The case for and against Hansi Flick succeeding at Barcelona

Ready or not, Hansi Flick is the captain of the ship in Barcelona.

And like so many new faces to the club before him, we’re getting the customary, what a dream it is to be here.

But as Xavi warned, that dream, if you’re not careful, could turn into a nightmare quickly, if you can’t handle the weight of expectations and scrutiny.

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Joan Laporta is your friend today Hansi because you’re his hand picked man. But the pressure is on the president to deliver. Fans are already feeling defensive of Xavi, and the only way to quiet the noise, is to win.

Yes, the pursuit of those sweet trophies is the name of the game. Stay on track, and Hansi will have the backing of culers, the media, and the boardroom. Take down Real Madrid, and you’ll have the city dancing in the leadup to the opening of the new Spotify Camp Nou. Indeed, Hansi Flick is more than a coach, he’s going to be the face of the club when Barca opens up the new digs.

But things could go south very quickly as well.

Barcelona is coming off a campaign devoid of titles. The fanbase, and the boardroom, are hungry for success now.

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Being a foreigner will most certainly work against Flick from the get go.

Lose a few games, and you can already hear the voices. What does this German guy know about Barcelona anyway? The heritage is something you have to live to understand.

But being an outsider may also be his greatest strength.

Hansi Flick is no Ronald Koeman.

Koeman, who with all due respect as a legend of the club as a player, has yet to prove himself anywhere as a manager.

But Koeman also likely felt the pressure to represent the days of old as a player during perhaps the greatest generation, having brought a European title home for the first time while playing for none other than Johan Cruyff.

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Hansi Flick, on the surface, may look a lot like a Barcelona disciple. He likes possession based, attacking football after all.

But honestly, I don’t see him being ideological.

He had great success at Bayern Munich, coming out of nowhere, and announcing himself quickly as one of the best footballing minds in Europe.

Then, he was humbled as manager of the national team.

Now, he will want to win above all else to prove himself.

And maybe, best case scenario, he was never going to succeed in charge of a national team. Maybe he is the type of coach that needs the time, day in and out, working with players, and getting them to learn and buy into his ideas.

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If we’re to take the stereotypes seriously, and we probably shouldn’t, Germans are all about technical excellence.

So is Barcelona.

But the difference is that Flick will likely not care so much about the romance.

He will drive the players to do the job the way he wants it done. Xavi was a nice guy, the players loved him. And maybe that was one of his greatest weaknesses.

Hansi strikes me as a guy who has intensity, a la Pep Guardiola.

And ultimately, that may be the thing that these Barca players need most. Accountability. Merit based coaching. Not just having ideas, but having the willingness to follow through to ensure the players understand what’s expected, and that they are pushed to implement them with precision on the field.

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Will there be money for Hansi to spend?

Could we see a German invasion in Barcelona? Musiala? Wirtz? Kimmich?

Ilkay Gundogan is already accustomed to playing in the trademark double pivot that Flick practically invented. Could he be joined by Andreas Christensen?

You could see a player like Frenkie de Jong really taking off as well.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is certainly the captain now. Sorry Sergi Roberto.

And frankly, another Spanish national Ferran Torres, may be on the chopping block as well.

The biggest question of all may center around Flick’s ability to bring Robert Lewandowski back to greatness. Compared to Xavi, I think he has a better chance at succeeding in the mission.

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Lewandowski will be asked to do less of the things he doesn’t do well, which is join in the possession, and the players around him will be asked to create for him, so the center forward can operate closer to goal.

Yes, being an outsider could really work to the benefit of Flick. And maybe a fresh perspective for outside of the country, and the club, is what Barcelona needs as a shock to the system.

But it could also be the thing that hampers him the most.

Players gave Xavi the benefit of the doubt. In times of adversity, will Flick be able to keep control of the dressing room, and keep the media at bay too?

He’s a strong personality.

I don’t think the German will be pushed around. And I don’t think he’ll make excuses for himself or his players either.

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This is a gamble for Joan Laporta. And he certainly went about the business with an incredible lack of respect and professionalism.

But in the end, it could pay off.

One thing we can all agree on is that structural change is needed at FC Barcelona.

On the field, Flick will bring it.

And if he can’t, change could be coming soon for the men in suits too.