Racing Santander 1, Barca 2, a.k.a. “Are you KIDDING me?” (edit)

By: Kevin | February 1st, 2009

What is there to say about this game, really? On a Super Bowl Sunday in which two teams knocked heads in a game for the ages, all I could think about was Argy Bargy, trapping that ball on his chest, passing it to himself and beating the keeper on the far side to put our lads ahead 2-1, in a match that they never looked like losing once they got their head.

I have to say that while I loved the result, I wasn’t all that geeked about the method. We shouldn’t have needed Messi to beat a side that is sitting mid-table. Problem was that we were playing with only 10 men, since Eto’o decided to take a permanent break. The only thing he did all day was escort the whack job off the pitch, into the arms of the waiting security personnel.

And so it was a job for Messi.

In a way, this was the ideal use for our little wizard, to be brought in after a side has been playing defense for 60 minutes and are getting a little tired. But unlike his last appearance, this Messi was a live wire, moving with pace, grace and alacrity, getting to every last ball before anyone else, doing pretty much what he wanted to on the pitch. Racing didn’t even really foul him, which I’m sure they believe now was a mistake.

And on a chilly, rainy day, Guardiola rolled out: Valdes, Alves, Marquez, Pique, Abidal, Yaya, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry and Eto’o. And I repeat: This lineup should have been more than enough to get the job done. But the passes weren’t clicking, people weren’t in their usual positions, and everybody seemed flat. Fatigue? Possibly. There have been a lot of matches this season, and many more to come. But everything, everywhere was clunky.

When things did come together, somebody didn’t make a run, or a crappy pass dismantled everything. And so Santander were allowed to hang around and hang around, as they stuck legs and feet out in passing lanes, laying it on the line with last-ditch defending and making sure that we could get as far as the box, before the door slammed shut. There weren’t even any real clear-cut chances in a very tight, but kind of desultory game.

When the first half ended scoreless, I didn’t like it one little bit, not because of the scoreline, but because with that lineup, we should have at least threatened their goal off the run of play, given them something to think about. Unfortunately, the second half started the same way, and then it happened: A nice, lofted ball broke loose Jonathan Pereira, who used his pace to almost get round the corner on Marquez. And rather than just running alongside Pereira, as cover was on the way and the attacker had outrun his mates, Marquez tried a sliding tackle in the box, that was doomed to failure.

Could he have simply run alongside the attacker, reducing his shooting angle as Valdes reduced it further? Certainly. To attempt such a dangerous tackle in the box was just plain stupid. And when the resulting penalty was put away, it changed the Guardiola worldview on the match. I don’t think he would have minded a 0-0 draw, but a loss was another thing altogether.

Up popped Messi, as if on cue. And as he entered for a pretty crappy Busquets, you didn’t know what effect he was going to have on this match. His movement, however, made it very clear that whatever fatigue was bothering him after the Espanyol match, was gone. So were his inhibitions, as he began to play with a grace and flair that made it clear why fouling him is considered a legitimate defense in La Liga. He and Alves were working give-and-gos, suddenly passes were crisper and the danger level was mounting. Racing was up 1-0, but suddenly playing as if they were down 1-0.

And suddenly, the match was tied. And credit Yaya with yeoman work, not only to win the ball once, but then save it a second time, striking a slide rule ball to Iniesta, who feeds Henry and the Frenchman’s cross was a killer ball that really deserved a goal. It was right to the head of Xavi, who somehow hit the crossbar. As the ball bounded off, this diminutive streak was right there to put the rebound away with a strike that looked a lot easier than it was. He left his defender for dead, and put the ball in the net with a precision that belied the potential missteps. The shot could have hit a foot, or a leg, but somehow, we knew that it wouldn’t.

What’s more, you knew that there was another goal in this suddenly rejuvenated side. That the go-ahead goal came on a rather bizarre play was for me, completely unexpected. It was a pass to Eto’o, who cocked it up as he had been doing the whole match. The ball popped into the air and Messi dashed in, played it off his chest to himself and smacked a shot that smoked the keeper. The Racing defender put his head into his hands, and you know the rest.

Game over, right? Yes and….no. Wait. Hang on. Red cards for Marquez and Pique, both for double yellows, and I believe accumulated yellows for Alves (have to check on that) means that some bizarre back line is going to have to happen for the next liga match, against Gijon. Probably Caceres, Sanchez, Abidal, Sylvinho or some such. Oh, lordy.

Yes, the calls were harsh. But the ref had been calling a harsh match. And Pique grabbed the shirt on the second yellow, which is always called, and is always a yellow. It was stupid, as was Marquez’ second yellow offense. Might another official have called a foul and not brandished a card? You bet. But not that one. He was consistent all day, and players have to adapt to how the match is called.

Another issue I see, coming into Champions League and its attendant set pieces, are free kicks. The side is getting worse, not better. Marquez, Xavi and Alves all tried them, to zero effect or even danger. This must change, as free kicks are a legitimate goal scoring threat, as we draw lots of fouls around the box.

The other problem is the Messidependence. It’s nonsensical that they can’t play without him. That starting XI was one of the most talented sides in the world, and they let a team that plays defense and doesn’t score goals, that is presently sitting 10th in the Liga, scads of points in back of us, put them in danger of a huge upset. Messi comes in, saves the day and suddenly, the Messidependence becomes just a bit more acute.

So I left this game thrilled, and a little irritated at the same time. And with that,

Team: 5. Clunky, tired-looking and easily defended, only a few players came to really play today. Messi pulled their coconuts out of the fire that could easily have been a 1-0 loss.

Guardiola: 6. Yes, he made the right subs, but he didn’t have the side ready to play. His riding Caceres like a rented mule for not being ready to come in was pretty funny, I thought.

