Ronald Koeman was satisfied with the result after the game. That satisfaction was the reason why Barca’s fans are angry at the coach and directors board.
Crisis continued against Cadiz
Barcelona is immersed in a constant state of crisis. Ronald Koeman is still in the job without anybody having made a decision either one way or the other. A lot of things are being said, often contradicting one another, but things are exactly the same as before, for now. The team showed signs of improvement against Cadiz but didn’t win, and Koeman cited unfair refereeing and his players’ good attitude in his post-match comments on Thursday night. As things are, everybody at Barcelona is playing their role. Koeman will continue in the job for the game against Levante, unless things blow up in the heat of the moment in the meantime. He has constantly said that his team can’t do much, and he knows that they cannot compete in the Champions League. Koeman continues to face an avalanche of criticism from the outside and, above all, from inside the club with Joan Laporta and his board far from happy with the Dutchman. On the football side of things, he’s sticking to his ideas and giving opportunities to young players, switching between a 4-3-3, 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1. Similarly, he’s not giving in to pressure to play the likes of Samuel Umtiti and Riqui Puig.
Dressing room is not happy with the management
Laporta is going about his business. Everyone has known since June that Koeman isn’t his coach, and he’s already pulling some strings to find a replacement. The Barcelona president has offered no support to the coach, and his dismissal is likely to be just a matter of time. But there are obstacles in the way. A severance package of 12 million euros isn’t something that Barcelona can easily meet right now. Then there’s the squad. Their attitude against Cadiz was admirable, despite being a man down. Barcelona probably should have won the game late on, only for Memphis Depay to miss a big chance.