In the early parts of the 2023/24 season, Barcelona defender Jules Kounde was reinstated to his natural position at the heart of the backline as he did not enjoy playing at right-back last season.
But a series of dodgy performances and injuries to others around him have landed the Frenchman back in the right-back position.
And even though there have been one or two missteps along the way, the former Sevilla ace has been consistently reliable in the right-back position, especially in the past few weeks when Barça’s results have taken a turn for the better.
Factors behind Kounde’s improvement
Now, SPORT has come forward with an insider report on the factors that have brought about the sudden improvement in Kounde’s performances of late.
Firstly, one of the main factors behind his improvement is the work he has been doing to improve his physical tone.
Instead of doing recovery work after matches, the 25-year-old trains with the substitutes to improve his physical condition and the results are there for all to see.
Furthermore, another aspect that has helped Kounde improve is, at the initiative of Xavi and his assistants, he has become accustomed to playing as a pivot in training to gain fluency and fluidity with the ball. This is paying off when it comes to linking up with agility on the wing.
Lastly, having been reinstalled on the wing, he is now being asked to push forward without fear when the play requires it because the staff believes that he can contribute in attack if he believes in it.
The combination of all this has led to this step forward by a player who is emerging as a top-level full-back for Barcelona this season.
Only time will tell if he accepts to continue in that role on a long-term basis or if he will again ask to be moved back to centre-back at the end of the season. But, for now, Kounde is delivering for Barça.
It has been suggested that Barcelona may even listen to offers for the French international, especially with Manchester United and Chelsea interested.
