the game on the bench on Friday - with all three being Barcelona players, even if Coutinho is on loan at Bayern. Antoine Griezmann was only brought on at half time, Ousmane Dembele didn't even make it on and Coutinho - the most expensive of them all - came on to star against his parent club.

Putting the woeful performance aside for the moment, this herein lies one of Barcelona's major issues. Sure, Quique Setien will likely be sacked for his role in a humiliating defeat and a below par season, but he is really just a scapegoat - acting as a mask for the club's true problems which run a lot deeper than just the manager.

The manner of the defeat to Bayern will be painful for Barça fans, but taking all problems into account, it was a defeat (perhaps not quite as extreme as it was) that had been in the making for a while now. And one of the main reasons for this is the transfer policy that has been adopted.

The three aforementioned €100m+ players are the prime examples of the shambolic transfer strategy. All three players earned their moves to Camp Nou as a result of their hugely impressive displays for their previous clubs, but just because they are talented, it doesn't mean they are what the club needs at that moment in time.

Indeed, Setien should never have been placed in a situation where he is forced to name a midfield four of: Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong...with Arturo Vidal and Sergi Roberto operating as wingers.

It was clear to see on Friday that the midfield was overrun and in need of solidifying, but if Setien looked to his bench, all he had available to him was an ageing Ivan Rakitic and an inexperienced Riqui Puig in terms of central midfielders. Vidal and Roberto offered nothing in both sides of the game, while Busquets simply isn't the same player he once was and De Jong was left isolated and unable to impact the match in any way he would've wanted.

One player who could perhaps have strengthened the midfield and provided some much-needed energy is Arthur Melo. Except, the only problem with that is he has been offloaded to Juventus, with...Miralem Pjanic - a player who will only make Barça's midfield worse - going in the opposite direction.

Perhaps Setien did get his tactics wrong on the night, but the mere fact that absolutely nothing changed in the second half despite his half time switch underlines the notion that the problems really do lie much deeper.

Griezmann came onto the field, but he was tasked with operating in a role which has never suited him. Playing wide on the left, the Frenchman wasn't able to get into areas where he could really influence the game, instead he was forced to constantly track back and support his struggling defence.

There were plenty of question marks when Griezmann signed for Barça last summer as to where he would fit in - and those questions still persist today. Considering the amount the Catalan giants knew they would have to pay to land his services, the club had two options: Either they could play him in his preferred role, or use the money to invest in other - more problematic - positions. But they pressed ahead with a deal without considering the long-term plan for him.

Indeed, this ties in with another major problem: the style. When Setien first took over, he was keen to introduce his own way of playing, after previous boss Ernesto Valverde was heavily criticised for his philosophy.

But he hasn't been able to do this.

Instead, it has become all too repetitive. Feeding Lionel Messi is, of course, a wise thing to do because...well, he's Messi. But the Argentine has been forced to bail his side out time and time again this season, with his teammates constantly looking to play through him.

As seen by Friday's defeat, while he may be outrageously good, he can't simply carry this team to trophies in the biggest competitions every time. Bayern never allowed him to get hold of the ball and turn, which meant Barça struggled to create anything as a result.

Sure, Barcelona can look to bring in a manager such as Mauricio Pochettino to replace Setien, but he will only be able to do so much with this current squad at his disposal and the manner in which the club is run off the field.

There have been a number of problems behind the scenes at Camp Nou in recent years, problems which have contributed to the unrest at the club. Indeed, the Pjanic/Arthur deal highlights the exact financial problems at the club - short-term solutions to cover themselves rather than financial planning. It wasn't a deal the club necessarily wanted to do, but rather one they were forced into doing.

This short-sightedness and naivety in the transfer market has meant any manager in recent years has been set up to fail. A rebuild is now desperately needed, but the problem is that this will be even more challenging considering the current climate. But it is needed, no matter the costs, because at this moment in time, the club is regressing and continuing to pay for their shambolic strategy off the field.

No player should have to come out after a game and say that their club is in need of a number of drastic structural changes, but this is what Gerard Pique and even De Jong felt they had to do such is the dire state at the club at this moment in time. Barcelona's woeful defeat to Bayern must act as a wakeup call to the club's board and they must now look to make the necessary changes to get Barça back onto the path they should be on.

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