November was supposed to be the easy month for Hansi Flick and Barcelona. Although we all know just thinking that way is a recipe for trouble.
Surely a team that can take down Real Madrid and Bayern Munich with ease should be able to waltz by Las Palmas?
In La Liga, nothing is given. The Canarians were always going to arrive in Barcelona determined to get a signature win for the season, equivalent to a trophy in many ways.
But on Saturday, the Blaugrana beat themselves, and the accountability this time starts with the manager.
FC Barcelona v UD Las Palmas - LaLiga EA Sports Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Never an easy task to coach Barcelona from week to week. This time, it was Dani Olmo unexpectedly missing in action.
And that, once again, put the German play-caller in a familiar bind.
So many midfielders, and so few forwards to call on.
The one midfielder you really needed, Marc Casadó, was serving a red card suspension. This team was surely going to be off balance from the get-go.
Alejandro Balde then goes down with a scary injury early on, and the trouble continues to brew. Yet still, Barcelona was the protagonist in the game.
There are plenty of excuses that can be made, and I’m willing to give Flick a lot of grace. But the one thing you should not do at this time is start to blame the players. History has shown that at Barcelona, and across the continent, when coaches open up that can of worms, their problems quickly compound.
FC Barcelona v UD Las Palmas - La Liga EA Sports Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
For me, the biggest issue on Saturday was that the recipe that has produced so much success early on this season doesn’t work when Barcelona doesn’t have it’s world beating wingers on the field.
Lamine Yamal did come on at half-time, when the score was still 0-0, but he looked over eager, along with his fellow attacking players. Chasing the game with desperation, rather than managing it according to the high line, high press, direct attacking game plan.
The strategy works best when the team gets off to a fast start, and puts the opponent against the rope.
Instead, the four midfield setup, with Pablo Torre of all players floating out wide, was never going to produce the desire effect. In addition to that, the double pivot combo of Pedri and Gavi looked very much out of sync.
FC Barcelona v UD Las Palmas - La Liga EA Sports Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images
Combine that with the unnegotiable defensive high line and you’re flirting with disaster. And that’s exactly what happened with the two goals that Las Palmas generated against the run of play.
Look at the final stat line, it seems ridiculous. Barcelona had 71% possession, and had 27 shots, 8 on target. Compare that to Las Palmas who had 5 shots, 3 on target, two of which went in.
Football is illogical like that. But we’ve seen this story, especially in the modern game, many times before.
And that’s why Flick needs to think about a plan B.
We now know how critical Marc Casadó is to the team. We know how much the team needs Lamine Yamal and Raphinha on the forward line.
FC Barcelona v UD Las Palmas - La Liga EA Sports Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
When those three are missing, the manager needs to take notice, and perhaps change the instructions.
With Dani Olmo out, I would have loved to see Pau Victor instead of the extra midfielder. As critical as I am of Ferran Torres, I would have thrown him out there if he had the fitness. Heck, I’d rather have had Lamine Yamal for the first 45 minutes rather than the last 45.
I’m also starting to wonder if we should start seeing Eric Garcia reintroduced to the defensive midfield. When Casadó is out, he’s probably the best next option to replace his important skill set.
Hansi Flick has been given a bad hand all season long. I’m in his corner and can’t commend him enough.
FC Barcelona v UD Las Palmas - LaLiga EA Sports Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
At this time, it’s in his best interest, and in the best interest of the team, to take the blame.
It wasn’t an easy situation, but the loss was the result of tactical missteps.
No need to panic. Real Madrid will be dropping points in no time, and it’s a long season.
Study what’s gone wrong, keep the atmosphere positive, and buy some time with smart management, while the key players get back to one hundred percent.
This is a great Barcelona team, and this is the perfect time to experience some adversity that they can use to their benefit going forward if they can learn from it.