We are very predictable

The PSG-Classic sequence has turned a green meadow into a muddy field. We are very predictable: four days ago everything was roses and sunshine, and suddenly, doubts have invaded us. We won't discover the 'Culer' drama or the grandstanding syndrome of “defending like this we won't win the Champions League.” If even Pep Guardiola had his stylistic details questioned, what won't happen to Hansi Flick. It is curious, however, how his exuberant offensive discourse is fully accepted, while he is criticized for taking risks at the back, when both are sides of the same coin. That in the 87th minute Real Madrid kills you on a counterattack because you are looking for the winning goal is better than stalling to preserve a 1-1 draw. This should be indisputable unless you are an Atlético de Madrid fan. By the way: how many Champions Leagues has Cholo Simeone won? Right.

While there are those who seem to miss the frail Barça of Ernesto Valverde (no need to recall Rome or Anfield), we are not focusing on what must really be occupying the minds of Flick, Marcus Sorg, and Toni Tapalovic: knowing how to better utilize Rodri as a hinge between the unrenounceable boldness and the control to suffocate the opponent. In the 'Clásico', it did not bear fruit and, especially in the first half, Barça blurred its identity: it did not attack well nor did it find the necessary stability with the ball. Rodri was signed to govern big matches and bring more maturity to the evolution of Flick’s ideology. In Paris, inexplicably, he was not there from the start because he had to be “fresh” for the 'Clásico', but against Madrid he did not live up to expectations. His losses, added to Pedri’s, were decisive in condemning Flick and rewarding José Mourinho.

The good news is that we are in the month of October and there is time to perfect Rodri's fit into the Flickian rock'n'roll so that the song sounds infinitely better. Some (the usual ones) will continue talking about the need to sign center-backs, about the goals conceded in Europe and the lack of defensive solidity: but the battle that is being waged on the tactical board of the Ciutat Esportiva is more cerebral and philosophical. The ball, always the ball. The only factor that could take its toll is the urgency with which the goal of winning the Champions League this season has been conveyed. It would be good if it did not turn into anxiety from wanting to turn Flick into something he is not. Or will we let ourselves be betrayed by result-oriented thinking?