Gerard Martin: I m looking forward to my Camp Nou debut; Barcelona don t need to change their pressing style

Hupu News November 20th The 23-year-old Catalan defender Gerard Martin recently accepted an exclusive interview with the Spanish media "Daily Sports". The two parties had a pleasant and relaxed conversation. During this period, he talked about his vision of Camp Nou, Barcelona's defensive style, and also mentioned Flick. The following is the first half of his interview.

Gerard Martin joined Barcelona from Cornelia in the summer of 2023 to strengthen the defense of Atletico Barcelona coached by Max. A year later, Flick saw his potential and called him up for pre-season training with the first team. He made a first-team appearance as Balde's backup at left-back and never returned to the senior ranks. He started low and went high, eventually earning a place in the side and has made 56 first-team appearances to date, some of them very important games.

After another national team match day, the league is finally returning.

Yes, after getting used to our usual game rhythm, sometimes it will be a bit difficult not to play for nearly two weeks, but it is also a good thing to rest and relax a little. We came back with a win, which is always better in these circumstances.

This return is especially special because it will be at Camp Nou.

I'm looking forward to it very much. Everyone knows what Camp Nou means to Barcelona and it's my first chance to play there.

What did you imagine it would be like?

I'm looking forward to the same atmosphere there, I went to Camp Nou as a fan as a kid, before playing for Barcelona, ​​and now I'm going to play there, you can imagine.

You have been to the public training days a few days ago. How do you feel?

I was very excited because so many people came. The ground is in really good condition and now very keen to go back in an official match.

The season has been going on for three months. How do you evaluate your personal performance?

I'm satisfied and I think I'm still growing. That's how I felt at the end of last season and I'm still feeling that way. I'm very satisfied with the trust the manager has given me and the number of games I've played and hope to play more games.

From a collective perspective, the season is still long, but what do you think?

As you said, there is still a long way to go. There was some noise from the outside, some doubts because we had some bad games. We are only three points behind Real Madrid in the league. We're on the right track, doing a good job, and we're constantly improving.

The doubt and weakness lies in the number of goals conceded. As a defender, how do you view this problem?

For defenders, conceding so many goals is really uncomfortable. When you concede several goals in a game, it's hard. Even though you know it's not just the defender's job but everyone's responsibility, it doesn't feel good. We are working together to improve, and I believe we can do it. We, like the goalkeepers, want to keep the opponent clean.

In what areas does the team need to improve to solve this problem?

It's all little details that end up causing big trouble, but we're working on it. This is not just a problem, but I think the most important thing is to press well, which is a fundamental aspect of our game, to avoid suffering defensively. It is very important to keep the opponent under pressure all over the field so that they cannot pass the ball smoothly.

What changes have occurred from last season to this season?

There may be many reasons. It's true that opponents know you better because you've been playing like this for a year, they study you more carefully and know your weaknesses. But I think the problem lies mainly with ourselves. We can't just give 90%, we must always give 100%.

As a defender, how does it feel to play in such a high-pressure and risky style?

When the effect is not good, you will suffer a lot, but I feel comfortable with this way of playing. If we do it right, this way might be better than the other way, and I feel very calm playing like this.

So, are you one of those people who thinks there is no need to change your style?

There is no need to change at all. If this style of play worked well last year and brought us results and championships, I don’t think we should change it. What we need to do is improve the areas where we are not doing well enough.

Inigo Martinez once said that he couldn't sleep after the game because he had to maintain the tension of that high defensive line. How do you feel?

To be honest, it was quite difficult for me to fall asleep after the game. Because you have to be so nervous and focused during the game, it's hard to fall asleep in the hours after the game, just like Inigo.

How do you train this kind of concentration and tacit understanding?

It is about being fully involved in the game and paying attention to every action, but this is not just a matter of the four defenders, but also the midfielders and forwards. You know if you give your opponent space, they're going to hurt you. Sometimes we use film to analyze the defensive line and see what we didn't do well and what we need to correct. During this intermission, those of us who stayed have been working hard, and now we will all work together. I believe we will see a better Barcelona.