Sevillista
Starting XI
What a short memory these Madrid fans have.
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F.C. BARCELONA Thread [Season 2007/08]
- Thread starter Vedran-10
- Start date
- Status
MaestroZidane
YELLOW CARD: Untrustworthy
Deni_Rossonero;2523715 said:
have to agree with you. I for one don't like it, and there was a moment that I almost did. In the end, I would want to see barca back so we can have another 06/07 type season.... All the way down to the last minute
I'll take this moment to also say that sevilla really had tough season, from puerta passing away, To the coach leaving, so I wish you guys have a better season in a few months.....
Sevillista
Starting XI
Thanks. Most Sevilla fans seem extremely disappointed in the team for not finishing in the top four, but considering all of the adversity we've faced this season, I consider a fifth place finish exceptional. We didn't collapse like Zaragoza or Valencia... and it wasn't too long ago that the city was in the streets celebrating the team's UEFA qualification...MaestroZidane;2523785 said:
i have BarcaTV, i was watching a game when Rijkaard was building his team, the starting eleven was Valdes; Reiziger, Puyol, Oleguer, Gio; Xavi, Cocu, Davids; Ronaldinho, Sergi (not sure actually), Quaresma.
lemme tell ya, get rid of everybody, keep Bojan, Eto'o and Messi, and sell the rest, that team played with hunger, something that sadly the current Barca lacks, i can't believe how different that team played, Ronaldinho was a freaking dynamo, by the last 30mins he was playing as a classical playmaker, dribbling, running, making excellent through balls, what a team that was.
lemme tell ya, get rid of everybody, keep Bojan, Eto'o and Messi, and sell the rest, that team played with hunger, something that sadly the current Barca lacks, i can't believe how different that team played, Ronaldinho was a freaking dynamo, by the last 30mins he was playing as a classical playmaker, dribbling, running, making excellent through balls, what a team that was.
Arnau
NGR LVR
wtf probably deco leave ! 
laporta son of bitch!! u_u
a deco lo han condenado aquellos directivos superstar del barça que se hancreido que son los dueños del pastel y deco les recordó que los protas son ellos, y que sin ellos no son nada. Deco es un profesional, nunca se borró se rebotó porque marchena es un impresentable y lo puso en su sitio, ha estado lesionado y se le ha hechado de menos, si fuera guardiola lo convencería, pero laporta es el que manda y nadie le tose.
laporta son of bitch!! u_ua deco lo han condenado aquellos directivos superstar del barça que se hancreido que son los dueños del pastel y deco les recordó que los protas son ellos, y que sin ellos no son nada. Deco es un profesional, nunca se borró se rebotó porque marchena es un impresentable y lo puso en su sitio, ha estado lesionado y se le ha hechado de menos, si fuera guardiola lo convencería, pero laporta es el que manda y nadie le tose.
CarlosDanger
Starting XI
It is sad to see Deco go, but we need to have some changes in the team.
No need for any excuses, we were absolutely thrashed in the Bernabeu. What hurts more than not winning a title is to get beat by Madrid twice in a row without ever really firing a shot. If we look back at both games, we never even came close to winning those clasicos. Just for that, I would sack Rijkaard on the spot. Absolutely horrible those games were, and it says a lot that we used to get much better results against them in our dark years when they had a much stronger team than they do now. I can't forgive Rijkaard for this.
I have to say that I've calmed down a lot lately and I no longer want Laporta gone. Looking at everything that's happened with a cool head, it's obvious he should be given his remaining two years. The thing that worries me, though, is that some socis are trying to cast a vote of no confidence against Jan. While I could understand that some people want him out (especially those who are aiming at presidency themselves), I can't believe they want to vote no confidence now, because it could potentially ruin our summer. If this happens, there would have to be new elections and until that is over and done with, we'd be unable to buy anyone or anything. We could have a very, very bad summer if the socis get the votes they need. I'm only not sure whether they need 1/3 or 2/3 of votes to do so. Hopefully they don't succeed. While I realize how difficult it is, have the Club in mind first and foremost, your presidential aspirations later.
