TOGETHER

"Every time we are together, we create something. Every time we are separated , they create something".

I wrote this yesterday while watching the match Madrid-Barça. I think it summarizes for me what was the game. While Barça played "positionally" applying the correct criteria for this type of play, the game was placid for Martino's men. And, while Madrid made ​​high pressure to prevent to play the ball out from the back, in case it can not work out, kick up and out. As the team was well placed, although the ball was for the white players, it was relatively easy that there wasn't great danger for Valdés. Barca scored ​​the first goal and Messi had the second in a play where he controlled the ball a little long.

This changed from the time that Barça relaxed a bit and Madrid was able to leave with counterattacks. Cristiano came to the center and the left wing was allowed for Di Maria. And he damaged, a lot of damage. Breaking again and again Alves, who had no help from Xavi, who was away by that of the separate lines, or Mascherano, that theoretically should give coverage, but in fact was more aware of Benzema, he created enough danger to score 3 or 4 goals.

Towards the end of the first half, Barca was together again and returned to have options, until Messi made ​​the 2-2 before the break.

The second half was quite different. Although Madrid took the lead again, the feeling was that Barça had much more controlled the game, but had troubles to create danger, but on the other hand, did not give options for counterattack to Madrid.

And the key play of the game came. Messi makes an amazing pass on the ground: he breaks two lines (double pivot and the back four) and eliminates 6! players. I recommend everyone to see it and especially those who are dedicated to teaching football to use it as a model of what a pass means. The referee called the penalty and sent off Ramos. Martino brought Pedro for Neymar and, somewhat later, Alexis was in for Cesc, for Iniesta to return in midfield and to play with three clear forwards.

And I say that is key, not only for what it means for the opposing team with one less player, but by the fact that, from then on, Barça became the boss of the match permanently. Lines together without options for the Madrid game and allowing rapid recoveries for Barca and creating danger. In fact, many saw a fifth goal could come at any time.

Important considerations:

1) When the lines are together, when from Piqué (great game yesterday, why it will not be always the same?), to Messi, here are at most 30 meters and mobility appears, this team is still the dominator. When as many games this year, the lines are separated, Xavi can not go up and down and Busquets can not cover everything and is when the defensive problems are magnified. And this is know by all teams. Madrid, too. And this is exploited in almost every game. When we run like in the schoolyard we suffer too much at the back, for the very simple reason that there is no 8 or 9 players to defend. When the team comes together, it is easier to recover the ball and better to defend. The defense suffers, beyond the gaps that may exist, by this disorder and Valdés is becoming more critical than before and now is much more involved in the game with hands than with feet, and this means that opponents arrives too often to the goal.

2) Messi, for the same reason, is much less part of the game, but instead, it is much more crucial now. O scoring, or assisting. And that's a lot. The problem is in his "disconnections" that, as I say, are given by the "new" way of playing of Barça. Earlier, Messi appeared not to much to get balls. Now, he has to come a lot to look for them, because they don't arrive to his area of ​​influence. And that, often is not good.

3) Let us keep clear. Yesterday was a great game for football fans, but I do not think it was for many coaches. Crazy matches, with "races" to here or there only like to the weaker teams, knowing that it is much easier for them to take advantage of this type of game. This must be fixed by Barça. And, the sooner the better, because, in Champions League, Atlético will do the same as Madrid did yesterday: closed at back and go to the counter, and these are equally or more dangerous than those playing this type of game.

If we want to go to Lisbon, together and "ordered", which is what led us to Paris, Rome or London.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

THEY UNDERSTAND NOTHING

Days pass and the stuff still goes on. Newspapers, radios, televisions, social networks are full of reasons for or against. And many, speak for not being silent, because they show that they have understood nothing. About nothing.

They have not understood that the club is owned by 138,000 members, who are the "legal" owners but there are millions of fans around the world who are "sentimental" owners. And you can't play with feelings.

They have not understood that Messi is the best player in the world and possibly in history and must be paid as it is. Not like "this man"

They have not understood that, here, is not enough to win. Here you have to win and play well, it's football, basketball or bowling.

They have not understood that what has captured half of the world, precisely because of this, have not been the titles "per se", but the way in which they were won.

They have not understood that if we are a world'sl reference, is because we have all the teams that play all the same way, from the youngest to the oldest. And if you want to change the style, it should be at all levels. Not doing so would be an inconsistency.

They have not understood the meaning of planning. Planning means having clear which players must leave the Club and which have to come, who should be monitored to within 1-2 years, what contracts they have, what options other clubs have. The last example: it seems to be made ​​a trip to see a player ... that was injured.

They have not understood that what was done with Abidal and Mickael is unworthy of a club like this. There are many ways of doing things.

They have not understood that the image of the Club deteriorates because, everywhere, and they are not Barca fans, they do not understand why Guardiola went away, why Valdés is leaving, why the President resigns, what about the signing of Neymar, what about Tax Deal, etc.

They have not understood that you can not say "NO" to a reform of 250M€for being "uneconomic" and make one that will cost 600M€, without any Project.

