football test

Barcelona Vs Valencia, Camp Nou.                                   More game reviews:

“I am not even sure if they will be as tempted to fight for this game as they usually are against Barcelona ... Three points in this game is a jewel, but greediness is a devil. They may try- lose-get-injured-and collapse in the following games where they can’t afford to be defeated. My bet is that they will try to start the game in a strong way, and then decide about the second half based on what happens in the first.”

“If Keita is not ready to start then I wish that we use Yaya in his place”

“Don’t struggle against Valencia in the first half even if it means guarding possession and dominating the midfield without taking risks to score. With their fitness level problem, time will not work for Valencia interest. Make them run after the ball in the first half while you control possession, and they will hand you the three points in the second half.”

“The most important key to win: Leave no spaces between the lines for counter attacks. Valencia will not play a patient buildup style; they will try to move the ball from their third to offense in a glance.”

I thought it’s better to start the analysis of this game by pasting some of the remarks I made in the preview, so any critic here do not sound like some hindsight thoughts. The best thing about this game (for a cule) is that Barcelona won. Three goals, three points and a big stone blocking the liga path was moved so the team keeps on marching toward the title. The win was also good because now I can be even more critical. As there will be no emotional frustration involved.

The starting lineup had two important defects that I showed my concerns about before the game. No Henry, No Yaya/Keita. For the first one, I can give Pep and co. the benefit of doubt. May be, it was a smart decision to keep Henry fresh till Valencia players collapse fitness wise, so he can easily run over them. As for the second, it’s one of my problems with this technical staff since last season (again, expect more about it in my article tomorrow), they do not give enough focus on the midfield demands for specific games. It will always happen, when this midfield play against a technically gifted opponent who can knock the ball forward with pace, we suffer. Yet, when we use this midfield while having two offense oriented fullbacks behind, we shoot ourselves in the leg (two legs to be specific).

Yaya is not in his best form. I can agree on that. This fact was mentioned on this blog more times than it is mentioned on all Barcelona blogs added together. But he could have served in the midfield much better than Bojan served the offense. Iniesta on the flank serves better than Bojan when he plays there as well. So it was better having Yaya (midfield), Iniesta (offense) rather than Iniesta (midfield), Bojan/Pedro (offense). Valencia generously decided not to get advantage of this defect. How? By missing lot of chances in the first half, added to one tiny foul Emery did in his selection, which left a significant impact: Using Dominguez instead of Zigic in the first half. And Zigic instead of Dominguez in the second.

With Busquets being the only midfielder doing the major defensive job in the first half, and with the lack of defensive contribution of the offense especially on the flanks, and with two offense oriented fullbacks trying to run forward anytime possible, Valencia players had it easy to slice through the midfield toward Barcelona’s area, regardless of the brilliant job Busquets did through creating lateral cover for the two flanks, he was always outnumbered. Valencia problem was not to reach Barcelona’s Zone, but what to do afterward. Zigic as a focal point in the box would have served them better than Dominguez work rate in the first half, while Dominguez work rate could have served them better in the second half than Zigic. See, the period where they were close to score, they kept the piece that’s needed to complete the offense puzzle on the bench. And when their fitness level dropped –in the second half- they had no Dominguez to bring to the game so he put more fresh pressure on Barcelona’s defenders and midfielders. Most of Barcelona threat in the second half was initiated by Barcelona’s defenders who had it easy to move the ball forward. Zigic is not the right guy to prevent that. That’s the beauty of this game, the little things that make or break.

Back to Barcelona, the moment I saw the selection I set my objective for the first half, and that’s to see no goals. If we do not concede in the first half, we will win this game, as Valencia will not be able to survive fitness wise for 90 minutes. Forget about scoring, that selection can’t score. The players were moving the ball around the box with satisfaction that it’s all what they can do. No striker in the box to cross the ball to, or to pull the defenders and create spaces for the technical midgets to penetrate, and no Keita-type midfielders who can run into the box to catch the defense by surprise. Add all that to the fact that shooting from outside the area is forbidden, where will the goals come from? When you have no strikers to start, use Chegrnskiy. I bet he could have improved our offense significantly there. It sounds like a joke, but I am barely joking.

Valencia missed as many chances as luck can deliver so they earn the three points. The second half started by fixing a bug: Henry in.

I didn’t expect him to do a great job, as his form lately was not encouraging. But it was certain that his presence will be more than enough to improve offense. I said it before and I say it now, offense needs a landmark to move per se. It’s like the North Pole for the compass, even if you have no intentions to go north, you need to know where the north is to draw your roadmap toward your destination, the net in this case. There was no focal point to lean on in the first half; there was a Henry in the second. With the pressure on the ball he generated he lead by example, as we saw more aggression and dedication to earn back the ball. With his movement he created spaces and offered outlets IN FRONT OF THE BALL, which was not the case in the first half where all the players were playing behind the ball even in the offense third.

