Hansi Flick is a pretty pragmatic guy. Velvet glove in iron fist. He didn’t like Barça’s second half against Espanyol in the derby. He understood that the value was in the three points and that the self-regulation that the Blaugrana players applied after the break must be resolved. That was the beginning of the fall of the stars of a dream team. The automatic regulation when the score was favorable or the match was noted to be in favor was what prevented Barça from reigning in recent times for much longer.
It is enough to remember the phrase very loudly: “Long possessions, long possessions” that Piqué threw at his teammates at more than one point in several games. That was a Barça that was uncomfortable defending and that had in Messi the lord of prodigies. It was not a team sculpted by maximum intensity but by the strategic use of its excellent quality. It is worth remembering again the anecdote between John Benjamin Toshack and Butragueño when he coached Madrid.
Barça cannot throw away what they have won so far due to a second half of self-regulation in the derby
The Welsh coach told the Buitre that he had to defend the Cádiz centre-back in a match that Real was playing at the Bernabéu. The white striker told him that it was not necessary and Toshack replied: “Yes it is, because the important thing is that you get used to always marking the rival centre-back, so that the day we play against Bayern Munich it will come naturally and You shouldn’t force it.”
Barça coach Hansi Flick during the derby with Espanyol
The essence of Flick goes there. Maximum intensity every minute. That is what the German coach’s team must have in its DNA. The key is to turn what seems exceptional into a habit. Because if it is considered extraordinary, it has an expiration date and the maximum intensity in a club like FC Barcelona has to be permanent. It’s a way of competing. For this it is necessary to have a large staff, which we have, and a vocation for self-demand, which Flick imposes. There are many young people who already incorporate it and footballers from other stages who must forget about the old times. Barça went down one speed and Espanyol went up another. It is understandable that the blue and white team did so with a severe score of 3-0 and it could even be understood in a Barça with a European match during the week. But that was what ruined one of the best Blaugrana teams: thinking beyond and regulating. 95 minutes on the surface. That is the slogan. In every game. You cannot play based on the score or the opponent. An immovable base must be established: intensity is not negotiated, nor does it decrease. It is the fat part of the plan, not just another tool. That is the essence of the Flick Team. The Barça coach forgave the derby. But he will only do it once. It doesn’t look like it will be allowed much more.
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