The Criticism of Tata Martino is Premature.

FC Barcelona’s manager Tata Martino is off to a great start after 20 matches in charge. His era kicked off by capturing the Supercopa and Barça are currently league leaders while enjoying being group leaders in the UEFA Champions League. Yet, there exists a minority of disenfranchised Barça fans who are not happy with the work done by Tata. Even though his system is different, it is still premature to criticize the manager.

There’s no need to go over the accomplishments of Pep Guardiola during his time as Barça’s manager. There’s also no need to re-examine Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ era either. Both were memorable and high successful. Thus, to say Tata Martino had some gigantic shoes to fill was an understatement. Fortunately, he has been wise enough to just merely tinker with the system and not completely overhaul it.

Nevertheless, fans and even members of the Catalan media have been voicing their displeasure over the current style of football being represented by Barça. I am a firm believer that you can never please everyone in life since no matter how good you’re doing; someone will always be around the corner to criticize. Fortunately, Tata has proven that he is thick skinned in handling this problem from the get go.

The man is in charge and until he leaves or is fired, he is going to be the guy we need to throw our support behind him. I have criticized him in the past for ignoring the younger player such as Bartra and Montoya but I refuse to criticize him for the team’s performance. He has come in and has given this team what was exactly needed; a minor tinkering.

My mother used to tell me when I was younger that “repetition teaches the donkey.” In other words, if you keep repeating something, you will figure it out. Obviously Barça excelled under Pep after a couple of early mishaps and ruled the world along with capturing the admiration of many. However, the same can be said about Barça’s opponents finally figuring out how to slow them down over the past few years. What Tata brings is a change in the system to finally catch the opponents off guard.

 The most recent Clásico presented us with a more caution but more clever Barça side. The end result was a 2-1 victory and they are currently unbeaten league leaders. Nostalgia is great but you cannot expect to obtain the same results when you keep repeating the style after so many years. You either change with the times or you find yourself playing catchup. He knows that and admitted that it’s not enough to just win when it comes to Barça but he has done a superb job thus far.

Unfortunately, Barça’s own friendly media can be very unfriendly towards its manager; just ask Louis van Gaal.  Let’s wait till the season is close to an end before we start sharpening the pitch forks and light the torches, shall we. Thus, it is premature to criticize Tata Martino when the team is doing well and to some extent playing well with respect to the injuries and congested fixtures this squad has faced.  So far, the season is going well and other players have stepped it up along with younger players finally getting some minutes. We still have a long ways to go and the least we can do is back the mister while he does what was expected of him to do in the first place; win.

Messi’s Health Must Be Barça’s Priority.

Monday’s news that Messi’s torn hamstring injury will cause him to be out of action between six to eight weeks was disappointing news for us Cules. However, this news was not a surprise either. Messi and Barça have ignored the warning signs of not giving Messi some rest and following this latest setback, it’s time that they ensured Messi is well rested and make it a priority to watch over Messi’s health and protect him from wear and tear and from himself.

Over the years, Messi has dazzled us with wonderful goals and performances in countless matches. Yet, while watching with all those goals, I couldn’t help but think that sooner or later, Messi’s dedication to play in every match would come back to haunt him. Back in December, I mentioned my concerns about Messi playing in so many games to satisfy his obsession in breaking goal-scoring records. Although it was a great achievement, Messi was putting his body at risk by not taking a proper breather here and there.

Well, fast forward a few months later and we saw a tired and hurt Messi try to suck it up and help his team when he was not 100% healthy and ultimately paid the price. This season hasn’t been any better for the legendary player who has already suffered prior three other injuries this season.  It did not help that instead of taking the summer off to recover, Messi opted to play in travel and play numerous friendlies.

Messi cannot continue playing at this pace without suffering any injuries along the way. Both Messi and Barça must understand that Messi is not getting any younger and has played in an enormous amount of matches. Watching Messi play on his tired legs is like watching a car driving on tires with low air pressure where the end result is the same; a crash. Messi now has 6-8 weeks to recover and hopefully he does not rush back nor will the club try to rush him back this time. The club needs to make sure Juanjo Brau is back to watching Messi as he did in the past and cut down on his minutes via rotations.

 

No love for El Cholo and Tito?

On October 29, 2013, FIFA released the names of the candidates for the FIFA World Coach of the Year. Upon further review however, there was a head scratcher or two when the names were released. Where was the love for Diego Simeone and Tito Vilanova? Surely they deserved to be on the shortlist over some of their counterparts.

Per FIFA’s official website, the candidates for World Coach of the Year award were Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benítez, Antonio Conte, Vicente Del Bosque, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jupp Heynckes, Jürgen Klopp, José Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, and Arsène Wenger. I was a bit disappointed not to see Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone or Barça’s former manager, Tito Vilanova on the list ahead of some of these other names on the list.