Valdes was the same keeper we know, and the rest of the world doesn’t. The perfect keeper for Barcelona. Maxwell and Alves had an unfair mission with the lack of cover they suffered; it wasn’t easy for them to do what they like most and do best: offense. Alves was better, Maxwell was ok. Pique played one of his best games so far this season and Milito proved again why I rate him as a great defender. Not in his perfect form yet, but he inspires confidence and dictates his leadership. Busquets was one of the invisible key performers, Xavi was Xavi, and Iniesta played slightly better than the previous game though he needs to start demanding the ball in more dangerous places rather than in a deep spot, which he improved a bit in the second half compared to the first half. Pedro and Bojan suffered from the absence of a focal point in between (Ibra or Henry). They are more a supportive type of players than leaders. One of them is fine, two of them on the flanks with Ibra/Henry in the center is a risk, without that experienced striker it’s too much, and it doesn’t work. Henry proved that he is still a need for the team whether you consider him as a super sub or an essential option. In the center he plays with ease. May be this game will inspire Pep and co, more ideas regarding the offense dynamics when both Ibra and Henry start. Something I’ve been demanding since the beginning of the season.

I do not take the “Best player in the world” seriously. I do not believe it’s a valid idea to pick one player in a team sport where you have a huge diversity of attributes related to positions and say: “This one is the best”. Ronaldinho at his best was not as good as Buffon –not even close- when it come to goalkeeping. So how can we decide who is better? Just to make it clear. But IF (a big if) we will surrender to that idea, then there is one and only one player who deserve to be addressed as the best player in the world. His personality, dedication, and talent labels him as the best and on a different level compared to the rest: The messy Messi.

Vampire bats [...] The common vampire bat feeds mostly on the blood of mammals (including humans), [...] white-winged vampire bat feed on the blood of birds. Once the common vampire bat locates a host, such as a sleeping mammal, it lands and approaches it on the ground.

Vampire bats are very agile and a recent study found that common vampire bats can, in addition to walk, run at speeds of up to 7.9 km per hour (4.9 miles per hour). They locate a suitable place to bite using their infrared sensors.[2] They then create a small incision with their teeth and lap up blood from the wound.

[...] If there is fur on the skin of the host, the common vampire bat uses its canine and cheek teeth like a barber's blades to shave away the hairs. The bat's razor-sharp upper incisor teeth then make a 7mm long and 8mm deep cut. The upper incisors lack enamel, which keeps them permanently razor sharp.

The bat’s saliva, which is injected into the victim, has a key function in feeding from the wound. The saliva contains several compounds that prolong bleeding, such as anticoagulants that inhibit blood clotting, and compounds that prevent the constriction of blood vessels near the wound. [...]

That’s the Valencia we are going to host this week. A group of Vampire bats who land and approach the host on the ground counting on their skillful players, who can knock the ball forward with a great pace and Agility. Their versatile bunch of players can create a very bat-like versatile system where you can barely figure out who is really the striker, false nine, attacking midfielder, or wing. “They locate a suitable place to bite… then create a small incision with their teeth and lap up blood from the wound.

It doesn’t matter how thick-skinned the host is. They can break down the opponents’ lines through a sequence of positioning switches and skillful passes and runs, with players like Silva, Pablo, Villa, and Mata slicing their way through the opponent troops toward the net, and the likes of Banega the bomber who in a good day can change the game’s dynamics on his own.

Valencia tactical structure is based on plenty of players capable of operating in the midfield. Whether for being midfielders like Banega or forwards who can move back to assist like Villa or defenders who can contribute in the build up like Marchena makes them a team capable of battling for midfield dominance and ball possession. In that matter, its like “The (Bats’) saliva that contains several compounds that prolong bleeding” they can torture you fitness wise. And for a team like Barcelona that is looking forward for a champions’ league game the following sunrise that will be a nightmare.

But it only happens when the bats enjoy one of the good nights…

In fact the main reason why Valencia is not competing for the title this season is the inconsistency virus. Sure there is the lack of depth and the defense concerns. But the X-factor was the lack of consistency as they dropped points where they could have won with Villa as a keeper and César as a striker. Their starting 7 (putting the defense aside) are as exceptional as Barcelona or Real Madrid lines. Their defense exceeded the expectations (my expectations at least). Their coach is as good as the team is, but as consistent as well (in terms of game management).

The question here is: Will they have one of the good nights and turn to be the legendary Draculas, or Barcelona will enjoy playing the role of Vampire slayers?

It’s the worst time for Valencia to play against Barcelona. They are playing twice a day since I can remember. They approach this game after a very physically demanding game against Werder Bremen and will have to play them again in Germany After their visit to the Canp Nou. The fatigue virus is attacking the knees of the players and getting to their minds as well. Villa is a doubt, which adds to the injury owes they are “enjoying” so far.

