Luis Enrique Deserves Credit for Barcelona's Pep-Equalling 11-Game Win Streak

During the second half of Barcelona's 5-0 crushing of Levante on Sunday night, a large section of supporters in the stand behind Diego Marino's goal, began chanting one name, over and over. 

It wasn't Lionel Messi's, or Neymar's, or Luis Suarez's. It was the manager's, Luis Enrique.

Barcelona's strike force all got their praise too, Messi after completing his hat-trick, Suarez after his stunning chilena—overhead kick—Neymar after he was replaced by the Uruguayan, but the chant for the coach was notable.

Enrique seemed almost to have one foot out of the door in January, after he put both Messi and Neymar on the bench against Real Sociedad and watched his team tumble to a 1-0 defeat.

But in the 11 games since then, Barcelona have looked nigh on unstoppable. Each match has been won at a canter, with Enrique's side equalling the club's best-ever winning streak under Pep Guardiola.

Think about that as an accomplishment for a minute.

Barcelona under Pep were arguably the greatest club side in football history, and certainly the best Blaugrana team ever.

At their peak, they managed to put together an 11-game winning streak, playing brilliant football.

For Enrique to match that is excellent work, and you would expect that run to be extended on Saturday, when they welcome Malaga to the Camp Nou.

Perhaps Enrique might rest a couple of his key men, in preparation for the Champions League clash against Manchester City on Tuesday night, but Barcelona should be far too strong for their Andalusian rivals.

Enrique deserves a chunk of the credit for Barcelona's spectacular run of form, even if the coach is determined to make it hard to give it to him.

There are plenty of reasons why it would be easier to ignore his part in proceedings. For one, his stiff relationship with the press.

Asked about matching Guardiola's run after the game, Enrique said, per Sport:

Guardiola's record? I didn't know I had equalled the 11 wins, records do not interest me. The idea is to enjoy ourselves. We’ll only value it when the season ends. If we win titles then that’d be very good. We've played a great second half. I'm happy. It's a victory that strengthens us all. This is a team that is accustomed to distractions from outside. It is important to focus and improve.

Enrique always seems at war with the media, almost as if he's riffing on Jose Mourinho's us-against-the-world style.

But as Mourinho found out to his cost at Real Madrid, at one of Spain's big two sides that isn't the way to play things.

It might work in England, but in Spain there is clear evidence that fighting against the media is not advisable.

Ask Louis van Gaal, who felt like Barcelona's newspapers and radio stations had hampered him while in charge of the club.

So much so, that when he announced he was parting ways with Barcelona, he opened his statement: "Friends of the press, I am leaving. Congratulations."

Enrique always seems to find fault with lines of questioning, sometimes with good reason. But the fact remains that the media was covering Barcelona before Enrique arrived and will continue to do so after he goes.

So, given that he can't win in a battle against the press, perhaps he should try to take advantage of it when he can.

There are other arguments which suggest that Barcelona's form is more down to the players than the coach.

Messi's position hasn't changed, but after the elections were called, following his row with Enrique, he has been playing at top form.

It's unlikely that's to do with any tinkering of Enrique's, more that the best player in the world now feels like regaining the throne he lost to Cristiano Ronaldo.

With Messi playing at his best and inspiring his team-mates, sometimes it feels like anyone could win while at the helm of Barcelona.

But that doesn't do Enrique justice. There are several ways in which he has taken the Barcelona team Tata Martino left him and improved it.

The defence is a lot stronger. Gerard Pique, who was poor for most of last season and the start of this, is back in Enrique's good books, and it's paying off on the pitch.

He's looking extremely strong, making fewer costly errors and reaching the levels we knew he had the capacity to reach.

Jordi Alba, Neymar and Dani Alves are also improved versions from last season. That's surprising in the case of the latter, given his contract runs out in the summer and he seemed "past it" under Tata. 

So, despite having a prickly sheen and not making it easy for himself to be praised, Luis Enrique, congratulations.

Of course, everything could come crashing down in March, when Barcelona welcome Real Madrid to the Camp Nou, looking to avenge their Clasico defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But right now, with each passing match, Barcelona look stronger and stronger, and Carlo Ancelotti's side are increasingly disappointing.