Valdes: 7. Some good play today, but also a couple of howlers, including one where he came racing out of the net, thought better of it and was a sitting duck for a shot that was taken ineptly, thus saving his bacon.

Alves: 5. He looked tired and a bit lost today, as he didn’t have his usual foil, and the resident forward didn’t seem interested in playing, which means he’s crossing to who, exactly. When he did have opportunities to make passes, they were a bit off. Is our hummingbird tired? He came to life when Messi entered, suddenly playing a lot better. Perhaps his yellow for diving will be rescinded/changed when the replay is looked at, because he was fouled for sure.

Marquez: 4. Not sure if he was 100 percent, but he was left for dead a few times, and took dimwitted yellows. As I said earlier, a defender is supposed to know how a match is being called and play accordingly.

Pique: 5. Still very strong in the air, but has little idea about cutting off angles, so when Pereira made that early attack and shot that Valdes parried, he just ran right past Pique like he was standing still. And again, two stupid cards.

Abidal: 8. Excellent. Our best defender by light years. He broke up three Racing attacks in a row with pace, power and positioning. Why not a 10? His lazy clearance directly to a Racing midfield player led to the pass that sprung Pereira for the subsequent penalty. For want of a nail….

Yaya: 9. His usual tower of strength. Racing attacked up the wings a lot so he didn’t really have a lot to do, so he contented himself with winning pretty much every ball he came near, and lacing excellent passes to Xavi and Iniesta. Quite the long baller, too.

Busquets: 4. He was great his last time out, and crap today. He started strong with a couple of interceptions, but his passes went everywhere except where they were supposed to. A glorious scoring chance came our way, only to have Busquets screw up the pass. Bummer. And for whatever reason, he was holding the ball WAY too long today.

Xavi: 6. Another solid, but mostly quiet match for our little general. His control and distribution were hampered by forwards who kinda weren’t. Curiously, he and Iniesta still seem to be learning to play together.

Iniesta: 7. A very good, live wire match. He so earned a penalty when he was in the box. Unfortunate that it wasn’t called. Excellent passes and movement.

Henry: 6. When he was visible, he was dangerous on the wing, and his pass to Xavi for the header led to the Messi rebound chance. Other crosses found a box devoid of Blaugrana shirts. So the question becomes is a player ineffective when he does his job but there’s no follow up, rendering his actions ultimately ineffective? Debate. I say no. He should have owned that young defender on him.

Eto’o: 3. Samu was pretty worthless today. When you weren’t asking if he was even out there, his first touch was just all over the place. For some reason when he plays poorly, his first touch always goes. Guardiola left him in way too long for my tastes.

Substitutes:

Messi (for Busquets): 10. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Yes, there were the two goals. But there was also smart, possession-retaining passing, great movement with and without the ball and overall excellence. He single-handedly won the match today, which is kinda crazy.

Gudjohnsen (for Eto’o): 7. He was good today, making all the right moves to retain possession, which might come to be his strong suit. When we have to kill a match, he’s very good at occupying space and distributing passes.

Caceres (for Iniesta): Incomplete. He didn’t really have much time to make an effect, as the midfield took over the match-killing duties, keeping the ball away from the Racing attackers to fine effect.

It must also be noted (now that my mind is clear, unstuffed with veggie chili, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls) that Messi scored Barcelona’s 5,000th goal yesterday. That it came on such a staggering play that came at such a critical time, is fitting.

So, with the Copa match midweek and Gijon over the weekend, at least we know that there will be the Alves, Pique, Marquez back line, since they won’t be able to play against Gijon, why rest them for the Copa?

After that is anybody’s guess.

Some Related Barcelona Posts:

Category: Barcelona, La Liga, Review

« Preview: Racing – Barça; Sunday 11amEST, GolTV | Home | Copa Preview: Barça – Mallorca, Thursday 3:30pm EST, GolTV »

andrew M

did you guys read ramzis analysis of who we want to win which games in the CL over at peps? it is in our favour for EE to beat liverpool because then it makes the chances of us facing a leeser team, greater.

i dont think we can play a spanish team until the semi's so it would be good for tletic and villareal to win because then we will only a lesser team besides inter/manu
ballbeav

gerrard injured his hamstring in the FA Cup and liverpool crashed out against everton. hmmm, wonder if gerrard will be back in time to face the EE.
Isaiah

B teams are for ninnies! New posts are for awesome bloggers! Yay for me and my preview!
Kxevin

ballbeav, not to mention the look of open-mouthed astonishment on Yaya's face, as in "That little SOB is about to do it AGAIN!"

Pro footballers are whores. If the money is right, they will show up, play their hearts out and kiss the crest when they score goals. I just want us to look at the B team before splashing big money.
ballbeav

wow, sevilla, at home, scored in injury time to win the first leg 2-1. kinda a slop goal but it counts. i think escude got injured...?
BA

i also don't understand this issue with a player declaring they'd enjoy playing at Madrid automatically disqualifying them for transfer to Barca.

first of all, i'm not sure whether many players take notice of the animosity between the 2 clubs when making such declarations; Madrid are (like it or not) a big club in a big league and not all players have the forethought to be especially choosey in their language when it comes to potential future prospects. after all these are footballers, not philosophers or scholars; they don't necessarily know the differences between Barca and Madrid.

secondly, i dislike Madrid (maybe not as much as ANYONE, but certainly a great deal) for their style, their history and their general attitude. but that doesn't mean we shouldn't compete with them for good players. it isn't as though they haven't stolen plenty of our players over the years, who undoubtedly declared "i would love to play for Barca" before the move.

