Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has urged the players to take responsibility for the team’s poor form this season.
The reigning La Liga champions have made an underwhelming defence of their title this season. While they sit just eight points off top spot, Barcelona’s performances during games have fallen well short of expectations and they have relied on several one-goal victories.
More recently, Barcelona were thumped 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final, before surviving a Copa del Rey scare against third-tier Unionistas, and that sort of form has seen the pressure on manager Xavi ramped up.
Kounde, however, has urged players to look in the mirror and address their poor showings on the pitch this year.
“In the end, like the rest of the team, you can’t put everything down to one game,” Kounde told Teledeporte after the Unionistas game. “We have to look ahead and the most important thing is to learn from our mistakes.
“We turned the page and we have achieved the victory. It was a disappointment, but we have talked and we have to look forward. Today was important and every game will be important. The team is eager to turn the situation around, it is what this club requires. [Club president Joan] Laporta encouraged us.
“Of course, in the end you can talk about the coach but we are the ones who play, so when there are bad results it is our fault of course. It’s up to us. We had to react, this game was important and we have to move forward with intensity. I think that is what we need this year, and also to be more effective.”
WILL THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW DELIVER?
Barcelona sporting director Deco has publicly stood by Xavi in the face of claims that he has lost the support of the dressing room, while the boss himself has admitted he’ll walk away from his job if he feels the mood towards him turning.
The club’s reward for beating Unionistas was a meeting with Athletic Club and former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, who was asked whether Xavi’s current struggles in Catalonia remind him of his own departure in 2020.
“I don’t remember all that, I’m in another phase,” Valverde responded.
Barcelona face a tricky trip to Real Betis on Sunday before the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Athletic. Villarreal and Osasuna are also on the schedule before the end of January.
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90Mins