As for Rijkaard, sad to say but I've lost all respect and affinity I had towards him. I used to like him but what I feel for him now is bordering with hatred. Seriously. He has effectively driven this Ferrari of a team into a wall. Very, very overrated coach. People will reply with notions that Rijkaard won us three major titles, but I choose a more realistic approach. During our best seasons, we had Ronaldinho, Deco and Marquez in top form plus a badass Henk ten Cate with his whip on the bench. It says a lot that our downfall started after Henk left and the mentioned trio went missing, in terms of motivation and otherwise. I have no respect for Rijkaard, I can't even look at him anymore. I want him gone and I want it yesterday. The thing I resent Laporta the most is not firing Rijkaard when we realized the league was lost. Rijkaard never should have been allowed to calmly finish his time here. He deserved to get sacked. Two years of failure are more than enough reason to end somebody's reign on the bench. Leave and never, ever, come back.
There are many rumours lately about who's going and who's arriving. I won't get into it much because there's no point. We had a disaster of a season and we'll be the most active team in the market this summer, without a doubt both in arrivals and departures. No one can even pretend to have the slightlest clue as to how our team would look like next season. I will say two things:
- I really, really want Alves
- I really, really want Xavi gone
Xavi has a guaranteed spot in our starting line-up and that's a mockery, honestly. That player is so weak it's not even funny anymore, and I hope that he can somehow leave. I saw only one rumour linking him with a move to Chelsea and I must say, if that ever happens, I would automatically develop a very soft spot for Abramovič, just for taking Xavier off our hands. Without going into every single one of his many, many shortcomings as a midfielder and a player overall, I'll just point out the fact that we had our best season in a long time when Xavi was out injured for virtually the entire season. Make of it what you will.
And finally, Pep! I read some articles about him and I'll try to find them and post them here. I'm in love with that man. I really am. Can't wait for him to get started with his badass approach. I'm very excited about his future at the bench, horny even.
btw one last thought that just came to me - I'm glad Rijkaard's farewell game in the stadium was a defeat. Kinda tells you what the team thinks of him as well, giving up a 2-0 lead at home. Pathetic, just like Rijkaard's "managerial skills".
Sorry for the long post, haven't been here in a while
I have to say that I've calmed down a lot lately and I no longer want Laporta gone. Looking at everything that's happened with a cool head, it's obvious he should be given his remaining two years. The thing that worries me, though, is that some socis are trying to cast a vote of no confidence against Jan. While I could understand that some people want him out (especially those who are aiming at presidency themselves), I can't believe they want to vote no confidence now, because it could potentially ruin our summer. If this happens, there would have to be new elections and until that is over and done with, we'd be unable to buy anyone or anything. We could have a very, very bad summer if the socis get the votes they need. I'm only not sure whether they need 1/3 or 2/3 of votes to do so. Hopefully they don't succeed. While I realize how difficult it is, have the Club in mind first and foremost, your presidential aspirations later.
As for Rijkaard, sad to say but I've lost all respect and affinity I had towards him. I used to like him but what I feel for him now is bordering with hatred. Seriously. He has effectively driven this Ferrari of a team into a wall. Very, very overrated coach. People will reply with notions that Rijkaard won us three major titles, but I choose a more realistic approach. During our best seasons, we had Ronaldinho, Deco and Marquez in top form plus a badass Henk ten Cate with his whip on the bench. It says a lot that our downfall started after Henk left and the mentioned trio went missing, in terms of motivation and otherwise. I have no respect for Rijkaard, I can't even look at him anymore. I want him gone and I want it yesterday. The thing I resent Laporta the most is not firing Rijkaard when we realized the league was lost. Rijkaard never should have been allowed to calmly finish his time here. He deserved to get sacked. Two years of failure are more than enough reason to end somebody's reign on the bench. Leave and never, ever, come back.
There are many rumours lately about who's going and who's arriving. I won't get into it much because there's no point. We had a disaster of a season and we'll be the most active team in the market this summer, without a doubt both in arrivals and departures. No one can even pretend to have the slightlest clue as to how our team would look like next season. I will say two things:
- I really, really want Alves
- I really, really want Xavi gone
Xavi has a guaranteed spot in our starting line-up and that's a mockery, honestly. That player is so weak it's not even funny anymore, and I hope that he can somehow leave. I saw only one rumour linking him with a move to Chelsea and I must say, if that ever happens, I would automatically develop a very soft spot for Abramovič, just for taking Xavier off our hands. Without going into every single one of his many, many shortcomings as a midfielder and a player overall, I'll just point out the fact that we had our best season in a long time when Xavi was out injured for virtually the entire season. Make of it what you will.
