Overall, the Inter match raises more questions than it gives answers.
Flick is a good manager—there’s no doubt about that. But this match clearly exposed some serious flaws in his approach, especially when it comes to managing high-stakes games.
First and most importantly: why on earth did the team keep that ridiculous high line and take massive risks when they were 3–2 up with only five minutes left on the clock? Barca has already blown games this season in the dying minutes—Atletico in La Liga comes to mind, when it was 1–1 and they conceded a late counter to lose 2–1.
For some reason, the team decided that recklessly pushing forward, abandoning any kind of defensive shape, and leaving acres of space between the lines was the best way to seal the win. I just don’t get it. I don’t understand why the senior players didn’t take control and tell everyone to fall back. I don’t get why Flick didn’t instruct the team to drop deep, keep the ball, and see the game out. It’s hard to wrap my head around. That third goal was a disaster from start to finish—why was the ball given away so easily from a throw-in? Why were six players still up in Inter’s half? Why was there no urgency to recover? And that so-called “press” was just lazy jogging. The defensive shape was a mess, and that’s not even counting the individual mistakes that led to the goal.
I know some people online are saying, “The team is young,” or, “They’ll learn from this,” or, “It’s just the beginning.” But let’s be honest: we don’t know what next season will bring. Barca is still a highly unstable club. They can’t sign or register the players they want. Injuries can happen, players might leave, or their performance level could decline. ANYTHING can happen. And other teams are only going to improve. This was Barca’s best shot in years to reach a Champions League final. Who knows when the next opportunity like this will come—maybe not for another 10 YEARS. And that’s why Flick’s overly loose, hands-off approach to in-game management is so frustrating. In a game of this magnitude, you have to manage the situation better. What the hell—even Inzaghi clearly articulated exactly what his team needed to do: sit back, waste time and maintain their shape.
Also, let’s stop pretending this Barca team is that young. Lewandowski is in the twilight of his career. De Jong and Raphinha are seasoned professionals. Even the “young” players like Pedri, Lamine, and Cubarsí have already been playing at the highest level for quite some time. These aren’t rookies—they should know better. They should know how to waste time, how to keep shape, how to see out a match when you’re ahead.
And here’s the kicker: when Tek got sent off in the Supercopa back in January, the team adjusted, sat deep, and Madrid didn’t create anything. So clearly, they know how to do it. Why didn’t they do it against Inter?
No matter how others try to spin it, talking about staying true to the values of attacking football and all that, there’s no honor in losing matches like this. It’s just blatant stupidity. It’s stupid, stupid, and stupid.
To sum it all up: Flick is a great manager. But if he keeps struggling with game management in the big moments, it might end up being his undoing.
Flick is a good manager—there’s no doubt about that. But this match clearly exposed some serious flaws in his approach, especially when it comes to managing high-stakes games.
First and most importantly: why on earth did the team keep that ridiculous high line and take massive risks when they were 3–2 up with only five minutes left on the clock? Barca has already blown games this season in the dying minutes—Atletico in La Liga comes to mind, when it was 1–1 and they conceded a late counter to lose 2–1.
For some reason, the team decided that recklessly pushing forward, abandoning any kind of defensive shape, and leaving acres of space between the lines was the best way to seal the win. I just don’t get it. I don’t understand why the senior players didn’t take control and tell everyone to fall back. I don’t get why Flick didn’t instruct the team to drop deep, keep the ball, and see the game out. It’s hard to wrap my head around. That third goal was a disaster from start to finish—why was the ball given away so easily from a throw-in? Why were six players still up in Inter’s half? Why was there no urgency to recover? And that so-called “press” was just lazy jogging. The defensive shape was a mess, and that’s not even counting the individual mistakes that led to the goal.
I know some people online are saying, “The team is young,” or, “They’ll learn from this,” or, “It’s just the beginning.” But let’s be honest: we don’t know what next season will bring. Barca is still a highly unstable club. They can’t sign or register the players they want. Injuries can happen, players might leave, or their performance level could decline. ANYTHING can happen. And other teams are only going to improve. This was Barca’s best shot in years to reach a Champions League final. Who knows when the next opportunity like this will come—maybe not for another 10 YEARS. And that’s why Flick’s overly loose, hands-off approach to in-game management is so frustrating. In a game of this magnitude, you have to manage the situation better. What the hell—even Inzaghi clearly articulated exactly what his team needed to do: sit back, waste time and maintain their shape.
Also, let’s stop pretending this Barca team is that young. Lewandowski is in the twilight of his career. De Jong and Raphinha are seasoned professionals. Even the “young” players like Pedri, Lamine, and Cubarsí have already been playing at the highest level for quite some time. These aren’t rookies—they should know better. They should know how to waste time, how to keep shape, how to see out a match when you’re ahead.
And here’s the kicker: when Tek got sent off in the Supercopa back in January, the team adjusted, sat deep, and Madrid didn’t create anything. So clearly, they know how to do it. Why didn’t they do it against Inter?
No matter how others try to spin it, talking about staying true to the values of attacking football and all that, there’s no honor in losing matches like this. It’s just blatant stupidity. It’s stupid, stupid, and stupid.
To sum it all up: Flick is a great manager. But if he keeps struggling with game management in the big moments, it might end up being his undoing.
