Planning to win, aiming to lose
Game: Sevilla - Barcelona
Competition: Copa Del Rey
By: Ramzi
You know how annoying it is to write an email, long email, putting your emotional and mental fuel in it. And then when you press “send” you get that ugly page that shows you are disconnected. You try to press the back bottom to save what you can, but in vain. You have to start again. You never had this experience? I will envy you till doomsday.
It happened to me when I wrote that long preview on the Offside about CDR first leg game against Sevilla. I finished and booked a vacation as the away game sounded less vital for me to be concerned about. It only needs a short preview telling how great the opportunity is, to use some of our youth there. The result is already decided at Barcelona. Or so I thought.
It happened to Pep when he felt that the selection he started can seal the deal while serving a more important objective: Preparing the rest of the squad players, who are not playing often, to serve the team when needed. It didn’t work as he was hoping.
So Pep had to start writing his long tactical thesis from the beginning. You will need to live another game of anxiety, and I have to write about Sevilla Once again this month*. You can bet it won’t be the last either.
Talking about Copa Del Rey, it’s important to rank the competition importance first so we know how we are going to approach it. Obviously it’s at the bottom of the club priorities. It’s even possible that Pep prefers to get three points against sevilla in the following league game over qualifying to the following stage of CDR. If CDR does not worth three Liga points, then you can imagine.
But let’s not get carried away, we are not in UK. I wish if Pep can label one of the competitions as a “Junk title” that has to serve the team than to put more responsibilities. It would have been great if he could do like Wenger at Arsenal, using the youth in a competition to get more playing time and more experience regardless of the result. But this is Spain we are talking about. Arsen results at Arsenal will not keep him two years in this demanding environment. That’s where winning one title –even if it’s just the little Copa- makes the difference if things turn ugly.
In the other hand, qualifying to the following stage wins you two extra games. These two games could be considered as an extra load of pressure on the squad. But you can always decide to avoid that by selecting the less contributed players so they gain more playing time. And they need it as much as we need them in a good form to stretch the squad depth.
Pep will not make sacrifices in this competition, but if he can keep going forward with some reasonable risks, he will not hesitate. It’s that fine balance between giving up and doing the best possible considering the priorities. Pep will have that in mind when he decides who will play and for what.
That’s why I can’t see a fragile starting lineup in this game, and I will be surprised if Pep starts all the big guns all together. His lineup will be seen when they step to the field, all what we can do is to share our wishful thoughts.
My wishful selection:
Pinto, Alves, Pique, Milito, Abidal, Chegrnskiy, Iniesta(or)Xavi, JDS, Pedro, Ibra, Bojan.
Valdes, Puyol, Busquets, Iniesta(or)Xavi, Messi, and Henry get their deserved break on the bench.
Update: Another alternative if Abidal still not fit or to give a chance for Alves to rest:
Pinto, Puyol, Pique, Milito, Maxwell, Chegrnskiy, Iniesta(or)Xavi, JDS, Pedro, Ibra, Bojan.
If we think that what we need to be concerned about is scoring goals, we are doing a huge mistake. What we need to insure is good defense in the first place. That’s why Pep may decide to use Busquets as a box2Box with a holding midfielder behind. Sevilla suffers from injury crises and their defense is shaky at the moment. Dominate the midfield leaning on strong defense and you will contain their threat. If we do so, I can guarantee a goal in the first half, and that’s all what we need.
If they score first, their fans will leave the stands and step into the field to park in front of their goalkeeper. I can hear you:”We are in trouble”. True.
If we score first, the pressure will be on them. Immense pressure that their fragile selection may not handle for long.1-0 up for Barcelona means we only need one more to knock them out. I can feel Sevilla players having the double thinking trying to focus on containing the players we have on the field and getting conserned about what may happen when the likes of Messi and Henry step in for the last sixty minutes to decide the game. Under this kind of pressure, we may not even need to use them as the result could be sealed with the players on the field.
Sevilla needs a goal as much as we need to score two. Barcelona must not let it happen. If we keep some winning cards on the bench and start a solid compact structure, we will control the game destiny from start to end. The most dangerous situation is starting all the key players and conceding an early goal. There won’t be a room for notable improvement from there on.
With that selection in mind, lot of players will have a point to prove. Milito will announce his comeback after a decent performance in the first game. Chegrnskiy will also have a point to prove after the fans’ shameful whistling at the Camp Nou. JDS will gain more playing minutes for his thousand miles journey to the first team paradise. Bojan will have to prove that last game was a comeback, not an exception. And Ibra has to show signs that he learned a lot from all what he passed through in the past two weeks.
There is a chance that we see pique as a holding mid with Chegrnskiy behind. Yet, when Pep insisted to pay 25 Million to get the guy after failing to get Mascherano, I thought we were buying a holding midfielder that will give us the chance to use Yaya and Busquets in their natural positions as Box-to-Box midfielders when needed. It didn’t happen so far, but I hope its only a matter of time.
I will not talk about Sevilla, as we all know that ambitious team. They proved in the first leg that even when they are suffering massive injury crises and without their key forwards they still can beat any team. Thats a sign of a big team, and Sevilla is one of them.
There is only an unessential cup to lose in this game, but there are lots of things to gain. Hopefully it will be a game that’s full of goals, and injuries free.
*I won't often post my previews that early (more than 24 hours before the game). But I have a busy schedule during the day tomorrow, so this one had to be published too early for the game.
First leg Review:
Hey Pep, are you out of your mind?!