And finally, Pep! I read some articles about him and I'll try to find them and post them here. I'm in love with that man. I really am. Can't wait for him to get started with his badass approach. I'm very excited about his future at the bench, horny even.
btw one last thought that just came to me - I'm glad Rijkaard's farewell game in the stadium was a defeat. Kinda tells you what the team thinks of him as well, giving up a 2-0 lead at home. Pathetic, just like Rijkaard's "managerial skills".
Sorry for the long post, haven't been here in a while
"This is not Tercera, this is Barça"
Last December 6th, Barça B played at Masnou's home at 12. In the second half, the home team equalized the two goals scored by Guardiola's team in the first. "The telling-off was monumental", one of the players says. Normally, Guardiola analyze the games the following day, but that afternoon he made an exception. "He closed the door of the locker room and told us that we didn't deserve to wear the shirt we wear, because these colors represent too many people and feelings and we were not worthy enough to play with it. We **** on our pants", the players insists.
The worst telling off had something to do with an indiscretion. In October, Sport wrote about an anecdote of the locker room. In a speech, Guardiola used the Operación Triunfo (a music contest of the TV) as an example. "He told us that they have a chance and they kill to take profit of it and we should do the same. When he saw it on the papers, he got mad and told us that explaining internal things of the locker room was a betrayal against the teammate", another player say.
Guardiola got in charge of Barça B on July 21st 2007. It was a mellon that had to be opened yet, but the taste is good. Guardiola turned to be a hard working coach, very exigent and able to transmit illussion. "He appears the first and leaves the last. And he does not stop", the football players assure; "he likes to control everything, but he let you be yourself as long as you respond to the confidence. Each day, a report. He likes to have everything under control, and he prefers to have the things prepared rather than improvisation".
Barça B played 37 games, they won 17 out of the 19 games at home, where they remain undefeated, and they've been unbeaten in 11 games. After yesterday's draw at home against Sant Andreu (1-1), they are the leaders of their Tercera group. GUardiola has worked a lot on the systems. This is why at the beginning they worked morning and afternoon. And he had the players focused the whole year. "We got here together. Now it depends on you to promote", he told them after gaining the right to fight for promotion. Now, motivation costed him expensive: "He told us that each time we win 3 games in a row, he would invite us to have lunch. He already paid three. He spent a lot of money". In lunch and fines: he got sent off twice. "He can't stop on the bench. He reminds me Luis Aragonés, Jaume Langa, Barcelona's physioterapist, says. During certain time, to avoid that the 4th referee could understand him, he cursed in Italian.
Guardiola turned to be as implacable with the linesman as he is with the players. "He left Marc Valiente, one of the captains, on the stands after he left the gym 5 minutes before the end to go to shoot an advertisement", a player says. "If you don't weight train, you don't play", the coach said. Marc Crosas, who was going from the B team to Rijkaard's lists, was subbed for Botía in the 3rd game of La Liga, in Manresa. "In the half time, he got a terrible telling off, telling him that he wasn't running at all... whenever he lost the first ball in the second half, he subbed him. If he was able to do this with Marc, what would he do with the rest?", one of the youngsters. "He always used us as an example", a captain admits, "but he is fair, with us and the rest", he adds.
"If you're that good, go to Sabadell and score a goal", Johan Cruyff told Guardiola 2 days after his debut in Primera. The day after the debut of Gay Asulin returned from his debut with Israel's first team, Guardiola, recalling Cruyff, challenged the player. "This weekend, with the U-18 team. And score a goal". Gay gave 2 assists and scored the 3rd. "He does this a lot. He challenges us. If you work, you get your prize", a players assumes; "if not, you're screwed".
"This is not Tercera División, this is Barça's B team. Not everyone plays here", he told them once. "His exigence goes beyond the pitch", his collaborators says. Guardiola do not allow the use of cell phones in the Ciudad Deportiva nor in the bus and he fines the ones who get late to the training sessions with 120 €. And at 12, at home: "If someone gets seen once, 1500 €; the second time, 3000 €. The third, out of the team". They rehearse the strategy the day of the game. If they play away, they eat at La Masia. If the game is in the Mini, each one at home.
Carles Busquets, the goalkeeper coach, smokes a cig in the parking zone because the coach didn't let him smoke in the locker room. One day, an ex teammate asked Busquets about Guardiola. "Pep? Damn. He knows what he does".
