Eric Garcia has endured a rocky season, marred with fluctuating positions and declining play time. The Spaniard has gone from showing several hints of promise in his initial season to now almost entirely being abandoned by the coaching staff.
The young center-back appears to be one of the fringe players of the squad, with little assurances of play time as competition in the defensive department is lessening his prominence. But for now, Xavi emphasises he is untransferable, according to a report by SPORT.
The 22-year-old got off to an impressive start in the USA pre-season, displaying his innate ball distribution and forming an impressive alliance with the Danish newcomer, Christensen.
While paired with defensively robust players implied he could maximize his strengths and guise his flaws as he showcased an excellent progressive threat, Garcia’s involvement in the squad began to decrease incrementally after many factors went against his way.
Garcia was most notably at the forefront of the Catalans’ champions league exit, with a disastrous display against Inter. Meanwhile, the duo of Christensen and Araújo looked impenetrable whenever they played together, which further negated Garcia’s case.
Garcia, since his demotion in the pecking order, has struggled to find consistent play time. Despite being a make-shift center-back, Alonso gained increased preference over Garcia, owing to his burly figure and ability to defend in a low-block. Garcia’s weaknesses in duels meant he failed to match Alonso in that regard.
In an attempt to utilize his exceptional ball-playing attributes and make use of his vision, Garcia has been experimented with, as a single pivot. Following the departure of Sergio Busquets, he may well prove to be an adequate option in the defensive midfielder role.
“Eric’s thing was an idea from Jordi Cruyff, who told me last year,” Xavi admitted in Elche. “We could be facing a great pivot.”
However, Garcia has not entirely impressed in his new surroundings either. While his first game against Elche was a success as he picked out runners and calmly distributed the ball, the lack of threat by the opposition contributed to a walk in the park.
In his most recent affair as a single pivot, there were more doubts than answers as the Spaniard was at fault for a few mishaps in defense and struggled to compose himself under pressure. With greater pressure to turn quickly and burn kilometers, Garcia had a hard time adjusting.
Xavi has currently deemed the young center-back untouchable. Nonetheless, with Inigo Martinez’ impending arrival and the likely purchase of a new defensive midfielder, competition exists in abundance.
Rising above this will be a difficult task, especially with the difficult sesson he has endured. Still, faith from the coach engenders the possibility of seeing Garcia attempt to redeem himself next season.
