Also, I can’t imagine him coaching Barcelona. It just shouldn’t happen…..

But you’re probably right about Mourinho. He’s simply the best coach out there and Barca is the cushiest spot, which explains the reports. But I do think that Rijkaard would go in a heartbeat if something clunky or embarassing happened. They’re third in the table, but with all the talent he has, they should be top and disappearing into the distance. If he loses to Real at Camp Nou, he’s gone.

My reason for giving Krkic a 10 was the effect he had on the team. They would have settled for the 0-0 draw had he not shown the way he did. Technically, you’re right. He probably gets a 7, all else being equal. But his presence snatched victory from the jaws of a draw.

And thanks for the chance to contribute, and thanks everyone for showing passion without the nonsense that pollutes comments on other spaces. It’s a pleasure.

1. I think this Mourinho talk is rubbish. Not simply because it’s being bandied about in the rag daily press, but also because of the fact that I don’t think Rijkaard is going anywhere. Sure, these are “down” moments for Barca, but for chrissake we’re 3rd in the league, 2 points off of first and, barring utter insanity, we’ve qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions League after the fourth game. What more can you really ask for in the world’s most competitive/best league? Should Schuster go because they’re not outright winning the title? Or Koeman because they lost a match? No. So the same thought should be applied to Rijkaard. The Collins/Jackson comparison doesn’t make a bit of sense, Kevin, because Rijkaard won 2 league titles and a Champions League in his time. Sure, there are times to get rid of coaches, but just because you’ve lost a couple of games doesn’t mean you should be sacked. That’s silly. And I don’t want Mourinho anyway. He’s a dickface. And yeah, I just used that term.

2. I didn’t think Barca’s performance was all that bad, to be honest. Gudjohnsen (overrated, by the way, in your assessment: 1 at best! What do you have to do to be a 1 as a forward? Nothing aka what Gudjohnsen did) was a tactical mistake, but what else are you going to do with so many players out? I like keeping Bojan as a sub for now simply because of the experience factor. His performance, by the way, was far from a 10. Sure, he energized the team a bit up front, but so would’ve putting on, say, Bill Buckner. Bojan was good and it was awesome to see him out there, but a perfect 10? No way. An 8 at most. He missed some chances, made some mental errors, the norm for a 17 year old kid subbing on. Toure’s game I’ll agree was a 10. That’s fine. He was fantastic. My man-crush is in full effect.

The defense as a whole deserved a 7 or 8. Probably an 8. They allowed Sinama-Pongolle to get into the box several times and that could have cost them had his touches been better. He had a terrible game, after all. But for the most part, the D was awesome and a pleasure to watch. When Bojan came on (admittedly 15 minutes late), the team responded to another attacking force, creating a lot more chances. Messi was a big problem with his lack of passing, having created a ton of chances and spurning them for personal glory. That’s odd, I think, seeing as I generally see him as a very team-oriented player. Perhaps this just his ego peeking out and testing the waters. Bout time, though…

3. I agreed 100% with Ray Hudson and Phil Schoen (GolTV announcers) about the ref. He was trash. I mean, serious trash. At first he was pretty even-handed with his trash and then when Recre realized they could just hack at will, he became very partial to them. I was surprised, really, at the announcers really berating him, but I agreed. The linesmen took some heavy knocks they probably didn’t deserve (though Henry was well and truly onside before he passed to Iniesta), but the ref was pure trash. I wasn’t too worried about it except that he gave out some strange yellows, including that foul by Milito which I saw as a clean tackle. He obviously mistook Toure for Abidal, but Abidal needed to be cautioned to simmer things down just a bit.

4. Have to mention that Oleguer made an appearance. I don’t think that Zambrotta is truly fit, despite the club claiming he is. Oleguer gets a 6, I think, for merely existing and not being noticed. Nothing got passed him, really, but nothing was going his way. I’d take that any day.

I agree with Kevin when he said that Rijkaard has lost control of the dressing room…sad but I think it’s true.

I don’t think that wholesale changes in the roster are necessary. But if Mourniho comes, I sure wouldn’t mind seeing Drogba and/or Essien come along (with the latter and Toure, we wouldn’t even NEED a back line).

For Chicago Bulls fans, Rijkaard/Mourinho is like Doug Collins/Phil Jackson. Collins set the table, but couldn’t really handle the talent the team had. Jackson could, instilled discipline and was able to finish it off. Six NBA titles later….

Of course, we all know the credence that press reports deserve, right?