Wednesday, February 22, 2012

In Pep We Trust

There has been a lot of tension and speculation regarding the future of Pep Guardiola in Barcelona. Pep chooses to sign yearly contracts so every winter there is the same drama and the same question on everyone’s mind: will Pep continue in charge of Barcelona next year? If history tells us something is that the answer is always yes. However, this is the year we have waited the longest to get an answer from the coach. Why?


Nobody knows Barcelona better than Pep. We are talking about a man that has always been involved with this club in some form. If there is something Pep has seen from his lifetime in Barcelona is that there is a tendency for entitlement after success. The last clear example of this was Ronaldinho’s Barcelona. This team was called to mark an era and yet after 3 years the project failed. Even though Pep was not directly involved in this project whatsoever, I bet he took some notes regarding the true challenge: staying at the top.


But what does this has to do with his contract extension? I believe that Guardiola uses this mechanism for various reasons. One of them is to let his team know that the moment they engage in that vicious circle of relaxation he’ll walk away. A yearly contract gives him that exit possibility and that leverage on a possible entitlement the team might experience.


Remember that the foundations of this Barcelona are mostly the same players that were humiliated by Real Madrid in Rijkaard’s last year. They understand that the secret of their success lies in their coach’s vision. Only the players have the ability to convince Guardiola to stay. As long as they continue to run after every ball like there is no tomorrow Pep will stay.


Just like American dollars have the phrase “In God we trust” printed, F.C Barcelona should have “In Pep we trust” printed in every scarf, shirt and everything related to the club. Guardiola knows what he’s doing and I have a hard time thinking he will leave the club in a difficult position.


What’s clear now is that the era of signing big name coaches is over at Camp Nou. The next man to sit on that bench has to be knowledgeable in terms of the club, its philosophies, playing style, and the system for promoting youngsters to the first team . Stepping away from all of these would be a terrible mistake. There is a pool of candidates that meet the requirements but that’s for another day (hopefully another year) to discuss.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Simeone: Beyond the Tactic Board

Atletico de Madrid seems to be a whole new team after the arrival of Diego “El Cholo” Siomeone to the bench. For the first time in years the red-and-white team seems to have confidence in their game. Since Simeone took charge of the team, they have allowed only 1 goal in 6 games. It’s hard to think that this is the same team that Gregorio Manzano managed just weeks ago.


But was Manzano that bad of a coach? Look at his 2010 performance with Mallorca and you’ll find the answer. Putting a team with few resources in the Europa League with nothing but good game should be proof of what he can do. So the question is: why didn’t it work with Atletico? Many may point at his tactics but I believe the answer lies way beyond the tactics board.


Tactics play an important role in the game. It represents the personality of the team and what they stand for. For Real Madrid is the ultimate defense-to-offense transition (counter attack). For Barcelona is the dominant passing style. For the Greek national team of 2004 it was all about defending and while many hated that display, it is a valid philosophy. But all of this means nothing if your team doesn’t understand and, more importantly, doesn’t believe in the philosophy. That’s the true job of a coach, managing every player to maximize his talent in order to collaborate to the grand design of the tactics.


This is the main difference between Simeone’s Atletico and Manzano’s. Simeone has made the team believe, which leads to the fans believing. There comes the sacred communion between team and fans that makes things more pleasant. For the first time in years I see Atletico having confidence in their game. Everyone seems to be working as hard as they can and the results are coming.


Simeone is a former Atletico player. He understands how the team operates internally and externally. He knows how to transmit the passion for the team that was lacking for a very long time. This is the same case of Pep Guardiola in Barcelona, and Mauricio Pochettino in Espanyol. Coaches with clear ideas that understand the environment and help their players understand it too.


I’m tired of the phrase “I expect Atletico to do good things next season” because I have said for almost a decade and I’ve always ended up disappointed. However, Simeone is making me believe too. We shall see.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Cup's Final: Another Dilemma

Santiago Bernabeu, Mestalla, La Cartuja, or Camp Nou? Those are the possible stadiums where the final of Copa del Rey is going to be played. All options will lead to some unnecessary controversy. Both Athletic and Barcelona are demanding the final to be held at the Santiago Bernabeu. They argue that Madrid is equally distant from Bilbao and Barcelona, which is a main criterion for choosing the final. Santiago Bernabeu is the biggest stadium holding 85,000 seats, which means that both teams would have 40,000 approximately.


Not surprisingly, Real Madrid is opposed to this option. They argue that renovations of up to 80 washrooms are set to begin by the time the final is played. Moreover, the thought of potentially having their main rival lift a title at their home stadium again is another implicit reason for their opposition. Barcelona’s spokesman Toni Freixa stated that it should be an honour for Real Madrid to host such final but let’s turn the table around shall we?