Recent Barcelona topics:
Post-Laporta: Marquez, Ibra, or Chegrnskiy?
Helge Said,
Nice preview, Ramzi. And yeah, I've made that experience, too. But not with such a long text as you've been writing last week. Hope the error didn't occur at the very end of it :)
At first glance, I thought we should put our very best line-up. But now I have to agree with your idea, it's better to field a semi-best one and let Messi come from the bench if needed. He saved us quite some games last season from the bench, and an attack of Ibra, Pedro and a hopefully once again superb Bojan can make a lot of damage to the weakened defence of Sevilla FC.
I predict an exciting match that won't be decided within the first 75-80 mins.
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 1:16 AM
chris809 Said,
I'd prefer not to start with the best eleven but I think Pep will do it. I think he's in favour of using the best eleven rather than leaving some of the aces on the bench for the second half.
By the way I've heard an interesting thing about the CdR final today. A journalist asked Guardiola what will happen if they reach the final because it will be held (26 May) when most of the players from our squad will be with their national teams. (He said if we'll reach the final then the reserves will play.)
If that's true then congratulations to the RFEF.
And Ramzi, ctrl+c can do wonders if you use them before pressing the send button. ;)
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 7:45 AM
Rayaa Said,
good review Ramzi:), yeah it happen to me so many times, and one of them is kinda diffrent, but i was translating one of your long long long articles and the internet connection went off i and i had redo it again. SHOOOT !
-
anyways, regarding the lineup
Pinto
Alves pique Milito abidal
BUSI
xavi JSD
Messi Bojan
Ibra
or we pust NESQI instead of Milito, i know he's been awful lately but barca system is totaly different from Shaktar. we play high defense line and Nesqi is not used to it ( Shaktar play like chlsea Man U with tight low defensive line ). every body remmebr how he marked Messi and Ibra so tight that we couldn't get any thing till pedro came on. so he'll need a lot time to get used to us like Henry did !
:)
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Ramzi Said,
Chris, I am using Gmail now, it autosave your stuff, but Rayaa can use the Ctrl next time she translate something :)
I am sure Pep selection will be something different from all our expectations. Something like having Valdes and Pinto on the flanks instead of Henry and Messi...
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 10:20 AM
Rayaa Said,
Pinto
Alves Pique Puyol
Busi
Xavi Iniesta
Mesi Henry
IBRA
OFFICIAL LINE UP
RAC1
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 12:20 PM
Rayaa Said,
Abidal >> missed him ;)
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Ramzi Said,
See? He ended up starting a lineup we didnt guess...
Chris did. But lets not mention it so he doesnt gloat;)
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Ramzi Said,
We have problems on both flanks. Alves need more cover and Abidal need to use his body more than pace against Navas.
Who shoot from outside the area get closer to score.
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Ramzi Said,
First half ended. In Brief:
- Our playerrs are so in a hurry to score. IN this wet witch the tempo we played cant help us to control the playmaking. Next half we need to be more patient. Move the ball to the offense third and there we can accelerate things.
- In defense set up, Sevilla is playing 4-2-3-1.The 3 midfielders are putting pressure on our midfielders with Duscher and Konko creating cover. In such situations there is a need that Henry and ibra dance between the defenders and the two holding mids. Messi need to play in space. Alves and Iniesta have to open the flanks with Busquets and Xavi covering and maintaining ball circulation. They play a lone striker when they defend, so the three defenders must be able to cover behind and assist the holding midfielder.
- Next half it seems Sevilla will use Capel. Probably to put more pressure on Alves to prevent him from going forward. Pedro will be usefull in this case.
- Again we need to move the ball to the offense third, then accelerate things crossing the ball to henry and Ibra in the box or -most importantly- shooting from outside the box.
- I cant forgive myself for not mentioning Pinto legs firework in the first leg. I just messed to mention how stressed he made me everytime he had the ball. Pep will use a hair dries between the two halves.
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 2:00 PM
chris809 Said,
Over the past year and a half I couldn't tell how many times I saw this. All the big guns on the field when it isn't absolutely necessary and some youngsters on the bench. If things go bad you've got nobody to change the game.
Yesterday we had Pedro, Bojan and Jonathan on the bench. The options were very limited in attack and Pep didn't use them the right way. I had a feeling he wasn't brave enough to replace Henry (who once again was rubbish) for the last 30 minutes. Instead he gave Pedro and Bojan about 10 minutes.
Everything could be different if we've had a fresh Iniesta or Messi in the second half. But despite all of this we have almost made it. It was so close and so far at the same time.
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 4:26 PM
Ramzi Said,
Game review is up!:)
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Waleed Said,
I somehow like the sound of it
if I was told to chose a competition to drop off this season it would be definitely CDR and I suppose most of us will chose it, and if I was told to chose a way to get out of it I couldn't come up with a better scenario: early enough, against a tough team and with a win! actually I was so relieved since the moment I knew we'll face Sevella, compare it to getting a knock out against some segunda B side with a 4-1 on agreggate!!
the morals are high as are our heads.. and we'll save some fuel for the Liga and UCL title race, and you know what? people will now realize that Pep and co. are only humans which make the last season achievement more miraculous!!
my only wish was to see a more balanced line up instead of tearing up our golden 11, something like what Ramzi was calling for "although Ramzi's line up would result in hanging Pep in Camp nou for the rest of the season!!"
but after all I cant complain!!
Posted on January 13, 2010 at 4:39 PM