Tito Vilanova managed Barca to the Spanish league title by capturing 100 points and finished 15 points clear of Real Madrid who were managed by none other than José Mourinho. Both managers got their teams to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before being eliminated by German clubs. Yet Mourinho ended up on the shortlist while Tito did not. Mourinho ended up leaving Real Madrid after failing to win a major trophy while Tito had to step down for health reasons. Yet Mourinho ended up on the shortlist while Tito did not.  For the sake of playing Devil’s Advocate, I’ll give Mourinho his due that his side did not lose to FC Barcelona in the league and Copa del Rey. However, was his season better than Vilanova’s?

Furthermore, how can someone like Diego Simeone be ignored from this list? He has completely turned Atlético Madrid around and made them from laughing stock “Pathetico” to a respected side that are currently second in the league and are off to an excellent start in the Champions League where they have won their first four group stage matches. Simeone continues to build from his side’s third place finish from last season which also saw them defeat Mourinho’s Real Madrid in Copa del Rey final. Since then, they have defeated Real Madrid in their first league encounter, with Ancelotti under the helm, and battled Barça to two draws in the Supercopa that saw them lose out the trophy on away goals rule.

Yet, Mourinho once again is on the shortlist while El Cholo is not. It is very disappointing and appalling that both Simeone and Vilanova did not make the shortlist. These men had a great season and won more than Mourinho. Better yet, can someone explain to me how Wenger made it to this list because I can’t recall what Arsenal won last season.

Will He Stay Or Will He Go? Casillas’s Predicament.

Casillas’s future with Madrid seems to be in doubt. With the World Cup just 7 months away, Casillas is supposedly contemplating leaving his beloved club in order. This past weekend saw Casillas observe El Clásico from the bench as his counterpart Victor Valdés put in another strong performance to perhaps gain the upper hand for the goal keeper position in Spain’s starting eleven.

Alexis’s splendid goal against Diego Lopez this past weekend had Cules celebrating with awe while at the same time, neutrals and perhaps Madridistas were wondering if Alexis would have scored that goal if Casillas was in goal. Nevertheless, that’s in the past now and the future lies ahead. However, will Casillas be part of Madrid’s future or will he pursue an exit from the only club he has ever played for in order to get more playing minutes?

As a Culé, I have no problem admitting that Casillas is one of the few players of the arch enemy that I admired. Sure, he had that momentary lapse where he drank from Mourinho’s own special blend of Kool-Aid, but he has always been a classy individual for the most part. That’s why I am puzzled by the way the club has been treating their captain and icon. If they are not pleased in his role with the fall out of Mourinho, then making his life miserable is only harming their club and their country.

Mundo Deportivo recently posted a story that some Barça players approached Casillas in the Camp Nou tunnel prior to kickoff and told him to join the Blaugrana. Obviously this was done in a lighthearted manner however it’s not that far-fetched that they perhaps some were also delivering a subtle recruiting pitch to the distraught keeper. His familiarity with the players throughout the years on international duty would make him the perfect choice to replace Valdés.

 Nevertheless, Casillas will never join FC Barcelona. I cannot see him pulling the treacherous act of switching sides like Luis Enrique and Figo did. Luis Enrique came through the Gijon academy while Figo only was loyal to himself and never had a problem signing deals with other clubs. Casillas though is a Madridista, through and through. He came through the Castilla ranks since he was a child and has dedicated over 20 years with his club. 

Unfortunately, those years of service seem not to mean much for the Real Madrid hierarchy who are satisfied by letting their icon appear sporadically in UEFA Champions League matches and upcoming Copa del Rey matches. Even his fellow Spanish teammate and another counterpart, Pepe Reina believes Casillas is getting a raw deal, if you believe the lip readers. Casillas though is handling this like a gentleman. Although his club has wronged him, the fans still love him and I believe Casillas cares too much to break their hearts and join the Blaugrana.

As much as it seems that it would be a good fit, it will never happen. Casillas needs to leave Madrid, even on loan if possible, to improve his chances of remaining Spain’s number one goalkeeper. I don’t see it happening if he plays second fiddle to Diego Lopez in the Spanish league while starting in limited number of matches in other competitions. Del Bosque will have a difficult decision to make when it comes to selecting his starting goalkeeper when Spain attempts to defend their World Cup trophy. Casillas nonetheless has to think about his short-term and long-term future with his club. Neither of which see him wearing Blaugrana colors.

La Roja’s Exploitation Must Stop.