I am not even sure if they will be as tempted to fight for this game as they usually are against Barcelona. They need a game to serve as a vacation, where they rest some key players who are close to collapse on the field. They have a more important game to play in the midweek. They have more important games to play afterward. Three points in this game is a jewel, but greediness is a devil. They may try- lose-get-injured-and collapse in the following games where they can’t afford to be defeated. My bet is that they will try to start the game in a strong way, and then decide about the second half based on what happens in the first.

But we need to think about ourselves. Which means playing against the best Valencia team you can expect. It’s the team that can run over any team in the world if the teeth in front were sharp enough. Playing for a win is risky from the physical aspect and may not worth, but from the moral perspective it will be a huge boost that they may invest for the rest of the season.

Key players: Banega, Pablo, and the Silvilla machine (sigh…).

There was a draw against Almeria. Frustration! Abdication! Aberration! Abrogation! Accusation…then Wednesday arrived announcing Real Madrid elimination and a sudden ovation…celebration…affectation…flirtation…lets calm down and go back to common sense…

I will write about the lessons served by Real Madrid knock out in the coming days. The lessons that serve Barcelona, not the words that piss Madrid. But it’s important to keep our feet on the ground and let’s not start counting our chicken already (one of the lessons?). This is the last 100 meters in the league Marathon. There is no room for mistakes anymore. The most important event for Barcelona at the moment is not Perez spending another 300 Million to buy toilet papers while Mourning the 300 Millions he spent last summer. The event is not the game against Stuttgart where lot of Cules are already painting their “See! That’s how you do it!” cards to send to the inhabitants of that other city. The event is the game against Valencia. That’s the season at the moment.

Selection:

That’s my favorite selection. Then we start with the conditional statements. If Abidal is available, Maxwell can stay with Ibra wherever he is. If Keita is not ready to start then I wish that we use Yaya in his place (not as a holding midfielder), but we will most likely have Iniesta there with Pedro starting the game so he scores his inevitable goal early. Pedro may start also if Henry doesn’t (which will mean more than just…not starting a game).

With all the defense delaminate Valencia will have to deal with, I doubt they will play any kind of passive tactics. And why will they? Barcelona showed more fragility when the opponents put pressure on them than when the opponents park the bus. If Unai Emery watches Barcelona game against Villarreal again he will get lot of inspirations. Using Silva-Mata-Pablo between two holding midfielders and Villa is the way to go. Barcelona needs to be fully prepared for that.

With Banega putting pressure on Xavi to disturb the buildup process, we must be read with plan B where Xavi try –thru his movement and positioning -to pull Banega out of the operation area in the midfield opening the space for Busquets-Keita-Messi-Iniesta to make the play, accompanied by the fullbacks. It won’t differ if Emery did a more intelligent plan using the second holding midfielder to mark Xavi so he keep Banega as a pivot. We must have the collaborative contributing in the buildup section in the midfield which will be more difficult to contain.

In case Abidal started, it will be better while setting offense that he stays in defense marking Villa with Puyol , so Pique can support Busquets and push the lines forward.

Two things we lacked against Almeria we can’t afford missing in this game:

Pressure: especially the offense contribution in winning back possession.

Commitment: Alves performance against Almeria is a good example, as he is known as an extremely dedicated player. I often praise his stubbornness moving the battle into the opponents half on his flank regardless of the quality of the wing he is facing. He was strangely uncertain against Almeria. He didn’t push forward enough to contribute effectively offense wise and his transition was too slow to help defense wise. When he moves forward, his mind setup must focus on causing damage, or else stay behind.

Messi needs to play against Valencia the way he played against Almeria after Ibra’s suspension. And Iniesta has to believe more in his potentials as a goal scorer.

Keeping the quality wings of Valencia in mind, and Villa’s ability to open to channels, Busquets must position himself where he can move deep anytime needed as a supportive center back till the fullbacks complete their transition. Keita is an exceptional player the way he moves on the field, we missed him dearly in the past few games and he will be needed for this game if he is completely fit. Henry is important as a focal station for offense setup. His movement can create enough spaces in the heart of Valencia defense for the likes of Messi to get advantage of.

Another lesson we learned from Madrid’s tragedy. It’s important not to struggle in the first half so you don’t burn all the fuel you have in the last 45 minutes. Struggle against Sevilla in the first half; you collapse against Lyon in the second. Don’t struggle against Valencia in the first half even if it means guarding possession and dominating the midfield without taking risks to score. With their fitness level problem, time will not work for Valencia interest. Make them run after the ball in the first half while you control possession, and they will hand you the three points in the second half.

The most important key to win: Leave no spaces between the lines for counter attacks. Valencia will not play a patient buildup style; they will try to move the ball from their third to offense in a glance. That’s where their threat increases, and that’s the way they can score for fun.

Valencia is a team I route for 36 weeks a season. Obviously this is one of the two weeks that I don’t.

