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LIONEL MESSI summed up his frustration with Barcelona in crisis by almost being sent off against Alavés.
During the Blaugrana’s 1-1 draw on Saturday night, the forward kicked the ball in anger and nearly hit the referee.
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The man in the middle Alejandro Hernández Hernández immediately booked Messi as the irate Barcelona captain walked away in disgust.
The incident occurred minutes after a howl from Neto gave Alavés the lead.
The goalkeeper tried to dribble past Luis Rioja after a strong pass back from Gerard Piqué, losing possession and giving away an easy shot.
Messi was later reprimanded when Barcelona tried to secure just their third win of the league season.
Antoine Griezmann won the point, leveling moments after Jota was sent off for two yellowable infractions in the second half.
The tie left Ronald Koeman’s team 12th in the table with just eight points, representing their worst start to the season in 18 years.
Scoring goals has been the biggest problem for Barcelona, who sold Luis Suárez to Atlético de Madrid in the fall.
A streak of three goals in four LaLiga games has only won one victory for the Catalans.
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And coach Koeman has admitted that his team is struggling towards goal.
He said last night: “I’m worried about the performance up front.
“It is not a question of attitude or concentration, but of having more successes in front of the goal.
“It happened to us against Juventus and tonight too. In addition, we have given the goal to Alavés.
“But if we create so many opportunities, we cannot fail so much. If you create chances and only score one goal, it’s not enough. “
Messi tried to leave Barcelona over the summer, but the threat of a legal battle deterred him from trying to activate a buy-out clause.
Koeman has struggled to bring out the best in the 33-year-old with a three-goal comeback in eight games certainly below par for the superstar.
The way the Dutchman manages Messi could make or break his Blaugrana career, with the club desperate for success amid financial turmoil.
Reports suggest that the threat of bankruptcy looms over the Camp Nou as the board tries to secure a second round of pay cuts for players.
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