Now, more than at any other time this season, Barcelona need Antoine Griezmann to hit the goal trail.
The former Atletico Madrid striker has had a reasonable start to life with the Blaugrana as his 13 goals in all competitions would attest, however, with Lionel Messi dropping more into the playmaker role, the goalscoring output will fall on the Frenchman.
In what is his preferred No.9 role, he can have no excuses.And with Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele out for the season, matches like Griezmann had against Getafe last weekend have to be a thing of the past in 2019/20.
Yes, he scored a beautiful opening goal, but he missed at least two more presentable chances.
If it weren’t for Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s best octopus impression, Getafe would’ve left Camp Nou with a point at least.
Still in with a chance of lifting La Liga, and in the Champions League with as good a chance as anyone else at this point, the amount of chances Griezmann has missed this season has largely been overlooked.
But he has to step forward now. Even if it means sacrificing some of the work ethic that we’ve seen from him to this point.
Goals are a striker’s currency and it’s time for the World Cup winner to properly cash in.
With Messi becoming the assist King par excellence, it can free Griezmann up to play the same role he had so much success with for Atleti.
His intelligent running off of the ball will always either open up space for his team-mates or allow him to exploit it himself, and his goals from now until the end of the season could be the difference between winning a trophy or not.
Given his monstrous transfer fee, it’s the least that his current employers should be expecting, and it’s clear that Quique Setien is handing him the responsibility.
Messi was almost back near his penalty area on a few occasions against Getafe, helping build play from the back.
No goals in three games for the Argentinian hasn’t happened for years but in all of those games he has provided assists.
That role will be another string to Messi’s bow – is there nothing he can’t do (?!) – and in order for him to be of use to the team there, then those in front of him must take advantage of every opportunity available to them.
Not wildly swing at them when just a few yards in front of goal.
Griezmann can do better. He must do better.
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