WHAT IS REALLY WRONG WITH BARCELONA?!

According to manager Luis Enrique, his team's downturn is a simple case of bad luck.
That, at least, was his explanation for their latest setback, Sunday's 2-1 home defeat by Valencia, when he claimed he was happy with the performance and that "we only lacked the necessary fortune to win the game".
The local media agreed, with newspaper Mundo Deportivo's front page on Monday featuring a headline which lamented: "1-2. How unfair!"
It is true that Barca created plenty of chances to claim three points: Suarez headed over from close range, Gerard Pique dragged a golden chance wide and visiting keeper Diego Alves made excellent saves from Messi (twice), Ivan Rakitic and Neymar. In addition, Valencia's opener was a freak own goal as Rakitic deflected a cross into the net.

Similarly, Barca's other recent defeats have contained moments of ill fortune.
In the home defeat by Real Madrid that started the rot, for example, Barca flew out of the blocks and should have taken the lead when Suarez inexplicably mis-kicked in front of an open goal. Bad finishing rather than bad luck, true, but the outcome may have been very different if he had scored.
And in stoppage time at the end of their decisive Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid, Barca were denied a penalty when home captain Gabi blocked Andres Iniesta's goalbound shot with his arm clearly inside the area, only for referee Nicola Rizzoli to judge wrongly that the offence had taken place outside the box.

So things have gone against them - but they have benefited from the rub of the green too. Gareth Bale had a goal disallowed harshly in the Clasico defeat, while Iniesta was lucky to avoid a red card for a deliberate handball at Atletico.
Bad luck, then, is not the only answer to Barca's malaise. So what is?

AGBONLAHOR SUSPENDED BY ASTON VILLA

Aston Villa have suspended striker Gabriel Agbonlahor and begun an investigation after he was allegedly pictured with laughing gas canisters.

According to reports, the 29-year-old was pictured partying in London on the same night Villa were relegated.

Agbonlahor was already on the sidelines after being told he was not fit enough.
He was suspended by Villa earlier this month after he was pictured appearing to hold a shisha pipe while in Dubai, but the club took no further action.
Villa were relegated from the Premier League after losing 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

They are bottom of the table after collecting only 16 points from 34 games.
The West Midlands outfit are also without a manager following the sacking of Frenchman Remi Garde and have been hit by two key resignations.
Former Football Association chairman David Bernstein and Lord King, a former Governor of the Bank of England, both quit the board on Monday.