January 4, 2015, and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique was staring into the abyss when Real Sociedad took less than two minutes to score at the Anoeta Stadium.

The TV cameras did not zoom in on David Moyes. Nor did they pick out Jordi Alba, the culprit for the own goal. They focused on the Barcelona bench, where almost £200million worth of talent was sitting, staring, sulking.

Among them was Neymar, who was caught turning to Lionel Messi to say: 'You had better get warmed up.' Four months on, however, the joke at Enrique's expense is nothing more than an amusing anecdote amid Barcelona's hunt for an iconic European and domestic treble.

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Barcelona manager Luis Enrique (left, surrounded) celebrates after seeing off German giants Bayern Munich

Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi have become unselfish as they try to provide for one another

Neymar celebrates one of his two goals against Bayern Munich, with both set up by his partner Suarez

Barcelona manager Enrique has orchestrated their turnaround since January, when the club looked in chaos

DAYS TO FORGET IN JANUARY... AND DAYS TO REMEMBER THIS MONTH Jan 4 – Barcelona lose 1-0 against David Moyes's Real Sociedad in La Liga Jan 5 – club's director of football, Andoni Zubizarreta, has his contract terminated Jan 5 – club's assistant director of football, Carles Puyol, quits hours later Jan 7 – club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, calls summer elections early Jan 8 – just 27,000 fans watch Barcelona beat Elche at Nou Camp in Copa del Rey last 16 May 17 – Barcelona can be crowned La Liga champions with a win over Atletico Madrid May 30 – Athletic Bilbao stand between Barcelona and the Copa del Rey trophy June 6 – Barcelona face Juventus in the Champions League final in Berlin Advertisement

It was a chaotic January for Barcelona.

The defeat by Sociedad with Messi starting on the bench. The club's sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, sacked the day after. His assistant, Carles Puyol, resigning hours later. Their president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, calling summer elections ahead of schedule to ease the tension, before just 27,000 turned up to the Nou Camp to watch Barcelona beat Elche by five goals in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

The politics were in disarray, to say the least.

Enrique arranged a press conference in the stadium's Richard Maxenchs room to discuss the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholding FIFA's transfer ban on the club, but used it to deny Messi was being pushed towards the exit.

Him, Neymar and Dani Alves had been given two extra days off over Christmas, only to be told they were not fit enough when they returned. Then, Messi failed to show for training, complaining of gastroenteritis, though most read it as sick to the stomach of Enrique.

Yet this is all water under the bridge. No longer are there murmurings of unrest with Messi. No longer are Spanish newspapers such as Sport or Marca using headlines that read 'Total Crisis!' or 'Barca fall apart'. No longer must Enrique fret about one particular poll that found 68 per cent of supporters wanted him to leave.

Messi started Barcelona's defeat at Real Sociedad on the bench and had apparently fallen out with Enrique

Total crisis! The back page of Spanish publication Sport in January, while it says Messi is 'p***** off'

AS splash on their back page with 'Messi drives Barca to despair' while Marca opt for 'Barca fall apart'

This time next month, Barcelona could have three new trophies in their cabinet, and Enrique can become the first manager since Pep Guardiola to win the historic treble in his debut season.

Even in 2008, when Guardiola became Barcelona manager, he was under pressure after opening the season with a defeat by Numancia and a draw with Racing Santander. The supporters did not agree with his week-by-week rotations, but Pep was worth persisting with. It's déjà vu for Enrique.

And the numbers concur. Since losing to Sociedad, Barcelona have scored 98 goals, whereas leading up to that they had just 68. Their goals-per-game ratio, likewise, has gone from 2.7 to 3.2.

Their shooting accuracy is up (58.03 from 49.85), as is their conversion rate (25.39 from 19.83), and they have lost just once in La Liga since (in a hiccup against Malaga on February 21).

Amid all this, Enrique has orchestrated wins over the champions of Germany (Bayern Munich), England (Manchester City), France (Paris Saint-Germain), Holland (Ajax), and Cyprus (APOEL). One more title-winning team await on June 6, when Barcelona meet Italy's Juventus in Berlin.

Messi shakes the hand of Real Sociedad manager David Moyes after Barcelona lost in January

Messi started on the substitutes' bench when Barcelona lost 1-0 against Real Sociedad in early-January

LA LIGA TOP GOALSCORERS 42 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 40 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 22 – Neymar (Barcelona) 22 – Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) 20 – Carlos Bacca (Sevilla) 16 – Luis Suarez (Barcelona) 16 – Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao) Advertisement

So, why? It's always the same answer, really, which Enrique recognised after that January blip: get Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez working as one, and the rest will fall into place.

Gary Lineker put it best on Tuesday night, when Barcelona beat Bayern Munich 5-3 on aggregate over two legs to reach their fourth Champions League final since 2005.

Lineker tweeted: 'I'm not going to rattle on about Messi this week, but...' And there it is. There's always a 'but...' when it comes to Messi.

This time, Lineker was gushing about the weight of his passes, yet it could have been a lot more for a four-time Ballon d'Or winner who has evolved since the turn of the year.

