The tactics were lethargic. Pep was lethargic. The players were lethargic. It happens, but more concerning for me is how easily teams are playing through our midfield time and time again. Someone in the match thread mentioned it, but it feels like with Haaland up front and him not being ‘built’ to press like Jesus or Alvarez, everyone behind him has to cover more ground, and we don’t have the legs to do that. Rodri, Bernardo, Gundo, Phil, KDB, etc., aren’t ‘ground eaters’ for lack of a better word. The player I think could help in this regard is Nunes, but it seems that Pep doesn’t trust him, so I’m not sure what the solution is. For all of Rice’s downsides, the huge bid we made in the summer makes much sense from a tactical standpoint.
We’re so spoiled at home that a draw feels like a loss, but there’s undoubtedly a lot to work on this week.