Flick: Many goals won't change our thinking; we usually need a No. 9

Barcelona achieved their fourth consecutive victory with a 5-0 away win over Valencia. Coach Flick commented on the team's performance in the post-match press conference.

Given the team had virtually no pre-season preparation, they've started with successive big wins. Did you ever imagine such a good start?

As I said yesterday, the key is the quality of training. After seeing the team's performance in training, I was convinced we could play well, and I think we played a fantastic game today, almost perfect, because we controlled the game and put pressure on our opponents. This is what I want to see: taking the initiative and trying to find space, and we did it. We were calm, and whenever we had a chance, we tried to shoot. We played a good game.

You said "almost" perfect…

Maybe it was perfect (laughs), but well, nothing is perfect; there's always room for improvement. If it were truly perfect, we wouldn't need to work hard. There's always room to improve, and we can do it. I don't know if we should keep playing forward after a 5-0 lead; sometimes it's better to be calmer, as that creates more space.

What did you talk about with Lamine Yamal this morning? Did you already decide then that he would start? Were you surprised by his performance?

He had an individual training session yesterday with no issues. We spoke this morning, and he said he was fine and could play, even for 90 minutes. As you saw, he's always involved in pressing, and defensively, everyone works closely together—players are tight to each other, which is excellent.

Barcelona spent the summer looking for a striker but didn't sign one, yet the team has scored 17 goals in 4 games. Can you explain how you achieved this?

Yes, we did score 17 goals in 4 games, but that doesn't change our thinking. We usually need a No. 9, a true striker—that's obvious. But ultimately, we have strong capabilities both offensively and defensively, and everyone in midfield can also score. I'm very happy that Pedri scored today. I'm satisfied with how we play now, our control of the game, and our use of space. We not only have one-on-one ability but also finishing ability, which is good.

Pedri just said in an interview that the team wants to compete for everything this season. Does the team's ambition reassure you?

Certainly. I see the hunger for more glory in the players who have won the World Cup, but this also means we must work hard every day. Opponents won't just hand over victories; you must understand that the path to success is difficult, but we are trying.

We have amazing fans who always support us, and we fight for them and for this great club. In my opinion, our current situation is excellent because we have a very young team and we've made some sensible signings, but the season has just begun. I'd be happier if this were the situation at the end of the season, but we still have a long way to go.

What is Rodri's biggest contribution to this team? What's the difference with and without him?

We are very happy he's here. As you can see, every touch of the ball and every movement he makes on the field is very sensible. He can organize the team's ball possession and off-ball defense. I also want to say that Bernal has done very well. If he can make good use of this opportunity, he will improve, which is also what we hope to achieve with this signing. Rodri is fantastic; he not only performs well on the field but is also an absolute leader in the dressing room. I'm very happy to have him.

Was today's starting lineup the team's strongest lineup?

This was just the starting lineup for today's match, but we have many other players who also have the ability to start. As I said, the team is very strong, and I have to manage it well. It's not easy to keep everyone happy, but football changes rapidly. I'm happy for Dani Olmo; he played well after coming on. I can feel that he wants more opportunities to play, and he is very focused. Of course, he's unhappy not to be in the starting lineup. In football, starting is everything; the value of a substitute is usually not as high as a starter, but after all, the team is a whole, and we always want to make the best decisions for the team. So far, everything is going well, but we still have a long way to go.

Everyone keeps discussing stars like Yamal and Rodri, but I feel Fermín is underestimated.

Everyone can see what kind of player he is. He has abundant physical energy, fights hard, is very threatening in and around the box, has goal-scoring ability, actively participates in pressing, and has a strong sense of counter-pressing, which is excellent. Sometimes I wish he would keep the ball more, but after all, he is still young, and sometimes he handles the ball impulsively, leading to mistakes, but overall he does very well.

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