Messi is no longer just a goalscorer, even if he does have 40 for the season in La Liga – two behind his great enemy Cristiano Ronaldo. He has turned into a provider. An unselfish sharer.

Messi has evolved since the turn of the year by becoming unselfish and helping his team from deep

Messi is no longer just a goalscorer, even if he does have 40 for the season in La Liga for Barcelona

Gary Lineker put it best on Tuesday night as he tweeted about Messi during the Champions League match

Messi, Suarez and Neymar have 113 goals between them compared to Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale's 94 because they are working for each other and not just themselves.

Enrique realised after January you do not isolate Messi, as leaving such a talent on the substitutes' bench against Real Sociedad would – you base your tactics around him.

That much was true in Munich, where Messi created both moves that led to Suarez's two assists and Neymar's two goals. Suarez could have shot against goalkeeper Manuel Neuer himself, particularly for their opener, but that's not the Barcelona way. Not under Enrique.

Neymar could – and should – have secured his hat-trick as the game with Bayern grew old, too, only for the Brazil international to try to assist Messi instead. Perhaps too kind, if there is such a thing.

Messi (No 10) pulled the strings that led to Suarez (No 9) assisting Neymar (No 11) for the opening goal

Messi (No 10) again put Suarez (No 9) through who, just like the first goal, assisted Neymar (No 11)

Messi celebrates with Neymar as Barca are evolving into a complete team and are on the verge of the treble

Yet this is nothing new.

On May 2, Messi allowed Neymar to take a penalty during their 8-0 romp over Cordoba, preferring to see his partner join in rather than score his 33rd hat-trick in Spanish football.

It's working, and is why Messi, Neymar and Suarez have surpassed Rivaldo, Patrick Kluivert and Enrique as the Barcelona trio with the most Champions League goals in history (25).

Messi and Neymar are the first pair of team-mates to score nine or more goals each in one Champions League campaign, too, while Suarez is on six despite his suspension earlier this year.

Between them, they have scored 25 of Barcelona 28 goals in Europe, and Enrique has them ticking – unlike Real Madrid, who looked more like a group of individuals in two legs with Juventus.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mates did not click over two legs against Juventus

GOALS AND ASSISTS FOR MSN Assists for Lionel Messi's 52 goals Neymar – 9 assists Suarez – 4 assists Assists for Neymar's 37 goals Suarez – 8 assists Messi – 13 assists Assists for Luis Suarez's 24 goals Neymar – 0 assists Messi – 5 assists Advertisement

GOALS AND ASSISTS FOR BBC Assists for Cristiano Ronaldo's 55 goals Bale – 9 assists Benzema - 8 assists Assists for Karim Benzema's 22 goals Bale – 2 assists Ronaldo – 6 assists Assists for Gareth Bale's 17 goals Benzema – 0 assists Ronaldo – 3 assists Advertisement

Our graphic shows how Messi, Suarez and Neymar have contributed to each other's successes this season

Before January 4, when Messi was twiddling his thumbs on the substitutes' bench, he had a 59.8 per cent shooting accuracy with a 26.4 conversion rate. Since then, these have risen to 63.6 and 27.3 respectively, while his successful dribbles have gone from 48.6 to 59.8. Up, and up, and up.

It is a familiar increase across Barcelona's three-pronged attack.

Neymar, for example, has seen his shooting accuracy go from 60 to 67.1. Suarez, too, has seen his go from 48.2 to 54.6, while his shot conversion rate has more than doubled from 11.1 to 27.3.

Messi has twice as many assists (9 to 18) alongside Suarez (6 to 14), while Neymar creates plenty more chances (21 to 54) than before that controversial week in January at the Nou Camp.

And so, with Enrique just three games from making history, Barcelona appear a different animal.

They still control possession, averaging 62 per cent per game, and use 4-3-3 – two traditions the club cannot shake – yet their manager has them working as a unit with an attack-first mentality.

They are an all-for-one-and-one-for-all group, and Enrique deserves credit for this identity.

Enrique dishes out instructions during Barcelona's recent match with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena

Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola congratulates Enrique on his two-legged win over Bayern Munich

TOP FIVE LEAGUES FOR SCORING 107 – Real Madrid, Barcelona 78 – PSG 77 – Bayern Munich, Man City 70 – Lyon, Chelsea 69 – Marseille Advertisement

FOR CONCEDING 16 – Bayern Munich 19 – Barcelona 20 – Juventus 23 – Borussia Monchengladbach 26 – Monaco Advertisement

FOR SHOTS (AND ACCURACY) 650 (51%) – Real Madrid 633 (47%) – Man City 594 (54%) – Barcelona 572 (50%) – Napoli 560 (44%) – Juventus Advertisement

FOR POSSESSION 62% – Barcelona 61% – Bayern Munich 58% – PSG 57% – Man Utd 56% – Man City, Inter Milan, Roma Advertisement

FOR CHANCES CREATED 511 – Real Madrid 502 – Man City 440 – Napoli 438 – Barcelona 436 – Chelsea Advertisement