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Tercera/Barca/elpepudep/20080512elpepidep_6/Tes
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Coach by definition
Valentí Guardiola made a museum for his son in one of the rooms of the family house at Santpedor with some collector pieces. The last one he got last Xmas was a big picture of Antonio Espejo where you can see how Guardiola, one of the ball-boys of the Camp Nou, claps Terry Venables while the English coach is raise by his footballers the night that Barça reached the final of the European Cup in Sevilla-1986, after beating Gothenbourg in the penalties. More than just father's love, since the day Pep left home at the age of 13, Valentí always knew that he wouldn't stop until he reached the bench of the Camp Nou, because he always was a coach by definition. It happens that he never thought that it would be the year he also got the picture of Pep staring at Venables. These are the things of football, a matter of faith as many things in life.
On Thursday, Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola, 37 years old, coach of the B team, will be the coach of Barça for the next 2 years, which is the remaining period of Laporta in the presidency. Valentí knew it some hours before from Pep's mouth. Being his father didn't let him take anyhing from his son about the chances of becoming the new coach, despite the press told the family the good news and Pere Guardiola, his brother, told his father: "Get ready because big news are coming". "The day is done, you'll be the first to know it", Pep told Valentí; "meanwhile, think about the B team". Valentí knew about it only few hours it became official. And, yesterday, he watched the Barça B-Sant Andreu in the Miniestadi, before the Barça-Mallorca of the Camp Nou, as if nothing had happened on Thursday.
"The lobby", as maliciously you know the people near Guardiola, got for the same answer that Valentí got the past week. Is it true that you'll be the new Barça coach? The one who asked babbled, knowing Guardiola's reply. Noone from out of the club will ever know anything from the inside from his mouth and, his close people even less, so the critics are the one who drive the debate about the bench of Barcelona. His friends defend him in front of his enemies, and they don't defend his work, but his way of life. Around Guardiola, protector of his intimacy, there always were too much literature, because he feeds the mystery.
Since the end of last year, Guardiola suspected that he was one of the candidaes to replace Rijkaard, if Laporta decided to fire him after a 2nd trophyless year. The sport director, Txiki, and the economic vicepresident, Marc Ingla, met at least three times with Guardiola after some contacts with Mourinho. Obviously, also the president met the Catalan coach and it's known that Cruyff went to the Minestadi to review his task with the B team and, last meeting, they had a meeting that was arranged since some time ago.
Begiristain bet for Guardiola once they solved their problems, due to a comment of the sport director that bothered the future coach of Barcelona. It looks like Evarist Mutra, sport responsible of Lluis Bassat's candidature in the elections of 2003, in the presentation of Guardiola, announced that the contract with him was so exemplary that it deserved to be in the Museu of the club. These words provoked an ironic comment from Begiristain and Guardiola didn't like it. Txiki said that the agreement would be exposed after Laporta had the presidency.
Begiristain was aside during the elections, not like Guardiola, very visible in the campaign. Guardiola got critiziced for not making any promise of signings to attract people, like the ones that Laporta showed, with Beckham on top. There was people who even blamed him for Bassat's defeat, while others called him naive for burning himself, when it was imposed to wait for the results of the votes, like Begiristain did. Guardiola waned to have the support of the socis for the job and, once he was not chosen, he retired from the blaugrana stage to continue his career in Qatar and Mexico, to fight with the Italian justice until he was declared innocent from the doping accusations, when he was punished with Brescia, and to get the coach liscence in Spain (2006).
Guardiola wanted to take a team since then. With the B team relegated, Begiristain prepared a technical restructuration and he had thought to bring Guardiola to coordinate the youth system until he knew from Murtra's mouth, one of the bosses that joined Laporta from Bassat's candidature, that he wanted a field work in the youth teams. Guardiola got particularly happy when he knew he would train the B team. Laporta presented him with an unquestionable phrase: "I always wanted to be Guardiol". Both heirs of the cruyffist culture, Laporta was seduced about the way Guardiola had interpreted the game of the Dream Team, when the purists had him as a limited player.
