THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING

This is what the song of Bob Dylan said, referring to all political and social changes of the 60s. If you look at the world of football, is also applicable. A few years ago, most of the clubs revenue were by membership fees and the sale of players. This has changed. Today the Clubs receive large amounts of television rights, selling T-shirts and other things.

Some of those listed as possible candidates for future elections to the presidency of Barça (it should be 2016) have said, in social networks, that the Club needs a renovation as it relates to marketing strategies and similar. That is needed a renewal of their management structures. It's not me, that I have no idea about these issues, who will tell you about the direction of this kind of stuff. If it is more important 3vminutes on TV or send a player to advertise anywhere in the world. If there must  be 1 General Manager and 25 Working Areas or only 18.

Something very important is the club model. Few weeks, at one of the presentations for the Reform of Camp Nou, Vice-President Javier Faus spoke of hospitality revenue in different clubs around the world. Compared with Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United in terms of number of seats and revenue. City, United or Arsenal are clubs that have a single owner and are in football for many different reasons. The day they get tired, they will leave. It's that simple. Bayern is a mixed model and Madrid, despite being a club like Barça, operates in a more presidential manner here . But they want to be like them, and to have the same as them , forgetting that we are different. It seems that the economic remedy is hospitality (representing less than 10% of the total budget Club). Hospitality, Marketing, Ticketing, etc. Remember all one thing: the owners of the Club are the "socis", not the Board.

Barça is special. There is no, as we said before, an owner with more or less millions into the pocket. Here there are 130,000 owners. And those who run the Club (The Official we were talking a bit ago), are not professionals. As itself, this is not a problem. The problem is that they have no idea. They speak about "market prices" to refer to those and other questions when the only market they know is the store in the neighborhood where they buy the newspaper and the baguette. And of course, these have fixed prices. They are not debatable. Pay and return home.

This leads to one thing that has not changed for many years and has to. Historically, the club has been a buyer Club. But we have not yet learned to buy. To sell, we still do worse. We pay what it's needed for a player for the simple fact that the seller Club is waiting for us ("it's Barça and, as they like the player, they'll pay what we say"). It has worked in many cases and it appears that still works. To sell, reverse option ("we are not interested, therefore, whoever comes will be able to take him").

It is not, of course, to turn the club into a Corporation and make the Directors professionals. No, although I am sure that is their dream, for many of which there are now. It's about these executives know about football. And they do not know. Today, they like the player scoring three goals; tomorrow the defender that cuts two key plays and, after tomorrow, however the goalie that saves 5 occasions playing against Barça. It seems that, if there are 60M€ to sign, these have to spend, no matter how.

And this is related to the subject of the Technical Secretariat that I have said more than once. A club like Barça can not go around without all the player data, both technical and personal, including salary, hobbies, etc. Today for today, it  seems there is nothing. I spoke in a previous post (It is not that (II)), about the need of having a Scouting system much more useful.

Previously, there was no resources as now. Having footage of players was quite difficult and one should trust what  a friend who was in that country where there was an interesting player or player's agent in turn. And you had to pay what you were told, without knowing for sure if you had bought a Ferrari or a second hand 600 (NA: Spanish equivalent to Fiat 500). Today, it is not. There are images of almost all leagues in the world and, the most important show all the games on TV. When you buy, you know what you're buying and, theoretically, you should know the price. But it does not.

Everything I've said so far, goes around the so spoken as "renewal" at Barça. It seems that it will take I don't know how many players. And, as needed, we will pay what we will be told (or more, if we add Foundations of players, contracts of Scouting and other miscellaneous expenses. Said that is the new model of contracts made ​​in the world. That is, to sign a player, we need to hire, one way or another, all the family and friends). I can understand that there are incentives for this or that player to come. What I don't understand are thee 400k€/year for Scouting as "market price". By the way, have there been reports to justify this amount?

As I can not understand that a reserve player in a team and, which will not go to the World Cup because "competition is very tough (NA: With teammates)" according to what a reporter said today, with only 20 years old and that has not won anything yet, worth 35M€. And in this operation a player of the same nationality, who is a starter at Barça and will go to the World is included. And like this, the examples that you want. And the opposite. Players who go out for 4$ hard "because we will save very high wages".

