The unraveling of Barcelona has been weeks in the making

If, during the international break, you share a drink with a Barcelona fan who tries to tell you that their 4-1 defeat in Seville would have been different if Robert Lewandowski had not scored a penalty and if Roony Bardghji had not missed a 2-1 goalkeeper, then smile with benevolence, pay for their drink and make sure they go home and sound.

They are in denial. A great moment. Fear eats away at their footballer’s soul as a rat gnaws at the wood of a kitchen cupboard.

Yes, the “last embers of a former big Polish striker” could have brought the scoring to 2-2 if he had converted from 12 meters. And yes, in this hypothetical scenario, the young Swedish could have made 2-3 against the champions in title of the Liga, which means that, just like those who go to fishing, we are all entitled to “the one who fled”, stories that are very revealing.

But the Hansi Flick team has not only deserved its defeat, which could have led it 5-1 at halftime: this defeat, and its categorical nature, has been planned for weeks.

Barça played almost exactly 1,000 minutes of competition this season, in eight national matches and two in Europe. Speaking generously, Barcelona played a good level for about 480 minutes, or 48 %. It is a failure rate, and no acceptable level of performance if a club does not only want to keep its triple trophy status but, via UEFA Champions League, improve it.

Do not believe me, even if I am completely precise: go back and listen to the post-match press conferences of Flick and read the players of the players.

The first signal indicating that they were not aging, but that they drowned, came on the first day. Leading against a new Mallorca, with in particular a 2-0 goal that the arbitration committee later admitted should not have been authorized to stay, Barcelona was not only lazy, slow and complacent, but they received a rocket, after the match, from their deeply dissatisfied German coach. “I did not like our performance, we played with a concentration of around 50%,” he said. “We have to better manage the matches and be intense … even if it seems easy to beat nine men.”

They were treated to an absolute sleight of hand against the new promoted Levante, led 2-0 at the break even if it could easily have been four or five, but Joan García saved their skin. Outside the Rayo Vallecano, once again, they were overworked, pushed out of their comfort zone, clearly exceeded in XG and, ultimately, very lucky to escape with a draw instead of a defeat.

“We made too many mistakes, we did not control the game via the ball,” said Flick after this match. That he added this infamous sentence, “last year, we were a real team, but the ego kills success”, was devastating, especially when it was left unanswered – without the players (s) – or the directors – in question being identified. The next day, the influential Catalan newspaper Diario Sport warned in his editorial: “Flick would be better to be careful … at that rate, he might not reach the end of the season.” Amazing.

Real Oviedo, newly promoted and sub-financed, has made holes in the press and defense of Barcelona, ​​even if the final score 3-1 Blaugrana Victory at the Carlos Tartiere stadium is one of the four liga matches in which they conceded the first and had to mount a raised. An exciting viewing for neutrals, but not the character of the champions.

Go to Sunday and the Argentinian coach of Seville, Matías Almeyda, gathered all the information Blaugrana weaknesses he had witnessed, promised his players that Barça suffered from a glass jaw, grating the lungs and lead legs.

The war cry worked.

Seville trampled on the Catalans. If they had converted all their flagrant goal opportunities and added to the four they scored, they would have broken their home goal record almost 80 years old against Barça (4-0 in 1947).

Just a little treat. I was watching the match alongside the legend of Seville Diego Capel. Do you remember the bright, cheeky and fast left winger, who played alongside footballers like Freddie Kanouté and who marked in the final victory of Copa del Rey in Seville in 2010 against Atlético Madrid? (He scored twice at Camp Nou during this COPA: once to eliminate the Pep Guardiola team and once in this final victory.)

Capel still lives in the hottest city in Europe, Frying Pan, still loves the club he has supported since he is a child, and he becomes green if you mention that Real Betis plays well. But like a large part of Spain, it was conditioned that if your team dominates Barcelona (or Real Madrid) and then concedes, as Seville did it just before half-time on the thunderous flying of Marcus Rashford, then that’s all: the big ones will win. THE Blaugrana And Whiteos Do it again and again-in a metronomic way if you are a fan of one or the other, in a monotonous way if you are not.

The poor old Capel endured torments when Barcelona scored this glorious goal with a assisting of Pedri in gold plated. This was also the case when Adnan Januzaj conceded this famous missed penalty and, five minutes later, when Roony obtained a great opportunity but struck the Greek goalkeeper of Seville, Odisseas Vlachodimos.

Small note, reader: I told Capel that he was too pessimistic and that Barcelona, ​​apart from the occasions, still played very badly. And now, when we met after work, he admitted: “You were right, you told me.”

On this point, it is probably appropriate to carry out a small conscience exam here.

In my first ESPN section of the new season, exactly eight weeks ago, I wrote: “Is Barcelona the only club in the world where one can explain to a neutral observer the level of chaotic and acrimonious threat from which he suffers and still predict that he is the favorite to win two or three national trophies this season?”

Well, now: “Favorites” seems to be a fairly impactful prediction for the moment! It’s time to admit it. However, it is too early to completely abandon this prediction, and neither Madrid nor Atléti seem to want to bet on the title of Barcelona.

If Barcelona fans want to present the argument that some of their problems are inspired from the outside, then very well. From one week to another, the team does not know where she will play her home games: at the Johan Cruyff stadium? Montjuïc Olympic stadium? The Camp Nou, as its president keeps promising it?

They sorely miss Lamine Yamal and Raphinha when they are injured, as well as Iñigo Martínez, who was authorized to leave with a free transfer as a friendly gesture towards the defensive leader on which Flick counted.

Finally: the relationship between the Board of Directors, the coach and the team was consumed by the treatment reserved for Marc-André Ter Stegen (Flick: “has everything related to communication has always been managed in the best possible way? I think there is a lot of room for improvement, even on my part.”) And by the sports director Deco who continues to push him and push him to see the purpose of correcting the deficit Barça financial fair play.

Very destabilizing. All this.

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Laurens criticizes Barcelona’s upper line for playing in the hands of PSG

Julien Laurens says that Barcelona is only responsible for his late defense which allowed the PSG to win a 2-1 victory in the Champions League.

But what about the physical form of the team? His endurance? Barça looked jaded all season, except against Valence (which was atrocious) and in its best performance, in Newcastle United. When they lack energy or attitude, the press is suffering from it, opponents have time to think and pass with precision and, as night follows, the defense of Barcelona suffers.

Pedri, after the defeat of Seville, said: “A horrible performance. We did not seem to know what to do with the ball. We lacked intensity and quality.”

If the Flick team does not find its pressing level, then either it will have to change its way of defending, or it can say goodbye to the hopes of winning a trophy this season.

Laliga performance football intelligence statistics show, incredibly, that one of the most exciting press and interception teams of last season, all over Europe, now recovers the ball from its rivals via tackles or interceptions at a lower pace than the Liga average. A devastating fall.

Flick said on Sunday: “After international matches, we will be back, fighting to win each competition.”

His talk show looking for “We will come back immediately after the break!” The promise may have been the correct tone, in a generic way, but unless his team proceeds to a massive reset, dust off his former warrior attitude, keeps key players in good shape and, no doubt, starts to enhance success rather than the ego, so many other problems await us.