Francesc "Tito" Vilanova

[mixer]

Vilanova: "When you're Barça coach, you know you'll be criticized. I understand people are disappointed. Criticism will help us to improve."
Vilanova: "Centre back? Don't want to talk about transfers, not good for squad and maybe there aren't that many good centre backs for Barça"
Vilanova: "When we beat Bayern 4-0 or Shakhtar 5-1, we didn't go into the second game feeling relaxed either."
Vilanova: "We're not in our worst moment physically, but not in our best either. Bayern on the other hand seemed to be on top form."
Vilanova: "Playing 3-4-3 on Wednesday? Playing one-on-one against Ribery and Robben is very difficult."
Vilanova: "On Wednesday we won't go out with the idea of scoring four goals, but thinking about playing a good game and trying to win."
Vilanova: "What we should change in the first place is not the players, but for example conceding less corners."
Vilanova: "Messidependent? It's nothing new and it's normal since he's the best in the world. Hope to be dependent for many years."
Vilanova: "Bayern were the better team, we deserved to lose, but not with 4-0. And less if you see how some of the goals were scored."
Vilanova: "I'm grateful to Jordi (Roura) for everything he has done. It wasn't an easy situation for him, but he did great."
Vilanova: "I don't think there will be many changes in the squad. 6 signings? Who'd you sign, it's not easy to improve this team."
Vilanova: "I don't care where or when we would win the league, I just want to win it, against the best Madrid in history."
Vilanova: "For me, it wouldn't be a problem if Victor wants to continue another season. I didn't talk to him, but his decision was clear."
Vilanova: "Renewal Abidal? It is a very special situation. We cannot yet know how he will recover if there are games every three days."
Vilanova: "Pep and I are close friends since we're kids. Of course things cool down a bit when there's a distance."
Vilanova: "The best way to keep on winning is that the defeats still hurt the players."
Vilanova: "The result against Bayern doesn't change my evaluation of the squad or my plans for the future of the team."
Vilanova: "It wasn't an easy situation for the club when I had my relapse. I would have accepted any decision they'd have made."
Vilanova: "We're Barça, we play at home. I won't say we'll turn the CL tie around, but we have to show we can win, and then we'll see."
Vilanova: "I don't think this is the end of an era. Let's see if we are able to get to 7 CL semis in a row next season, that would be huge."
Vilanova: "It's very difficult to stay on top, to keep on winning. If we win the Liga, it would be the 4th in 5 seasons."
Vilanova: "I never though about quitting. After two days at home, I'm bored. Being a coach is not a an effort."
Vilanova: "I feel better every day. I feel strong enough and I'm very motivated to continue next season, if my health allows it."
Vilanova: "I feel very good after the treatment. I didn't give press conference earlier because there were still some side effects, voice.."

 

[lovebarca]

thanks mixer.
wow nobody ask about late substitution....or other plan for game.
may be mgmt told them not to ask.

 

[jamrock]

Conceding less corners is about tactics, can't remember conceding anywhere near as many under pep are rijkaard

 

[footyfan]

Bayern defended excellently and would have kept the scoreline difficult, no matter the tactics. However, people like you are missing *why* Barça couldn't penetrate. The clear tactical mistake was starting an unfit Messi. Messi played deeper than even usual, nearly always level with the Barça midfielders, which actually drew Bayern pressure into the midfield. A fit Messi between the lines keeps the opposing midfielders pinned back so the Barça midfielders can advance and keep the ball in the opponent's half. Barça did their best to get the keep the ball and get it forward, but there was really nowhere to go (unless you are suggesting Barça boot long balls downfield and hope to win the ball against a significantly taller and more physical team).

I disagree. I downloaded the match and rewatched it. There were long stretches were Messi stuck around betwen Bayern's defense line and midfield. Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets were just not good enough to pass/get through the first line of Bayern pressure that included Muller, Schweinsteiger, Martinez (and Ribery and Robben on the wings)

 

[mitkoa7x]

 

[Maria]

thanks mixer.
wow nobody ask about late substitution....or other plan for game.
may be mgmt told them not to ask.

Tito about making only a substitution and in the 82nd minute: "we talked during the 2nd half about the changes that can be made.. I believe in my squad. I don't remember a year where the minutes were shared between so many players. I don't think that I have to talk again about the trust that I have in Cesc, for example. If we wouldn't have lost with a 4-0 I am sure that there wouldn't have been so many questions about this."

An answer that would make Mourinho proud..though that's not necesarily a bad thing as I saw that Mou is loved again around here.

Vilanova: "Bayern were the better team, we deserved to lose, but not with 4-0. And less if you see how some of the goals were scored."

And more if you see the number of chances that were created by Barca..and that's another thing that Mou would have said..or Wenger.

Vilanova: "I don't think there will be many changes in the squad. 6 signings? Who'd you sign, it's not easy to improve this team."

If it's not easy to improve Barca, imagine how hard it is to improve Bayern. And yet they are trying to do it.

Vilanova: "Renewal Abidal? It is a very special situation. We cannot yet know how he will recover if there are games every three days."

We know how Adriano or Puyol recover if there games every 3 days though..but one of them has Rosell as his kid's godfather and the other is a catalan, so it's less important how they recover.

