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Cape Town - Former Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff believes the presence of Luis Suarez will help get the best out of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Much was made of the addition of Neymar to the Barca squad last season, with many questioning how the Brazil superstar would perform alongside the club's undoubted leader Messi.
The Catalan outfit struggled to match the heights of previous seasons, finishing the 2013/14 campaign in second place after playing to a 1-1 draw with champions Atletico Madrid on the final day.
Messi and Neymar were certainly not to blame for the Blaugrana's failure to retain the La Liga title, but they were perhaps not playing to their full potential.
And Cruyff feels the addition of Suarez could provide the missing link which gets Luis Enrique's side firing on all cylinders.
"Perhaps the presence of Suarez will improve the connection between Messi and Neymar," the 67-year-old told reporters.
"With Messi, sometimes you cannot score so you need to assist and he has the quality to develop. Last year the partnership did not work, so we will see what happens in the future."
Reflecting on the club's strong start to the new season, the Dutch legend added: "They have made a good start but the awards are not won until May. There have been many changes but to start off winning is an important step.
"We will see if he succeeds but things are looking good. There will be injuries and you need a little bit of luck but for now Luis Enrique has it all [to succeed]."
Much was made of the addition of Neymar to the Barca squad last season, with many questioning how the Brazil superstar would perform alongside the club's undoubted leader Messi.
The Catalan outfit struggled to match the heights of previous seasons, finishing the 2013/14 campaign in second place after playing to a 1-1 draw with champions Atletico Madrid on the final day.
Messi and Neymar were certainly not to blame for the Blaugrana's failure to retain the La Liga title, but they were perhaps not playing to their full potential.
And Cruyff feels the addition of Suarez could provide the missing link which gets Luis Enrique's side firing on all cylinders.
"Perhaps the presence of Suarez will improve the connection between Messi and Neymar," the 67-year-old told reporters.
"With Messi, sometimes you cannot score so you need to assist and he has the quality to develop. Last year the partnership did not work, so we will see what happens in the future."
Reflecting on the club's strong start to the new season, the Dutch legend added: "They have made a good start but the awards are not won until May. There have been many changes but to start off winning is an important step.
"We will see if he succeeds but things are looking good. There will be injuries and you need a little bit of luck but for now Luis Enrique has it all [to succeed]."