El perio’dico served me a lot this week. They had this post with Lillo sharing his friendship diary with Pep. He tells how after Barcelona game against OVIEDO (1996) where Barcelona won 4-2, Pep walked to Oviedo dressing room looking for that young coach to say:

“I want to talk to you. I liked (your ideas) last season with Salamanca and now, too. Let's see if we can keep in touch, okay?”

It was a shock for the coach that one of the greatest football midfielders simply knocked his door and offered his friendship. And that was just the beginning. 

Seven years later, 2003, there was an election in Barcelona. Lluis Bassat was a candidate (And he was my favorite). Pep was the candidate to become the Sports director of the club if Bassat wins the election. Juanma Lillo was Pep choice to coach Barcelona. Laporta won, that plan vanished.

Three years later, Lillo packs his bags heading to Mexico to coach Dorados. Pep who had the chance to play in England declared that he doesn’t want to retire before he plays for Lillo. And it happened. After a brief adventure serving Dorados, Lillo resigned and Pep retired.

Pep praised Lillo’s coaching qualities more than once. He said that he learned a lot from the 44 years old coach. Lillo in return said that Pep had to serve football as a player for few years, but in fact he has always been a coach. “He was a playing coach” as he put it. He praised Pep work with Barcelona B, before the whole world acknowledged his quality after winning half dozen of titles in one year while coaching the first team. He had no doubt Pep will succeed since day one. 

What a big difference between now and the previous meeting at the Camp Nou. There, Almeria coach was Hugo Sanchez who is probably one of the most hated coaches in the globe for those who know about him. Now we will play against a Lillo. 

Lillo made a good impact on Almeria’s performance since been hired as a coach after the X-mass break. Moving the club from struggling in the relegation zone to touch the European spots. Structuring a 4-5-1 formation that counts on ball possession he plays a system that has the same genes like the Catalan, though might not have the same soul. Offense wise, their most disturbing player is Uche. He is not the most lethal player but he runs for his living and know how to demand the ball in spaces (Knock knock knock Marquez!). He is also good putting pressure on defenders to disturb build up. Something we dont like a bit. Yet, I am not sure if he will start or bad Lillo will  save him for the last 30 minutes of the game to torture some tired legs. Crusat is a very sold midfielder and Piatti (the Messi like) is probably the most gifted player in the squad, but not an accomplished product yet. Defense wise, Chico may try once again to mark Xavi out of the game. Though, if there is anyone who can complicate the game for Barcelona, it’s Diego Alves (It seems the Alves family live for football). In his good Alves days, Ibra will look toward the sky more often, while his best scoring chances get terminated by the Brazilian. 

Now that’s why I like Pep sometimes. Ramzi says try Messi in the midfield, and Pep tries. I liked what he did against Malaga. We can all agree that –currently- his best position is where he usually plays. I call it False wing (as for false nine). But few years from now he will be more where we saw him against Malaga. One of the most important things Messi add when he plays beside Xavi is that he drives the team forward. The Iniesta-Xavi partnership is sometimes too perfect in the midfield to fed offense, which hook the team in a fruitless possession cycle. In general, the game against Malaga was an interesting one. In a good way. Nut we may go back to that in another post.

Will we see the same selection against Almeria? Hard to tell. There is no doubt that it is our best eleven at the moment taking in consideration form and injuries. But we seriously need the rest of the players to step in, especially Yaya and Henry. A very crucial fixtures are on the road for the last 11 meters and we need all our troops. Starting from the Malaga selection:

This selection is the most likely only with Marquez or Milito playing instead of the suspended Pique. In the possession battle this selection can do the job perfectly. Since the beginning of the season Pep showed an increasing interest in increasing the possession dominance, especially when we play away from home. If so, this is the blessed selection. Being-almost the same selection we used in the first leg makes it interesting how will it perform in the second attempt.

Moreover, we were making lot of rotations and tactical customizations recently. I like it. But now that we are approaching two important games against Valencia and Stuttgart, may be its better to create some more stability so the chemistry improves on the field. Starting the same selection will create a better momentum for the following games. 

Yet, Yaya didn’t play any friendly this week so he is fresher than any other player in this selection, which may give him a better chance to start. If it happened, he needs to show more determination and fighting instinct than he did in Germany. Most importantly, more effort and involvement in the game flow. But where will he play? Either instead of Busquets or Pedro, unless if Ibra is not fully fit. 

Then there is Henry. I am more wishful than anyone that he starts to show better form so he get selected more often. Through his current form our options in the offense declines dramatically both in the center and on the “Flank”. Yet, and talking here as a coach, I NEVER pick a player as a starter directly after he shows dissatisfaction of his role. That’s a rule I do not break, no matter what. There were few signs about it after the friendly game against Spain. Starting him sends wrong signs for him, and for the rest of the squad. I don’t know what kind of talking will take place in the dressing room, but for once I am hoping he doesn’t start even if he is in the right form for the game. Even if we can’t win without him, and we can. 