Benzama and Ribery are excellent players, we should compete for them if they fit the needs of the side, not back down because they have at some point expressed an interest in Real Madrid. i guess the simpler point is that most professional footballers (like other supremely talented people who dedicate their lives and energies to something) don't necessarily know what they want, that's why persuasion by clubs is so important.
OhYes

Hmm it seems as if Robben will miss the Racing game in the weekend. Can't wait to see how that game turns out. Robben has been saving Madrid the way Messi saved us this last weekend, except Robben has been doing that for the past 6 games now. Hopefully we can gain an even larger buffer between us and 2nd place because fighting on three fronts is not easy.
ballbeav

sevilla just equalized, 1-1 in the 61st minute
ballbeav

by the way i love the picture that kevin used for the beginning of this thread, the santander defender has this look on his face like, "what? you expect me to *chase* this guy? forget it dude."
Tomatutomate

BA I agree that Burned Faced Chucky Doll is a genius but I believe he prefers Madrid.
BA

Gourcuff has too many clubs lining up for him with bigger claims than us; Villa will be 28 by the time his transfer would go through so unless we can get him on the (relative) cheap....

if we sign anyone over the summer, i want Ribery. which is why i'm rooting extra hard for Hoffenheim to take the league this year, apart from the general awesomeness of that story. that ugly-ass Frenchman is a genius and being wasted at Bayern.
ballbeav

no, van bronkhorst went back to holland because he wanted to be home. van bommel i think went to bayern so he could be more guaranteed a place in the starting 11.
Jason

can we trade arsenal arshavin for hleb and guddy? i actually think that guddy would kill in arsenal. either as a 9 or a support striker. as a support striker, he anchors himself to the ground, receives service from hleb, cesc, nasri, etc, holds off defenders, and opens space for the pacey forwards; walcott, vela, vanPersie, adebayor. as a 9, he'll let the kids do all the work and be a inzaghi-esque poacher. wow, this post has made me realize that arsenal have an embarassingly talented midfield and strike force. depper than ours in the numbers (not in skill though). but appearantly, like in madrid, dutch-ankle syndrome is contageous. is that why we got rid of van brockhorst and van bommel, cuz i thought they were awesóme... it appears that i keep going off on tangents, so i think i'll end it there for now.
ballbeav

well, xavi probably needs a rest anyway...we'll have iniesta playing xavi's role and hleb (trying to) play iniesta's role. i suppose.
Isaiah

ballbeav, that's an interesting point, but I tend to trust Sport when it comes to their insider information about the team's health. They're usually spot on. EMD perhaps couldn't confirm that/don't have the same source, so they haven't published it. Instead, for them, it's "DAVID VILLA IS COMING TO BARCELONA DAVID VILLA DID YOU HEAR ME, DAVID VILLA READ THIS NEWSPAPER"
ballbeav

Xavi's illness is reported nowhere but Sport. Usually this type of thing is mentioned on the Barca website. I am eager to see whether he is included in the squad list. Seems you never know what to believe.
Colin

Why sell Henry and Abidal now that they've figured out how to play with the team? Unless they're cloning Danny A, no thanks on a new left back. Maybe if Ramos gets pissed that Real aren't winning trophies anytime soon, just to piss off the madristas.
Vivek

"In an election year (kinda like us, right?) candidates will promise a midfield trio of God, His Son and the Holy Ghost. “We’re talking to the Virgin Mary about the transfer fee, and working on final details. We hope to get the trio for about 50 million Euros. Vote for me.”"
Haha nice one,
Isaiah

Villa to Barça! Benzema to Madrid! Pele makes a glorious debut in Europe with a 5-bagger while carrying Maradona on his back!

Goal.com rules.
Hector

OMG Goal.com!!!!

Its just hilarious! Granted, it was EMD that made this one up. Of course they KNOW what Txiki, Villa, and the board are "thinking".
Kxevin

Hector. :D
andrew M

here is the source for that story from EMD

http://www.elmundodeportivo.es...
andrew M

reports saythat david villa has given the ok to negotiate with barca for the summer. he wants a step up in class and he is apparently often hanging out with puyol iniesta and messi.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/17...

ps. i know its frm the shitrag goal, but hey, i would welcome him
Hector

Yeah... and in other Beckham made up news. Sportmediaset according to news fabricators extraordinaires Goal.com, reports that Milan is contemplating financing a Beckham buy by selling Gourcuff...to us. Yeah right. He pretty much belongs to Bordeaux now and he's just what we need. Another creative midfielder. It not as if we have Xavi, Iniesta, and Busi with Thiago Alcantara waiting in the wings and Cesc Fabregas waiting to be rescued from the EPL. Swtich a 22 year old "new Zidane" for a 33 year old over the hill hype machine. Yeah, goal.com, ladies and gentlemen.

In other news fabrication stories. EMD claims David Villa and Barca have a "verbal agreement" for him to come next year. They pretty much made this up as they cite no concrete source. Oh yeah, Messi and Villa are best friends because they were in a Danet commercial together so they must be BFF's. Oh yeah, Puyol, Xavi, and Iniesta are also his buddies....just like Fernando Torres, Iker Casillas, Serio Ramos, and the entire National Team...no shit.
Kxevin

Lordy! Thank heavens it's Mallorca!

--Oh. AS says that even though Guardiola likes Henry, the board thinks he STILL sucks, and will sell him in the summer. AS also says that going to Camp Nou will give you trench mouth, and Messi has cooties. :D

--In the ex-Barca camp, Ronaldinho is buried on the Milan bench. Wow. Remember the fanfare that greeted his arrival? Again more rumors, but he's apparently jetting between Milan and Barcelona, says Sport, to "escape." All together now: We TOLD you so!

