Barcelona's first line-up in La Liga this season was surprising for the absence of the last five signings. Coutinho, Lenglet, Arthur, Arturo and Malcom. Valverde respected the hierarchies in the dressing room and played with those who always play - with Semedo at right-back and Sergi Roberto in the centre. The 270 million pounds spent in the last eight months were not enough to change this hierarchy.

Valverde will find it hard to manage the squad. It will be impossible to keep all players happy. Without changing his usual dynamic and making a lot of rotations at least. In the first game he can use lack of adaption from the new players as an excuse. But as the weeks go, that excuse dilutes and the new players will ask to play. There we will see Valverde's capacity to convince those who need to rest.

That is the first and perhaps only defect of having a squad with so much competition. The virtue will be if Valverde manages ego well, and can keep 16 players of high quality 'plugged in'. Last season it was not like this. Some players, e.g. Andre Gomes, unplugged and added absolutely nothing. If the new coach can keep the hopes of 16 key men intact, Barca have incredible potential.

Although it all depends on Messi, as usual. The Barca crack, more committed than ever now he's the captain, wants to drive the team to another treble, with the Champions League as prime objective. On Saturday against Alaves he lifted the team past a hyperdefensive side. The Blaugrana were incapable of the double bus that Abelardo parked, and only Messi was able to do it.

He decided the game with a genius free-kick, under the wall. Scored another. Hit the post. And the bar. He was everything for Barca. In a game without spark, Messi brought the magic. He netted the 6,000th goal in the club's history. Who scored the 5,000th? Well, Messi. Obviously. Nine years ago.