The Fans Blog4

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.

Bill Shankly, In Sunday Times (UK) Oct. 4 1981

My Mini league marathome start against Sporting, the result of this game has a great impact on the games that follow till X-mass.

So lets get ready for the serious business, this is the final countdown!

For a start, thanks for Omar, the chat application is the best thing happened to the blog since Pep decided to dedicate his time to create it.

Why starting like that? Because that’s where every time I log, I find very interesting discussions going on, and it increase my awareness about some issues we can tackle while discussing and analyzing the team.

One of the issues Discussed there was: Do we need to rest players against Sporting for Sevilla Game? – yes the same old story, rotation, I never thought anyone is thinking of the option of rotation but as you see, Omar magic is doing wonders.

The guy seeking rotation has a point, Sevilla game will definitely be one of the most complicated ones, but to make it short I mentioned before Getafe game, I see no room for rotations till the end of December, any exceptions?

Yes, incase we won against sporting, the game against Shakhtar is a vacation.

If we won against sporting, we guarantee the top of the group, and then this is how the games will go till the end of December:

Sporting, Sevilla…one week rest…Valencia…one week rest (including Shakhtar game – vacation)….Real Madrid. When I read this script, Sporting game turn to be even more important than it originally seemed to be.

The worst scenario will be playing the key players against sporting and losing, so we have to play them again against Shakhtar in the middle of the week that start against Valencia and end against Real Madrid.

So how will it be less risky? I think something in the middle, as I guess and hope Guardiola is doing already, keeping Puyol and Yaya in Spain, and playing the best eleven he has aside of the two key members. I don’t wish more surprises.

Sporting:

Played nine league games won five games (2 at home, 3 away), Draw once away and got defeated three times (2 home, 1 away), Ranked 4th on the league table (league stats). In the Champions’ league they gathered nine points and a second place behind Barcelona who earned ten (Champions league info).

Sporting performance had been swinging up and down in the league so far, their starting up will most probably be:

Rui Patrício(GK) Grimi(LB) – Polga(CB) – Caneira(CB) – Abel(RB) - João Moutinho(LM) – Romagnoli(DM/CM) - Miguel Veloso(DM) – Izmailov(RM) – Postiga(FC) – Liedson(ST)

The key player in their defence is Polga, Veloso is the solid beast in the defensive midfield and Moutinho is the inspirational captain, while Izmailov will be there main threat in counter attacks, I repeat their main threat in counter attacks.

Postiga is a player I always wonder how his football career declined that way, he form with liedson a dangerous due even though in some games Sporting coach prefer to use Derlei as a second striker.

Their main strength is there fast counter attacks and free kicks, ok I repeat here again, free kicks.

Their weakness and I know I said this partially in Getafe game, but also for sporting crosses put them in trouble, beside a gap between full backs and Central backs that is not covered well by the midfielders, graphically it’s the two triangles on the corners of the penalty box.

How will they approach this game?

If they have to go with statistical signals, then they most probably will start the game closing their field to make sure Barcelona score no early goals, because numbers say that when Barcelona score early they crush their opponent, while if the score sheet had no changes at the first fifteen minutes then Barcelona start to struggle, so they may decide to close and generate counter attacks.

But there are more daring coaches who move the battle to your field, and no surprise if Sporting started 4-5-1 structure and applied a high pressure strategy, Watching Getafe game may inspire…


(More Sporting highlights)

Barcelona:

Puyol and Yaya are out and nothing certain about Messi yet. The defense seem to be confirmed the moment Puyol was dropped out of the list, Caceres-Marquez-Pique and Alves. Sylvinho? I dare to say no way! First because he played a game three days ago and it will be too much for his age, secondly because we will play against the Academy of wings, one of the best teams when it come to the players they produce on the flanks, and most importantly, Sylvinho will be the player to guard Izmailov? You got to be kidding me!

I would love to see the team bounce back to the basics of the beginning of the season, when moving forward a three central backs and a pure defensive midfielder up front form a security cover for the team to move forward, and give Alves the pleasure to fly on the right like a bird!

In the midfield Busquets is there for the defensive midfielder role, while Xavi run the show, and? If Messi played, then gudi will be Xavi assistant, if not then we may see three midfielders in front of Busquets consists of Hleb on the right, Xavi in the middle and Kieta on the left with Henry and eto’o up front, and please strikers, go for the posts when the ball is crossed and leave the penalty spot and the surrounding for those who come from behind!

And yes I know, I didn't mention Pedro, its my careful approach not to hang loads of responsibilities on youth just because they sparked for a moment, lets get him involved little by little, will it be a surprise if pep selected him? Its a surprise if our coach made no surprises.

If Sporting started a defensive game then we need to shower the box by crosses and keita and Alves need to warm their boots with some wide shots. Forget about holding possession and dancing over the ball, direct game is a must to start this match perfectly; free kicks may finish the job, so I don’t mind some Messi over dribbling on the edge of the box.

If they started an offensive game then the opposite is true, one touch game exhaust the opponent, Xavi magic and Messi skills will be the decider then.

How to attack a team that master counter attacks?

With three players in the back, and a defensive midfielder in front, the team can feel secure going forward, but still some touches could be made to cement the defense and specially if Sporting installed one striker upfront, how the three Central defenders behave then?

There are two methods that I like:

1) When the team goes forward and the opponent striker is isolated, one of the central backs (say Marquez) move forward to create a two defensive midfielders wall with Busquets. This technique is used if the opponent count on long balls and an attacking midfielder or a dropped second striker to generate counter attacks, this way you kill the ball in the midfield or at least slow down the attack.
2) If the opponent depend on the flanks to generate the counter attacks, then the Central back on the ball side switch to act as a fake backward assisted by the transition of the closest midfielder while the other two central backs handle the roles of marking the striker and creating depth, I think we most likely need to use this one.


The Bojan factor:

After Getafe game, Bojan seemed to have a drop in moral, and for that I think pep will give the boy a chance in the game against sporting, he may not start and that’s better because if he started and performed bad that will cause him more damage. But I think he will be one of the substitutions in the game, so Good luck!

I just hope the fans can have more patience on this guy. In Getafe game he was bad? Excuse me! Who was really good? I don’t want the Giovani last season story to start happening with Bojan! Last season and in all the mess, fans picked Gio to whistle for, and that wasn’t only unfair but irresponsible.

An 18 years old boy get his chance in the game to earn experience, and improve his character. Its by no mean his job to rescue the team or create wonders, if he did so then Thank him, if not, so what? If we will not stick to this formula then we will be digging a grave for his talent. I read lot of critics on the net about the boy performance, most of it was not reasonable anyway. I am welling to be patient enough if with in two years from now I will get a twenty years old package of wonders that serve me for the next twelve years.

If Atletico Madrid thought so, and decided to promote Raul to the first team and give him the chance to grow up in a more challenging first team environment, may be the history of the team and football in Spain would have been deferent, so I will defend our new Raul!

I wonder what kind of surprises Guardiola will have in his pockets for this game…. hm… Pinto as a striker?

Enjoy the game!