Before Luis Enrique was appointed earlier on this summer it looked increasingly likely that Javier Mascherano's time at Barcelona had come to an end, that was until the World Cup came around. He's been a brilliant servant for them since joining from Liverpool in 2008. However, it seemed as though he'd served his purpose. Mascherano was brought to the club as a defensive midfielder, but as Barça's defensive options grew weaker and weaker, Mascherano was forced to play at centre back and for a few seasons, this appeared to work. But at just 5ft 8in he's not the ideal height for a centre back but and although his reading of the game and last-ditch challenges got Barcelona through most of their matches in the big games the cracks started to appear. Against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Mascherano and Pique were terrorised over the two legs, and conceded 7 goals. After these types of defeats, it was expected that Barça would sign a centre back last summer, but they didn't and so Mascherano continued to play at the heart of defence for the majority of last season. Barcelona were again exploited on a number of occassions and failed to win a major competition. As the season ended fingers were starting to be pointed around the squad, it appeared that Mascherano's time could be up. Barça fans were grateful for what he'd given to the club, but it seemed as though he could no longer player in defence, and he couldn't dislodge Busquets from midfield either.

Then Luis Enrique appeared. One of the first things Enrique did was speak at length with Mascherano over his role at the club. It's thought that Enrique convinced Mascherano that he'll get his opportunity in midfield and will only be deployed in that position next season. Mascherano then too signed a new contract, meaning that he'll more than likely retire at Barça. Some fans were sceptical, about Mascherano's ability and whether or not he could challenge Sergio Busquets for the defensive midfield role, then the World Cup happened.

Javier Mascherano was a serious contender for player of the tournament after playing a truly instrumental role for Argentina upon reaching the final of the World Cup. His never-say-die attitude and full blooded challenges earned him rave reviews from across the globe and needless to say Barcelona were very happy that the Argentine was still their man.

Enrique has promised Mascherano that he'll get his chance in defensive midfield - his strongest position. It's expected that Song will be sold this summer, leaving Mascherano and Busquets to battle it out for a place in the side. But will they have too? It's been suggested that the two could actually play together, in a double pivot. Something that Barça attempted a few times last season with Song and Busquets playing together. It showed good potential, but the quality of player just wasn't there. A Mascherano-Busquets partnersip however could work perfectly for Barcelona. One player would sit deep, very deep, often slotting between the centre backs when the full-backs push on. The other would control the game - almost playing the Xavi role. Both players have the ability to play either role. We've seen at the World Cup that Mascherano has both the defensive and offensive capabilities to offer the team. He can pass as well as tackle, the same goes for Busquets. It would work well for the shape of the team, as well as the structure and balance. For example, Barcelona may not find themselves being countered as often as they have in recent seasons simply because they'll always have three or four men safely behind the ball. Both players will never attack or stray forward at the same time, there will always been one player back supporting the centre backs. This is key for Barça. On too many occassions last season we saw both Alves and Alba attacking and the two centre backs having to deal with three counter-attacking players all on their own. Also, in the bigger matches, Barça may need two defensive midfielders to deal with the attacking threats of bigger sides. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for example will need more protection at the back. Luis Enrique is expected to tinker with the tactics next season as although we may see a 4-3-3 formation Busquets could be playing in Xavi's position. We may see a more defensive-minded player in a role that was once an attacking one for Barça. They certainly need to be more structured next season. We've seen the brilliant tiki-taka side of Barça for a number of years now, but we've seen some of the elements fall away. And last season Barça seemed as though they weren't quite sure what approach they were supposed to be using.

One things for certain that Enrique will make each player fully aware of their responsibilities on the pitch and he'll make each position key to helping the team. A new era dawns at Barça.