Barcelona are in a “complicated situation” according to their boss Ronald Koeman, who has claimed that every time his side do not win is a “step backwards”.
The Blaugrana stumbled to a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia on Saturday to lose further ground at the top of the standings, ending the successive wins at home to Levante and Real Sociedad that week.
The Catalan giants have already dropped 18 points through their opening 13 rounds of matches and sit in fifth in the standings – eight points from the top of the standings in La Liga.
With just six wins in this timeframe, the boss has admitted too many points were being dropped and it was damaging the side’s ambitions.
Koeman told reporters in his pre-match press conference ahead of this midweek clash against Real Valladolid, as quoted by Diario Sport: “We’ve changed things with the team. A lot of youngsters are playing and that inevitably means inconsistency. For the future it is a good thing, but Barcelona have to win things, fight for titles and win matches.
“This is a complicated situation. We need time because we are making changes, but we are Barca and we need to win games. That is the complicated thing at the moment, more so for us than for other teams.”
In further comments carried by El Mundo Deportivo, the Dutchman admitted that each time his side do not win a match is a step backwards.
Koeman said, calling for more consistency: “You have to put in a more consistent performance, being better with the ball and improving things without the ball. We must be at our full concentration throughout the game.
“Every game we don’t win is a step backwards. I still think that there are many games ahead of us in which a lot can happen. We have lost quite a few away games so far and we cannot continue like this. It is a pressure for the team, you have to win to close the gap.”
