Barcelona looked to have restored their lead against RCD Mallorca last week with a 5-1 win away from home, reminiscent of their early season form in the second half. Yet a 2-2 draw against Real Betis on Saturday made it just one win in five games, bringing back major concerns about their squad.
According to Sport, Barcelona's hierarchy has not lost confidence in Hansi Flick's methodology. They believe that it is not the German who needs to change his method, but it is the players who need to step up their performances to get back into shape. The feeling is that after their excellent performances against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, there was a mental relaxation that is punishing the team.
The coaching staff believes that although playing more directly is a help, Barcelona players need to play under pressure more often with quality and 'pause'. Meanwhile, the hierarchy believes that the likes of Jules Kounde, Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha have all lowered their level recently and are not where they should be. Others within the club also point to the lack of alternatives in the squad, and the fact that the fallout between starters and substitutes is too great to rest often, leaving their stars mentally exhausted.
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