Hansi Flick talks Pedri, Yamal, Gavi and more ahead of Barcelona vs Levante | OneFootball

After suffering back-to-back defeats, Barcelona will be determined to get back on the winning track as they take on Levante on Sunday.

Heading into this important clash, Hansi Flick talked about Barcelona’s recent struggles while offering his thoughts on the fitness levels of Pedri and Gavi, among other things.

What Flick said ahead of Barcelona vs Levante

First things first, Flick was asked to comment on Barcelona’s recent form, with the Catalans notably losing to Atletico Madrid and Girona.

“I’m extremely focused. The current situation and the two days of rest we got have helped us think about a lot of things. For me, this is a huge opportunity to see how far the team can go. We know that when we play with confidence, things go better,” he said.

The coach added that he is confident of Barcelona’s chances against Levante, though he admitted it won’t be an easy game for the Blaugrana.

“Now we have a match on our home ground in front of our fans, and we have to fight to win all three points. It’s important to score goals for more confidence, but we have to work even harder.

“I think tomorrow’s match won’t be easy, because the opponent plays deep in the middle of their half and looks for some counterattacks. But we’re playing at home with our fans—I think we’ll be in a good position,” he said.

Flick was then asked about the problems that Barcelona have encountered that has led to their poor form in recent matches. The German, in response, gave a very pointed response.

“It’s not easy, because there are a lot of points. When you watch the matches, you see problems at the level of losing the ball and building play, and handling the ball in the final third of the pitch,” he said.

The German called for better defensive preparedness from the team, especially when facing an opponent that operates with a deep defensive backline.

“When we play against a team that plays with a deep defence, we lose the ball there, which gives the opponents wide spaces for counterattacks.

“We need to be defensively prepared, and if we lose the ball and then aren’t in the right position, it opens up spaces for the opponents as well,” he added.

Flick offered a more technical view of how Barcelona can improve by bettering small details.

“These are perhaps 3 points off the top of my head, but we have a lot to work on to play as one team; we need to be connected, and to press immediately after losing the ball. And that’s something we’ve been missing in the recent matches, too.

“That’s what we need to do: raise the intensity in our philosophy. These 4, 5, or 6 points might help you,” he added.

The Barcelona coach was then asked whether the players already know what needs to be done to turn around the team’s dynamic and change the situation.

“That’s the coaches’ job, to convince them of that. And I think that we—as I see it from the players—they’re convinced, the way we played last season and this season too, led us to win 4 out of 5 titles.

Is Hansi Flick’s team ready for the Levante clash? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“I think the way I talk to the players, they understand they’re 100% convinced. We’ve now returned to our normal life, where we lose some matches. Something like that isn’t good in a club like Barcelona, but we have to accept it, and do things better,” he replied.

Hansi Flick also revealed some of the main discussions in the dressing room that the team is having, especially in the wake of recent results.

“As I said, I believe everyone is responsible for what we do. Things are not easy, but communication is extremely important. We have been very frank and very open. That doesn’t mean that I’m the only one telling them what needs to be done,” he said.

“I also ask them, and that’s natural—this is my way of managing things. We need leaders on the pitch, and it was important for them to speak up as well, and that’s natural.

“In the end, I’m the one who has to decide on certain matters, but I also want the players to take ownership of the situation, and I believe they are doing that,” he added.

On that note, Flick was also asked about the reason why the team was an hour late in training today.

“We’ve received a lot of opportunities from opponents in the recent matches, and we’ve talked about that a lot, and what we need to do.

“There was an open conversation, and I had to be clear in the end; it’s important that we talk about it, and how we can manage things. In the end, our style is clear, and that’s why our talk took longer than usual,” he revealed.

The Barcelona coach then went on to answer a question surrounding his previous comments which hinted that the team might be too young. He was asked if Barcelona lack a true leader on the pitch.

“Sometimes we lack leadership on the field, but this is something we’re interested in helping them with to mature more, and this is a big opportunity to return.

“I’m 100% convinced of my team, and looking forward to the upcoming matches; we’ve put the last two games behind us, and we’re looking ahead.

“I saw positive things in training today, plus Rashford is back, and Pedri too. And we can see Gavi as well, how he’s training—this is a big step for him. These are positive things,” he added.

Speaking of training, Gavi is back in training, although Hansi Flick played down all the hype of the Spaniard soon returning to the pitch.

“We’ll take things step by step. He’s always present at concentration training, and he’s also making the right decisions in all training sessions.

We can see that he’s a player who enjoys playing football, not just because of his mentality, but also because of his quality on the pitch.

Hansi Flick says Gavi’s return won’t be rushed. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

“I hope he returns quickly, but as I said, we’ll take things step by step. We have the fitness coaches who are doing a great job with him, and they’ll help him get back to his level,” he said.

The Barcelona coach also offered his thoughts on Pedri, revealing that the Spanish international will be able to play a few minutes against Levante.

“Pedri can play a few minutes, but the positive thing is his return, considering his quality and importance to us on the field. He’s a different leader thanks to his quality, and I think he can be one of the team’s leaders in the future,” he said.

Another thing that will be on Barcelona’s mind this month is Ramadan, with Lamine Yamal among the players expected to fast during the holy month.

When asked about how Barcelona plan to tackle the situation, Flick revealed the club have a plan in place.

“We have a clear plan with them; they have a program for what we can help them with, and also what they should do, how they should eat, and how they should rest. What I know is that Lamine is the only one from the team who is fasting,” he said.

Flick also talked about the ongoing Barcelona elections and whether or not it will impact the team’s performance.

“No, as far as I’m concerned, they decided on this timing, and that’s not my doing. I think the elections won’t affect the team, as we’re focused on our work,” he said.

The German tactician was asked about penalties as well, given that Barcelona have missed a few recently.

“3 missed penalties is a big number for a team of our quality, but this happened. Usually, it’s clear to us that the player who has the best feeling should take the penalty. We haven’t talked about this with the players, but we did with the coaching staff,” he said.

Finally, Flick is rather excited about Barcelona having the opportunity to play at home against Levante, as it may help them greatly.

“After two defeats, and a level that wasn’t the best for us in the last two matches, it was nice to get a break period. The players now look more refreshed, and that’s important.

“Now we are playing on our home ground, and we must win the three points to regain our confidence. It’s important that we regain it, so it’s natural that some doubts arise after a loss and not playing at a good level,” he said.

“I think we spoke frankly and were open two days ago, and today as well, and perhaps this is the key to the next match.

“We need to play with our philosophy as one team, and it’s important for us to be connected and positioned correctly, and to have the hunger to win—this is what we want from the team. Everyone is focused on what needs to be done, and we must continue,” he concluded.

Source: Diario SPORT