Hansi Flick insists Barcelona still have flaws to improve despite winning their first two games of the season.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has admitted there are still areas he needs to improve on despite a strong start to the season with wins over Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.
Barcelona kicked off the new season with a 2-1 win at Valencia before beating Athletic Bilbao by the same scoreline in their last outing, with Flick set to lead the Catalan giants to Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday.
‘I think in the last press conference I said that we are very happy with the performance of the team on the pitch. The quality of training was very good, they had a lot of determination, the intensity was good and that showed in the game.’
‘If you train at 80 per cent, it’s impossible to give 100 per cent in a match. We analyse every game to improve in each match,’ Flick said.
Asked if the Blaugrana can win the Spanish league this season with this squad, Flick replied: ‘The target is always to win the title. There’s a long way to go but we started well but everything can change next week. Now we are happy with our start and we are confident. We are not looking forward to May but only to the next game against Rayo. ‘
Flick also spoke about his feelings about the squad not being shut down as they enter their third game of the season, saying: ‘It all starts with the Euros and the Promotion Ufabet Copa America. This happens at all the big clubs. We have to accept it because we cannot change it. There are no excuses. We have 11 players on the pitch and many on the bench. We can play the game. ‘
The German coach also added about Firmin Lopez: ‘Firmin had a break for two or three days and it was very important for him after winning two tournaments. Now he is here and it is good to have him in the team. He showed in the last game, we are happy with his performance and his mentality. ‘
Flick also spoke about the young talent coming through La Masia, saying: ‘Yes, it happens in Germany as well, but having three young players is not normal. We had a 15-year-old in pre-season who did very well.’
‘We did the analysis yesterday, we also saw a good level of Barça Athletic, a strong foundation.’
The Blaugrana boss also spoke about the team’s aim to win all four games before the international break in September. Saying: ‘That was always the target, to win games and get points. We are taking it step by step. Now we are focused on Rayo and that’s how we are doing it.’