I know this is yesterday’s news but I didn’t have time to comment on the board of directors’ decision to stand by Frank Rijkaard at least until the end of this season. Firstly, I am pleased with the decision, I have stated many times that changing the coach mid-season is rarely the solution. Things would have to be much worse for that to happen.
In my opinion, if Barça had been knocked out of the Champions League and were not in the top four then a decision might have to be taken, always assuming you have someone talented in mind to take over. Sometimes a coach loses the support of the players and this can also be a reason for change. I am happy that the directors do not follow a knee-jerk policy with managers: patience and stability is the key to success.
Joan Laporta may have his faults, but I believe he has generally been a good president so far. I prefer not to give importance to his politics as long as it doesn’t affect the team. (I would need to start another blog if I wanted to spout off on politics and politicians). There are many types in football, some have different politics, some may be businessmen with either good or bad intentions, others may just be in it for egoistic reasons. For me, he could be of this party or that, of one religion or another, he could be a hare-krishna anarcho-syndicalist media mogul for all I care, as long as he runs the club well.
7 responses so far ↓
Mirnes // Jan 30, 2008 at 16:25
I am happy with this decision….
Dr.Osmo // Jan 30, 2008 at 16:53
What Rijkaard is back… Noooo… Why ?????
Titi186 // Jan 30, 2008 at 18:33
Fair enough for the board to back him for now anyway. As you said Nic the season is still salvagable and changing coaches mid-season has no positive benifits in the long run.
What seperates Rijkard from being a great manager, and this could be put down to his relatively young age and inexperience, is his tactics.
Lets just face, Barca have NO PLAN B especially away from home. All of you can say what you want but I am right. Even at home it has hardly been convincing. Dont get me wrong Im the strgongest advocate of winning without being pretty but sooner or later your luck runs out.
Away from home, Barca need to change their style. Be more direct, more crisp, pack out the midfeild more and when we do get into a winning position take OFF A STRIKER AND ADD A DEFENDER!!
Why when we are winning with a few minutes to go do I see Barca playing 4-3-3. Yes, at Bilbao Bojan came off for Guddy but Guddy was playing as a front man. Really Barca should have had 4-4-1-1 with Messi just behind Henry for pure counter-attacking football. I cant beleive how open we were, 80minutes into the game, winning 1-0 and we had a situation where Barca were caught 2 on 2 in defense and it cost us the game. What happened to 11 men behind the ball when winning?
I dont mean to sound pissed because Im not as I was expecting a result like this to put us out of reach but Real were soooooo lucky again because of some dodgy Villareal defending so its just annoying that they are so far ahead.
Heopfully success on other fronts such as a CLeague win and Copa D Rey will cap a decent season for Barca and the progress of Henry fitting in and Bojan and Gio’s development will make it all in all a good season.
Blaugrana // Jan 30, 2008 at 18:33
Dr.osmo y not??!! Who do u think can replace him say he got fired after bilbao game?
Matt // Jan 31, 2008 at 3:32
Who could have replaced Riijkaard???
Mourinho.. surely comon he probably is just sitting in front of his telephone waiting for Laporta to call
Benitez.. if called Im pretty sure hell quit his job at Liverpool in no time, (even if he is paid or not)
I think those two guys are real good options……
And titi, that was no fluke for real, they played good football, full match attacked and passed the ball so nicely, I was ashamed the way Barca played that day…………
Hilal // Jan 31, 2008 at 16:21
I agree with you Titi….we have no plan B and it is extremely frustrating. All the best teams in Europe adapt their tactics and formation for different games and against different opponenets. Not us though, 4-3-3 every single time, ofcourse we are predictable!! Plus 4-3-3 does not really work without Eto’o and I think that has been proven over the last two seasons. Whenever he is missing 4-3-3 looks predictable and lacklustre, put him back in and it seems to work well. I great coach would see that and adapt his game…..whats wrong with 4-4-2?? Man utd play 4-4-2 and they have the most potent strike force in Europe. It would suit us quite well, Messi and Ronnie/Iniesta on the flanks and Henry with Bojan up front till we get Eto’o back…..at least try it out!!!! He was more than willing to try 3-4-3 more than once and that formation is a joke!
I think the board is probably right to wait till the end of the season to make a change, what worries me though is that it will be too late to get Mourinho by then and I think he is EXACTLY what we need. Somebody needs to sort out the dressing room and clearly Frank is unable to do that. He definitely needs to go at the end of this season whether or not we win anything. He has no tactical awareness and he cannot make a good substitution to save his life…..I still cannot get over how he did not bring on Henry against Real!?!?!?
Jordi-FCB // Jan 31, 2008 at 17:24
Bring Back Cruyff
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