At FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick has found a variety of different talents and profiles within his squad. For the German coach, however, it has been vitally important to highlight and isolate those who fit in his particular system. After all, the former Bayern Munich coach has brought his own twist to existing methods at Barcelona.
Demanding a high-intensity and high-pressure game from start to finish, not every player is able to keep up with Flick’s demands. Certain players are more accustomed to playing in a more controlled environment where they can dictate the tempo of the game as per their own needs, but Hansi Flick wants a well-drilled machine instead.
Always keeping the opponents on their toes and constantly putting them in dangerous spots is exactly what he wants from Barcelona. Unfortunately, however, not every player has been able to showcase their own adaptability to this new style of football for them.
One player in particular who still seems to have not found his footing is Frenkie de Jong. Despite always having been an admirer of the Dutchman, even Flick is beginning to see that there are definitely some issues in terms of how the player is adapting and playing out as per his demands.
According to SPORT, however, there is a new question and dilemma that the German coach will now need to address. Despite having shown his faith and trust in De Jong before, it is clear to see that the player is not always capable of delivering when the manager needs him to.
That is why, especially in the upcoming games, Flick’s faith in the player will be tested to the limit. With the player having been accused of lacking the physical aggression and intensity needed to fit into this particular Barcelona team, the upcoming games will showcase the reality of things much more clearly.
Now that Marc Casado is suspended for the next La Liga encounter against Las Palmas, it becomes Flick’s choice to either field the Dutchman or some other player. However, for the €60 million-rated midfielder himself, this next week and beyond could be crucial in terms of how he manages to find his footing and showcase his worth to the team.
Simultaneously, however, there is also the issue with his injury. A recurring issue, it has definitely held the player back recently and it continues to hinder his performances. Even recently, he was allowed to return earlier than expected to Barcelona from the Dutch National camp after they saw that he would be better off with some extra rest and recovery.