Former Real M,adrid and Liverpool star Steve Mcmanaman has hit out at Barcelona manager Hansi flick, blaming him for the club’s dramatic 2-1 champions league loss to paris saint-germain on wednesday night.
flick’s side took an early lead through Ferran torres, but late goals from Senny Mayulu and Gonçalo Ramos turned the game around for psg — with the winning strike in the dying moments of normal time triggering widespread criticism of barcelona’s tactical approach.
Mcmanaman, speaking to tnt sports after the match, didn’t hold back:
“it’s self-inflicted from barcelona. why on earth in the last minute of normal time are you playing that high on the halfway line? it baffles me.”
his criticism centered on flick’s decision to maintain a high defensive line even as the match approached full-time, a risky move that ultimately proved costly.
the former Madrid winger argued that flick’s tactical choices exposed deep-rooted issues in barcelona’s defence:
“if they don’t sort this out, they won’t win this competition because you cannot play like this. it’s an awful goal to concede at any level.”
“it’s so late on in the game and they’re taking those chances. look how high they are, look at the disorganisation.”
Barcelona have often flirted with a high-risk, high-reward style of play, but mcmanaman believes this particular gamble showed poor judgment rather than boldness.
flick, who took over from xavi earlier this year, was hired to bring order and european pedigree back to the catalan giants. however, with results under scrutiny and tactical decisions now raising eyebrows, the german boss may soon find himself in the firing line.
barcelona currently sit second in their champions league group, with crucial fixtures remaining.
domestically, they are off the pace in La Liga, adding more weight to the criticism.
as the champions league group stage continues, flick will be under pressure to tighten up his side’s defensive structure — especially in high-stakes moments. the blaugrana can’t afford to repeat these mistakes if they aim to be contenders once again in Europe.
Mcmanaman’s brutal honesty echoes what many Barcelona fans are feeling — that moments of brilliance are being undone by avoidable tactical errors. if flick is to succeed in catalonia, he’ll need to evolve quickly, before defensive naivety turns into a full-blown crisis.
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