He was never fast, he never dribbled and his shot wasn't good, he wasn't fast enough and avoided the divided actions, and, despite all this, the team played at light speed when Guardiola drived the team from his #4 position. Tic tac, tic tac, pim pam, pim pam, fiuuuu. A shot on goal every 3 minutes. He had the game in his head, he saw the action one second before the rival and, more than the extension of the coach, he was the coach himself, fact that fed the malicious people that understood that his interventionism and gestures weren't just excessive, they also jeopardized the bench. For action or omission, he always was the protagonist. Being 19, he already played in Barça; being 30, he compromised with Italy; being 32, he presented himself as sport director; being 36, Barça B coach; being 37, he will drive Barcelona.
Guardiola always won the challenges that even his defenders considered excessive in his times. The coaches of Barça B thought that Cruyff was killing a kid when he called Guardiola after the Camp Nou denied him Molby. There were too many jokes when he left Barça to play in Juve and finished in Brescia because Lippi didn't share Ancelotti's ideas. A few know that Mazzone, Brescia's coach, received him saying that he didn't need Guardiola and he was the captain at the end. Guardiola knew what the episodic actions were when he got to Capello's Roma; he taled every afterooon with Pepe Macias, Santos' winger, about Pelé's Brazil in Qatar; he was the one that got the words from Lillo's mouth in Mexico and he has good memories about Clemente and Camacho with the national team of Spain.
He aborbed as a sponge and processed the lectures with his experience as barcelonista to sit on the bench. Born in Barça, he had become a man of the world. He isn't "any" cruyffista, he assumes his stule for love, not for adulation, so his obsession is to generate the best conditions of the game to impose the essences of football. He has concerns about the tactics, the medicine, the alimentation, the preparation... and, evidently, he will apply them because he has interest on football and he understands it as a job that gets dignity from dedication. At the end, Guardiola trains as he played and lived, exposed to the critics, knowing his limitations, but convinced of his truth.
He doesn't appear before the games, he practices on closed doors and, in some Tercera grounds, people say he's an exhibitionist. Nothing new. Back in his days, when he didn't play for an injury, he was blamed for having the plague, for being guilty of a sickening nationalism, they blamed him for getting in line with Martí Pol and Lluis Lach. Not bothered by the talk, Guardiola walks on the Ciudad Deportivo with calm, until not son long ago a distant stage, not rated, not known and even disgusting for the professionals of the barcelonista gootball. Nowadays, on the other hand, the sun shines in the new factory and they worked so happy that it can easily be the future for the barcelonista squad.
Guardiola's enthusiasm is contagious and the Ciudad Deportiva trasnmits health, credibility, natural football. On the table the promotion of the B team and Guardiola doesn't get distracted, not even by the ones who say he's the victim of what the bench was (Rijkaard) or could have been (Mourinho), or by the ones that announce him as the new messiah. Wasn't Rijkaard worse when he got experience? Did Mourinho guarantee any CL for Chelsea? Honesty and talent allow him to remain quiet as the rest talk. The "opera prima" of Guardiola will be shot in the scenario where the coaches confirm their talent. His career starts where the others want to finish it, unquestionable signal of Guardiola doing it once again.
Any day Guardiola will call Orobitg, his agent, and, as he did with the B team, he will tell him: "Josep Maria, go and sign. Don't ask". Noone close to him asks Guardiola anything, things are imposed as the day he made his debut, gained the captain armbrand or decided to complement his barcelonista education in foreign countries.
Valentó can not post the picture of his debut in the bench of Barcelona until he is raised as Venables. Whoever thinks that there won't ever be a chance for that picture are unfaithful men.
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Entrenador/definicion/elpepudep/20080512elpepidep_5/Tes
Last December 6th, Barça B played at Masnou's home at 12. In the second half, the home team equalized the two goals scored by Guardiola's team in the first. "The telling-off was monumental", one of the players says. Normally, Guardiola analyze the games the following day, but that afternoon he made an exception. "He closed the door of the locker room and told us that we didn't deserve to wear the shirt we wear, because these colors represent too many people and feelings and we were not worthy enough to play with it. We **** on our pants", the players insists.
The worst telling off had something to do with an indiscretion. In October, Sport wrote about an anecdote of the locker room. In a speech, Guardiola used the Operación Triunfo (a music contest of the TV) as an example. "He told us that they have a chance and they kill to take profit of it and we should do the same. When he saw it on the papers, he got mad and told us that explaining internal things of the locker room was a betrayal against the teammate", another player say.
