Barcelona fans backing Luis Enrique were whistled down as Lionel Messi helped his side scrape past La Liga minnows... all is not well at Nou Camp

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It would be unfair to say they were whistling Luis Enrique but they were certainly whistling those who tried to support the under-fire coach on Sunday as Barcelona hobbled to a 2-1 victory over lowly Leganes.

It was like the denial of St Peter. Three times the singing section behind the goal began their chant of 'Luis Enrique' and three times the rest of the stadium said: 'This show of support has got nothing to do with us.'

They whistled to drown out the chants and each time the chant returned, they whistled even louder.

Fans backing Barcelona boss Luis Enrique were drowned out by whistles on Sunday

Enrique is under pressure after disappointing displays in La Liga and the Champions League

They may not be against the coach, but they are certainly not with him. The whistles were typical of a night of deep depression at the stadium that has witnessed so much mesmerising football over the past eight years.

Leganes had never played a league match in the arena yet instead of being slightly daunted as so many teams have been against Barcelona in the past, they were fearless and Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to make three vital saves to stop the plucky visitors taking the lead.

What kind of Barcelona is this that allows a newly-promoted side who will probably go back down this season so much possession and so many opportunities? It spoke volumes that in such a narrow victory Ter Stegen was Barcelona’s man of the match.

Much was read into Lionel Messi’s non-celebration after he slammed in the late penalty. 

Was he reacting to the whistles aimed at the manager and at team-mate Andre Gomes when the young former Valencia player had been substituted in the second half?

A Lionel Messi penalty in the final minutes helped Barca scrape past lowly Leganes

Messi barely celebrated his late goal, while his team-mates hugged him with relief

It seems more likely he felt that a 2-1 win over Leganes grabbed in the 90th minute was really nothing to celebrate. His team-mates’ relief was palpable and as he stood motionless staring at the top corner he had just nearly burst with the ball he was mobbed by the rest of the team.

This game was always going to be a no-win match for Barcelona. Even if Enrique’s team had put five past Leganes the supporters would have said it was no more than they should do and now they needed to repeat the trick against Paris Saint-Germain.

The real test of just how ailing the Barcelona patient is will come next weekend when they go away to the Vicente Calderon to face Atletico Madrid. 

If the performance is as tepid as it was against Leganes on Sunday then you would expect Diego Simeone’s side to put them to the sword. That will really do for their title chances, and for the rest of the season.

If they win next week then they are still in the hunt, they will have shown there is some fight left in the old dog and the dreamers can go on believing that they can make history by putting five past PSG to overturn that first-leg mauling.

Enrique needs his team to show a better performance against Atletico Madrid next week

Andre Gomes, one of the manager's signings, was poor again and booed off when substituted

If Messi was left cold by his last-gasp penalty Enrique was relieved and surprisingly frank in his press conference. If we had lost tonight we would have been done for, was his post-match summary.

Once again Messi had bailed him and Barcelona out. Enrique of course takes no credit for anything the great Argentine does. 

He stands or falls by the performances of the players signed on his watch; the individuals he keeps faith in while around him everyone screams for them to be left out or sold.

On Sunday night Andre Gomes was poor again and whistled as he walked off and the other signings that the manager requested – Arda Turan and Paco Alcacer - were nowhere to be seen, one not fit, the other just not used.

It’s little wonder that he has few backers at Barcelona right now… save for the board who still haven’t tied Messi down to a new deal, so they generate very little faith among the supporters anyway.