With the hope of the youth and the subs, Barca can...

I understand Griezmann’s discomfort. Nothing has gone as he hoped since arriving for Barca. It’s all been bad, or worse. The team’s results have been awful. And his performance way under what was expected. Three changes of coach and the pandemic have not helped. But when he signed, he knew it would not be easy. Less so as the second most expensive player in the club’s history, behind Philippe Coutinho.

Griezmann did well to rebel against the lies (he has a good relationship with Messi now), but must take the criticism, in line with his extraordinary salary. Much greater than what he brings to the team. His interview on Universe Valdano was a cry for help against the desperation of his situation. Help from his team-mates, the coach, the fans, the media, everyone. The problem is the solution is he must be Griezmann again, and that’s in his hands, and in his head.

He did not start in Kiev, but got the fourth goal in the 92nd minute. He was rated like Messi and De Jong, but on the bench Koeman revolutionised the team. In part obliged to by the absences. In part because he wanted to rotate. And Barca B, with seven non regulars, (Dest, Mingueza, Junio, Pjanic, Alena, Trincao and Braithwaite), played better than Barca A and got the win which sends them through to the last 16 with four wins from four.

It was the youngest line up from the last nine years (24 years, 206 days on average), showing that the hope of the youngsters can sometimes trump the quality of the veterans. That’s football now. You can’t just be good, you have to have intensity. A lot of intensity. As those who played showed, substitutes who deserve to be taken into account as possible starters. Good news for Koeman.