[ad_1]
“Every little thing Robert received at Bayern Munich, the objectives he scored, it was all with the goal of ending up the place he’s now: enjoying for Barcelona.”
Robert Lewandowski’s profession has been stuffed with targets, however two summers in the past he fulfilled what’s honest to explain as his final ambition. The quote above comes from a supply very near the 35-year-old striker — who, like all these cited on this article, most popular to talk anonymously to guard relationships.
Signing for Barca was a longstanding goal of Lewandowski’s. However since becoming a member of for €45million (£38.5m; $48.7m at present charges) in July 2022, not all the pieces has turned as rosily as he might need anticipated. This season has not been his best, and uncertainty has developed round his place on the membership — although this week’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg at Napoli comes as he has begun to indicate higher kind in entrance of aim.
Lewandowski was the star of the present in Barcelona’s La Liga victory at Celta Vigo on Saturday, scoring a brace that included a 97th-minute winner from the penalty spot, and he now has 4 objectives from Barca’s previous three matches.
This latest momentum, nonetheless, reveals up as a uncommon vivid spot when wanting again throughout what has to this point been a really disappointing marketing campaign at Barcelona. Lewandowski has not been the one participant underperforming, however his standing as a marquee signing opens him as much as further scrutiny, and wider issues over his suitability have been rising for a while.
Lewandowski’s arrival at Barca was meant to sign the true place to begin of a brand new undertaking below Xavi. Certainly one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers was to behave as a job mannequin for a brand new technology and assist the membership overlook Lionel Messi’s traumatic departure.
Now, that ‘undertaking’ has basically already folded, with Xavi to step down on the finish of the season. And Lewandowski appears set for a tense switch window in the summertime, with some on the membership already resolved to looking for a sale — except he can show the doubters unsuitable.
“Lots of people imagine Barcelona must have a franchise participant. A go-to man who sells shirts, represents the general public picture of the staff and turns into a purpose to draw followers to the stadium. Deep down, that was the reasoning behind Lewandowski’s signing in 2022.”
That is how a senior membership supply describes the gamble Barcelona took two summers in the past with Lewandowski’s signing from Bayern. The earlier summer season had seen the membership’s largest legend, Messi, leaving in tears, whereas different key figures resembling Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba gave the impression to be reaching the ultimate levels of their careers in Catalonia. It was determined the Camp Nou wanted a brand new idol, and president Joan Laporta regarded to Lewandowski.
The deal to deliver him didn’t wholly escape criticism on the time. In the summertime of 2021, Barcelona determined to not prolong Messi’s contract, with phrases already agreed, with a purpose to assist resolve the membership’s monetary issues. One 12 months later, they spent €45million on a 33-year-old Lewandowski, signing him to a three-year cope with an choice for a fourth. This August, he’ll flip 36.
If the Messi deal had been accomplished, the Argentinian would have earned €20million within the first 12 months of his new contract, earlier than then seeing his wage improve considerably. Lewandowski’s annual wage, as a mean over 4 years, is reportedly set at €26m.
However Lewandowski hit the bottom operating. Over 2022-23, he scored 33 objectives and supplied eight assists in all competitions. He was La Liga’s prime scorer with 23 as Barca received their first league title in 4 years. Regardless of as soon as once more struggling Champions League failure (they have been eradicated on the group stage) Barca followers had some purpose to hope they have been seeing the beginning of one thing larger.
But, you would additionally see the early indicators of issues starting to construct to the place they’re now.
The 2022 World Cup was clearly the turning level in Lewandowski’s debut season. Earlier than its begin, he scored 13 objectives within the first 15 La Liga matches of the season, additionally grabbing 5 Champions League objectives.
After getting back from a disappointing show with Poland (he scored two objectives and so they have been knocked out within the last-16 by France), nothing was fairly the identical. Lewandowski misplaced a little bit of his spark, which might be regular in a season, however because it turned out, it by no means actually got here again.
Lewandowski performed 19 extra video games in La Liga after Qatar 2022, scoring 10 objectives, of which 4 got here with the title already secured. Tensions within the dressing room began to look, in addition to frustration with himself. However most vital of all, it additionally grew to become clear that the very best model of Xavi’s Barcelona was not totally suitable together with his most popular type of play.
Barca’s Supercopa de Espana victory over Actual Madrid in January 2023 remains to be arguably essentially the most convincing show below Xavi’s tenure. They outclassed their Clasico rivals in a 3-1 win ignited by a tactical tweak: sacrificing one winger for an additional physique in a four-strong midfield.
Xavi was satisfied it supplied the trail to observe, regardless of the impact it had on Lewandowski.
“I understood this staff wanted extra management and fewer transitions and that’s why we modified our method a bit,” he stated on the day Barca have been topped league champions following victory over metropolis rivals Espanyol, in Could final 12 months.
“We felt higher controlling the ball and I prioritised the gamers that didn’t lose possession. That’s how I perceive soccer, it belongs to that type of gamers: the midfielders who’re all the time capable of hold the ball.“
Lewandowski didn’t see issues fairly so positively. In an unique interview with The Athletic throughout Barca’s pre-season tour final summer season, he described how he had been left pissed off by the change. He knew shedding a winger meant fewer possibilities to obtain balls and crosses into the field, the strongest space of his sport.
GO DEEPER
Robert Lewandowski unique interview: ‘Barcelona remains to be the place to be’
There was a scenario to resolve right here. From the staff’s tactical perspective, they needed to discover a higher match for his or her star striker. From the participant’s facet, he wanted to get better the shape he showcased in 2022.
