Together with his type at a low, how do Barcelona clear up their Lewandowski downside?

The truth that João Félix has abruptly discovered type, perspective and targets at Barcelona is unhealthy information for Robert Lewandowski. Why? As a result of it signifies that the highlight should now inexorably flip in direction of the defending LaLiga champions’ highest-paid, most-experienced, however worst-performing participant.

Barcelona are, on the face of it, not in any type of disastrous scenario. They’re 4 factors off the highest in LaLiga and have lastly certified once more for the Champions League knockout rounds after two horrendous seasons through which they exited the competitors throughout the group stage after which the Europa League in undignified, and financially unrewarding, circumstances.

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However Barca have been enjoying apathetically, their LaLiga stats are considerably worse than this time final 12 months and all of the whereas, Lewandowski is misfiring. The champions have scored fewer targets, conceded extra and have fewer factors than at this stage final season.

Lewandowski is symbolic of the decline. We’re in December, with a stack of vital Copa and Supercopa dates across the nook, and the Poland worldwide hasn’t scored since September in both the league or Champions League. A 12 months in the past he’d already hit the online 13 instances domestically and 5 instances in Europe. This time period, the numbers are seven and one.

However the issue that plagues Barcelona is not one thing that may be defined by easy statistics. Should you have been watching Lewandowski for the primary time, then frankly you’d marvel how on earth somebody so clumsy, sluggish and maladroit may play for Spain’s champions. Should you have been a scout at a Barcelona sport fishing for expertise, then you definitely’d mark him as follows: “Lumbering, atrocious first contact, attitude-deficient, don’t signal!”

The 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday night time emphasised most of those traits. Repeatedly arrange with nice scoring possibilities, he bungled each considered one of them. Worse, his unenthusiastic, flat and clumsy involvements usually value Barcelona the initiative, caught them offside or just gifted away good possession as a result of his contact was leaden, his cross was brief or his anticipation was boring.

There’s not a touch of malice in my evaluation. Lewandowski has been a contemporary phenomenon. Final season, his objective whole, regardless of that he did not play properly for a lot of the second half of it, was indisputably a central cause for Barcelona profitable their first title in 4 years. But when one is employed on this function, then generally it turns into one’s disagreeable obligation to chop via the fluff and to be unafraid of stating blunt details. Far past his objective or help whole, Lewandowski is enjoying like a man whose enthusiasm for the place he’s and why he got here right here has dwindled to the purpose that it is apparent on the pitch.

I assume you could possibly take a look at it from his viewpoint. He is nonetheless famously resentful that he did not win the Ballon d’Or the 12 months the award was deserted due to the pandemic (2020). He moved to Barcelona with the clear technique that proving himself to be the lacking hyperlink in how a as soon as mighty, however now ailing membership may fabulously resurrect itself because of his greatness would, as soon as seen by the awe-inspired voters, propel him to the Ballon d’Or he so craves.

As a technique, it wasn’t ridiculous. Solely two Ballon d’Or wins since 2009 have come from outdoors LaLiga — Messi for PSG and for Inter Miami CF. Madrid neither needed nor wanted Lewandowski, he’d despaired of getting the business adulation he was so determined for by staying within the Bundesliga — which left Barca.

My level about how he truly carried out final season, regardless of scoring 23 in 34 LaLiga matches, was borne out by the truth that he did not actually bother the scorers when it got here to Ballon d’Or voting — he was ranked fifth by judges from international locations like Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Equatorial Guinea. Past that, he was largely ignored by these from each single “main” soccer nation across the globe.

It is solely an opinion relatively than onerous reality, however I believe that is had a reasonably devastating impression on this proud, formidable man. His thought about being the resurrection man at Camp Nou arguably went straight out the window because of their Champions League elimination, and the technique was lifeless within the water.

Life at Barcelona is, in any other case, a privileged bubble. The climate’s good, he received two trophies final season, and since he was the flagship signing when the membership was rebuilding final summer season (€45m), his wage (as constantly reported by the Catalan media) was €20m in Season 1, €26m presently and can ascend to €32m if he is nonetheless at Barcelona subsequent season. Good work if you will get it.

A seductive cocktail {of professional} disappointment, dolce vita private contentment and untouchable standing on this squad has led to the 35-year-old performing and dealing as if the remainder of the staff owes him the ball being delivered onto his toes a few metres out from an open objective.

Lewandowski’s stage of integration into the work ethic, the accountability he takes for holding the ball up and redistributing it brilliantly, for creating huge possibilities for himself and teammates — all of those are notably poor proper now. And have been for a while. The commentator’s phrase “a heavy first contact” is changing into one reserved for him and him alone.

It is not onerous to understand supervisor Xavi’s dilemma. He invested rather a lot in persuading the Pole to decide on Barcelona when he was leaving Bayern Munich. Whereas Lewandowski’s enjoying stage deserves him being dropped in an effort to talk a “time to form up” message, it is both a really daring or very safe coach who begins a civil warfare of that scale.

When Barcelona’s coach talks about his misfiring, underperforming striker, he says bizarre, indirect issues about how Lewandowski by no means stops coaching. Nicely, why ought to he? Phrases which, frankly, solely serve to make the impartial thinker say to himself: “Nicely, why aren’t Lewandowski’s performances sharper, extra attention-grabbing or starting to threaten that they’re going to yield good soccer?”

Barcelona’s monetary scenario is not bettering vastly. It’s going to assist to undergo to the Champions League knockout rounds and can be greeted with joyous cartwheels if, for instance, the staff may attain the semifinals or higher. It will be vastly remunerative however stays a comparatively unlikely prospect. Significantly with Lewandowski stinking the home out.

However, Gavi being absent for the remainder of the season signifies that 80% of his wage might be liberated within the title of economic honest play. If the membership can flog off just a few extra crown jewels, then they stand a robust likelihood of integrating their 18-year-old Brazilian striker Vitor Roque in January, who shall be at first on mortgage from Athletico Paranaense then made everlasting in July.

Ought to they handle this, it’s going to be intriguing to see what results the teenager’s arrival could have. Lewandowski’s strike companion? His substitute up entrance? A supply of envy for the customarily moody Pole or a stimulus to him truly doing what he is already so well-paid to do?

Unquestionably the most effective answer for Barcelona and Xavi can be one of many Saudi groups deciding that Lewandowski ought to have his wage doubled — one thing they might do with out blinking — and be transferred out subsequent summer season. In the meantime, it is excessive time that he dug deep, discovered some further skilled delight and commenced doing even the fundamentals components of being a central striker properly once more.