Suppose Madrid had made it to the final. Would Rosell offer Camp Nou to host such event? It’s a neutral pitch, equally distant for the finalists, and it holds 98,000 fans. All requirements would be met so logistics would not be an issue. Economically it would make sense for Barcelona. However, I have a hard time thinking the club and its fans would be open to this idea. I wouldn’t want to see the possibility of the eternal rival lifting a title and having their anthem sound at our stadium. It makes no sense in the already nonsensical world of football.


I believe the final will be at Mestalla. Sadly the only losers are the ones that matter the most: the fans of both finalists. Mestalla can be in great conditions to host the final but it only has 55,000 seats. This means that only 25,000 fans of each team will be able to assist. Let’s not forget the 2009 final in which more tickets were sold to Athletic fans.


But despite their history with logistic problems, and small capacity, Mestalla is the only viable choice. The biggest stadium available would be La Cartuja located in Sevilla. However, the pitch is not in good condition and Sevilla is very far away from both Bilbao and Barcelona.


The Spanish Football Federation is very traditionalist but they need to consider a change in this system. Either they fix the final for good at one stadium like the Italians and British do; or bid the final during their summer meeting like it’s done in the Champions League.

Friday, February 10, 2012

The world needs more Mirandes

“Copa del Rey is such a beautiful tournament”. I have heard that expression from many Spanish football analysts over the years. It is the competition where your rank and division means absolutely nothing. It’s the chance for smaller and somewhat unknown clubs to shine. Teams like Barcelona, Madrid, Espanyol, or Valencia have suffered historical defeats against squads like Alcorcon, Novelda, Alicante and more recently Mirandes.


What Sporting Club Mirandes (U.D Mirandes) did this year in Copa del Rey is remarkable. A third division team that fought the likes of Villareal, Racing de Santader, and Espanyol in order to get a well deserved place in the semi finals. This is a team which entire annual budget is less than half the salary of what many first division players make in that same time! It is a true inspiration and a reminder for the world that, in the end, football is two teams of 11 players, a ball, and nothing more.


But let’s get real and put all the romanticism aside. Copa del Rey is a tournament that has been historically dominated by three clubs: Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Madrid. In the last decade, with the exception of Mallorca in 2003 and Zaragoza in 2004, the winners of the tournament have been in the top 5 of La Liga and/or reached at least quarters of finals in European competitions.


“La Copa” needs some changes to make it exciting again and give smaller clubs a bigger chance. The reason Mirandes’ place in the semifinals is causing such noise is because it is unusual. What about making the tournament a direct elimination only? Why not give field advantage to the team in the bottom rank? (Except for the final, which should remain neutral).


Perhaps it would not give us a champion Mirandes, but it would bring a much needed edgy side to the competition. Compare the level of excitement of the FA Cup to the excitement of a round of 16 match of Copa del Rey.


As for Mirandes, the sense of disappointment that they may have felt this week after losing the semifinals will soon transform into one of the best memories for its fans. Someday in the future they may tell their kids about the time they knocked out 3 first division teams and got to the semifinals with nothing but effort, passion, and a ball. Chapeau

Friday, February 3, 2012

The High Price of Happiness


Pep Guardiola has always been a fan of rather short squads. He believes that smaller groups of players bond better than larger ones. He reasons that in a small squad everybody gets the chance to play and every player feel he’s important. There is merit in this philosophy. After all, this all comes down to one word: control. A smaller squad allows the coach to have better control. Happy players don’t go around the media revealing secrets that belong in the locker room. Happy players don’t complain their lack of participation in public.


But all of this makes sense when your squad is healthy. When you have your 19 players or so available every week. The moment you start to have multiple players injured, or even worse, players of the same position injured then this approach becomes highly risky. This is precisely the problem Barcelona faces this season.


Guardiola has Villa, Afellay, Fontas, Iniesta, and Pedro injured (the first three severely). On top of that, Keita is out for international duty with Mali. In total, there are only 14 members of the first squad available. Luckily Barcelona is not afraid of calling their junior divisions to the plate, and these kids have been fed the Barcelona style of playing from a very young age so they know how the team operates.


But, should this be the solution? Is it too much to ask to these kids? We don’t want another Bojan scenario to happen. He was the top scorer of all time in Barcelona junior divisions and he was called up to the first team when they needed him at the precarious age of 16. Sure, he answered the call and scored important goals. But I think it is safe to say that, in the long run, that move caused more damage to his career than benefits.


Youngsters need time to develop properly and not all of them can be Messi. Take Iniesta for example. He became part of the main squad in 2003 at almost 20 years of age. But it wasn’t until 2008 where he became a starter. Kids like Tello, Sergi Roberto, and Gerard Deulofeu need time and not too much pressure.


Guardiola clearly doesn’t want another case of Martin Caceres, Hleb or even Bojan. Players who grew frustrated due to their lack of playing time and ended in a bitter farewell from the club. Pep wants his team happy but happiness, unfortunately, can be very expensive at times.