Can it be said that Neymar's first season with Barcelona was a flop?

Neymar joined Barcelona from Santos last year for £48.6 million and much fanfare accompanied the mega move. The Brazillian won the Golden Ball for best player at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and as it stands, has scored 30 goals in 47 appearances for Brazil. With such achievements already in the bag by the age of 22 there was great expectation surrounding Neymar’s maiden campaign in Europe.
What unfolded however has been nothing short of an anti-climax. 12 goals in 33 appearances for the Catalan side this season is not the form of supposedly one of the world’s best footballer. People may argue that Neymar requires time to adapt to La Liga but his monumental transfer fee would suggest otherwise. In effect there should have been a much greater return on Barcelona’s heavy investment, even so early on into the Brazilian’s European adventure.
Neymar’s start to the La Liga season was relatively slow. He was not given the starting spot from day one; Tata Martino made him work for it, which seemed to pay dividends. The Brazilian linked up well with his teammates and was a real menace going forward. He was creating assists and making his presence felt, but it took until late September for Neymar to score his first La Liga goal in a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad.
Afterward, Neymar continued to transition into regular European play at a reasonable speed. He played impressive matches and had a major influence on games, but he still looked timid to take chances at goal. As the season progressed, the 21-year-old eventually found his rhythm. He discovered his role in the lineup and began to put in very consistent performances.
It wasn’t until Lionel Messi went down injured that Neymar really began to take off. With the scoring load now on his shoulders, the Brazilian picked up his play more than ever and showed what he could really do.
Though he has looked very good for the most part, Neymar still isn’t scoring as many goals as you would expect. Neymar’s statistics in the Champions League are wonderful, yet they can also be a bit misleading. Despite averaging even more shots and dribbles per game, Neymar has struggled in front of goal.
Taking everything into consideration Neymar continues to show that he has the ability to be one of the best players in the world. He still has untapped potential, and Barcelona appears to be the perfect place for him to develop his talent. So after consideration of all those stats and other issues, we feel that Neymar had a not so good and at the same time not so bad season this year. He had his own ups and downs but one thing is for sure, we can expect a lot from him for seasons to come.