Report: Three Barcelona youngsters criticized by Koeman following Getafe

Barcelona hosted Getafe at the Camp Nou on Thursday night. Following the fixture, the coach was critical of three of his players; namely Pedri, Araujo, and Mingueza. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Dutchman spared no harshness in his assessment of the three youngsters post the match.

Pedri suffered a rare off night, having lost possession carelessly 11 times throughout the match. On the night, he didn’t move with the swift sharpness or intelligent thinking fans have come to associate him with. This may be just be a one-off case, or perhaps the youngster may be a tad bit overworked.

Araujo came in to replace Piqué at the halfway mark, and committed a very avoidable blunder which led to a penalty. Ever since his injury, the Uruguayan hasn’t had the chance to adapt fully back into game rhythm. Prior to the same, the 22-year-old was a sheer beast for Barça, dominating every time he took to the field.

Araujo made Piqué’s three-month-long absence go entirely unnoticed. However, the youngster himself has suffered a few injuries this campaign, meaning he hasn’t got the chance to play with full consistency throughout the season.

Oscar Mingueza has been elevating his level with nearly every passing match this season. Interestingly, he was only the fourth-choice centre-back in the subsidiary, when Koeman scouted him from the stands in search for alternative options for his backline. Ever since the Dutch manager put his faith in the Spaniard, he has delivered time and again, improving with virtually every performance.

Not only has he stayed fit all season long, the 21-year-old has shown extreme versatility, playing both as a central defender and a right-back. He possesses the ability to pass under pressure as well as carry the ball forward.

Additionally, the youngster admitted to working on his aggression a great deal last season, which has led him becoming a fantastically proactive defender. He is constantly looking for a challenge, trying his best to stop opposition forwards in their tracks.

However, he suffered a poor showing against Getafe, marauding off his line far too many times, abandoning his centre-back position. This led to a very angry Ronald Koeman, who was caught outrightly showing his anger towards the 21-year-old defender.

Such things are part of the sport, and we’re sure Mingueza will brush it off and work to continue improving himself. After all, he would be no where near the position in which he currently finds himself if it weren’t for his gaffer.

In fact, after the match, Koeman even retracted his words, saying “I spoke with Oscar after the game and there is no problem, if anyone is having a great season, it is him.”