Guardiola got in charge of Barça B on July 21st 2007. It was a mellon that had to be opened yet, but the taste is good. Guardiola turned to be a hard working coach, very exigent and able to transmit illussion. "He appears the first and leaves the last. And he does not stop", the football players assure; "he likes to control everything, but he let you be yourself as long as you respond to the confidence. Each day, a report. He likes to have everything under control, and he prefers to have the things prepared rather than improvisation".
Barça B played 37 games, they won 17 out of the 19 games at home, where they remain undefeated, and they've been unbeaten in 11 games. After yesterday's draw at home against Sant Andreu (1-1), they are the leaders of their Tercera group. GUardiola has worked a lot on the systems. This is why at the beginning they worked morning and afternoon. And he had the players focused the whole year. "We got here together. Now it depends on you to promote", he told them after gaining the right to fight for promotion. Now, motivation costed him expensive: "He told us that each time we win 3 games in a row, he would invite us to have lunch. He already paid three. He spent a lot of money". In lunch and fines: he got sent off twice. "He can't stop on the bench. He reminds me Luis Aragonés, Jaume Langa, Barcelona's physioterapist, says. During certain time, to avoid that the 4th referee could understand him, he cursed in Italian.
Guardiola turned to be as implacable with the linesman as he is with the players. "He left Marc Valiente, one of the captains, on the stands after he left the gym 5 minutes before the end to go to shoot an advertisement", a player says. "If you don't weight train, you don't play", the coach said. Marc Crosas, who was going from the B team to Rijkaard's lists, was subbed for Botía in the 3rd game of La Liga, in Manresa. "In the half time, he got a terrible telling off, telling him that he wasn't running at all... whenever he lost the first ball in the second half, he subbed him. If he was able to do this with Marc, what would he do with the rest?", one of the youngsters. "He always used us as an example", a captain admits, "but he is fair, with us and the rest", he adds.
"If you're that good, go to Sabadell and score a goal", Johan Cruyff told Guardiola 2 days after his debut in Primera. The day after the debut of Gay Asulin returned from his debut with Israel's first team, Guardiola, recalling Cruyff, challenged the player. "This weekend, with the U-18 team. And score a goal". Gay gave 2 assists and scored the 3rd. "He does this a lot. He challenges us. If you work, you get your prize", a players assumes; "if not, you're screwed".
"This is not Tercera División, this is Barça's B team. Not everyone plays here", he told them once. "His exigence goes beyond the pitch", his collaborators says. Guardiola do not allow the use of cell phones in the Ciudad Deportiva nor in the bus and he fines the ones who get late to the training sessions with 120 €. And at 12, at home: "If someone gets seen once, 1500 €; the second time, 3000 €. The third, out of the team". They rehearse the strategy the day of the game. If they play away, they eat at La Masia. If the game is in the Mini, each one at home.
Carles Busquets, the goalkeeper coach, smokes a cig in the parking zone because the coach didn't let him smoke in the locker room. One day, an ex teammate asked Busquets about Guardiola. "Pep? Damn. He knows what he does".
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Tercera/Barca/elpepudep/20080512elpepidep_6/Tes
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Coach by definition
Valentí Guardiola made a museum for his son in one of the rooms of the family house at Santpedor with some collector pieces. The last one he got last Xmas was a big picture of Antonio Espejo where you can see how Guardiola, one of the ball-boys of the Camp Nou, claps Terry Venables while the English coach is raise by his footballers the night that Barça reached the final of the European Cup in Sevilla-1986, after beating Gothenbourg in the penalties. More than just father's love, since the day Pep left home at the age of 13, Valentí always knew that he wouldn't stop until he reached the bench of the Camp Nou, because he always was a coach by definition. It happens that he never thought that it would be the year he also got the picture of Pep staring at Venables. These are the things of football, a matter of faith as many things in life.
On Thursday, Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola, 37 years old, coach of the B team, will be the coach of Barça for the next 2 years, which is the remaining period of Laporta in the presidency. Valentí knew it some hours before from Pep's mouth. Being his father didn't let him take anyhing from his son about the chances of becoming the new coach, despite the press told the family the good news and Pere Guardiola, his brother, told his father: "Get ready because big news are coming". "The day is done, you'll be the first to know it", Pep told Valentí; "meanwhile, think about the B team". Valentí knew about it only few hours it became official. And, yesterday, he watched the Barça B-Sant Andreu in the Miniestadi, before the Barça-Mallorca of the Camp Nou, as if nothing had happened on Thursday.
