There’s no reason to panic if you’re Barcelona. It has been a tough start to the season, and they have captured two wins and a draw from three games on the road.
But during the break, Hansi Flick would benefit from earnest self-reflection.
We are not seeing the best of his Barcelona, and if we’re being honest, at least from a tactical point of view, they weren’t firing on all cylinders at the end of last season either.
Being the Barcelona boss, especially now given the instability at the club, is never
easy. At times it will feel like you have a hand tied behind your back. Flick deserves the respect and admiration he’s been given.
The world of modern football, however, is dynamic and unforgiving. Past success will be quickly forgotten. What you’ve done lately is really all that matters. And lately, other teams are doing their homework and finding ways to do damage against Barcelona.
Now, it’s Flick’s turn to show that he’s not stubborn, and instead can adapt to changing circumstances.
The biggest question, so long as Barcelona continue putting in poor performances, will be the one around the high line. Flick will have to decide if the problem is the attitude and execution of the players, or if the tactics are simply not as effective anymore.
Losing Iñigo Martínez was significant, but it can’t be the reason that the team’s identity falls apart.
Perhaps Flick would be best served giving a vote of confidence to a starting backline and riding them for a while so they have time to adapt to one another. That’s what happened last season, and why before too long, things clicked into place.
We have seen a lot of Eric García in the first three games. I think, however, coming out of the international break, it’s time to start using him as a backup again. As solid as he has been, Jules Kounde needs to regain his form, and Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen need to figure out how to perform at a top level within Flick’s system.
The other curiosity has been the use of Ferran Torres. Three games, and three starts as the center forward. Robert Lewandowski is recovering his fitness, but I would have liked to see more of Marcus Rashford, especially up top. Rayo Vallecano I think was the perfect opponent that Rashford could have exploited if played centrally from the start.
More than anything, I think Barcelona has started to take their opponents for granted. There is a lot of confidence on this team, that borders on arrogance at times, that seems to be carrying over from their success last season.
Rayo Vallecano worked their butts off from start to finish. Barcelona did not.
Winning games isn’t magic. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
More is needed in terms of intensity from the front three. We could have said the same thing months ago when the high line began to get exposed.
We also need more concentration from the attackers. Way too many easy chances missed from the likes of Ferran, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo.
Flick may need to shorten the leash for the good of his players. Focus on the fundamentals, and hold everyone accountable for their actions and performances on the field.
The manager also needs to take responsibility for what hasn’t been working.
Barcelona had a full summer to prepare for the season, and yet they look unprepared. That’s on Flick. Humility all around will go a long way.
The season is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s time to get things right by building the correct habits and mindset.
The world will savor every opportunity to bring Barcelona down.
The best way to counter that is to be ready and ruthless. The individual talent is there. The team, however, still needs to form.
