Harvey: Dembele is injured and will miss a few games, I hope Lewandowski will return as soon as possible

January 29 News Barcelona coach Harvey attended the post-match news with Girona
press conference

Today’s game once again won 1-0 away, but Barcelona once again encountered the problem of not being able to end the game early:

Yes, we need to adjust that, especially on the offensive end, need to dare to do more, not just make the right pass.
Surprisingly, Girona also adjusted a lot today, so that Barcelona took the initiative, controlled the ball and created a lot of opportunities. Our goals also came from counter-robbing.

On the offensive end, Barcelona should also create more and create more opportunities. Of course, this is also related to our offensive talent in the frontcourt.
We had fewer chances than usual today, the possession of the ball was not very smooth, the opponent had some crosses and wide set pieces, and Girona also had a chance to equalize at the last moment.
Of course, 3 points are very satisfying, but the offense can be better.

Today you played Dembele, Rafinha, Fati, and Pedri behind, but the team’s offense did not create enough opportunities on the offensive end, which is also something you did not expect:

Yes, it was difficult for us to create opportunities today. Sometimes we need to not always follow the old routine. After we have the ball, we should either start to speed up the breakthrough, or pass from the side, or kick the ball past someone, or go straight to the far side.
shoot.

I think the first 30 minutes of the second half were good and that’s what we wanted to see, more aggressive.
We thought that Girona would press us high so that the wingers could get in behind the opponent more, but it was the opposite.

How about the question about Dembele?

There are injury problems, there are definitely injuries, which is a pity because Dembele is our most decisive, most threatening player.
I will see the results of the examination tomorrow, but the player does feel that his thigh is injured, and I hope it is not serious.

Pedri scored 100 goals in Barcelona’s personal game. This season, 6 goals have set a personal record. Why has Pedri’s scoring ability improved so significantly this season?

I think for us, Pedri is a different player, what he creates on the field is important, including breakthroughs, passes, and now goals, Pedri is one of the best players in this position
One, and only 20 years old.
Especially in the last pass, I think players like Pedri can do more and be more influential on offense.

Our midfielders, Pedri, Gabi, De Jong, Casey, Busquets, should all be like this. The ability to make the last pass is what we lack.
Of course, Pedri’s talent is very good, scoring 100 games, I am happy for him.

With the victory, the top half of the standings is almost certain, but in this scene, do you think this game left you more doubts or confidence?

How should I put it, I think we certainly need self-criticism and continuous improvement.
However, I am still very satisfied, because we have to think about what the last season was like. I think Barcelona has undergone… a very huge change this season.
Considering the previous situation, I think it is still very satisfactory.

In the absence of Lewandowski, do you need a No. 9 player more now?

I think Ferran’s suspension needs to be taken into account, and Fati is not a pure number 9 and needs help.
So we need Lewandowski. Of course, we won all three rounds in which Lewandowski was absent, which also shows that Barcelona is very stable.
However, I still hope that Lewandowski will return as soon as possible to help the team score goals and solve the battle in the case of high-position pressing.
Lewandowski is different and we look forward to his return.

Eric played the full 90 minutes today, how do you evaluate his performance?

Great game, both offensive and defensive, contributed a lot, especially in the second half, Eric played very boldly, intervening in dribbling and breaking through, Eric’s existence is a kind of guarantee for us, I am very relieved and believe
He is like this every time he plays, the defense is very firm, and the ball is very stable.

After Memphis left the team, Dembele was injured. Are you worried about the striker?

No, we have various options, Dembele needs a truce for a while, but there is Ferran, there is Rafinha, Lewandowski is about to return, and Fati can all play the forward position.
Today, including Gabi, Bald has played as a striker for a while, and we don’t need signings at the moment.

You said that “Barcelona has changed a lot compared to last season”, so can you elaborate on it?

It’s hard to say exactly the same, but the confidence of the players is different, when they go out on the pitch, it’s more confident.

You have been talking about the team’s ability to solve the battle recently, but every time you finish talking, the game is still the same:

(laughs) But we also have opponents, it’s not just Barcelona attacking, I think it’s 4-0 every game, but football is like that, the opponents keep giving you trouble.
However, Barcelona has indeed made great progress. The team has achieved very good results. Although it needs to continue to improve, Barcelona is now on the right path.