FC Barcelona chiefs are concerned that Hansi Flick's first team is losing control while going "from more to less" according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
The Catalans again dropped points on Saturday, by drawing 2-2 to Real Betis in Sevilla.
The Andalusians netted a 94th minute equalizer, meaning that Barca were denied the win in the dying seconds.
With Real Madrid beating 3-0 at Girona a day later, the difference between the two behemoths at the top of the La Liga table is just two points.
If they win a game in hand against Valencia on January 2, originally postponed because of flooding in the latter's region, Los Blancos can take a single point lead at the summit.
This would be some achievement for Carlo Ancelotti and Co., and a disappointment for the Blaugrana considering that they were as many as six points clear following a 4-0 thrashing of its arch nemesis in El Clasico at the end of October.
Following the stalemate in the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Flick reiterated that his is a "young team" that has "to improve" and be "stronger" on the road.
"We have the quality so it's our problem," he further stated.
SPORT explains that though confidence in Flick and his work is "maximum", there is concern behind the scenes at Barca with an evident decline on show "both in terms of play and results".
Though the overall picture is positive, with Barca pretty much able to confirm qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League by beating Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, it is believed that the "psychological factor" might be playing a relevant role in recent hiccups.
There is an "inability to keep calm in more delicate moments" of matches, and a feeling that although this might be unintentional, Barca has relaxed too much after landmark wins over Bayern Munich and Madrid.
Learning how to get the better of Barca's offside trap on occasion, opponents are pressing it high and affecting the control previously enjoyed over games.
While Flick lamented a "sh*t November" pierced by defeats to the likes of Real Sociedad and Las Palmas, there is a risk of December also following suit if Barca doesn't come up with solutions to its slump.
Meanwhile, one of Spain's hottest teams in Atletico Madrid is on the horizon and set to visit Montjuic on December 21.