Soccer News Soccer Match Reports, Football News
One cannot deny the fact that Barcelona have serious talent on the field. Right from Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Jules Kounde in defence to the star-studded midfield of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Ilkay Gundogan, there is no scarcity of big names in the dressing room.
For such a team to underperform the way they have in recent months is criminal, and the management are currently under intense scrutiny.
Needless to say, most fingers at the club point to the forward department, especially Robert Lewandowski, for the subpar finishing.
A commanding stance
As revealed by MARCA in their latest report, the Polish striker has been informed that his place in the starting lineup is no line guaranteed.
Xavi and his team have complete confidence in his abilities and commitment but concur that he has been operating well below his high standards, much like others in the squad.
The report adds that many prominent figures in the offices have directly questioned Xavi’s decision to give the Pole regular starts despite his poor returns.
They demand explanations as to why Ferran Torres has not been given chances, and the manager will no longer give the striker the same luxury.
The coach believes in the veteran and backs him to find his goalscoring form once again in the coming games. Most importantly, he believes that the player understood the stern half-time lecture Xavi gave him at half-time against Almeria.
Underperforming. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
“There are no privileges, no one is immune, and everyone must give everything they have on the field,” the manager said on the night, and MARCA add that the same applied to all players in the dressing room, not just the Pole.
Direct competition
Xavi’s decision to field Lewandowski week in and week out was likely directly linked to the Spaniard’s acute lack of options. After all, the former Bayern Munich star was the only available striker in the setup.
Vitor Roque’s arrival, however, changes…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-superstar-no-longer-assured-a-starting-role-in-the-team/
Author : Adithya Eshwarla
Publish date : 2023-12-28 10:11:15
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
