According to reports, Hansi Flick, the German coach of Barcelona, is deeply dissatisfied with his team’s management after taking early leads against Betis and Celta, as well as early goals conceded in both halves against Dortmund, and the sudden drop in form of Frenkie de Jong and the team’s central defenders.

After Tuesday’s loss in Dortmund and Saturday’s match against Celta, Flick appeared optimistic. In Germany, after a 3-1 win, he smiled and said: “There was no excessive celebration in the dressing room, and I reminded my players that we are in the semifinals.”

In Montjuïc, after hugging Raphinha at the end of a thrilling 4-3 win, he repeated that he was proud of his players and ‘when you win, even in a crazy match, you love everything.’

But that wasn’t the case. Flick was furious on Saturday when Barcelona conceded two amateurish goals during an inexplicable lapse. The first came from a glaring mistake by captain Frenkie de Jong, who failed to clear a simple ball, leaving Borja Iglesias one-on-one. The second was even worse: a bizarre miscommunication between Cubarsí and Iñigo allowed Borja to easily take the ball and beat Ter Stegen.

This isn’t the only thing that has upset Flick in recent matches. Barcelona has failed to manage early leads. Against Betis, Gavi scored in the 7th minute, but 10 minutes later, Isco equalized from a corner. Against Celta, Ferran Torres’ goal in the first minute lasted only three minutes before Borja leveled the score. In these moments, the team lacked the intensity seen earlier in the season, where after every goal, they pushed for another. Perhaps this is also due to physical fatigue.

Flick is also unhappy with the team’s slow starts in both halves. Against Dortmund, Barcelona conceded the first goal in the 11th minute and the second in the 49th minute (the fourth minute of the second half), which shocked the team. Flick knows the team is tired from the increasing number of matches, and the players are giving their all, as shown by three comebacks from two-goal deficits this season.

But he doesn’t want the team to become complacent. Now that physical energy is low, focus is crucial, although the two may be related. It will be interesting to see how the German coach manages the final six weeks of La Liga and three big matches against Inter and Real Madrid.