There weren’t many positives to take from Barcelona’s defeat to Sevilla, but perhaps one positive revelation was seeing the impact that Roony Bardghji was able make in his short cameo appearance.
All of
the talk at the moment is rightfully on managing the minutes of Lamine Yamal responsibly.
It will be much easier for Hansi Flick to rotate his star player if he feels he has a backup who can be an attacking threat.
With Raphinha also out injured (hopefully back soon), Roony is the best option available to play on the right wing.
We can disagree on the efficacy of Flick’s tactics at the moment, but most would agree that the players of late, especially the forwards, have not been getting the job done.
For me, playing Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski at the same time should be a last resort. In a system like Flick’s having two dynamic wingers is a must.
On the current roster you have Lamine Yamal, Marcus Rashford, Raphinha, and Roony who fit that bill. Although we haven’t seen a lot of him, perhaps it’s worth taking a look at Toni Fernández too.
Roony’s final ball isn’t clicking at the moment. The good news, however, is that he is playing without fear and getting himself into great situations where scoring a goal, or getting the assist, is even possible. Ferran, in comparison, doesn’t have the skills to create danger on the dribble.
Another interesting thing happens when Roony is on the field. Pedri has another technical player that he can combine with. Giving the fact that Flick often plays with four forwards, it’s very useful to have a forward with the ball control skills of a midfielder.
Roony is raw at the moment. He’ll need some time to adapt and a manager who shows confidence in him. The upside of making this investment, however, could be big for Barcelona.
At the moment, Flick may not have a choice.
His two best wingers are sidelined, and even when Lamine and Raphinha return, we have learned the hard way the importance of rotation to prevent burnout.
The time is now to throw Roony into the deep end.
In the long run, he has the potential to prove he is Barcelona material. Even if that doesn’t materialize, he could be a useful stopgap in the short term.
Hansi Flick has nothing to lose. Let the young gun show what he’s capable of.