 Without a doubt, we have been fortunate to watch a team such as Spain these past six years. They have been wowing the world with their performances and results in Spain and in other countries. However, the Spanish Football Federation is turned their national team into a cash cow by taking advantage of their team’s success by turning them into a touring road show. It’s time for La Roja’s exploitation must stop.

Ever since Spain won the 2010 World Cup, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) has been scheduling games for Spain all over the world. Spain have played friendlies in Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Panama, Qatar, USA, and Ecuador. Sometimes, these friendlies take place during the summer and sometimes they take place while the Spanish League is in session.

 The RFEF recently announced that Spain would be participating in two friendlies next month. Once again, the RFEF is blatantly disregarding the well being of their players by cashing in on these unnecessary friendlies. Next month sees them play Russia in Dubai and in South Africa to face the 2010 World Cup hosts. Currently, the country’s players are representing their clubs both domestically and in European competitions in a congested fixture list because of the upcoming World Cup. Wouldn’t it be considerate of the RFEF to give these players a break? 

 Now FIFA is not blameless in all of this. They too have yet to figure out how to prepare a proper calendar without it interfering with club football. However, FIFA does not mandate countries to play in every international break. These matches in November are for upcoming World Cup qualifying playoffs, so basically this break serves as friendlies scheduling for Spain. However, the RFEF could have opted to not schedule any friendlies and just given their players a break for some much needed down time.

This most recent Clásico showed us how fatigued some players looked. Why pile on their wear and tear and not afford them some rest. I am surprised the big two, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, have not made a big fuss about these friendlies and the distances their players have traveled as the RFEF keeps globetrotting them at every available opportunity. These players have to prepare for the league, Spanish cup and UEFA Champions League. They did their job and qualified for the World Cup so shouldn’t they deserve a break?

Del Bosque could always rest the usual players and opt to call up the young players or fringe players instead, to see who make the cut. Yet, there probably is a clause that requires the presence of the stars in these distant countries. Nevertheless, the time has come for the big clubs, or the players through FIFPRO, to put their foot down and ask for an end to this exhausting traveling. 

 Clearly these players are not up for it as evident with some of the drubbings they received in Argentina and Portugal. However, if no one speaks up, then the RFEF will continue to schedule these cash grabbing events and exploit the cash cow that is La Roja? Is it worth it when the team’s performance might suffer and ultimately cost them a shot at a successive World Cup crown? It’s high time someone put their foot down and end this globetrotting money making bonanza.

Barça’s pursuit for the successor of Valdés.

With each passing month, it becomes more evident that the likelihood of Victor Valdes remaining with Barça becomes more bleak. It took the club a long time to settle on a true starting keeper after they discarded Zubizarreta following the 1994-1995 European Cup Final. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the club’s fortune improved when they decided on Valdés being the man in goal for the long-term. The club will now have to seek a suitable replacement for Valdés and the list of candidates is impressive but dubious.

It is ironic that the man tasked with the responsibility of finding the next Barça keeper is one of the club’s own legendary keepers, Zubizarreta. Fortunately, the search for a keeper will not be that difficult. The choices available range from old and seasoned to up and coming young talents, however, what will be difficult is making sure the right one is chosen. We went through the likes of Victor Baia, Ruud Hesp, Bonano, Enke, Rustu and even Pepe Reina, who is also a potential candidate as well, before the club settled on Valdés.

The current list of candidates consists of Borussia Monchengladbach’s youngster, Ter Stegen, Manchester United’s David De Gea, former Blaugrana keeper Pepe Reina who is currently on loan with Napoli, and Atletico Madrid’s Courtois who is on loan from Chelsea. Prying some of these keepers will be very difficult and will not be cheap.

I have a tough time believe De Gea is going to be sold by Manchester United unless he has some poor performances the rest of the season. If that is the case, why should Barça then sign him then? As for Pepe Reina, it seems that many Cules are not in favor of seeing the former keeper back with the team. Sure, he is familiar with the players because of the Spanish national team connection. However, my issue is that Barça need a younger keeper who can provide a decade of service if possible and Reina has only a few years left in him.

This basically leaves us with two choices. Ter Stegen and Courtois. Ter Stegen is a young keeper whom the club supposedly has already made an agreement to obtain his services for next season. He seems to be destined to be one of the keepers for the German World Cup roster. However, one has to wonder if he is the right choice for the club. It’s not easy being Barça’s keeper; just ask Valdés and what he had to endure over the years. Does playing for BMG prepare him for the late night kickoffs at the Camp Nou and those intense matches in Europe and against Real Madrid? Maybe the gamble in signing him would pay off but can Barça afford to chance it? He would be worth signing to be an understudy although Barça B Masip also seems suited for that role if Pinto is not brought back to be Barça’s backup keeper.

