Barcelona's Brazilian star is going through his first crisis at the club when it comes to form. In a season overloaded with commitments, Neymar has arrived at the home straight tired, mentally and physically. The forward knows it, but is not going to change his style of play - they can criticise him but he will keep betting on his technique to blow up opposition defences. Here are the four reasons why he's struggling...

Joaquim Piera

1. Psychological fatigue

Neymar plays unmasked. His game is based on unbalancing defenders one-on-one, which is obvious every time he does it. The forward is going through a crisis of creativity that can be put down to his psychological fatigue. To play always at the limit, against rivals that use dirty tricks, fouls and intimidation, ends up taking its toll. With Ney there is no transition play - everyone is waiting for him to make the difference. The lack of collective freshness that affected the team in April is more obvious when it affects a creative footballer and 'artist' such as Ney. The only option he has is persistence. He will continue to work on his fitness with his personal staff, while on the pitch he will not throw in the towel in Barcelona's final three league matches and the Copa del Rey final.

2. Commitment after commitment

The 2012 Olympic Games, the Confederations Cup 2013, the World Cup in 2014, the Copa America in 2015... Neymar has not had a rest with the competitions accumulating. He has the added pressure with Brazil of being their only true star. Conscious of all this, the Brazilian changed his mind, following the club's recommendations to not play in the summer's Copa America Centenario, in June, much to the dismay of the CBF. He has prioritised Barcelona's interests, and will have, for the first time in his career, nearly two months of holiday. He needs to disconnect. He will have pre-season in his country and then focus on the Olympic Games in August.

3. Doesn't like leaks about his private life

Neymar has not changed his style of life much, it's the same that it was when he arrived - so he wonders why people are saying things now instead of when Barcelona won the treble. He is extremely angry about the stories about his private life coming out, which were published in Barcelona. Worse still, it could be someone at the club who is giving away this information and wants to besmirch the striker. The motive? Everyone can draw their own conclusions...

4. Barcelona's restless system penalises the team

There is no rest in Luis Enrique's team. All the lines play exposed, which adds tension, requiring maximum attention from all players and continued physical demands. It's all or nothing, and if someone is not at 100 per cent, things go wrong. The tactical intelligence of Guardiola allowed the team to rest with the ball. Now the game is vertical and it leads to the players being exhausted. The lack of rotation up top has left the team without spark. The trident play every game and have given every drop. Neymar, who cannot take refuge in the centre, suffers especially - particularly when Jordi Alba is not going through his best moments and doesn't drag opponents away.