I still 100% want us to sign a striker, but the system up front right now is incredibly fluid and difficult to predict because of how much versatility we have.
Look at almost every option we have in the front four. All of them can comfortably play at least two attacking positions, without a huge drop-off in quality.
Raphinha can play on the left, right or centrally. Gordon can do the same. Adeyemi can also play all three. Fermín can play as a 10 or a false 9, while Olmo can do the same. Lamine can play right or centre.
So no matter where you start them, they can constantly exchange positions and adapt to each other. Defenders can't simply stick to one player or one zone because the threat can come from anywhere.
No striker signed, Rodri still not ready, half of the starting XI barely had any preseason, and you still get a comfortable 5-0 win away from home against Elche.
I can only say one thing: massive respect, Mister Hansi Flick. No matter the circumstances, my coach delivers.
Something is clearly off with Lamine Yamal right now. He doesn’t look like the same player we knew before last season.
I’m not criticizing him or questioning his quality. I’m just pointing out something that has been noticeable for a while. His body language and facial expressions whenever a teammate doesn’t pass to him, shoots instead of playing him in, or fails to find him are becoming hard to ignore. He looks visibly frustrated, almost disgusted at times.
And honestly, that can affect his teammates too. When they see him reacting like that, it can create hesitation in the final third — do I take the shot? Do I pass to someone else? Do I play Lamine and wait for him to create some magic? Those little doubts can make players lose focus and overthink their decisions.
There was even a moment when he stopped pressing for a second before immediately going back to it. Flick then substituted him in the 2nd half.
Maybe it has something to do with his best friend Balde being told by Flick that he will not count on him, or maybe there’s another reason we don’t know about. I’m not pretending to know what’s going on behind the scenes.
And I know this is only the first game. I’m sure Lamine will get back to the level we saw before and show everyone what he’s capable of. But this is something I’ve wanted to say for a long time, because it’s noticeable and worth pointing out.
Lamine just needs to put his feet back on the ground, stay humble and remember one thing: Barcelona comes first.
No player comes before the club. Not Lamine, not anyone else — not even Messi.
When Cancelo joined in January, Flick benched him for 3 games, Balde started. Flick said something about Discipline when he was asked why.
Cancelo fixed up, then got a start in the next game, and 45mins was enough to convince Flick. He benched Balde until the end of the season.
I kept saying it ever since we signed Gordon, his movement and runs in behind the defence are among the best in the world, and I think it was very clear today what I was talking about. I seriously can't understand how some people doubted that a player like him wouldn't thrive in Flick's system. He is literally made for this.
2 G/A in just his first 25 minutes with the team, and I can assure you, this is only the beginning. There’s a lot more to come.
Barcelona kept a clean sheet without Cancelo, Cubarsi and Kounde who are normally starters in the backline 😭
At this point Hansi Flick can just cook with anything available and win La Liga
Jose Mourinho, if you don’t want to finish trophy less in Spain, find a way to win the Super cup or Champions League. You see La Liga? Leave it for Hansi Flick and Barcelona.
Statistically, Pedri got nothing from this: 0 assists, 0 key passes, 0 big chances created. Just another one of his 42 successful passes that people will look at and call him a “side-passing merchant”
Elche have not lost at their home stadium since the last time Hansi Flick Barcelona won there in January.
Now they lost to Barcelona 5-0 in their opening game.
Hansi Flick is sending a message to the rest of the La Liga teams and Europe. We are coming with full force this season
Barcelona can win the Champions League this season if they follow the PSG part-time footballer scam scheme. Barca doesn’t need Rodri or Olmo to win La Liga, they can win La Liga with better players and play their best players in the Champions League.
There is no chance Real Madrid win league this season
This is a Barca that will easily win La Liga games even if Lamine Yamal has a bad game
Pedri and Rodri will just pass into space for Adeyemi and Gordon to run. Barca no longer has to rely immensely on Yamal’s creativity