"The lobby", as maliciously you know the people near Guardiola, got for the same answer that Valentí got the past week. Is it true that you'll be the new Barça coach? The one who asked babbled, knowing Guardiola's reply. Noone from out of the club will ever know anything from the inside from his mouth and, his close people even less, so the critics are the one who drive the debate about the bench of Barcelona. His friends defend him in front of his enemies, and they don't defend his work, but his way of life. Around Guardiola, protector of his intimacy, there always were too much literature, because he feeds the mystery.
Since the end of last year, Guardiola suspected that he was one of the candidaes to replace Rijkaard, if Laporta decided to fire him after a 2nd trophyless year. The sport director, Txiki, and the economic vicepresident, Marc Ingla, met at least three times with Guardiola after some contacts with Mourinho. Obviously, also the president met the Catalan coach and it's known that Cruyff went to the Minestadi to review his task with the B team and, last meeting, they had a meeting that was arranged since some time ago.
Begiristain bet for Guardiola once they solved their problems, due to a comment of the sport director that bothered the future coach of Barcelona. It looks like Evarist Mutra, sport responsible of Lluis Bassat's candidature in the elections of 2003, in the presentation of Guardiola, announced that the contract with him was so exemplary that it deserved to be in the Museu of the club. These words provoked an ironic comment from Begiristain and Guardiola didn't like it. Txiki said that the agreement would be exposed after Laporta had the presidency.
Begiristain was aside during the elections, not like Guardiola, very visible in the campaign. Guardiola got critiziced for not making any promise of signings to attract people, like the ones that Laporta showed, with Beckham on top. There was people who even blamed him for Bassat's defeat, while others called him naive for burning himself, when it was imposed to wait for the results of the votes, like Begiristain did. Guardiola waned to have the support of the socis for the job and, once he was not chosen, he retired from the blaugrana stage to continue his career in Qatar and Mexico, to fight with the Italian justice until he was declared innocent from the doping accusations, when he was punished with Brescia, and to get the coach liscence in Spain (2006).
Guardiola wanted to take a team since then. With the B team relegated, Begiristain prepared a technical restructuration and he had thought to bring Guardiola to coordinate the youth system until he knew from Murtra's mouth, one of the bosses that joined Laporta from Bassat's candidature, that he wanted a field work in the youth teams. Guardiola got particularly happy when he knew he would train the B team. Laporta presented him with an unquestionable phrase: "I always wanted to be Guardiol". Both heirs of the cruyffist culture, Laporta was seduced about the way Guardiola had interpreted the game of the Dream Team, when the purists had him as a limited player.
He was never fast, he never dribbled and his shot wasn't good, he wasn't fast enough and avoided the divided actions, and, despite all this, the team played at light speed when Guardiola drived the team from his #4 position. Tic tac, tic tac, pim pam, pim pam, fiuuuu. A shot on goal every 3 minutes. He had the game in his head, he saw the action one second before the rival and, more than the extension of the coach, he was the coach himself, fact that fed the malicious people that understood that his interventionism and gestures weren't just excessive, they also jeopardized the bench. For action or omission, he always was the protagonist. Being 19, he already played in Barça; being 30, he compromised with Italy; being 32, he presented himself as sport director; being 36, Barça B coach; being 37, he will drive Barcelona.
Guardiola always won the challenges that even his defenders considered excessive in his times. The coaches of Barça B thought that Cruyff was killing a kid when he called Guardiola after the Camp Nou denied him Molby. There were too many jokes when he left Barça to play in Juve and finished in Brescia because Lippi didn't share Ancelotti's ideas. A few know that Mazzone, Brescia's coach, received him saying that he didn't need Guardiola and he was the captain at the end. Guardiola knew what the episodic actions were when he got to Capello's Roma; he taled every afterooon with Pepe Macias, Santos' winger, about Pelé's Brazil in Qatar; he was the one that got the words from Lillo's mouth in Mexico and he has good memories about Clemente and Camacho with the national team of Spain.
He aborbed as a sponge and processed the lectures with his experience as barcelonista to sit on the bench. Born in Barça, he had become a man of the world. He isn't "any" cruyffista, he assumes his stule for love, not for adulation, so his obsession is to generate the best conditions of the game to impose the essences of football. He has concerns about the tactics, the medicine, the alimentation, the preparation... and, evidently, he will apply them because he has interest on football and he understands it as a job that gets dignity from dedication. At the end, Guardiola trains as he played and lived, exposed to the critics, knowing his limitations, but convinced of his truth.
