One thing we learned about Barcelona in the preseason is that they aren’t changing their defensive approach.
From Asia to the Joan Gamper, we still saw a high defensive line, and the intention to use an aggressive offside trap. Against Como, even without Iñigo Martínez, it showed signs of working as intended.
With the departure of Iñigo to Al-Nassr, Flick will have to find a replacement on the backline, and decide whether any tactical adjustments are warranted.
On the first question, all eyes will be
on Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen. On paper, both players have a strong reputation and are starting eleven quality. But can they adapt their game to the tactics that Flick demands?
Now that Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde are seen as right-backs under Flick, the concern of defensive depth will also be raised. Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo have already suffered knocks. Imagine if that happens to a defender or two. Barcelona could be in trouble, especially when you consider the fitness that’s required to play in such a high line.
If rumors are true that Hector Fort could be headed out the door on loan, perhaps we could see more outside of the box thinking by Flick in the future. One idea could be using Marc Casadó as a full-back.
For me, there isn’t a question of talent. With names like Pau Cubarsí, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Eric Garcia, Flick undeniably has great players to work with.
But you do want to be able to play them in their natural positions, while having the ability to rotate to keep them fresh across all competitions, so they can be at their best in the moments that matter most.
I can’t help but wonder if the club may be relying a bit too much on the genius of their manager, and whether they may come to regret not prioritizing strengthening the defence over the summer, especially considering that it’s an area that became more vulnerable a year ago as the season went along.
One thing that seems certain is that the team will need Joan García to be exceptional. He was not brought in to be a good, or even a great goalkeeper, but rather one who could be the difference maker in winning the team games that come down to the margins.
This isn’t a Barcelona team who keeps the ball for the sake of it, which in turn takes pressure off the backline and goalkeeper alike. Flick wants his players to be direct and take chances. That means the defenders have to be alert at every moment, and focused in their coordination.
Most people expect Barcelona to score lots of goals. In La Liga, so will Real Madrid. In the Champions League, PSGs campaign a year ago notwithstanding, historically defense is the deciding factor.
Barcelona needs to be great on both sides of the ball in order to match, and hopefully even surpass, the success from last season.
With that in mind, the question we should ask ourselves is this.
Is Barcelona defensively stronger now than they were a year ago?
If not, Flick, Joan Laporta, and Deco may still have work to do this summer.