Then there is Bojan, he deserve more playing time. But may be its still a bit early now. Better to get him into more games from the bench then start stretching his playing time little by little. 

Will you pick Marquez or Milito beside Puyol? Milito is a player I blindly trust to lead the defense. But beside Puyol, Marquez is a better option. 

It may prove being a very important week in the liga. While Real Madrid are warming up for their game against Sevilla, the Cules are rubbing their palms with excitement hoping to stretch the gap to five points by the end of the week. Barca need to be focused on doing their own job. This is not a guaranteed win against Almeria. Things may turn ugly. Too early to count your chicken. 

It will be an interesting game between two coaches who know each other well football wise, and on personal level. The barcelona coach was coached once by the Almeria coach, and the Almeria coach not only was a candidate to coach Barcelona, but the rumor says that he is still a pending project for Pep who will take part in the following elections 2016 (Not as a president though). 

Finally, Barcelona fans are out of the routine of approaching a new Liga game after enjoying a win in the previous one. Supernatural powers, Madrid spells, and football will, all united together creating a mix of selective injury crisis, rarely off performance, and exceptional inspiring show from the opponent, all so the universe hail the achievement of taking three points out of the reach of the Catalan Knights.

A new week has come. Barcelona will be out seeking a comeback. As I used to do recently, I will try to extremely brief the preview as we all discussed all the game aspects from many angles throughout the week. So let’s try to make it smooth and simple, suggesting –Not predicting- the starting lineup:

I believe Alves will not start this game, no matter what. One of the reasons of his most recent injury was rushing him back to the game too early. In that case, my starting lineup goes as following:

I see the boring part of it, no youth players. Barcelona need to secure the game first, then we can do the substitutions. 

Puyol as a right fullback means more opportunities for Maxwell to go for the offense. With Maxwell stretching the field from the left and Pedro doing so from the right, Henry and Ibra can play more in the box.

Why Yaya and not Busquets? Because after his last interview where he said all the right things, it’s the right time to give Yaya the chance to do the talking on the field. The same as I demanded starting both Iniesta and Henry more often when they were not in the right form so they recover, Yaya deserves the same at the moment. Adding to the fact that Yaya can work better than Busquets covering behind Messi and Iniesta rather than contributing in the playmaking. That may prove vital with Messi being more daring to move forward than the conservative Xavi.

Messi and Iniesta can no doubt run the show in the midfield. Messi is not as good as Xavi commanding the possession game, but he can add a lethal offense edge coming from the midfield. His tendency to attack the box match Ibra habit to move to the midfield. The triangle Iniesta-Messi-Ibra can click perfectly in the center both in the midfield and in the offense.

For Ibra movement to the midfield to be more useful, Henry and Pedro roles demanding the ball in the space has to be efficient. If Henry plays in this game he will be looking for a goal. He needs it, and this game is a good chance. Pedro role on the flank will be as vital stretching the field and covering the absence of Alves in that matter, besides making his usual runs into the box, just at the right time.

If Alves will play, then the selection may change a bit:

Simply put, having both Alves and Maxwell as fullbacks dictates having two holding midfielders. Racing with all the players they will miss in this game might not be a big threat. But the team need to adapt to this tactical modification as early as this week. We may need to use it in the following game in the Champions’ league. 

I picked Henry over Pedro basically because with Maxwell on the left, it’s better to have Henry. While Pedro is already a proven goal scorer doing the well-timed runs into the box, Henry is better operating in the box in a static manner. With Ibra movement outside and Messi operating as a ten, and with Maxwell stretching the field on the left we are more in need for a second striker in the box than a flanked left forward to do what Maxwell will be doing anyway.

The game on the road was a show. We won 1-4. Messi scored twice, Ibra scored once and assisted another for Pique and the team in general was in the right mood. We miss some players for this game, so as Racing. I can go as far as saying that the loss of Munitis, Colsa and Tchite is –relatively- more damaging for Racing than the unavailable players for Barcelona. The loss of the three racing players will make them more containable. Yet they still have enough manpower to cause concerns in Canales and Xisco.

Me here hoping that we will have a chance to see some of the JDS, Thiago and the rest of the youth. The champions’ league game will be in Pep’s mind while approaching this game. I don’t expect him to rotate though. The team proved already that they perform better when they play more, as they pick the right momentum.

Hm…Let’s hope this week exceed our most optimistic expectations…

It was going to happen. Sooner or later. The hard way. The easy way. At home. On the road. It was going to happen. Think about it no more. It happened. The first loss in the season.

Winning this game would have crowned Barcelona as Liga champions. It would have been odd to happen that early. It would have been even dangerous, which is another story. 

We have to analyze the two folds of the game separately: Before Keita’s injury, and after Keita’s injury. 

Valdés;Jeffren, Puyol, Milito, Maxwell;Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Keita;Messi, Ibrahimovic e Iniesta.