--Over at the EE, as with us, Ramos has the lads on a gustatory regime, intended to make them leaner and meaner. Word. We're still getting in that ass come May.

--Oh. And Beckham (surprise!) is trying to figure out a way to stay in Milan, rather than returning to the sylvan groves of Los Angeles and the MLS. My guess is that the lawyers will say "Wave a bunch of zeroes in front of 'em! Americans LOVE money!" And it will probably work.
Isaiah

Front page of Sport this morning.
ballbeav

Ouch, Isaiah, where did you hear that about Xavi? That's horrible.
Isaiah

And now no Xavi for the Mallorca match because of stomach flu? Yikes.
RUV

Give Eto'o some happy pills too.
braapaap

start messi and eto'o at the same time, we wont be worrying about eto'o then.
ballbeav

i dunno, i just figure pep has etoo there for a reason, and henry on the left for a reason. etoo does better in tight space than henry. henry as a center forward is/was more suited to the long-ball EPL.
Jason

ehh... if eto'o continues his "play", i sayby all means, introduce his glutes to those comfortable seats that bojan calls home, and lets let henry do what we pay him for. BUT... as a part time member of the HFC, i would urge everyone to give him time, and expext some bojan like finishing, including slotting just wide, shots straight at the keeper, etc. but i think after some games we will see him come alive, he's proven he cans still smack a ball with some power and accuracy (see atletico match)
BA

well what the hell are Huntelarr and van Nistelrooy going to do? van Nistelrooy has been, aside from Iker, their best player over the past couple seasons; and they just spent 15m for Huntelaar. Higuain has been in very respectable form and Raul will still be trying to beat offside traps in a wheelchair. even if Saviola goes, with Benzema that's still 5 forwards who will expect first-team play for 2 positions.

i know Perez could try for him, i'm just not seeing the sense in the move. maybe i'm not supposed to?
Kxevin

Isaiah and Hector are right. In an election year (kinda like us, right?) candidates will promise a midfield trio of God, His Son and the Holy Ghost. "We're talking to the Virgin Mary about the transfer fee, and working on final details. We hope to get the trio for about 50 million Euros. Vote for me."

Figure they're going to throw Saviola to the dogs. Benzema makes a lot of folks expendable, or you bring him along slowly, rather than starting him right away, despite the inSANE price tag that's going to come with him.
Isaiah

No way Madrid switches tactics midstream and suddenly, after about 15 years of buying everything in sight, decides to be prudent. In an election year? Yeah...
Hector

Hehehe. Don't count on it my friend....

Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.*

* (what movie or book was that from)
BA

the idea that Madrid are going to go after Benzema in the summer seems ridiculous. are they going to ditch van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar, Saviola and Higuain; because you know Raul isn't leaving. they usually play a 4-4-2, so unless they are going to change their entire system around a new player and create all kinds of problems in the dressing room (Raul especially doesn't like challenges to his authority, as Dr. Lowe pointed out in his column this week), all to the tune of 50-odd million euros, they have no reason to push for him? beyond greed, of course, and we know they're greedy but surely they aren't also that stupid.

i don't think so.
ballbeav

hahahahahahahaha!
or, as they say en espana:
jajajajajajajaja!
Isaiah

My thoughts on the "9" at Barcelona: we sure are struggling in the goals scored department without one. It's really horrible.
/snark
Kxevin

I think that Gijon are going to be tight, particularly on the road. If they were at home, I think they'd be playing like madmen.
Kxevin

I thought that Assulin had gotten his paperwork all squared away, and could now bounce back and forth? I wouldn't mind seeing him later in the Liga season, when we're all put to bed.

Regarding l'affaire Eto'o, he moves differently these days. He was razor-sharp early in the season, even without Messi. He seemed to know where the ball was going. He just doesn't seem that into it to me these days. And he just looks pissed out there.

You're right about that necessity for a good to great 9, Hector. I think we have one in that French dude. I think an extended run in that slot for him would be very fruitful, mostly because close control is critical for a Barcelona 9. Think about Kluivert and his control. The ability to be able to control, turn and shoot is vital, but also to be able to open space with pace, take the long ball and do the business.

And this isn't an Henry vs Eto'o treatise, mind you. I just think that we have a real, very good option at the 9 slot that is worth a look. He's been erratic there for sure, but with time and being able to work into the role, I think he'd be awesome.

Ciaran is right about the massive offloading this summer. Although I will say that I don't mind it if a club's core remains intact, which will happen in our case. In looking at the starting XI, you could only see Marquez, Henry and Abidal being in danger of being sold.

I don't think we're moving Henry unless he wants and requests to leave. Abidal, however, might well want to keep his bags packed as the season's end approaches, which would be unfortunate. Marquez, I think, depends on the development of Caceres, and how Henrique shows when he returns.

Hleb, I think, might also be in danger of a short stay.
andrew M

gijons coach is banned for two matches because he went into manolo jiminez's techinical area to argue this weekend against sevilla and now some other guy is in charge for the game although he is not allowed in the technical area because that is apparently reserved for coaches. how will gijon fair is barca switch up their tactics and gijon need to do mid-game adjustments or something like that? how will this affect their game? do you guys think they will come out to play considering that they will be facing a "weak" barca team and will fancy their chances?
IceMel

oops...Stadium Pub
IceMel

Isaiah,
Yeah, do a "favorites" page...not that I need some other blogs to gewt addicted to!

And while you're at it, stickyize the "when I fell in love" post. I keep meaning to finish reading and posting there.

