Barcelona are going through a rough patch right now, following back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla, which has put pressure on coach Hansi Flick.
However, in a recent interview on Premier Corner, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has pointed out how this is just a part and parcel of the game, and he expects Flick to bounce back.
Guardiola also talked about Barcelona’s tactical game and the comparison between Flick and Johan Cruyff in terms of style of play.
Guardiola’s advice to Flick
Talking about Barcelona’s poor form right now, Guardiola believes it is only natural that opponents will start to find their weak points.
“I’m not one to give advice, but some say: No, the problem is with Barcelona’s defence. Look, don’t change anything! Just keep moving forward as you are now,” he said.
**“It’s natural that over time, opponents will find a way to hurt you; isn’t that the essence of the game? The team never stays the same forever; they’ll find a solution, and then it will be up to Hansi to find a counter to that as well,**” he added.
Guardiola further added that Barcelona do not necessarily need to change their plan, but rather just adapt to how the opponents are dealing with them.
“It’s not about changing the plan, but about adding new details that prevent opponents from exploiting weaknesses. In football, stagnation destroys any team,” he said.
Hansi Flick of FC Barcelona
Flick and Barcelona under pressure. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Having managed clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Guardiola is well aware of the ups and downs in the game of football.
Nevertheless, Guardiola went on to talk about how it is a joy and a pleasure to watch Barcelona play.
“Sometimes I try to analyse what Barca does.. I look at how they defend, how the process works,” he said. “Everything with them is at top speed! It’s truly enjoyable and worthy of admiration.”
The Manchester City head coach also pointed out how Barcelona’s goalscoring prowess makes them hard to beat.
“I recently read that they score on average between 2.9 and 3 goals per match. To beat them, you have to score four! The truth is, it’s a really fun experience watching them,” he said.
“As a Barcelona fan, I feel sorry for those who aren’t fans of this team, because watching them is a real pleasure. It was unfortunate that they didn’t reach the final, but Inter is a tough team to beat,” he added.
Finally, Guardiola was asked about similarities between his style of play and Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, to which the Catalan opted to compare Flick’s style to Johan Cruyff.
“Johan’s idea was always to score one more goal than your opponent, but it was accompanied by great control over the game’s flow. I think Hansi has given this idea a fresh touch,” he concluded.