Barcelona not planning to give a starting role to Brazilian striker – report
Vitor Roque’s arrival at FC Barcelona is causing a lot of excitement in the club’s fans. Cules are hopeful that the Brazilian’s arrival will significantly improve the team’s effectiveness in front of goal, especially in a period when this has been one of the main problems keeping the team from getting positive results.
However, the Catalans are all too well aware that the opinion of their fans can change rapidly, and a few bad games from the Brazilian in his adaptation phase can significantly increase the pressure on the youngster.
As a result, Mundo Deportivo reports that the club is not planning to make Roque a main part of the starting eleven at the beginning of his Barcelona career.
The Blaugrana coaching staff also wants Roque to learn from Robert Lewandowski and believes the Pole, who has been among the best strikers in the world for some time, can teach the youngster a lot. Barcelona are also counting on Lewandowski’s presence in the squad to take pressure off Roque’s shoulders.
The Catalan club will approach Roque in a similar way to Lamine Yamal, i.e., not making him a starter to begin with but still giving him chances to show his quality on the pitch. His presence on the pitch will also help the team with improved aerial play, better utilization of spaces, and increased pressure on the opponents.
Unlike Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo Goes, who had to go through the Real Madrid youth academy before getting to the first team, Roque will be training with the Barcelona first team from the very first day. This will allow him to learn the Barcelona style of play at an optimal level.
One scenario that is looking highly unlikely is both Lewandowski and Roque playing together in a match. Both of these players are natural finishers, and link-up is not their primary strength. Still, Xavi can play them together in some stagnant matches, or where he is desperately looking for a goal.