Oh and another thing, the Where to Watch Post is closed for comments and I wanted to say that Stadium Pub,/a>, in Walnut Creek, CA was a fine place to catch the game last weekend. They gave me 2 giant screens (of their 30 or so) plenty of audio volume, good food, and painstakinly researched the nether regions of their cable offerings to confirm on phone that GolTV was indeed in the house (Ch 620 BTW.) It's a little out of the way for Bay Area, but all the San Fran/Oakland pubs I found are EPL dominated ("Mallorca...are you joking")
Hector

Apparently Alves' appeal has been rejected as per EMD. Now, Barca's is going to appeal the appeal (the initial appeal is technically a "recurso" or motion which is followed by an "apelacion" or appeal).

I do believe Gai has been out a couple of weeks and is due to be out another couple with a bad injury. I REALLY hope to see him get some first team action next year. The kid is a huge talent in a position soon to be in vital need of some depth (Left Wing/Forward) when Henry leaves. Dude is of the Iniesta on the wing mold except without the adverse relationship with the goal posts (i.e. he actually scores every now and then). I think at some point he was the youngest player on the B team too. I think we should definitely give him a chance to start breaking in to the first team next year......YEAH I like him.

A good-great 9 is VITAL to this squad. I do think Eto's rep sometimes results in just about all he does getting overblown. I don't think having a bad games and scoring no goals in ONE La Liga match is a slump by anyone's standards (except ours apparently). It happens eventually to everyone. Nor do some less than excellent games necessarily signify sulking. Lets give the guy the benefit of the doubt before judging, huh?

Also, if we let Eto go we'd be essentially in a do or die race against (most probably)Florentino Perez for Benzema. I don't feel too comfortable in that situation for some reason. For as amazing as out cantera has been pumping our midfielders and wingers, for some reson I don't recall a great center-striker coming from there unless you count Bojan who I still think is more of the supporting striker mold. The Argentina Mauro Icardi kid is supposed to have a world of potential but he's only 15.
Ciaran

Am I correct in thinking that the legality of Gai Assulin not being allowed to play for the first team while he is still a non-EU naional has no bearing on the Copa?
If so why not have someone like Gai on the bench instead of making Messi gear up as backup. If anyone here has worked in a job where they are 'on call' it certainly isn't the same as being 'off'.

I think that when Messi is off the pitch Eto'o does not look at all dangerous. Now I know that others' form dips when Messi isn't there but Eto'o is much more reliant on others than Henry is. Eto'o's ball control is normally fairly poor and he doesn't have the creativity of Henry.

This is not me making a judgement on Eto'o:
If Eto'o wants out in the summer let him go. As seen with numerous players in numerous clubs, disgruntled players are rotten apples and need to be cleared out.
If he is willing to stay, and if Pep wants him, then he'll sign a new deal and have done with it.

For the record, I never like when clubs have a massive clearout or sign a load of players in the summer. In that regard, I do believe that we will move Pinto, Jorquera, Sylvinho, Gudjohnsen, Henry and possibly one of our many centrebacks on. That is more than enough movement for one summer with adding Eto'o and Hleb and whoever else the media wants to add.
ballbeav

@RUV, samu did not say "no trophies, i bounce." his actual words were misconstrued in the press and in various blogs, he did not say that at all. all he said was that a club like barca should not go trophy-less for 2 years straight. i dont have the time or energy to find the interview, i know samu has some issues but i just dont think it is as bad as everyone says. just ask laporta.
BA

just a quick note, Kxevin: Messi is actually our leading scorer in all competitions (25 to Eto'o's 22).
Isaiah

Oh and RUV, you'll have to wait to see the method to my madness, as I said.
Isaiah

I think the Eto'o stuff is over-hyped baloney. Until he says something to the press, it doesn't even exist. If Guardiola plays him, things must be fine.
RUV

Isaiah-- did you want us to score any goals v. Mallorca with that lineup?! :D I have a feeling you, like Kevin, will be arguing for rest for the regulars (and if so, I'd have no argument). I would not bat an eyelash if we don't win the Copa. The other two are the top priority in my eyes.

Re: Samu, isn't this the same crap he pulled last year with the "no trophies, I bounce" malarkey he was spewing? If so, it's sad to see a guy so talented be so fragile/unstable mentally. I hope this doesn't poison what sounds thusfar to be a harmonious locker room.
Isaiah

Isaiah's starting lineup wish list for Mallorca:

Pinto, Alves, Pique, Caceres, Sylvinho, Busi, Keita, Hleb, Iniesta, Bojan, Pedro.

There's a method to my madness, but you'll have to think about that and wait for the preview before I give those reasons.
Kxevin

First, let me say that I am NOT writing under BA's screen name. :D

Now. BA, I've been having the same thoughts about Eto'o. He's been off his last few outings, and looking sulkier and sulkier. The practice outburst, though supposedly quelled by Guardiola, is never thus, not completely. And I think we're seeing shockwaves.

If the rumor was true, that he was vexed about not being as fan beloved as Messi even though he was the team's leading scorer, he needs to get over himself.

I know that everyone says that Eto'o's attitude is part of the package, that with the prodigious goal output comes having to put up with that crap. I'd take a few fewer goals to not have to worry about Vesuvius, which might be why he was deemed "surplus to needs" over the summer.

Question now is, is this just a slump, or is he really damaged? And if so, what does Guardiola do about it? Personally, I would put Henry in the center and Krkic on the wing. Let Eto'o watch from the bench and see if that gets his mind right. Caceres said in an interview (thanks, Pep) that Guardiola makes everyone feel like equals. So treat him like any other player in a slump and have him sit for a match or two.

Because right now, he isn't into the matches. And when he isn't into the matches, he isn't moving the same, or with the same alacrity. And his scoring chances come from movement and capitalizing on opportunities.