 

[Maria]

I disagree. I downloaded the match and rewatched it. There were long stretches were Messi stuck around betwen Bayern's defense line and midfield. Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets were just not good enough to pass/get through the first line of Bayern pressure that included Muller, Schweinsteiger, Martinez (and Ribery and Robben on the wings)

I agree..and if there was someone who was unfit on the pitch, that person was Busquets..but I guess we paid 19 M for Song because we didn't had a DM for the games against Getafe and Mallorca.

 

[oz187]

"we talked during the 2nd half about the changes that can be made.. I believe in my squad. I don't remember a year where the minutes were shared between so many players."

This is true.

 

[Ursegor]

Vilanova: "Centre back? Don't want to talk about transfers, not good for squad and maybe there aren't that many good centre backs for Barça"

Vilanova: "I don't think there will be many changes in the squad. 6 signings? Who'd you sign, it's not easy to improve this team."

 

[beautifulgame]

You guys are really silly. What would you have him say at this moment? One thing you cannot knock Tito for us doing what he thinks is best for the squad. Maria, you have become increasingly cynical in how you interpret any action.
By comparing Tito's words to that of Mourinho is evidence you are clearly exaggerating to serve your point.

Sure, he knows players need to be brought in and dismissed but saying so at this moment doesn't help anyone at Barca, sorry.

In terms if tactics, little could be done in that match, that much was apparent. You guys talking about not playing Messi? Pep would have played Messi in the circumstance. He wasn't match but a half fit Messi is better than current Villa and Tello combined. The only thing Tito could have done was changed the approach greatly by playing double pivot and maybe not played Busi.

 

[Galning]

You guys are really silly. What would you have him say at this moment? One thing you cannot knock Tito for us doing what he thinks is best for the squad. Maria, you have become increasingly cynical in how you interpret any action.
By comparing Tito's words to that of Mourinho is evidence you are clearly exaggerating to serve your point.

Sure, he knows players need to be brought in and dismissed but saying so at this moment doesn't help anyone at Barca, sorry.

In terms if tactics, little could be done in that match, that much was apparent. You guys talking about not playing Messi? Pep would have played Messi in the circumstance. He wasn't match but a half fit Messi is better than current Villa and Tello combined. The only thing Tito could have done was changed the approach greatly by playing double pivot and maybe not played Busi.

Some people think he should've said: we will sell player X and Y hurp de durp.
Maria becoming cynical? Nope. She always sees things from a negetive perspective.

 

[beautifulgame]

Some people think he should've said: we will sell player X and Y hurp de durp.
Maria becoming cynical? Nope. She always sees things from a negetive perspective.

Lol okay, well still overly cynical I think.. Or at least unjustifiably so.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

Messi vs Milan (2nd leg)

Messi vs Bayern (1st leg)

 

[Maria]

You guys are really silly. What would you have him say at this moment? One thing you cannot knock Tito for us doing what he thinks is best for the squad. Maria, you have become increasingly cynical in how you interpret any action.

The only one who is being cynical is Tito when he says that what happend against Bayern was an accident. No, it was not an accident, that game was the consequence of an entire season..the consequence of how the both teams have played in the small games and in the big ones and of how the both coaches have chosen to use their squad.(Marti Perarnau wrote that there is a big difference between being a squad player and feeling like one when he wrote the preview of this game and he insisted on the management of the players.)
An accident was our game against Milan at home or Bayern's loss against Arsenal. But when you can't create a single chance from open play against Bayern(and you refuse to make adjustements) or against PSG at home before you use a Messi who can't even run(not to mention Milan-Barca or the games against Real) then you can't say that Bayern-Barca was an accident.

By comparing Tito's words to that of Mourinho is evidence you are clearly exaggerating to serve your point.

And what is my point? To express my opinion? If you don't like it you can bring arguments, but you can't say that I have a hidden agenda simply because I don't agree with many on this forum. Also if I'm exaggerating to serve my point, what is Tito doing when he says something like this:
"I don't think that Bayern or Dortmund are better than Barca or Real. Anyone can have a bad day, it can also happend that players that were at a good level the whole season were knackered before these games. If Bayern would play in La Liga, the difference between us wouldn't be that big."
I don't know what Bayern would do in La Liga, but what I know is that Dortmund is the only team unbeaten in CL and that Bayern conceded only 25 goals this season, while Barca conceded 60(our worst record under Rijkaard or Pep was 56&55 goals). Not to mention that anyone that watched the 4 teams this season(and especially this year) knows that Bayern was by far the best team in Europe..

Sure, he knows players need to be brought in and dismissed but saying so at this moment doesn't help anyone at Barca, sorry.

This I can understand..but some of the things he said were shocking(at least for me). And I don't know what would be worst: that he meant them or that he lied to serve his point(as you would say).
And another thing..four persons have talked these days: two of them said that what happend against Bayern was an accident, one of them said that he didn't made changes during the game "porque lo vimos bien"facepalm, but the last one said:
"Si queremos seguir ganando hay que mejorar muchas cosas. Los de dentro y los que tienen que venir. Todos. Jugadores, staff y directiva."
So at least one can still hope..

 

[Barcilliant]

I am VERY worried about next season. Tito is a good guy but a one dimensional coach.