Gerard Pique has mused on Barcelona’s consecutive defeats and commented that the team must pick itself up to avoid sinking further.
The Catalans followed up a 2-1 reverse at Ajax in the Champions League last midweek with a 1-0 defeat at San Mames on Sunday evening.
However, for Pique, there is no major crisis brewing at the Camp Nou.
“The second defeat was very different to the one in Amsterdam. Everyone has an opinion, but at San Mames we only conceded the one attempt on goal, which ended up in the net,” considered the centre-back to reporters today.
“There was a refereeing decision that hurt us. Everything has been mixed in with Ajax. We are not so bad. The sensations from Bilbao were very good.
“Either we can let ourselves sink further or we pick ourselves up. We are playing better, but we are not yet growing in confidence.
“We did not have the desired reaction in Bilbao and on that we must do better. We have ups and downs, like the game in Amsterdam, which was unacceptable.
“Where they two accidents? No. Barca cannot lose, but those are places where it is possible to pick up a bad result and we must demonstrate that we are not in a depression, that we are ready to start winning again.
“The Copa del Rey match [on Friday] will be a good opportunity for us to play a good game and regain our confidence.”
Pique reflected on the sense of crisis at the club, with their playing style continually under scrutiny.
“We are ready for it. We like when criticism is constructive. It is another thing when it is without respect, as it was the other day when Iniesta was asked if we trained well.
“We accept the criticism, of course. I do not consider it a lack of respect if it is said that we should change the team.
“We have got a lot of confidence and faith in the team and I am sure that results will come.
“How is the team physically? A team that pressurises throughout a game is impossible. Before we had the ball and could rest with it. Now it costs us more to have it, for our more direct play, but the team has still been pressing forward.
“We want to be in the best condition for when we start to play for the trophies. It is impossible to maintain that level through the whole season. We want to keep progressing through the year.
“The Coach has been able to adapt to the methods of Barcelona and has learned to rely on those already here. It is appreciated that he has made that gesture and changed his ways. On a tactical level it is he who guides us.”
