Barça's substitutes aren't good enough to be substitutes

FC Barcelona have a great starting line-up. It's fantastic. It's an XI capable of winning five titles in a year. And it's capable of beating goal scoring records with the best forward in the world. It's an XI of footballers as extraordinary as Messi, Suarez and Neymar. It's an XI of footballers as reliable as Busquets and Pique. It's an XI with players who are wizards on the ball, like Iniesta... the problem is Barça only have 11 possible starters (14 at a stretch). And a lot of the substitutes aren't even good enough to be substitutes. 

We already knew that, though. We witnessed as much as Villanovense, a team who play in Segunda B, when Barça were unable to score in a goalless draw. But our fears were confirmed on Wednesday against a Valencia side who are a lost cause. Barça's substitutes once again offered a lamentable image of themselves, unworthy of being FC Barcelona players. In a game in which Luis Enrique's side were playing to break the club's record unbeaten run, these substitutes didn't fight to achieve it. Although in the end, the young Kaptoum saved the record with a late equaliser. 

These substitutes, from Adriano to Mathieu through to Sandro and Munir, had a chance to prove themselves. But they did not take advantage of that chance. Maybe they feel so much like substitutes to the stars, they've thrown in the towel already. They've given up to the team's cracks. They're happy to be, best case, on the bench. And that's sad. Very sad. Because Barcelona need good substitutes. Because sometimes the starters get injured. Or banned. Or ill. Or, simply, they mess up. But these substitutes don't serve for anything - not even to be substitutes.