Depay's early Barcelona promise fades as extent of Messi over-reliance laid bare

For a few games, it looked as though everything might just work out for Barcelona after all.

The loss of Lionel Messi in the summer was, obviously, a hugely bitter blow, but the arrivals of Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay on free transfers appeared smart business from the Catalan giants.

The latter was arguably the most exciting of the three to sign up, and Barca did not just invest in a hugely talented footballer, but also a marketable big name with a notoriously strong personality who could help add some much-needed belief and self-confidence to a fragile dressing room.

The fans have certainly bought into the hype, and during Mirror Football's recent trip to Barcelona for El Clasico we were told by an employee in the club shop that Memphis shirts have been doing the most trade, along with fellow forward Ansu Fati.

Memphis Depay got off to an impressive start at Barcelona ( Image:

Toni Albir/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

It certainly didn't take long for Depay to find his feet, with the Dutchman scoring twice and creating an assist in his first three matches in La Liga.

Since then, however, things have not been quite so easy, and in a sense Depay's struggles in recent weeks perfectly exemplify how difficult it is proving for Barca to re-structure a completely new form of attack without the genius of Messi.

Take El Clasico as an example.

Barca lined up with a 4-3-3 formation, with Depay on the left flank, Sergino Dest on the right and Fati through the middle.

With Dest quite simply not looking anywhere near good enough for the level Barca want to be at and Fati still raw and learning his trade, Depay probably felt he was the man who most needed to step up and take responsibility.

Yet try as he might the 27-year-old was simply unable to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and the fact he lost possession a total of 16 times in the encounter tells its own story.

But recently he has struggled and failed to make an impression in the loss to Real Madrid ( Image:

AFP via Getty Images)

After starting the match looking assured and motivated, his body language soon grew more frustrated, until by the latter stages he wore a pained expression with his shoulders slumped.

It was a similar story on Wednesday, where Depay was once again ineffective and overshadowed by a 35-year-old Radamel Falcao, whose goal in the 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano saw Barca manager Ronald Koeman lose his job.

Of course, none of this is entirely Depay's fault.

Barca have relied so heavily on Messi for so many years that it would be difficult for any player in the world to come in and try to spearhead the new generation.

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An alternative universe where Depay and Messi played together would no doubt have seen the former presented with plenty more opportunities in front of goal and far more space to run into due to the attention Messi demands from defenders.

But at the moment the rest of the offensive line are not giving him much help, and that will come as a big worry.

Things may improve as Sergio Aguero is gradually introduced, and the Argentinean's late strike on Sunday shows that he could well still have what it takes to perform in La Liga as long as he can stay injury-free, with his goals perhaps taking some of the weight off Depay's shoulders.

Depay had a nightmare spell at Manchester United ( Image:

Reuters)

However, the fact that Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo's front page the day after El Clasico led with a picture of Depay screaming in frustration along with the headline 'Without Threat' tells its own story.

Diario Sport were also disappointed in Depay, and dedicated a whole column to examining his recent issues, writing: "The Dutchman started the season well but his fountain of goals has dried up.

"He also cost Barca a goal, giving it away before David Alaba struck the opener. The quick break was more or less what decided the Clasico.

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"In the second half he was nowhere to be seen, stuck out on the left. It was a weak contribution from a man who arrived to make the difference."

Particularly harsh critics may already be pointing towards parallels between this period and the last time Depay joined a massive club when he signed for Manchester United from PSV Eindhoven in 2015.

Then, like now, he got off to a decent start, with Red Devils fans left licking their lips as he scored a brace and created an assist in a 3-1 Champions League playoff win against Club Brugge in one of his first appearances.

Whether or not Depay will live up to expectations at Barcelona is up for debate ( Image:

Getty Images)

But he ended up being a huge flop at Old Trafford, and was sold to Lyon just a year later after never managing to deal with the responsibility of taking up the mantle of one of the most important players for a European giant.

Whether that story will repeat itself at Barcelona remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - if the recent goal drought carries on much longer, patience will start to wear thin among the notoriously fickle Blaugrana fanbase.