They have not understood that the reform can not be approved based on "scaring" the "socis" (members), about the disgraces that will happen if nothing is done.

They have not understood that if the result of the poll for the reform is "NO", they have to go out. So clear. Their legitimacy will be reduced to nothing.

They have not understood that "to attack" the President of the Club is not to attack the Club. Especially when what is attacked is the lack of transparency of the President and the Board. And more, when you see that these "attacks" had many fundamentals.

They have not understood that Board members are servants of the Club, that is, of "socis" (members), and they have been chosen to drive the ship at a time. Afterwards, we would choose them again if we think they have done well and will choose others if we think they have done wrong.

They have not understood that many of us have done a lot of miles and have lost hours of study and work to go watching Barça everywhere. We have gone to European Finals of football, basketball, etc. long before some of them were members of the Club. And, paying it from our pocket, obviously. Never before it has been so many "compromises" with the issue of the tickets away og home, whatever finals or other matches.

They have not understood that being critical is not being "evil environment". It's to say what we do not like. Although we may be wrong. And that does not mean that we want the team to lose matches. I want to win always. But, as I said before, there are ways and ways to win.

They have not understood that telling lies (or writing them), to defend the indefensible can not be done. Sooner or later, we will know the truth of all.

They have not understood that the most important, always, are those on the pitch or the hall. These are where they are thanks to those, not vice versa.

They have not understood that, those who are there, at the stands, we understand everything, even our face shows we understood nothing.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

TO REPEAT

I see there are coaches who are opposed to "non directional" games/exercises, ie, those in which there is no goals or place to score. They say they are unrealistic and that these circumstances do not occur in a football game.

There are also many who say that all these games with restrictions (touches per player, minimum number of passes, etc.), are not suitable, because this does not happen in football games.

Well, if we go with this approach are not valid, for example, those exercises where a player runs down the wing to cross and two teammates arrive for finishing, all it without any opposition. This does not happen in a football game. Nor would be valid an exercise of defenders against attackers finishing at the moment when the defender gets the ball because the defense must do something with the ball, doesn't he?. Nor would be a game of 4v4 in an area of ​​40x30m. because the pitch has very different measures. Nor would be valid ... put whatever you want.

But it would not be valid the series of sprints, or work in the gym, nor a lot of things you do in football practices .

Applying this criteria, the only proper training would be an 11v11 game and only allow subs that can be made by category, age, etc.  Nothing else, because the rest is "unreal".

The training serves to prepare and learn things. A football match is like a performance in the theater or a musical performance. It takes many hours of preparation, correct mistakes, preparing different "pieces" to have it finally all assembled.

Let's return to the "non-directional" games. What are they? That's it. It is a piece, a part of the way of playing that a team can have. And one of the things that has been understood less in the "positional playing" is this touching and touching the ball. The ball is played until you can pass and you pass to break lines. You move the ball to move the opponent, until you find a "hole" where to pass the ball. Hence the great importance of these activities. Players learn to spread the ball under pressure. They learn to move while retaining its structure on the field. They learn to support the partner who has the ball, either getting closer or further. They learn to protect themselves when the opposing squeezes. They learn to be patient while finding the right time of the pass. They learn many things.

And those who do not have the ball learn to go together as a bloc to press. They learn to swing from side to side to avoid these passes that break lines. They learn the needed communication to work together in the same direction when making movements. They learn to be patient when the opponents are touching and touching the ball and it's not possible to recover the ball. They learn to cover the teammate when he is beat. They learn many things.

I'll go further. What it is, is that a certain fact is being done many times. The more times the player has made a move, the easier it is to do so at game time. It is clear that as much as you work "2 touches" at exercises, the game will be different. There will be times when you will play at first touch and, sometimes, the player will run with the ball to pass or shoot or whatever. Now, if we don't do the ball to go fast in practices, hard that it goes fast at matches (if we want that to happen at games, of course).

And obviously, what we say about the "non-directional" games, can be applied to any type of directional activity. Imagine a game 4v4+2GK in a grid of 40x30m. For example, do we want to work interceptions? Then, give 1 point for every one that you have. Do we want our team to be compact in defense? Value the goal double if all the defensive team is not in own half when that goal is scored. Do we want this compactness in attack? All the team must be in the attacking half at the scoring moment (except the goalkeeper, of course). And as such, many examples of activities that can be made ​​to work, as we have said before, different parts of the way we play.

Think about the "pattern plays": A passes to B, this one to C, etc. What do you want when you do that ? To establish a pattern of conduct at the time of play. Nothing more, nothing less. It is a "piece" of how to play and it will be repeated many times until it's done the best possible, because, at the match, players have clear how to do it. And the same with all the exercises we have talked before.

Football is about this. Repeating the movements, actions, etc. because, in the middle of the game we can not stop and say: "It's not right. Let's do it again". That is training for. And, for this, we must profit it as much as possible.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

P.S. Btw, in next few days I'll post a post about the "positional play" and its application from "non-directional" games and also "directional" ones.