Barcelona

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique unfazed by Neymar dry spell

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 20 December 2016

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique is happy with Neymar's performances across the first half of the season, despite his run of nine games without a goal.

Luis Enrique has insisted that he is not concerned by Neymar's flagging goals tally this term, claiming that the Barcelona forward's performances are still at the level of recent seasons.

The 24-year-old has failed to find the net since rounding off the scoring in a 4-0 win over Manchester City in October, seeing his dry spell stand at nine matches heading into the winter break.

However, Enrique points to Neymar's tally of 14 assists this term, as well as his six goals in the opening two months of the campaign, as reason enough to remain positive that the former Santos man is still at his peak.

"The truth is we have to look at other seasons, how many assists he made, because this season he's created a lot of goals," he is quoted as saying by FourFourTwo.

"I don't think about how many he scores. For any of the forward players, it's going to be a lot. At the end of the day I don't think it's important, a little detail like this.

"He's a fundamental player for us, he helps in defence too and I'm very happy with how he's playing. He's ambitious and he wants to improve his stats but his performances have been at the top level as they were in the seasons before."

Neymar will play no part in Barcelona's Copa del Rey second-leg tie with Hercules on Wednesday, as he has been given an extended rest over the winter break.