Pinto, Muniesa, Bartra, Jonathan, Henry, Pedro and Bojan

Pep, decided to use Keita in the midfield rather than in defense, Picking Jeffren as a right back. Was it better to use Keita in the defense instead? That’s impossible to tell. The idea of having both Keita and Busquets in the midfield was very reasonable. In the game preview, I tried to point out the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. 

What about using Jeffren as a right back? With all respect, anyone who gives a Permanente judgment that it was a wrong decision is not reasonable. None of us actually saw the other options in action on the highest level (unless if we want to judge based on Muniesa debut last season). Again, I pointed out in the game preview that Pep will decide based on what he will see in the training sessions. There is a reason why he called three youth defenders to join the first team even though he will barely use one. It’s a clear sign that none of them is a certainty yet. After a number of training sessions, he concluded that none of them is ready, so he picked Jeffren who is more adapted to the atmosphere of first team matches. Bartra debuted in the second half, and I can predict that he impressed the Cules. But I saw clearly that he was not ready for a game like this. He lacks the calmness that Jeffren showed which was essential for the beginning of the game. Generally speaking, we can judge based on what we know, and we don’t know these players for real. They are performing perfectly at Barca athletic and all the way through the youth ranks, so did Bojan. First team debut is another story.

Keita Injury was a turning point in the game, I was curious to see Pep reaction. Keita out, Pedro in, Iniesta to the midfield, and the game keep on going.

Here it is important to quote a paragraph I wrote in: Who score goals for Barcelona?

“Picking a tactical structure for the team is a crucial stage in team building, but it’s just the beginning of an endless process of continuous improvement. To perfect a system, it’s important to have a “What if” logical circuit that ring in the coach’s mind all the time:


- What if the opponents’ defense terminated my key player threat in a game?

- What if my basic offense flow (attacking on the flank/center/counter/…) didn’t click in a game, what are the alternatives? Are the alternatives dependent on changing the players’ roles on the field or should be made by getting a bench player involved? How many subs this change requires? What if that bench player was not available?

- What if I suffered defense fragility in a game that forced my midfield back? How will that effect offense and how to deal with this challenge?

- What if player -X - got a red card?


And the “what if” loop keeps on going... Seeking perfection requires finding alternative scheme for each and every match scenario.”

Usually, the scenario of losing one of the midfielders should be well covered by the resources available on the bench. You are planning to use (Busquets and Keita) in the midfield with specific tactical instructions, if one of them picks an injury you won’t have a problem as you will have Yaya to step in. He is capable of keeping the game plan clicking as perfect as ever. But when you have all the injury/absence mess and you are using all the reliable resources you have as starters (in the defense and midfield) then you need to plan a scenario that even consider changing the tactical structure if anything urgent happens. You need to train your players on that during the pre-match training sessions so they perform the change smoothly when you give the order. When Keita got injured, I expected one of the following scenarios:

1)Substituting him for one of the youth defenders. Using three static center backs (Milito-Puyol-Bartra?) with a line of Maxwell-Busquets-Jeffren in front of them. Xavi and Iniesta as attacking midfielders behind Messi and Ibra. This way we achieve the following gaining:

       a)Having three Center backs closes the defensive area at the center. And with the youth defender playing as a third Center back with Milito and Puyol where the roles of the three players are pure defense, he will be easy to lead and control. We could have even given him the instructions to tight mark Aguero whenever he is in our defensive third. Bartra may not contain the Kun but he can complicate things for him a bit delaying his offense flow so he gets more containable.

       b)Having Maxwell and Jeffren on the same line with Busquets instead of acting as fullbacks means that they will have a line of three defenders to cover behind them, that will decrease the damage of Jeffren's lack of defensive quality for example. In the other hand this line of three will create a numerical superiority in the midfiled with Xavi and Iniesta so we dominate possession. Simao and Reyes would have faced more resistance on the flanks starting from the midfield rather than running in space into Barcelona defensive area. And Finally, Jeffren and Maxwell will be able to contribute more offense wise on the flanks (something they do better than defense). This may lead to moving the game permanently into Atletico Half.

2)Keeping the defense untouched (Maxwell-Milito-Puyol-Jeffren), but then using Xavi as a second holding midfielder beside Busquets With messi and Iniesta as attacking midfielder behind Ibra and a second striker (Henry, Pedro, Bojan based on who is more fit to play). This means switching to a 4-4-2 instead of keeping the 4-3-3 in place.

Pep instead opted to keep the same structure, moving Iniesta to the midfield and installing Pedro upfront. I am not sure how valid my assumptions are, based on the players' in Pep’s basket. But I have a strong feeling it could have worked better than what we’ve seen for the rest of the game.

