Barcelona seem unable to dig themselves up after drawing their second consecutive match, on the road against Cadiz. The Catalans once again struggled to generate goal scoring opportunities.
Ever since Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman uttered the phrase “this is what we have” following the loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the environment surrounding the club has worsened and it’s now translating onto the pitch.
The team looks bereft of ideas and the game plan seems to have evolved into sending hopeful crosses into the box in search of Luuk de Jong or a lucky rebound.
Barcelona supporters counting down the days until the manager is sacked
Coming off the Bayern Munich result, Koeman was given three games to get the team back on track. Those opponents were Granada, Cádiz and Levante. Two out of those three matches were scheduled to take place at the Camp Nou.
So far, the Dutchman has drawn the first two with Barcelona being fortunate to get any points at all. Against Granada, it took a Ronald Araújo equalizer late in the game to salvage a draw. Against Cádiz, Marc-André ter Stegen was the hero as he made a handful of saves to deny the home team a win.
🔥 An incredible save from Ter Stegen...https://t.co/Jf4X7Eia1k
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) September 24, 2021
The performance was more of the same with a dull first half by the Catalans. While they improved in the second half, it wasn’t enough to pull out the win. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have been able to eke out a win or mount a comeback in games this season, which is something Koeman’s side has been unable to do.
What makes matters worse is the lack of self-evaluation by Koeman where none of the problems are his fault.
"“You always have to try to win every game,” Koeman said. “You have to try to win titles, but you have to be realistic and we have a lot missing.”Source: Marca"
Koeman is not helping himself by throwing his own players under the bus. It’s not like they were playing Real Madrid or a similar team. With all due respect, they were playing Cádiz. A team who had lost two out of their last three games. A team who conceded three goals to Osasuna and two to Real Sociedad.
But you wouldn’t know that given Koeman’s comments. Barcelona finished with fewer shots on the night, 13-6, as well as shots on target, 3-2. For a team who has the talent they have, it’s simply unacceptable.
Koeman was shown a red card for his comments towards the referee following Frenkie de Jong being sent off. He’s likely to receive at least a one-match ban, meaning he won’t be on the bench for the Levante match.
It is very likely his last game as manager will have been the scoreless draw against Cádiz. Barcelona cannot afford to drop any more points and cannot afford to have a manager who thinks so little of his own players.