IT IS NOT THAT (I)

It is not this, comrades, it is not this, the song says. It is not what they had told us, or what we had anticipated. Barca was eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico Madrid. This was something that could happen. It could also be that everything was settled by one goal difference, given the equality we had seen in previous clashes. Now, I do not think anyone imagined that we would see that first part not ended 3-0 if not the posts, because opportunities, hunger and football Atletico put it. We just looked at it.

"I will forgive the lack of success, but not the lack of effort", said one who will now be in a Champions League semifinal. The problem is that he will leading Bayern. Anyone want to bet that if he was here things would be very different? Not better (although it is very possible), or worse (I think not ), but different, very different (this, for sure).

This Barça plays differently as it did so. Except four games, interestingly, those that have been resolved in a more effective way, where the team has returned to take the old manual, there are many points of disagreement between the current Barca and the one that made ​​history.

The thing, but, is that much of the blame are the players. If Xavi is old, if Alves does not cross well the ball and defends worse, if Cesc is still in London, so ... ,and Valdes, blame Valdes. And Messi.

About Valdes I do not think it is worthwhile to talk a lot. But I will do. It is justice. They have ignored and mistreated him here and there. It is the best goalkeeper in the club's history, with permission from Ramallets. He has 3 Champions Leagues, several Leagues, "Zamora's" Awards and whatever you want. And, until the injury we had saved a good number of matches by him. But no. A journalist recalls the error against Valencia. Can not remember, but, how many done goals have been missed in front of goal. Neither remembers all the points he has given us in all the years he has been the keeper for Barça. Another journalist said that among the guilty (meaning those who are not having a good season), are Valdés... and Bartra! Disgrace for Marc, who has played less than me. And he is pointing him as responsible for what happens. A third, more a plagiarist than a journalist, is chasing Valdés for a lot of years. No comments. Not worth it.

Let's go the players:

Has anyone thought that Xavi is a player to make run the ball and not to run cahsing the ball? Think about it.

Has anyone thought that Alves is a very attacking full-back, which ahs to  be covered to allow their arrivals? Before, he had the cover 10m. away from him. Now it's 30. Think about it.

Has anyone thought that Messi needs the ball on the foot, to "partner" with Xavi and Iniesta and create superiority? He doesn't need space to run. He needs the ball to play and someone will create space. Or he'll do . But with the ball. Think about it.

Has anyone thought that Busquets is the man who gives balance and the first pass out of the opposing pressure and is not the man who simply destroys the opponents game? How many balls, before, did he recoverto 15-20m. from the opponent's box? How many now? Think about it.

Has anyone thought that Cesc is not Xavi or Iniesta? And, therefore, he plays very differently to these two? Cesc can do many things. He has the play, he has goals. But it is different. Very different. He does not have the "tempo" of Xavi, or the "magic" of Iniesta. But he has many other things. Does anyone know how to take advantage? Think about it.

Has anyone thought that Pedro needs room to run and that Alexis needs opponents to dribble? Think about it.

Has anybody thought about the role of Neymar? Must be the new Messi? Should be the second "crack" after Messi? Can he play as a "9" ? As a "false 9"? Has he more from Ronaldinho than from Iniesta? Think about it.

Has anyone thought that the problem is not high pressure, but the pressure on the ball? Decide where and how. Remember Mourinho and Inter at San Siro. Pressure on on Xavi as he crossed the halfway line. Pressure at the flanks 15-20m. after midfield. The pressure is made with the team close together (NA: player to player). Here or there, but together. Think about it.

Has anyone thought that the defenders are not only the 4 at the back? That defenders are all the players? And, if they are lost and often "sold" the fault is not only themselves, but by a general mismatch? Think about it.

Has anyone thought that you can work the intensity and the concentration? And, it is worked with intensity and concentration. Think about it.

This is not just a criticism on Martino, which it is too. It is a criticism on all the players, who often seems not remember what shirt they are wearing. On Manager and Technical Staff, who seem to have no solutions when things go wrong and are unable to fix on the fly. On Sports Management, which has no solutions for the problems of injuries, etc and seems not to know what is their job (that, I will discuss in the next post). On the Board, iwhich seems that the main concern is just having a stadium with the best hospitality in the world. On, us, members ("socis") and supporters, who often only see the player making the goal and we see nothing in the process to make this goal. And I speak in plural, because it also happens to me sometimes. And the environment, the famous environemnt. Those who write in newspapers or talk on radio and television and can not distinguish an "off-side" from a "penalty" , not a "full-back" from a "winger" and, speak about Laws and Regulations without having read any.

I've said it before: It is not this, comrades, is not this.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

P. S. This post is the first part of a trilogy. At the second part I will talk about the Sport Management Organization (applicable to any Club), and the third one is the post on Positional Game that I said some days I would do.