He doesn't appear before the games, he practices on closed doors and, in some Tercera grounds, people say he's an exhibitionist. Nothing new. Back in his days, when he didn't play for an injury, he was blamed for having the plague, for being guilty of a sickening nationalism, they blamed him for getting in line with Martí Pol and Lluis Lach. Not bothered by the talk, Guardiola walks on the Ciudad Deportivo with calm, until not son long ago a distant stage, not rated, not known and even disgusting for the professionals of the barcelonista gootball. Nowadays, on the other hand, the sun shines in the new factory and they worked so happy that it can easily be the future for the barcelonista squad.
Guardiola's enthusiasm is contagious and the Ciudad Deportiva trasnmits health, credibility, natural football. On the table the promotion of the B team and Guardiola doesn't get distracted, not even by the ones who say he's the victim of what the bench was (Rijkaard) or could have been (Mourinho), or by the ones that announce him as the new messiah. Wasn't Rijkaard worse when he got experience? Did Mourinho guarantee any CL for Chelsea? Honesty and talent allow him to remain quiet as the rest talk. The "opera prima" of Guardiola will be shot in the scenario where the coaches confirm their talent. His career starts where the others want to finish it, unquestionable signal of Guardiola doing it once again.
Any day Guardiola will call Orobitg, his agent, and, as he did with the B team, he will tell him: "Josep Maria, go and sign. Don't ask". Noone close to him asks Guardiola anything, things are imposed as the day he made his debut, gained the captain armbrand or decided to complement his barcelonista education in foreign countries.
Valentó can not post the picture of his debut in the bench of Barcelona until he is raised as Venables. Whoever thinks that there won't ever be a chance for that picture are unfaithful men.
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Entrenador/definicion/elpepudep/20080512elpepidep_5/Tes
Deni_Rossonero
Senior Squad
Vedran-10;2525035 said:
What the hell?! Xavi is a great player, i remember benitez saying that almost everything that Barcelona plays goes through Xavi and that it's most important to hold him down not Messi or Ronaldinho, and Liverpool beat you that time. I think you're wrong, he one of rare players that can do something similair to what Pirlo does at Milan, Xavi's statistics are unbelievable his passing is over 85% correct, you blaming the wrong player, there's a reason Xavi is cemented into the 1st lineup! And the reason is he's good!
Deni_Rossonero;2525045 said:
Xavi has such a high percentage of pass accuracy because he's always passing to a centre back or a full back. He rarely gives the ball forward, he's not direct enough. It isn't that difficult to pass successfully if your target is a defender standing all alone way outside of trouble. It's Xavi's MO.
Not to mention his non-existant defending, weak and innaccurate shooting, no dribbling... nothing.
And I'm not interested in Benitez's analysis, I think I watch more Barca games than he does.
In any case, I'm not the only one getting tired of Xavi and his extremely weak and useless approach to football.
Arnau;2525168 said:
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There were players doing worse than Xavi. Henry was terrible all season, from what he was expected to do 'cause of what he shown at Arsenal.
If you don't reckon the importance of a player like Xavi, then Pirlo is also a useless guy, which is totally untrue. Why these players never get credit I'll never know. They're the first to initiate defensive-attacking transitions, they are crucial to their teams! He has a very good technique, it just happens that these players cannot go around dribbling at that area of the field, it's not what they're suppose to do and that would be suicidal, to lose the ball in defensive midfield is stupid and really childish.
Yaya Toure, for instance doesn't have 1/10 of Xavi's class, even though a player like him is always important and useful.
And btw what some people in the club and the press is doing to Deco is really shameful. Just have the respect to tell him they don't want him instead of coming up to the newspapers stirring **** about him faking injuries etc.
Just my opinion.
CarlosDanger
Starting XI
Arnau your sig is killing me!
Hilarious!
Hilarious!
Arnau
NGR LVR
XD, here you have more
http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20080515/53462991311.html
http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20080515/53462991311.html
CarlosDanger
Starting XI
Yeah, I always enjoy EMD's comics.
Who's the guy holding Laporta's strings. I don't recognize him.
Who's the guy holding Laporta's strings. I don't recognize him.
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