Red cards, 0-0 draw add to Koeman's woes
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BARCELONA • Ronald Koeman's position at Barcelona remains extremely precarious but he will not leave the Nou Camp without a fight.
The team's stumbling form continued as they were held to a disappointing 0-0 La Liga draw at Cadiz on Thursday and ended the game with 10 men after Frenkie de Jong was sent off.
To compound their misery, Koeman was also dismissed in the dying seconds for dissent, after Sergio Busquets had kicked a second ball that was on the pitch into an opposition player to get the game stopped.
The draw left Barca, winless in three games, seventh in the standings with nine points from five games, but the Dutchman was his usual fiery self afterwards.
"All I said to the fourth official was that there were two balls on the pitch," Koeman said.
"They send you off for nothing in this country. I asked the referee in a calm manner, but let's leave it as it's not my problem."
Both sides struggled to create chances in a dull opening period but the match came alive after the break.
Memphis Depay had three great chances to score while Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen kept his team in it with some smart stops after de Jong's red card.
On the stalemate, Koeman said he could not fault the attitude and commitment of his team. Instead, he lamented the raft of injuries that robbed him of several first-choice players.
The Catalans were missing Jordi Alba, Sergio Aguero and Pedri, among others.
"It's not always down to a result. We have to analyse what the team did, the attitude of the team, the commitment of the team and I can't complain about any of that from this game," he said.
"I'm not happy, of course, because we had four or five clear chances and we didn't score any goals.
"What I take away is the attitude, not my own personal situation. Because if we win, it looks like we carry on, and if not, we look for another coach - and that's a question for you...
"You have to be realistic, look at the squad we have and the players missing ... we've got seven starters out."
REUTERS
