The culprits of the terrible decline of FC Barcelona

Just a few weeks ago, when we talked about the race for La Liga and even that for the Champions League, one name kept coming up as the big favorite: FC Barcelona. It must be said that the Blaugranas were particularly impressive until November, when things started to get complicated. The beautiful game and the prestigious victories against Bayern or Real Madrid have given way to doubt, bad results and crestfallen faces. Only one victory in the last seven days of La Liga, with a balance sheet of five points taken out of twenty-one possible, and the helplessness of seeing Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid move ahead in the standings…

Observations on the various problems which explain this black series have already been drawn: poor pressing and little intensity, lack of efficiency, dependence on the exploits of Lamine Yamal, lack of solutions on the sidelines, among others. Obviously, when looking for the culprits of this negative dynamic, the first man pointed out is often the coach. Curiously, Hansi Flick is rather spared by the Catalan media, who obviously highlight problems, particularly in reading matches and coaching during matches, but they are not particularly vehement. Much less than what they have been in the past with other coaches during poor results for the Blaugrana.

An efficiency problem

But the German’s responsibility is obvious, he who cannot find solutions to revive his team. Even if it should be noted that he is not helped by some of his players, like Robert Lewandowski. Against Leganés and Atlético for example, FC Barcelona did not play bad matches, and was dominant in the game, creating a lot of chances. It was because of the lack of efficiency that Barça did not obtain the expected result, and the Pole missed a lot of chances, having only scored once in the last six matches.

Beyond the Pole, it is difficult to find real responsibility among the players. And it’s quite paradoxical for a team which obtains such poor results. Some like Dani Olmo underperform a little at times, and others can occasionally miss out, like Marc Casado against Atlético. But apart from Lewandowski, and the Turkish head of the Catalan media Frenkie de Jong when he is used, there is no player far from the level which should be his and who can be singled out. Some, like Pedri or Íñigo Martínez, are even in their prime at the moment. This Barça is therefore not necessarily a team which has its head underwater with players in poor form, but rather a formation which is harmed by some occasional faults and combinations of unfavorable circumstances which prevent it from obtaining the results expected…