Following the 3-2 defeat to Valencia and the dismal performance of Barcelona on Saturday, the squad returned to training on Monday in relatively calm and collected style, something added by Daniel Alves and Gerard Pique as they both spoke to the Spanish press about the defeat but gave little away in terms of 'worry', a different contrast to that of Barca's fans and media men.

Real Sociedad, whom Barcelona host on Wednesday evening at Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey semi-final can be excused for feeling a little bit nervous ahead of the trip then, but Alves and Pique's lack of admission to poor form is far to easy to look past.

Barca certainly have not been playing anywhere near the standard they have set in recent years and you have to look back to that crushing two-legged semi-final Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich to discover just why, perhaps, the biggest of those problems has been the fitness of Lionel Messi who battled through those games and paid a very big price for doing so.

Messi has not scored anywhere near the amount of goals fans across the world are used to him scoring, he has been creating, but when Argentina's national captain is scoring freely, Barca are simply irresistable and very hard to stop. Messi on form equals Barcelona in charge.

Certainly Tata Martino's tactics and plans have had some part to play as Messi has been seen in between the centre-backs during some games, picking the ball up in his own half and playing the role of his good friend and team-mate, Xavi Hernandez. But it is likely, Martino, will revert back to the tactics that allows Messi to dominate and do his own thing, thus affecting the team positively.

Perhaps another problem has been the injury to Neymar but the Catalans will be pleased to have him back on the training field and have a relatively fit squad, barring the likes of Oier and Jonathon dos Santos. If one thing Barcelona's Martino does not have on his side, it is that he cannot blame injuries for any more poor results.

Defensively Barca have been pretty sound all season and have impressed to a certain extent, however, on Saturday against Valencia they had a night off and lost full concentration, even the reliable Victor Valdes who has been a catalyst for the club was off-form.

Something that is all too similar in the opening months of 2014 is that against Martino's Barca, teams can score quite easily, for example, Levante opened the scoring in three of the four meetings between the two clubs and that situation needs to be ended, and quickly.

If you pick up the papers over the last few days in Spain, you would have thought Barca had been relegated or infact they had stopped winning but they still remain on course for the title, perhaps a little more complicated now Atletico are top and Real Madrid are closing in behind but this group of players have plenty to prove.

Messi himself admits that the Bayern defeat still leaves a bad taste in his mouth and he more than anybody will want to help put all the aforementioned points to bed.

Question marks will no doubt still ponder on Wednesday night even if Barca crush Sociedad but a long term argument between pundits, fans, members and even players, continues to grow in the background of the club, with many calling for Tata Martino's head due to his change in style and philisophy.

February is generally the month that makes or breaks Barcelona's season and if that is to continue, then they must quickly forget what happened against Valencia and prove themselves once more.