Cubarsí and the reality that Barça fans are reluctant to see

There's an all-too-common temptation: to look to the referee when the mirror is uncomfortable. It's human. It's comforting. And, often, not very edifying. Following Monday's setback in Montilivi, With the second consecutive defeat in less than a week, Barcelona fans have once again sought refuge in grievance. But not all of Hansi Flick's team's problems are bleak.

The match in Girona wasn't lost solely due to one or two specific decisions by Soto Grado and his VAR colleague. It was lost primarily because Barça once again displayed deficiencies incompatible with aspiring to compete for everything. Retaining the league title will be difficult if things continue to be based on concessions. For starters, this applies to squad management. Because if Lamine Yamal has a stomach ache, it's not wise for him to play the full 90 minutes. Pushing a teenage talent in these circumstances doesn't exactly speak well of the squad's depth.

Continuing with the Rocafonda star, let's also consider the penalty he squandered after taking responsibility from Raphinha, a renowned penalty specialist. Taking the ball from one of the captains isn't a funny anecdote, but a bad sign with an impact on the scoreboard as negative as, or even more negative than, an uncalled foul.

The controversy shouldn't overshadow the debate about Fermín and Olmo's coexistence in a starting eleven with three attacking options. It's easy to blame De Jong for the disarray again, but the reality is that Pedri's absence is less noticeable if Marc Bernal or Eric Garcia partner the Dutchman. However, if the aim is to push the Martorell native forward in midfield, the team must have reliable alternatives in a defense that lost Iñigo Martínez and was reinforced in the winter with Cancelo, a player Flick didn't sign. How many signings has the German coach decided on since taking over at Barça? Or rather: how many of the players he's suggested have actually arrived? Zero.

Despite everything, the coach will surely look for solutions to the "four things" that Cubarsí, another club official with more responsibilities than he should have, very astutely pointed out as the causes of this slight setback. The young center-back knows what he's talking about. It's a shame that Laporta and Font, already deep into campaigning, insist on resorting to populist refereeing decisions instead of addressing a reality that's harder for the fans to accept mid-season.