Search results

There's no doubt Xavi is not the player he once was, but so what? I enjoy watching him play. I enjoyed Maradona's play till he retired - the way he caressed that ball, held off defenders, created a pass out of nothing. For some of us, art is much more important than efficiency and winning. So I...

Keep up the shooting practice.

He was the best I've seen him in a year or two. Much more mobile and strong on the ball, handled pressure like his old self. Hope he can keep this up.

Pep's just a human being, not perfect, and he has his own thoughts and idiosyncrasies. I, personally, value Barca only for its football art and its "more than a club" vision. So I wouldn't have left Barca, and if I did, it would be for a small club somewhere where I could practice my art, not...

It was a cautious approach with possession along with getting back defensively, with the attitude that a draw is good enough. It's these last two features, willingness to defend deeper at times and settle for a draw, that differentiate this performance from what we've seen in the last couple of...

+1 And look at how much stronger and quicker Xavi and Iniesta, especially Xavi, are on the dribble, compared with today.

He's a caño master, too. Must have had three or four against Rayo.

Of the half a dozen or so key improvements Tata had to make this season, finishing was near the top of the list, and the major lesson of the Rayo match for me was how improved finishing is so important for Barca. Barca took their chances at a much higher rate than usual, and that killed the...

Amazing how just a year ago people were demanding he be sold or even given away! Adriano's always been a very good player whose only major problem is injuries. The injuries were so often that it seemed it was a physio management problem, and I think his relatively good health this year has...

None of us is perfect - all of us have our own weaknesses and demons. Some shout racist slogans, other insult players' families, even to the extent of mocking serious illnesses, others make clear their wishes that players legs get broken. Which is worse? It's all bad to me - there's no...

I'd like to see Xavi and Iniesta play till they're over 35. I enjoy watching them play, even as they slow down. I would watch Depor matches last year just to get a glimpse of Valeron, at age 37, doing a little shimmy and threading a wonderful pass through the defence! It would be the same with...

Two Tata failures displayed today: 1. Improving finishing, including long range shooting, was a top priority for him. It hasn't gotten better. Given all their weaknesses, most of all age, Barca simply cannot continue being toothless in the final third. Counter-attacking teams thrive against...

I'm just an amateur, but I've played enough and been treated by physios, etc., enough to know that, as many have said, overuse is the main factor here. As opposed to pro sports in North America, the professional football industry does not give players, especially elite players, enough time to...

Should have prevented the first two chances. Allowed the Betis player to cut in too easily and shoot point blank at Valdes. He's got decent enough pace, but his change of direction needs work. Second chance - the free header. No excuse there. Other than that, he played well and should be playing...

Another good game for Tata. Now, more rotation, please, and let's start doing something with our set pieces instead of using them for rest. You tried a couple earlier in the season, but since then it's been back to hopeful crosses. Barca's supposed to be good on the ball. Use that to design...

Nice pass. Arsenal days. If Busquets gets off international duty, then that's two full weeks rest. Perfect.

Valdes Cesc Pedro

Even though there has already been an improvement on this from last year, it's still a difficult problem to solve for Barca for many reasons - a team with consistently high possession numbers and therefore little practice defending will always have difficulty acquiring the defensive mentality...

Dogma would mean I wouldn't want any players from outside La Masia. Obviously that's not the case. There's a balance, and what that balance is is different for everyone. For me, the current mix is right and there should be no more signings. I'm fully aware that winning provides a buffer and...

I've always said they should take these nearly 30 year olds, give them a long rest, then put them on an age appropriate training regimen designed to rehab and rejuvenate them. They should look to North American pro sports to see how athletes around 30 get a 'second wind' of at least a couple of...