There was neither road nor lighthouse. Neither thunder sounded nor lightning was seen. It was not possible with the new mascot Cat, who took the kick-off, nor with Lamine Yamal, who was wearing Leo Messi’s boots. Las Palmas snuck into the Barça party, who played in white pants to copy the kit they wore in their first match, at the Bonanova Velodrome, and ended up also paying tribute to the worst part: the initial defeat. If the English Colony defeated the Blaugrana 0-1 in 1899, this time, 125 years later, the Canaries won 1-2 and set off the alarms.
From the smiles at Friday’s gala it turned to worried faces for the three straight days without winning. “We are very disappointed,” summarized Hansi Flick, who had a family visit in Montjuïc and was not able to dedicate a victory to his grandchildren.
We are doing many things wrong. I think we have lowered the level”
The epic didn’t even smile on a very gray Barcelona. “We haven’t been good. Today was not our day. We have not been effective. In the second half we created more chances but not as many as we usually do,” analyzed the German coach. “We have shot 28 times. If you score the first one, it changes,” he said.
Of course, Flick did not hide that ultimately it is a football problem. “We can play better as a team and that is why we have not won,” he analyzed. “When we control the game, we are able to play well and create opportunities. When we don’t do it, it’s the problem,” he highlighted the pothole.
“We have not been good nor have we been effective. “We have to reconnect.”
The coach did not want to delve into whether Barcelona suffered excessively from the absences of Casadó, who was suspended, and Dani Olmo, who suffered physical discomfort – nor did he warm up – but he recalled that he needs everyone on the pitch to be focused. “The players believe in this way of playing. But if some players are not connected, the team does not work,” he warned.
In addition, he once again appealed to that maturity that a young dressing room may lack. “Before it was easier because we scored a lot of goals, now it’s not like that. Well, we have to change, defend better. If you don’t score a goal you have to keep a clean sheet,” he said as his duties.
The players believe in this way of playing. But if some players are not connected, the team does not work.”
The most affected by having squandered the advantage in the classification was Raphinha, who made a lot of self-criticism. “We have to look at what we are doing wrong. There are many things. I think we have lowered the level. Yes, I’m angry. The goal? The goal doesn’t matter to me at all,” said the Brazilian footballer.
The only thing that can be rescued as a message of hope from the lyrics of L’escut to the pitthe 125th anniversary anthem that was premiered before and after the match, is the verse that says that in the history of Barça “the desire to get up has never failed.” Flick will talk to his players to change this bad dynamic. “We have to go back, reconnect,” he asked. “Against Mallorca on Tuesday we have to turn this around,” Raphinha harangued. The celebration went the other way.
#celebration #concern