Nor do I trust his "contract renewals would distract me from the task at hand." I think that's bollocks. I don't think that he has any intention of renewing with the club, that he hoped to go pichichi by some crazy number, then get a contract with a lot of zeroes from a new side over the summer.

I think that what Guillem Balague is seeing is fatigue. I also think that he's right. They were even pretty subdued against Racing the weekend past. Competing for three trophies, the way that Guardiola has them playing, will wear a side down. As I said, had Hleb and Keita worked out to the full, and Krkic been what he was last season (yes, he scoring at the same rate, but he isn't the same player), the rotation would be a lot easier. Yaya gets rest, Iniesta and Xavi get rest. I think the hope was for more from Caceres, as well, to get that back line rotation another man deeper, because I just don't think that we're going to see Milito in match play this season. I just have a hunch about that.

So I don't think that we've peaked too early. I think that we're tired. The problem is that there aren't any breaks coming up, unless Guardiola wants to take a risk with a C+ lineup and hope for a draw at some match down the road. Or you put the boot in Mallorca first leg, then field the PedroSanchezHlebGuddyEtc monster for the decider, with the big boys in reserve just in case.

But the lads need rest. Look at the effect that just a little rest had on Messi.
MoSSi

This is a comment of Guillem Balague on his website :

Many of our readers have questioned whether or not this Barcelona side has peaked too soon and Sunday’s performance certainly suggests that their style of high tempo play and the demands of heaping constant and sustained pressure on their opponents may be taking its toll. Barcelona’s constant demand for attacking football – by coach and fans alike - is also a factor and, as we have seen, they do not relent even after going two or three goals in front in a match. Will we see a different approach after Sunday? With an eye on the Champions League, could we witness a slightly more pragmatic Barcelona in certain fixtures?

I think he has a point, maybe we did peak to early?
Isaiah

Very true, ballbeav. Sorry, sobreofutebolcarioca, despite how wonderful your site may be, no links here simply because of site design (I would actually love to have "favorites" on the side because then I could link things like Sid Lowe, Phil Ball (come back soon, Phil!), and the blogs that I read on a regular basis).

Maybe I should start a page, much like the Where to Watch Page called the What to Read Page and I can take suggestions from all you wunnaful a-wunnaful people that frequent this here blogosphere type deal.

I would say a preliminary list would be the above-mentioned two, Pep's Transfer Page, 101 Great Goals, and La Liga Loca. There are also the newspapers (Sport, EMD, Marca), but they would have to go under a disclaimer that they're trashrubbishtrashtrash. Goal.com is not allowed on the list. That's the only "banned" site, though you could add AS to that one if you wanted. I hate AS for some reason.
ballbeav

looks like someone is having fun with the translating software....
http://www.sobreofutebolcarioc

Very good its blog. Similar to make partnership to change of links I add its blog in mine and vc add mine blog in its. similar to make partnership?
Isaiah

Roughly €20million for Arshavin. He will not like the EPL, though he'll do all right with Arsenal. He'll look for greener pastures (aka trophies) pretty soon, I would think.

Robbie Keane is overrated by a mile and a half. He's good, don't get me wrong, but he's not worth the same money as Thierry Henry. Especially not twice over the course of a 6-month period.

Quaresma will not like the EPL, either. But he's quality in a bottle, so who knows.
eklavya

Things are happening pretty fast out there:
-Arshavin deal is done.He's gonna to at arsenal till 2012 (of course if no one buys him)
-Robbie Keane is back to tottenham, with only 7 goals at liverpool...
-Quaresma is also out of inter and has joined chelsea on loan!
Jason

Genis, i was going to suggest Busi as a defender vs Sporting, but i believe he is on his fifth yellow as well...
icemel

aahh! Another 2-1 comeback jewel. I can only understand Mr Miricle's second goal in basketball terms: a 5'5" gaurd crashing the boards from the top of the key fro the offensive rebound, floating under the backboard, and getting hacked as he dunks it on the otherside of the rim. Savor it...cause you will probably not see it again.

Racing deserves their props...but that fan with the cheap drum and the overmodulated megaphone humming endless choruses of Yankee Doodle Dandy has got to go!
Genis

I wouldn't be surprised to see Busi as center back vs Sporting...
andrew M

another great sid low article, this time about raul.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/spor...
BA

Kxevin,

is it wrong that i was lying on my couch today (being sick) worrying about Samuel Eto'o's mental status? surely that's a sign of something.

anyway it seems as though he's getting increasingly selfish and moody; witness the 2-3 scoring chances against Numancia he tried to take himself instead of passing to someone in a better position. Pep obviously told him to hit the showers early for a reason last week, and now this week he vanishes during a game against a team he should be thriving against. there seems to be a good team dynamic at the moment, and Samuel's petulance might upset that to the detriment of all of us. he is still our central striker and the highest scoring player in the league and we just passed up the only feasible chance to replace him. i'm fairly confident he'll make it to the summer so long as he's coddled a bit, but his attitude is the single biggest reason why we should seriously consider not renewing his contract after the season.
andrew M

oh here is the link:

http://www.goal.com/en/news/70...
andrew M

aguirre steps down from atletico! jeez it seems like la liga is changing coaches like i change my underwear
Kxevin

Aha! Makes sense, Jason. They shouldn't be so damned good when they're good, gosh darn it. Eto'o is starting to worry me.

How about "contextual crap?" :D
Jason

Kxevin, i by no means meant to imply that Busi, pique or marquez deserved more points than they got, because i believe their ratings were vary fair. What i meant by "lay off of them", was that we should stop saying that they played like crap with stinging criticism, when there are perfectly logical reasons for their faults.