Atletico knew that they need to move the game to our half at any cost. Lopez, Tiago, Assuncao, Reyes, and Simao were pushing the lines forward all the times from the center and the flanks. Aguero and Forlan played the synchronized trick where one of them pulls Puyol out of position and the other demand the ball to be played into the space behind Milito. On the flanks we were always outnumbered. The rest were predicted details…

Then the substitution of Xavi for Bojan took place. Xavi picked an injury, but regardless of that, having Messi in the playmaking role was a promising idea with the hope that he moves the ball forward more often. The question is: Why not Henry? I am aware he was far from being in the right form since the start of the season, but I can’t avoid feeling shocked that Bojan got the call instead.

I will not evaluate players as I always focus on the team as a group. For example, it’s true that Messi didn’t perform up to the standards but we already knew it will happen if he had no support from the right flank, as I mentioned in the game preview. The individuals were the victims of the match conditions, not the other way around.

I hope Pep and co reread this game from a critical perspective. We will have to live with the injuries we are suffering from for a while now. This game lessons will prove being crucial for the following games.

If there is a good time to lose, it’s now. With the rival being five points behind us, rather than being in front and opening the gap. A defeat during key players absences, away from home against a team that always create complications for Barcelona rather than a loss of a full squad a game that we shouldn’t lose. This kind of games rub you three points, but cast no doubts in the dressing room, and doesn’t harm the winning motivation a bit.

Finally, the injuries tsunami that attacked our squad. I am not going to analyze its impact on the following games, we will cross that bridge later. But I hope the technical staff reconsider the changes they made to the training sessions. Since I read on Sports about the physical training sessions we added after being knocked out of the cup, and the players are falling like leaves. Find the problem, and find it now! Before Messi or Iniesta drown in the flood.

Atletico Madrid is one of the most interesting teams in the Liga. It is the club where hope and disappointment engages to keep the passionate “Indios” swinging on the fine line of anticipations. Atletico fans have the spirit of gamblers where the temptation of betting is a mix of estimating a good return, and the “pleasure” of the brutal pain of frustration. They are even more addicted to offer none questionable support to their team, regardless of the odds for their bet to bring a satisfying return.

In Spain, there is always a clash between those who believe in the Two poles of the Liga (Real Madrid and Barcelona), neglecting the rest, and those who add more teams to the basket of big teams in Spain. Aside of Athletic Bilbao, it’s the rise and fall of Atletico Madrid that initiates such kind of debates. The same as teams like Valencia, Sevilla, and Villarreal target the third place spot as a first step to hack the two big teams’ dominance. Deportivo made an attempt once as well. But there is no doubt that Atletico Madrid is one of the few clubs in Spain that can keep being the word of mouth regardless of their league position. Even relegating to the second division failed to bury the prestigious image of the club.

They had their Jesús Gil who makes Barcelona’s Gaspart looks like a genius. Their team entered the dark tunnel permanently the moment they decided to shut down their youth academy (1992), sending Raul to Real Madrid, and building the squad based on expensive signings. Interestingly, Barcelona recovered their form and succeeded when they did exactly the opposite, giving up on Gaspart and putting more focus on the youth academy with selective signings to complete the squad.

This season, Atletico Madrid were…Atletico Madrid. Same old story, a quality squad on papers yet the underperforming spell is still there. You can barely understand how a team like Atletico struggle. It’s easy to say that they have defense problems, but I think the problem is more embedded chronically than the need of a Franco Baresi leading their backline to titles. They remind me of Inter Milan in Italy where for a long period of time they had the best squads ever season in season out but still did the impossible which was not winning a title, but losing it. They need the “it” to break through that destructive cycle of doubts. That’s when they will start the season aiming to achieve instead of being determinant not to disappoint, again. There is a big difference between the two approaches. 

But make no mistake, the game between Atletico and Barcelona is a standalone battle. It has nothing to do with the teams’ performance in the league. Atletico in this game will count first on the quality offence they have (well, we know they can’t count on a solid defense). And they will also try to get advantage of Barcelona defense problems. If they want to have a chance to win this game, they need to watch Barcelona game against Villarreal. The submarine showed the way. Atletico will not be able to contain Barcelona offense through parking the bus. But they have quality players on the flanks and two forwards with extremely dangerous work rate and aggression to disturb Barcelona buildup and possession flow. If they can force the midfield deeper toward the defense to assist moving the ball out of Barcelona defense third, and forced the forwards to move deep toward the midfield, then they can dictate the ball tempo, and control the match destiny.

Recently, I started a different style of Previews to avoid repetition. We all know Barcelona and the way they play. We can’t expect new inventions for every game. Yet, the absences of key players will no doubt make this game an interesting case study to keep an eye on and anticipate.

The selection may go one of the following ways:

1) Valdes, Maxwell, Puyol, Milito, Keita, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Ibra, Henry.

