It’s one thing to break into the Barcelona first team, and quite another to make a career of it.
Coaches come and go, but the best players are the ones who make themselves irreplaceable regardless of who’s in charge.
Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are two Barcelona midfielders who have stood the test of time. During the good times and the bad, they have been a reliable source of positivity on the field. Pedri made his debut under Ronald Koeman, and has been the crown jewel of Barcelona ever since.
Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images
Frenkie’s career is perhaps even more impressive when you consider he has had five Barcelona coaches, and has been an undisputed starter throughout. Under Hansi Flick, the question will be whether he can keep that streak going. At the moment, it looks like the double pivot is his and Pedri’s to lose.
It’s good to be a forward under Hansi Flick. In his 4-2-3-1 formation, he tends to favor using a fourth forward to play behind the striker.
That means we could see a rotation for those four positions of Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres. I’d rather be any of those guys than one of the midfielders on the outside looking in.
In particular, this season will be a big challenge for Gavi, Fermín López, and Marc Casadó.
Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
From what we saw a year ago, Gavi and Marc Casadó will be asked to compete with Marc Bernal, and maybe Eric Garcia, in the midfield pecking order. It will be very difficult, however, to knock off Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
Fermín López will compete with the forwards for one of the more advanced positions.
This will be a monumental task, especially considering that, although Flick rates them as players, the writing seems to be on the wall that they are not first, or maybe even second choices.
That makes you wonder if it’s in the best interest of all these midfielders to remain in Barcelona.
Photo by Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
We don’t know the conversations that Flick has had with his players. By all accounts, there is no drama. Everyone wants to stay, and they are betting on themselves to earn playing time on merit.
But the math for minutes will be cruel.
Bad luck could also factor in as Flick will be required to make tough choices.
Depth is a blessing. It’s a good problem to have. But we are not talking about players who are just breaking in from the academy. Gavi and Fermín López are big names. Marc Casadó is also at a critical point in his career path. They are top talents who have already proven themselves.
Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
It’s anyone’s guess how Flick will manage his team selection in the early going.
Playing with a sense of urgency to prove yourself is good, so long as it doesn’t turn into desperation.
It will be intriguing to see how the players perform under such conditions, and how the coach evaluates them, and manages expectations for the betterment of the team.
Winning games will buy time and patience. An elegant solution if it works.
Perhaps that’s the very thing Flick is aiming for.