That leaves us with the ever so impressive Courtois. He was signed by Chelsea when he was a teenager and was sent on loan to Atletico Madrid. The young keeper has been sensational ever since he joined Atletico Madrid. He has helped his side add another Europa League title and played a vital part in ending their long winless streak against their derby rivals, Real Madrid. That victory came in last season’s Copa del Rey Final which was played in Real Madrid’s own turf. Courtois played phenomenally well, and had some luck to assist him too, as Atletico Madrid triumphed and added another Copa del Rey to their trophy case.

Furthermore, the young phenom has performed well in the Champions League. Courtois has also helped guide Belgium back to the World Cup for the first time since 2002. There’s no doubt that his experience at the World Cup will only make him stronger. His resume makes him the perfect candidate for Barça to sign as their long-term keeper. The only stumbling block will be his price tag. He is still is a Chelsea player and with Mourinho there, it is highly unlikely that he will sell the young Belgian keeper to the club without asking for a king’s ransom, if he decides to sell at all.

Zubizarreta has a tall order ahead of him. Replacing Valdés is not an easy task and this upcoming summer will be a difficult one for him and Rosell if he chooses to get involved. The right man has to be chosen because the club has a team built to win for now and a wrong choice will be a setback for their title ambitions. Clock is ticking and hopefully Barça makes the right choice in the end.

First Clásico For Big Two Managers.

For the first time in a decade, we are about to witness El Clásico featuring managers in their first ever El Clásico. Gerardo “Tata” Martino and his side will host Carlo Ancelotti this weekend in what will be their first ever encounter as managers of the big two clubs in Spain. As both men prepare their teams for this upcoming clash of arch rivals, one manager seems to have his team playing the way he wants to play while another is juggling between finding the right system and lineup of his liking.

For the first time in a decade, we are about to witness El Clásico featuring managers in their first ever El Clásico. Gerardo “Tata” Martino and his side will host Carlo Ancelotti this weekend in what will be their first ever encounter as managers of the big two clubs in Spain. As both men prepare their teams for this upcoming clash of arch rivals, one manager seems to have his team playing the way he wants to play while another is juggling between finding the right system and lineup of his liking.

Even though both clubs have went through managers over the past few years, this upcoming Clásico will feature for the first time in a decade new managers for both clubs. Although 2008-2009 season saw Pep Guardiola face Juande Ramos, Ramos was hired  with only a few days to prepare for El Clasico. You have to go back to first year of the Frank Rijkaard era when he tried to match wits against Real Madrid’s new manager, Carlos Queiroz. Both managers had a proper summer to prepare their teams. By the time El Clasico rolled around, Rijkaard and the Blaugrana were struggling to find any form while Queiroz and his Galacticos were sitting atop of the league table with a ten point lead over Barça. That December night in Barcelona saw Real Madrid finally win a league game at the Camp Nou for the first time since 1983. 

The second half of that season though would not only see Barça exact revenge by winning at the Santiago Bernabéu, but would reduce the 10 point gap to just 4 points before eventually surpassing them in the standings. At the time, Real Madrid were battling Valencia for the league title which Valencia would end up winning. Real Madrid’s season spiraled out of control after losing to Barça by losing all of their remaining fixtures and finish fourth while Barça ended the season in second place.

While Queiroz had the great start, the late season collapse saw him get fired while Rijkaard would remain with the club and guide them to consecutive league titles and the club’s second ever Champions League title. Quite a contrast when you look back at the awful December night for Blaugrana fans who were wondering if this team was ever going to return to its days of prominence. 

Which brings us to this weekend’s upcoming El Clásico. Tata Martino is off to a record breaking start for a new Barça manager, while his adversary Carlo Ancelotti, is off to a somewhat rocky start and has failed to impress in the Spanish league during this early part of the season. Martino’s only issues have been injuries to key players who are now cleared, with the exception of Jordi Alba, to return to action. Meanwhile, Ancelotti will have to try to figure out who to start and who to bench, especially Gareth Bale, and figure out the right system. It’s not easy when the club directors are involved in the lineups that has Casillas on the bench and Bale rushed into action instead of being brought along slowly after not having a proper preseason to stay in shape this past summer. 

 Not much is different about this upcoming Clásico clash and that December night in the Camp Nou ten years ago.  Only the roles have been reversed with the Blaugrana atop of the standings and adjusting well to a new manager and playing the role of the hunted. Meanwhile, Los Blancos are still trying to figure it out and play the hunter as they try to keep pace with the league leaders. We will see if history will repeats itself this weekend and the remainder of the season too. Nothing will be decided this weekend since the domestic league is always decided in the final five matches. We have a lot of games left and it will be interesting to see how this season plays out the rest of the way.