Among the many stars at FC Barcelona who continue to either ascend or descend in terms of their selection hierarchy within the team, there are often those that come with a flourishing reputation and proven quality which keeps them within the selections of the head coach even while they struggle on the field.
However, this particular is one that often garners unwanted criticism in terms of certain players being labeled as favorites of the manager and hence undisputed within the lineup. While this may certainly be true at times, there are other reasons too.
One such star at FC Barcelona is 35-year-old goal-scoring talisman Robert Lewandowski, who has not exactly enjoyed his best year thus far with Barcelona. Scoring just 15 times from 28 appearances, his goal-scoring ratio has visibly deteriorated.
After the 4-3 win against Villarreal, Lewandowski talked to ELEVEN SPORTS PL regarding these issues on the field and addressed them one by one. The Barcelona player originally spoke about the difficulties to score on the field lately and how opportunities and attacking chances are becoming more difficult at times:
“When we see Ferran or Ansu coming in, two players who move forward, we create more chances. Sometimes, we don’t play with enough attacking players, and I don’t have support… so I look for the best solution for the team.”
He also spoke of his movement and how he believes he can better develop his own chances for scoring:
“I realize that sometimes, if I’m between two center-backs, it’s easier for the defenders. In many matches, I don’t have many scoring opportunities. In the last two matches, I didn’t have many chances, I didn’t receive many balls, so sometimes I had to create my chances.”
He also spoke regarding the philosophy of FC Barcelona and how winning just is not enough for the Catalan giants:
“We are Barcelona, and it’s expected that we not only win but also play good offensive football. Lately, that hasn’t been as it should, so we’ve been striving to create more opportunities in matches…”
Questioned regarding his possible frustrations with fellow Barcelona forward Ansu Fati, the Polish striker waved aside any such rumors and allegations to instead provide closure to their lack of understanding at times on the field:
“Yelling at Ansu after he didn’t give me the ball vs Villarreal? No, but after that situation, he looked at me and thought, ‘Maybe I could have made a better decision’.”
The 35-year-old former Bayern Munich forward also admitted that he felt that his level is not at its best and he needs to work to return to his best in order to better contribute to Barca’s season:
“I have to maintain my level, get back on track. It will improve with each match. Every season is different, and this season is very long. We have many matches, and I believe what’s important is not how you start but how you finish.”