There is a second part. La Masia. Do you remember this about "La Masia is not to be touched"? Well it seems. Except Masip, no other player will be promoted to the 1st team this year. And I wonder if, with so many people filling their mouth with this about  Barca "B" is 3rd in the 2nd Division, or that the U-19 is the Champion of UEFA Youth Champions League, isn't it strange that no player can go to the 1st team?

But as we have to sell illusion after a bad season where, for the first time in many years we have not won any of the major titles, we will pay whatever. And giving away players "to lighten the wage bill", as I said before, players that the media have been said that they are not useful. All obviously to prevent people stop looking at the pitch and look at the VIP Box. And they will go into discrepancies about if the one that has to sign is this or that one. I explained also in the same mentioned entry, how this part should run.

The times they are a changing, but it seems that many have not seen it yet. Or worse, they have only seen one part: the business. And increasingly, it seems that only the business they can do with the money of others. They have not understood that this is neither the NBA nor the MLS. There, they do sport starting in business. A League is created and franchises are spread. If you lose, you don't go down to 2nd Division. And, if the business fails, the owner sells the Team and it is moved to a different city, looking for business. Leagues here have a different starting point: from sport, they try to do business. Originally, business for the club, to sign players or build new facilities. Now, it seems that business for the pockets of some, whether or not owners.

The times they are a changing. Let's see if we change the ways of proceeding.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

MISSING

Missing. So, no more. This is actually Barça.

Some players missing, not knowing whether to play short or long, not knowing if they have training or "asado" (barbeque), not knowing if they have a photo session for sponsor or, is the weekly holiday. That speak of self-criticism, but do not make it, that feel like (some), play only the matches that interest them, to be the perfect showcase to renew or to march towards a better contract.

A missing Manager, who does not know where he is, whom no one has explained that when players are missing, he should be the one who makes them get back on track. The one that nobody told that here we play one way and that is also trained in a way. A Manager missed between the names and the players, who has not been able to put who deserved (and, if not, he has to explain it), ahead of having a name.

A missing Technical Direction, with no credibility, after the evaded President told him who was to be the Manager this year, without knowing how he played and how he worked, and without knowing how to correct, without knowing what kind of reinforcements are needed or where to go to look for or, how much they will cost. Without knowing what happens when you have to find a reinforcement of urgency at midseason and, not daring to raise young players of the second team, because they are too young.

A missing Board, among courts, lawsuits, penalties from international organizations for not doing things correctly, dark transfers, and monumental works, a sense of not having the faintest idea of ​​where to go. Calling a referendum because they know they will not lose it and without having what is needed to call elections precisely because they know that can lose. That missed the President and the one that is there doens't known whether to laugh or to mourn. That only think about improving the hospitality of Camp Nou and its revenue. That will put a "surname" at the Stadium, when it has already, without asking permission or at least has not been said, in the stands (North Goal and South Goal) (See the tickets for matches).

A missing opposition, perhaps because no one dares to join to denounce everything that is being done wrong, perhaps because they do not believe in the answer of the socis (members), perhaps because they want everything to mature (more than necessary?), perhaps because they expect by 2016, with the danger that it can be. An opposition that puts only four things on twitter to say that things are not going well, but that does not give many more signals.

A missing media between ignorance of what is the Holy Grail of Barça (Possession play) and, the most shameful servility. They say white today and tomorrow, without the slightest embarrassment, they say to be black. That find as guilty of the present situation a "soci" who asked what was the cost of a signing. That says who are the players that must come, who to leave, how to play, etc., but saying that the guilty one is the Technical Director .

And, the "socis" (members). Missing. The most. Because at the end of the day, what the soci wants is to win. Whatever. At the last minute with an unjust penalty. Never mind. And now we do not win. The team that won and captivated all by  the way of playing is gone. Many of the players are, it is true. But that's all. Neither essence nor play, nor work. Of all this, there is nothing. And to the soci it arrives only what they want to make them arrive. And, if our comfort is that Madrid does not win... The soci, it must be said, is very difficult to be angry while the ball goes in. This year, it has been trusted everything that have been said. Next year, if the ball is not in, we'll see what happens.