Busi and Pique have to be absolutely Exhausted. And Marquez i think, wasnt supposed to play yet, he clearly wasnt 100%. He doesnt catch that forward in a footrace when healthy, but he doesnt give up his footing or positioning when he is fit, and in match playing rythim.

Again, not saying they didnt play bad, cuz they did, but lets acknowledge that they played 100% with their heart, even though their Bodies werent up to it. We all are Barcelona supporters, after all.
Kxevin

Looks like Arshavin is going to happen. T'will be announced tomorrow, for 15 million. Too bad Zenit didn't come to their senses when we were chasing him. I'd have taken him over Hleb, and I like Hleb.
ballbeav

when did they take suspensions in the copa? i dont remember that.

personally i am glad we have these players available against Mallorca. semifinals, after all. we need a convincing win at home in the first leg so we can travel for the second leg sitting pretty. we have a 12 point lead in the liga and we can still probably handle gijon, we already beat em 6-0. sure, mallorca is last in the table, but as we know, any team in la liga can beat any other team, on any given day. we really need a good result in the first leg.
Kxevin

Arggggh! Thanks for that, Ramzi. I think we were all hoping they would be take the suspension in the Copa. I wonder what rule governs that option? As we all know, players have previously taken Liga suspensions in the Copa. Oh, well. Caceres, Sanchez, Abidal, Sylvinho here we come. :D
Ramzi

Updated:
http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web...

Its clear for Barcelona official site, the left column, the suspensions are in the liga.
Ramzi

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web...

Based on this post on barcelona official website, if Alves appeal Declined then he will be suspended in the following Liga game.

We can conclude that the players will be available for the cup and suspended in the liga.
Now come? I don't know, completely confused.
Kxevin

Ask and ye shall receive, Alex(inho).

Hleb was atrocious. He justly earned his 1. Eto'o, though mostly invisible, made some movements in the box that, once Messi was on the pitch, created space. Suddenly, when you have someone squirreling around with the ball, everyone becomes an option, including Eto'o. He worked that to his advantage.

Busquets, while passing for crap, was drawing fouls and intercepting passes, particularly in the first half. It was another one of those either/or performances, as in "either he made a fine defensive play, or he screwed up the pass and held the ball too long." Yes, there was a lot of the latter, but enough of the former to get him his rating.

And for the record, I'm probably Hleb's biggest defender in this space. I think he has immense talent, and potential value as a direct Xavi replacement. He was really working his way into the squad before his injury, but he hasn't been the same except for a couple of instances, since his return.

Jason, you're right about Busquets and his work rate in previous matches. But he was on the pitch, and playing, and has to be rated for that level of play. I think that everybody on the side is tired right now. A fresh Marquez doesn't draw that penalty, for sure. Same with Pique and the yellows. As I'm fond of saying, we give them bouquets when they deserve it, and brickbats when they don't....and all points in between.
Alexinho

It sounds as if Barca has a choice whether they want to serve the suspensions in the cup or the next league match. I must be reading incorrectly, but if this is right, then I think the next league match could be "sacrificed" rather than risking going away from home in the cup with a few goals down due to weak defense.

Lay off Hleb, people, okay? He is class in a glass, regardless of his stats. His dribbling is freakish and his brain for the game is matched by very few. Once he fits into the team, he'll be a regular starter with contributions in passing (if not assists) that will be indispensable. Who knows, maybe he'll learn to score goals.
Ciaran

I knew everything would go wrong for Giovani when Pini Zahavi got his greedy paws on him. His career has gone a little... well downhill shall we say.

We have officially launched an appeal against Dani's yellow for diving, I assume to at least delay the suspension another week. He isn't exactly irreplaceable but he certainly is a loss. We have virtually no cover in the fullback area. We need a backup right back and left back in the summer.

In the ex-Barca column, former winger Ricardo Quaresma joined Chelsea on loan today from Inter until the end of the season. Funny to think that he and Ronaldinho debuted for us in the same match, v Milan, a few years ago. Interestingly enough he had a very good game that match, and caused a few problems including, if memory serves me correctly, setting up a goal.
He had so much potential. I still love watching him play when he's on. Too bad he isn't 'on' all that often.
Bill

hmmm IE tells me I didn’t successfully post either time and then they both appear. superfluous.
jordi

pique is 22 today ! :-D
Isaiah

BA, no kidding about Zenit being nuts. Gazprom has no financial troubles, as far as I can tell and selling Arshavin, who isn't playing for them and certainly not playing really well for them for a few euros less doesn't seem like a problem to me...but what do I know? I don't even know what a million euros feels like in my pockets.
Bill

The suspensions can certainly be served during copa matches. Aside from negredo, remember ramos getting a red in the match against malaga in november? (the day higuain and eto'o had 4 apiece)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/m...

well he served the ban midweek in the copa against real union and then played the following weekend and lost to valladolid...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/m...
Bill

The red card suspensions can certainly be served in the copa match midweek. Not only did negredo serve his red and play against EE, EE's sergio ramos received a red card in november against malaga (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/m..., served it midweek against Real Unión, and then played the following week in their glorious defeat by valladolid (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/m....
BA

in fresh transfer news, it seems as though Chelsea have signed one of my favorite players, Quaresma, on loan. Chelsea are desperately in need of width and he was getting very few minutes at Inter, so it sounds like a good move. though i guess Scolari has decided the best way to win the Premiership is to play with the Portuguese national team, which is a pretty big leap given their performance in the Euros. Chelsea, based in London, now have 5 Portuguese internationals in their squad: Deco, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Ferreira, and Quaresma. not counting their backup goalkeeper Hilario, who is also Portuguese.

