Hi community!
Managing midfielders returning from injury has become one of Flick's biggest challenges. Casadó, Pedri and Olmo now seem irreplaceable.
Flick's Barça have been experiencing a contradictory situation in recent weeks: the run of worst results has come at a time when they were recovering injured players.
"They are young players and I think they can recover well and quickly. Today we made the changes early to get back into the game, but it wasn't possible. On Tuesday in Mallorca we will have to play better," was Flick's response to this question after the defeat against Las Palmas.
The coach has been bringing back important pieces, especially in the midfield, but he is having a hard time fitting them in. One of the keys to the great start to the season has been the engine room. The structure formed by Casadó, Pedri and Olmo has been the basis of the team's play and the alternatives are not giving the same performance. Especially when the German incorporates two new pieces into the gear as happened against Las Palmas.
It is a complex situation for Flick because the needs of the players returning from injury are not the same as those of the team. Players like Fermín, De Jong and Gavi need minutes to get into rhythm, but Flick's style requires pieces at full physical performance to sustain itself.
Fermin is the one who is more fit after overcoming several injuries, but he is offering an irregular performance. The change of positions is not helping him: he has played as a playmaker, false left winger and false right winger.
Despite brilliant moments like against Bayern, he is lacking some composure and above all forcefulness in the final meters. Under normal circumstances he should already have a few more goals (he has scored one goal and given two assists in 472 minutes). It seems like just a bad run, because he is a player who usually puts up good numbers.
See You soon! 🏐
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