KEY POINTS

  • Miralem Pjanic has only started in five games for Barcelona this season
  • Pjanic has been questioning Ronald Koeman's decisions regarding his playing time
  • Koeman says every player in Barca should compete for minutes

Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic is still frustrated over lack of minutes under Ronald Koeman.

In the past summer, Pjanic arrived at Barcelona in a mega transfer deal that sent Arthur Melo to Juventus.

But even to this day, the veteran midfielder hasn’t made an impact on Koeman’s squad, having handed only five starts this season.

This has left Pjanic wondering why the Catalans signed him in the first place, expressing his disapproval of his current coach’s management style.

"I have played at all the clubs I've been at and with all the coaches I've had,” Pjanic recently told French outlet Telefoot. “A situation like this has never happened to me. Of course, it’s not easy, I accept it with great difficulty.”

"I don't have the exact reasons why I've not had the playing time I expected,” he added. "I keep working and you have to respect the decisions that are taken, even if you don't agree. I want to leave my mark at this club."

Pjanic’s dilemma has been going on since the start of the season. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time the Bosnian questioned the Barcelona manager’s decisions and player preference.

“I want to play more, that’s what I want,” the 30-year-old told La Gazzetta Dello Sport last December. “Honestly, I don’t even understand the reason for this situation. It is clear that I want to play a lot more. I know I can give a lot, and when the coach has given me the option, I have always answered. I did well, I played good games. More than that, I don’t know what I can do. I’m training, I’m ready.”

Miralem Pjanic Roma 2014
Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic, left, is one of several players Liverpool hopes to sign in place of legend Steven Gerrard. Reuters

“It’s one hundred percent evident I’m not satisfied and I can’t be, in my career I’ve never accepted the idea of ​​ not playing and I don’t even do it now,” he continued.

To date, Pjanic hasn’t contributed a single goal and assist for Barcelona. The midfielder had his chance to score his first goal as a Catalan when he shot a penalty kick against UD Cornella last month.

Unfortunately, the Barca summer signing wasn’t able to convert as the goalkeeper managed to save the ball.

Koeman, on the other hand, is not closing the doors for Pjanic. As per the Dutchman, players really have to compete for minutes especially in a “big” club like Barcelona.

“ I know he has to work hard to change the situation,” Koeman said of Pjanic. “Like any player who hasn’t played much recently, he will get minutes to show what we can do. There’s always competition in big clubs like ours. ”