Just write this when publishing the agreements of the Extraordinary Board today. The much spoken "revolution", for now, it's nothing. Luis Enrique as Manager, Ter Stegen as goalie and Rafinha and Deulofeu are back. Out (beyond Pinto, at was already known), and signings, nothing. As was also expected, following the departure/dismissal of Guillermo Amor and Albert Puig, had to fill their places. Roura and Altimira, until now at the Technical Staff of the 1st team, go to La Masia and Rubi out (rather than predictable thing, seen the little role that has had this year with the arrival of Martino and his staff). Basically, nothing unexpected, because we have no idea if there will be additions or rise youth from B team ("La Masia is not to be touched", remember), or what will happen.

So, we still missing.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

INTENSITIES AND METHODOLOGIES

When I started the blog, I had the idea to go talking about football things . Of those that, as a coach  I worry or have lived.

You all know that I am a supporter of Barça. The events in recent months have made that I have written a lot about what happens there and not about things purely on football. Now, with what has appeared in the press today, I have the chance to talk about one of the things least talked about: the methodology of training.

According to the newspaper "El País", the players of Barça believe that the methodology of Tata Martino is outdated and that there is no intensity. It has been saying this, and internet has been filled of "experts" who have almost all agreed that this was the big problem this year at Barça.

Let's go step by step. The intensity, in any exercise or activity, is put by those who are doing the exercise. Intensity does not mean going as quickly as possible from here to there or, to jump higher than anyone. Intensity is the effort required for the activity to go well. There are players faster than others (by nature), and other players jumping more than others (also by nature); therefore, if a player is running slower than another, does not have to be a matter of intensity. Can be many things.

I'll explain. Imagine a typical "rondo" of 4v2. No movement of players in possession. Therefore, no intensity, according to some. Is this right? Nope. Intensity in this case (and elsewhere) is to put the maximum effort and concentration for the ball goes well to the teammate. Intensity is doing the job well done. Imagine another example. A player who receives a pass from a teammate and is facing the goalkeeper. A soft but precise touch that puts the ball away from the opponent goalie and makes to score a goal. Shall we say that has not been intense because it was a soft touch? Absolutely not.

That is, it can be as intense an exercise with 6v0, as one with 5v5. So clear. And, if the player has no intensity, it is assumed that there is a coach that will demand the required intensity, right?

Working methodologies are several. Some are based on the "physical form". Others, on "analytical" work. Others have tactics as the main component. I do not go to value what is best or most appropriate. I will say that, Martino is charged of being "old fashioned". I remember when Carlos Queiroz was the manager at Real Madrid, players complained that their methods were very modern and, when Juande Ramos came, players preferred his more "traditional" methods. But the same Juande Ramos was branded as "modern" at Spurs, for wanting to control meals (among other things), of the players.

Ancelotti, for example, makes a similar pre-game warm-up very similar to the one Martino does. The Argentinean is "ancient". About the Italian, no word. And it is clear that is not a reproach. It is a fact. There is much talk of the "fitness" of Mourinho's teams, when we all know that Mou trains following Tactical Periodization and, as he has said many times, he does not work on "fitness", as this does not exist in this Methodology. If someone watches the teams of Guardiola, Simeone, Klopp or Rodgers, they all have a clearly defined style of play. The intensity applied is very high in all cases. I think none of them use the same methodology.

Think about one thing. In football everything is almost invented. The exercises you can do are more or less similar for all: exercises about passing, finishing, whatever you want. The same activity can be done with different methodologies. What will vary are two things: The ultimate goal we want to achieve (because the same exercise can be used for many things, depending on the coach), and the intensity. 4v4 is the same everywhere. Depending on the desired target, we will adjust the space (grid), number of touches on the ball, the rules that we want, etc. Now, if there is no intensity, the exercise is useless. But it is the same whether the exercise is coming from an integrated methodology of a "structured microcycle" or, "tactical periodization". The same exercise, with the same conditions, with the same players will succeed or fail depending on the intensity you have.

And this makes me wonder: Are you sure that the intensity is a problem of methodology?

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP