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It has been a little over three months since Hansi Flick arrived in Barcelona, hoping to change things around and usher in a new era at Barcelona.
As we approach October, it is perhaps fair to say that Barcelona have witnessed a welcome change in the past 90 days, even emerging as a potential Champions League contender.
This comes despite Barça’s recent loss to AS Monaco in the UCL, as their unfortunate defeat was a minor blip in an otherwise brilliant campaign, which includes six back-to-back wins in the league.
Here, at Barça Universal, we will talk about how Flick managed to turn things around at Barcelona in a matter of just three months.
Turning Lamine Yamal into a saviour
One of Flick’s standout achievements has been the development of Lamine Yamal, who is fast becoming the star of the team.
Comparisons to Lionel Messi have become unavoidable, with Yamal’s brilliance on the ball and his ability to change games single-handedly reminding fans of the Argentine legend.
Under Flick, Yamal has been given the freedom to express himself, and the results have been extraordinary. The youngster has racked up four goals and five assists in just seven competitive matches so far.
Flick has gotten the best out of Yamal (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Flick’s trust in Yamal is evident, allowing the youngster to play without fear while honing his raw talent.
It is this nurturing of potential that has turned Yamal from a promising prospect into a saviour for Barça, reminiscent of the days when Messi carried the team on his shoulders.
Solving the pivot problem
Heading into the new season, one of Flick’s major challenges was to fix the issues at defensive midfield, especially after the summer exit of Oriol Romeu, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergi Roberto.
Not to mention, Barcelona were not able to secure key targets such as Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi. Despite that, Flick has managed to solve the issue in the number six position.
Flick did so through the utilisation of La Masia, with Marc Bernal, in particular, making a marvellous impact early on in the season.
But when Bernal was sidelined due to injury, Flick had to act quickly. He turned to Eric Garcia, a player who had often been deployed as a centre-back.
Eric Garcia has done well in midfield (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Flick believed Garcia’s ball-playing skills and defensive awareness made him a viable pivot. Remarkably, the experiment has worked. Garcia has adapted to the role, showing a newfound confidence in distributing the ball and breaking up opposition attacks.
Managing injuries and utilizing alternatives
Barcelona have not been immune to injuries this season under Hansi Flick. The German has had to contend with the absence of key players, particularly in midfield, where both Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Marc Bernal have faced time on the sidelines.
What sets Flick apart is how he has handled these challenges. Rather than lament the loss of key players, he has successfully tapped into the depth of the squad.
Flick’s trust in La Masia stars, in particular, has been commendable, as he has not been shy in giving chances to players like Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez.
This tactical flexibility and ability to rotate the squad without losing quality have been crucial in Barcelona’s recent success.