2) Valdes, youth, Puyol, Milito, Maxwell, Busquets, Keita, Xavi, Messi, Ibra, Iniesta,

The first assumption counts on experience defensively, and goal scoring abilities offense wise. The positives of this assumption are:

a) Having a well tested players in defense,

b) Keeping the right flank activated offense wise. Maxwell proved against Getafe that he can cover Alves absence.

c) Having three solid players in the back (Puyol, Milito, Keita) to secure the area and move the ball forward to hand the buildup responsibilities to the midfield.

d) Busquets, Xavi, and Iniesta assisted by Messi can collaborate to increase ball possession which is a defensive need and a necessity for offense.

e) Having both Ibra and Henry will create more spaces in Atletico defense and will make the team able to match physically the Atleti defenders and beat them technically. 

The weakness of this assumption is using many players in defense out of position. Can Keita fulfill the expectations on the left back? Is Maxwell as good as he showed against Getafe on the right back or it was just one exception? What about Henry form? He adds more directness to the team when he starts which has its positive effect but at the same time it may lead to losing more balls. That’s bad. The possession on the ball is the make or breaks in this game. 

What’s good about the second assumption is:

a) Having three of the four positions in the back covered by reliable players serving their natural roles.

b) Having Busquets and Keita in the midfield will help terminating Atletico offense in the midfield before it approaches our defense third.

c) Busquets and Keita behind Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, and Ibra should guarantee the dominance in the midfield. That’s the most important factor in this game. Goals will come sooner or later.

d) Giving a youth a chance in such a big game. That’s always good news.

The weakness is obviously finding who will play in that vacant position in defense. The most important factor is not the Physical nor the technical qualities of the options available, but the mental strength of each. Atletico will no doubt try to abuse that situation trying to put early pressure on the fragile flank. How far can the selected player handle the pressure –mentally- is the question. Besides, This selection may lead Messi to operate more on the flank than cutting inside (with the absence of Alves), that’s not going to help him to put a great performance, unless if Ibra moved to channels more often so that Messi can penetrate to the box.

Will Pep select the first option or the second is yet to be seen. The results of the poll about the subject showed the uncertainty. It depends on the youth he is coaching and the feeling he gets that will lead him to make the decision, almost in the last minute.

Yet, it’s the midfield and offense form that will make the defenders life easy or complicated. If Maxwell can pull Atletico wing to serve defense rather than the other way around, if the midfield controlled possession as expected and offense finished the early chances they may get, then Atletico will enter the status of doubt. If Atletico succeeded to score an early goal, then we will have a high mountain to climb. The first fifteen minutes may prove vital.

Will it be a scoring battle game as usual? Its for Messi knights and Aguero warriors to tell.

Finally…FINALLY!!! A new team to play against! I like Sevilla, I like honey as well, but I don’t eat a Jar on daily basis. No more Sevilla, it’s a Real Valladolid this time.

And they host Barcelona at the worst time. It’s possibly the first week since WWI that the team had no games in the midweek, and has nothing to worry about for the following midweek. It even seems odd not to worry about games pressure, who to play and whom to save for next game, etc…etc…

Not only that, but our Missiles Bomber is back. After firing that free kick against Malawi he was labeled unsafe to keep in the tournament. Algeria and Angola made sure to exile him back to Catalonia.

Valladolid are in the red zone of the table. They are struggling so far to put a balanced performance that guarantees their survival in the first division. Though there is no easy game in football, but I am not Barcelona coach so I am allowed to consider this game as a winnable battle.

No hint about Pep approach in this game. The natural prediction is starting the best eleven available, something like this:

Valdes, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal, Keita, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry, Ibra, Messi.

But then, we must take in consideration That Puyol is coming back from injury. Though not serious but is there any need to gamble?

Keita left to Africa with an injury. All predictions were insuring that he may not play any game during the group stages. I am not sure if he was rushed to contribute too early after his team struggled in the opening game. It may prove more secure to give him a break. So we end up starting:

Valdes, Alves, Pique, Marquez, Abidal, Chegrnskiy, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry, Ibra, Messi.

Pedro and Bojan insertion in Henry position will not be a surprise. But the lack of understanding between Henry, Ibra, and Messi requires more playing time so they gel. I want the trio to start and I want Henry to cut inside getting advantage of the space Ibra creates when he pulls his marker out of the box, and then pick Ibra assist inside the box and score. The same as I want Messi to run forward off the ball and get it in the space rather than getting the ball in the midfield and running over the whole defense of the opponents. Waiting…

It has to be Iniesta and Xavi show in this game. If we played Chigrnskiy or Marquez as holding midfielder then we may enjoy more Abidaling invading Valladolid flank.

Now that we are doing fantasy assumptions, it may worth trying to have Pique as a holding Midfielder in this game as he is more than capable of doing the Busquets job. He may not have the same agility, but he has the quality passes, quality runs, and don’t forget: He is a goal scorer. At least it will be good to see him switching roles with the holding midfielder every once and while.

Finally, even though I prefer introducing the youth after sealing the deal, but if Pep had a different opinion, I will not complain at all. I desperately want them to get more playing time as soon as possible. That’s a strategic need –especially for the midfielders- so they can change the way we approach the following transfer period. Hopefully.