Neymar goal drought not an issue for Barcelona manager Luis Enrique

The feared trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez have been absolutely clinical for Barcelona over the past couple of seasons and manager Luis Enrique has iterated he isn’t too worried about the fact that one of the MSN isn’t exactly banging in the goals.

Brazilian forward Neymar is going through a bit of a goal drought this season. The 24-year-old has scored only six goals in 18 appearances for the Blaugrana in all competitions. This is a worrying fact considering that half the season is almost over.

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique was recently questioned on Neymar’s dry spell. He shrugged off suggestions that Neymar’s lack of goals were a cause for worry citing the number of assists he’s made this season.

“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,” said Enrique, according to 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.”

MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 23: Neymar of Barcelona is closed down by Marcelo of Real Madrid during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Bernabeu on March 23, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) — MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 23: Neymar of Barcelona is closed down by Marcelo of Real Madrid during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Bernabeu on March 23, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Neymar has notched up 13 assists in addition to his six goals this season, which serves as an indicator that he is still very much a potent attacking threat for Barcelona. The 24-year-old is just three assists short of his highest tally of assists for Barca in a season (16 in 2015-16).

The lack of goals could be a cause for worry for the Brazilian though, given the fact that he scored more than 30 goals for Barca in all competitions in each of the last two seasons. However, the fact remains that Neymar’s contribution to the team is more than just scoring goals.

The 24-year-old has shown good playmaking aptitude, defensive dedication and willingness to put in hard work this past year. The Brazilian’s evolution continues at the Nou Camp and there’s no doubt that he remains one of the club’s key players.