As a substitute of an answer being discovered, issues solely acquired worse.
“We don’t possess the standard of 2010 Barcelona, we simply don’t. We have to run our socks off. If we don’t run like animals, we received’t win video games. If we are able to’t be scientific, we have to have soul as a staff. That is Barcelona, issues want to vary.”
After his facet’s ultimate league match of 2023, Xavi directed his most crucial phrases as Barca supervisor. They’d simply managed to get away with a scrappy 3-2 win in opposition to La Liga’s backside facet Almeria, in a sport they have been drawing 1-1 on the break.
A number of days later, it emerged that Lewandowski had are available for robust criticism from Xavi in a half-time dressing-room tackle that railed in opposition to an absence of depth and aggression amongst his gamers.
By that time, teaching workers sources had already began to explain Lewandowski’s goalscoring effectiveness as beneath what was anticipated. In addition they thought he had misplaced a few of his power in particular person duels, and have been involved by his worsening link-up play.
Evaluating his La Liga stats for this season and final (in response to Fbref.com), Lewandowski has an analogous price of balls miscontrolled per sport (round 2.7) and aerial duels received (53.6 per cent final season; 52.8 per cent this season). However his passing success price has decreased considerably.
For brief passes, there’s a drop from 83.9 per cent final season to 77. 7 per cent this season, whereas medium-range passes fall from 77.1 per cent to 71.4 per cent, and long-range passes from 65.2 per cent to 55.6 per cent.
His anticipated objectives (xG) information doesn’t look too unhealthy at this level. Over 2022-23, he scored 23 objectives from 24.3 xG in La Liga, whereas this season he’s on 12 objectives from 14.6 xG.
Nevertheless, it’s price stating that, earlier than his 4 objectives from Barca’s final three league video games, he was on eight objectives from 12.1xG and had solely scored 3 times within the competitors since September (with two matches out injured).
Lewandowski has to this point scored 17 occasions and supplied six assists throughout 33 video games in all competitions this season. His match-winning strike in opposition to Celta on Saturday was his fiftieth for Barca.
And but this time period Xavi has subbed him off 4 occasions with the staff drawing and in want of objectives (in opposition to Actual Sociedad, Las Palmas, Actual Betis and Villarreal). It’s also clear that team-mates have been struggling to attach with him. Final season he averaged 34.3 touches per league sport. His common to this point this marketing campaign is 26.7.
Is Lewandowski completely responsible for having barely decrease numbers at this stage of his profession? In all probability not — and clearly Xavi’s change of system additionally had an impact.
However off the pitch, there have been points too.
Lewandowski is understood to be an sincere character. As quickly as he believes one thing is unsuitable, he’ll say it. This has led to some moments of friction.
In February final 12 months, dressing-room sources stated that after Manchester United knocked Barca out of the Europa League at Previous Trafford, Lewandowski had a verbal alternate with Ansu Fati, who he criticised for being too egocentric and never combining with team-mates when he had higher choices than to shoot.
This season, in November in opposition to Deportivo Alaves, we additionally noticed Lewandowski complaining to 16-year-old Lamine Yamal when the winger determined to shoot as an alternative of crossing.
However this friction doesn’t reveal a essentially unhealthy relationship, and nobody within the dressing room has ever doubted Lewandowski’s dedication to the staff. When Xavi personally instructed gamers of his choice to step down, a day after he introduced it at a January post-match press convention, Lewandowski confirmed his appreciation for the work he had executed in a troublesome second for the membership. Xavi was notably moved by that.
Hours later, Lewandowski confirmed he may nonetheless be counted as one of many dressing-room leaders by organising a staff dinner at his house in Castelldefels, which all of the first-team gamers attended. It was a team-building exercise, held with the approval of the membership, to assist focus minds on the remainder of the season to come back.
So what’s subsequent for Lewandowski at Barcelona?
With Barcelona needing to promote gamers earlier than fascinated with the best way to reshape their squad this summer season (and appoint a brand new supervisor), a number of senior sources on the membership say they might welcome a profitable supply for him.
GO DEEPER
Barcelona need to promote this summer season – so who may they appear to maneuver on?
However, right here — as with a number of others of these Barca would ideally like to maneuver on — the ability is on the participant’s facet. Below contract till at the very least 2025, he has no want to go away. He additionally totally believes he’s able to overcoming his latest dip in kind and returning constantly to his goalscoring greatest.
Lewandowski dreamed for years of becoming a member of Barcelona, and sources near the participant say they perceive how the ambiance across the membership can flip notably bitter when issues don’t go to plan.
By way of his contract, he has yet another 12 months totally assured earlier than an choice for a fourth that will likely be routinely triggered if he performs over 55 per cent of Barca’s video games throughout 2024-25.
All the identical, we are able to count on strain may come in the summertime, within the type of media stories suggesting how helpful his departure might be for the membership’s funds. Lewandowski’s camp is totally conscious of what occurred with Frenkie de Jong in 2022, when Barca spent the summer season making an attempt to power him out.
However, for the second, regardless of the doubts amongst a training staff that’s set to depart, regardless of the additional rigidity and scrutiny his place brings, Lewandowski is within the precise place he needs to be. And for him and Barcelona, there must be no speedy concern extra urgent than Wednesday’s journey to Naples.
(High picture: DAX Photos/NurPhoto through Getty Photos)
[ad_2]
Source link