One thing that Hansi Flick has prized at Barcelona is adaptability.
That’s the reason why Eric García and Gerard Martín have thrived under the German manager, while Héctor Fort, for example, has left and joined Real Sociedad.
It doesn’t matter what your position is, Flick is telling his team. He wants to know if you understand the system, and can make yourself useful regardless of the opponent or any other circumstance.
Eric García was a center-back when he arrived at Barcelona, and Gerard Martín was a full-back.
Nope said Flick. Change positions. You got it all wrong, and I’m going to show you how to maximize your potential, and get you regular minutes on the field. Both players adapted, and now they are indispensable to the coach.
This summer, everyone expected Barcelona to bring in new defenders. They are a strong attacking team, they said, but their defense will be the thing that holds them back, especially in the Champions League.
Instead, late in the window, they got rid of Ronald Araujo, Héctor Fort, and the even the young and promising Álvaro Cortés. The last one is still a bit of a head scratcher to me, but it shows you where Flick’s head is at.
The depth chart on the defensive side looks something like this.
Right full-back: Eric García, Jules Kounde
Left full-back: Xavi Espart, João Cancelo, Alejandro Balde.
Right center-back: Pau Cubarsí, Andreas Christensen.
Left center-back: Gerard Martín.
On paper, it doesn’t look deep. You’re just one or two injuries away from having a problem.
In Flick’s mind, however, his defenders all having something in common. They can play in more than one position across the backline.
Both Eric and Kounde, full-backs on paper, can play in the center if needed.
João Cancelo and Xavi Espart can play on either side, and even in non-defensive positions if needed.
Andreas Christensen is the big gamble. If he stays healthy, he’s a game changer and could even jump Gerard Martín as Pau Cubarsí’s partner in crime.
That’s the gameplan, and that’s why Barcelona felt they didn’t have to invest more in defenders, while even letting three walk out the door.
Will it backfire? That will be one of the most important questions to follow as we grow into the season.
There’s always January if reinforcements are needed, but at that time, new players will come at a premium.
What’s exciting is that this is really starting to look like Flick’s project in action. It’s clear what he values, and players are being rewarded if they can be flexible. This is as true on the forward line as it is for defenders, especially since the Julián Alvarez transfer never materialized.
In the past, we’ve talked a lot about injuries derailing a season, or at least competitions within it.
Flick’s answer isn’t depth, it’s having the right players who can be moved around as needed to keep the system going.
If it works, he’s a genius.
The only way to find out for sure though is to see what happens once the injury bug hits. It always does, especially when your goal is to compete for every trophy.