and Liverpool are probably going to sell Robbie Keane back to Spurs for £16m, after having paid £20m for him on the last day of the summer window and virtually never used him. so for those who aren't math majors, that's £4m thrown out the window; but i'm sure struggling Tottenham appreciate it.
BA

Isaiah,

that club (Zenit) is crazy. they're funded by Gazprom and quibble over a couple of million euros in transfer fees? insanity. oh well, now there's a chance we can pick him up in the summer to replace Hleb.

but more importantly: can anyone confirm whether or not players have to serve their suspensions garnered from League play in the Copa? someone should look up that bylaw.
andrew M

from what i have been reading, it seems that a LFP awarded red or yellow card is valid for LFP matches. it is VERY difficult to find information relating to this rule as the copa rules only stipulates what happens with cards within the copa competition and not how it relates to la liga and vice versa.

i would think that because the league game with the red cards was a LFP event, that the suspensions can be "used" in the copa.

i think that would be wise bearing in mind that the copa match is 2 legs.

plus, negredo DID definitely serve his suspension in the copa as his red card was not rescinded and he played against EE the week after he received his red.
Isaiah

Puyol speaks English in the welcome!

Enjoy. No exclamation point because Puyol is too badass for exclamation points.
Jason

oh, and kxevin, 2.5 of eto's 3 points were based on his assitance to the security? as far as his play on the field, well, there wasnt any... and like i said everyone, lay off poor busi, he played almost 180 minutes in the 7 days before the game, and was working his tail off during those games, any coach knows that physical fatigue often manifests itself through mental dullness, including delayed or bad decission making. everyone cant be messi...
ballbeav

yeah we could use gio's pace on the wing, at least as a second stringer. still, i am giving hleb a chance. i have a feeling he will feature against mallorca, from the start. but if he plays like he did last time, i dont think pep will continue to use him, except in the most meaningless circumstances.
Jason

gio dos santos > hleb. attitude problem and all. and if anyone thinks his play was mediocre, remember that his ankle was very injured, and he was on pain killing injections... oh, and is like 9 years younger than hleb, so there was time to give him a good slap in the noggin to fix his attitude, and plenty of time to turn him from great potential to great player. if anything, i blame a greedy agent for manipulated a naive youngster.
ballbeav

carles puyol now has his own official website.

www.carles5puyol.com
Isaiah

Kyle: you can always click on the "where to watch" link in the categories on the right hand side. That'll take you there.

But here is the direct link: http://barcelona.theoffside.co...

I've been meaning to add some Chicago stuff, which I think I'll do right now. Being bored at work lets you do some maintenance stuff.
Isaiah

Nothing, I just pulled your comment about Jimmy Jump out of the spam filter. What it said, for those of you who don't want to scroll up is, basically, the fan who ran onto the field and was subsequently chased by Eto'o (here, thanks Hector for the link) is a famous streaker/guy who runs onto the field at sporting events.

Jimmy Jump can be read about here. Thanks for pointing that out, Nothing.
Kyle

Isaiah: Could you provide me the link to the places to watch Barca games across the country?
ballbeav

you deserve it I-man. do it.
Isaiah

Yeah, my bad on saying it was on Wednesday. Def on Thursday, which means I have a shot at watching it, though we'll have to see. 3:30pm, eh? I'm working from home that day, but since it's a new abode, I might just cut out of work and go off to watch it at a bar.
ballbeav

yup its on thursday, not wednesday, against mallorca
ballbeav

red card mean you just mean the next game. the only way you can miss more than one is if it is some excessively violent action, like punching someone or a horror tackle, that the league reviews afterwards and hands down a sentence.
Nothing

Isnt the barca-mallorca match on thursday?
Alexinho

One last thing, I mean it...I wonder if Gio dos Santos is regretting his move to Spurs yet. Apparently he wanted to go to Portsmouth this window, but it fell through. Too bad, now he has to fight relegation off the bench (don't forget, he left so he could get some starting time) with the team he's with instead of a team that's arguably worse. I miss him, I do, he could be doing some damage here.
Isaiah

Mallorca coming up on Wednesday, so probably no post until tomorrow. That's enough time for you guys to discuss this match -- I didn't see it, so I'm not getting involved.

If we're not capable of serving suspensions in the Copa, the 54% likelihood of beating Sporting Gijon that this site gives Barça should plummet. Or perhaps not since the draw likelihood should be at 0% since Gijon doesn't draw. Ever. 9W-0D-12L. That's crazy.

I won't get to see the Mallorca match because I'll be at work and don't have my DVR yet (damn you, Time Warner!). I'll listen to it on the radio and hopefully we can put Pique and Marquez out there to keep the hatches battened down nice and tight. Then it's all hands on deck for Gijon.

My proposed Gijon back 4, from right to left:
VicSan, Caceres, Abidal, Sylvinho.

Throw in some Yaya in the middle and tell him that Gijon was talkin' 'bout his mama, poke him with a stick until he is enraged, and then unleash him on the poor, poor souls of Gijon.

At least the match is in the Camp Nou. That should make things easier for us, but we're going to need our offense to absolutely dominate. That means Messi and Xavi must be rested against Mallorca, at least for the first 70 minutes.

Also, if this is us turning in terrible performances, hot damn several someones are going to be on the painful end of a 5-0 thrashings when we get back to form. Depor doesn't think we're having a bad set of games, though.
Alexinho

Good for that. I only said that because if I remember correctly his last appearance was at LB. But if the appeal is going through the machine and the yellow card was for the "dive," I'm confident it will be rescinded. Let's hope they don't bring up that leg-breaking tackle that he didn't get a card for. Oh yeah, he got the ball, but damn...