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Are They Back Finally?
By Toyin | November 10, 2008
This is one of the best runs ever put together by any European team in the last five years! Barcelona won eleven matches on the trot and only drew once in the last twelve. This is a great departure from the lethargy that was the hallmark of last season.
After surviving the move to have him removed as President, Joan Larpota quickly swung into action by appointing the man who was the youth coach and one of the greatest players to have donned the jersey of Barcelona, Josep Guardiola. He signed Seidu Keita and Daniel Alves from Sevilla and brought in a couple others.
When Guardiaola was appointed as the Head Coach at the end of last season, not a few people thought that he might not be able to steer the team to lofty heights attained in the past. Except for the top hierarchy at the club and of course another legend, Johan Cruff, most fans felt it was going to be a bad season.
More worrisome was the fact that virtually all the players were taken to the cleaners as blames flew left and right. The Catalan media also did not help matters.
Ronaldinho and Deco were shunted out of the team as quickly as possible but there remained the small matter of Samuel Eto o Fils! Initially, he felt he was no longer wanted in the team but as the pre-season took off, he convinced the people that mattered that he is still a player that could be trusted.
Then the season took off and they lost their first match and subsequently struggled to pick up points. They however pulled themselves together and the work done in pre-season began to show as Barcelona played some of the most fantastic matches ever seen.
Now they swagger! The confidence is sky high and the competition for places is as keen as ever. Good players like Thierry Henry and Yaya Toure have had to watch from the bench most of the season and the Gaffer is not afraid to go for youth!
Young but good players like Bojan and Bosquets are proving that they are not afraid to play. When given the opportunity, they deliver.
All the above and the believe of the Coach that the team should stay true to tradition-Exciting attacking football, has greatly helped to make Barcelona a delight to watch and a fearsome foe to face.
Credit must go to all the players. When a team consists of such amazing collection of talents that are available for selection, the success of the club does not only depend on fielding the best eleven. The psychological well being and spirit of the whole team (not only the first eleven) must be adequately considered and preserved.
Professional attitude that accepts that when a player is ahead in the pecking order, he should be supported has been displayed so far in the team. Yaya Toure was the mainstay in the holding role last season but has found himself on the bench most of the time this season. Despite this, he has always given his best when called upon by the coach.
With what I have seen so far, it is a matter of time when this Barcelona team would become almost unconquerable!
Topics: Who Will Win |
November 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I wish a lot of our ex-internationals would take a cue from this. Siasia has shown that he is in tune with developments all over the world as well as committed to the youth of Nigeria. Kudos!
November 20th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Some of us have always believed the best football team in the world are the Blaugrana.
When Pep Guardiola came in as the new coach, he saw ego problems; some of the players are beginning to feel greater than the club. I also want to believe that Pep thinks he may not have absolute control over these players. For these reasons, he ask Deco, Ronaldinho & Eto’o to leave the club.
However, among the three, I have the feeling then that Pep was making a great mistake by asking Eto’o (one of the most consistent strikers in the world) to leave. I prayed everyday that Barca do not find any team to buy Eto’o because it will be a great loss. The pre-season was all this wonderful man from Cameroon needs to prove that he is not only consistent but very disciplined (forget what he did to a pressmen in his country sometime ago). Messi, the best player on planet earth also confirmed this.
The season has started and Eto’o has scored 13 goals in 10 matchs. Now, Pep Guardiola has absolute control of the team, the boys are disciplined and focussed, that is why the results are coming in. The club is gradually moving forward to where it truely belongs…the TOP.
March on Barca!
December 16th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
barca are really on top of there game now and i wish them all the best…i wish my coach Arsene wenger can buy good players too… Up Gunnerssssssssssss
January 7th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Monique, a Leaf fan, originate this definitely earnestly to believe. Now, let me goal out that this was in no way an try to glory one pair is more wisely than the other. It was objective a goal to official two things.