The buzzword in Barcelona right now is frustration.
This Girona game should have been called off in the first half, but that was of course assuming Barcelona could put away their chances.
Lamine Yamal missed three tip-in opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, one of which was a penalty kick.
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When Barcelona finally took the lead through Paulo Cubasi’s redemption goal, Girona pulled one back within minutes.
Again, because of course, we have refereeing disputes.
Jules Kounde was trampled to the floor at the top of the penalty area and watched as Fran Beltrán scored the winning goal. The referee did not blow the whistle and there was no VAR intervention.
This team is currently unable to get a break.
Hansi Flick can leave the game feeling a sense of consternation. His tactics continued to generate so much offense that he had 26 shots on goal against their Catalan opponents on the night, but Barcelona could not control the game. In fact, Girona had the better chances that night and should have scored more goals. In the end, they had nine shots on target compared to Barcelona’s four.
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Fortunately, Barca will have a midweek break as they don’t have to compete in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
They need a physical break, but they also need a mental break and a formal reset before the season starts at home.
Think back to this time last year, although Barcelona won the league and the Copa del Rey, their energy began to decline due to the fatigue of the long journey.
Things don’t get any easier from here, but one thing that helps inject energy is scoring goals. Success leads to success because the mind activates the body.
Barcelona cannot afford to lose faith in themselves, but that is the danger they are in.
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The tactics haven’t changed, and maybe that’s okay, as long as they find the Terminator’s boots again.
Rafinha is back, and soon Pedri and Rashford will also be back in the lineup. Even against Gavi, he could make a difference, coming off the bench in crucial moments to bring much-needed intensity.
Now is not the time to panic.
The best way forward is to see the glass as half full.
You can draw a line between Girona and Real Sociedad, whose last two league defeats have seen Real Madrid move back into first place.
Barcelona must know that success is in their hands. In these two games, they lost less to their opponents than to themselves. If they see it that way, it should give them hope for the future and make them believe in their ability to turn their fortunes around.
With their best players back on the pitch, Barcelona should also be back to their best and outperform any opponent on any given day.
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If you want pragmatism, keep dreaming.
Hansi Flick, as long as he was the manager, only knew one way of playing football, and for the most part, his attacking philosophy brought Barcelona a lot of success.
There’s no time for excuses, and questioning the game plan won’t yield any constructive results. There are a lot of football games to be played.
These players know the secret to winning. They have the ability to do better.
There is nothing to do but stay positive and keep your foot on the gas pedal.