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Spanish Inquisition: Why Coach Pep Guardiola Is Barcelona's Key Player
Much has been made of the geniuses of Lionel Messi and Xavi in recent weeks but would Barca have achieved greatness without Pep? Goal.com's Subhankar Mondal doesn't think so....
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £65.00 | Draw £43.30 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £85.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £75.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £13.70 |
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Apr 13, 2010 12:30:00 PM
By Subhankar Mondal
Watching an orchestra for the first time you might have wondered what exactly the standing bloke does with the baton in his hand. All the time he just stands in front of the musicians and does funny and apparently random gestures with it. It appears so irrational to you that you think that you yourself could replace him then and there if you had his suit.
Watching Pep Guardiola on the touchline, you do get a somewhat similar feeling. What exactly has the Santpedor-born done with this terrifyingly exotic bunch of footballers who are a few steps away from re-creating history that they themselves created last year?
All that he does is wear a nice suit, spit instructions from the technical area, bring on a couple of substitutes when the result is virtually ascertained and make a few uninteresting remarks after the match. It appears so easy and smooth that you think that you yourself can replace him then and there without any degree in coaching. Even your grandma could replace Guardiola. And she is 80.
Problem is that the conductor of the orchestra does a very important job. His apparently random hand-gestures are what keeps the musicians playing in sync with each other; his actions give them the right balance and, more importantly, transfer his feelings to them so that the music that is eventually expressed trembles with emotion. What Guardiola does on the sidelines is a similar enactment on a football arena and although you think that you can be as good as him, fact is that you cannot and neither can your grandma. Even if she were 39.
Conducting The Orchestra
You could argue that a team that is comprised of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta doesn't need much coaching, or 'conducting': after all, what exactly do you 'coach' into well-drilled, well-functioning, well-oiled supremely talented individuals? When Vicente del Bosque was the coach of Real Madrid during the Galacticos era, many felt that he didn't do much except line out his players in a predetermined formation and allow them to play and enjoy. After all, there was nothing much to 'teach' the likes of Zidane, Figo, Raul and Roberto Carlos.
Guardiola Giving His Pep Talk
In the aftermath of Barcelona's record-setting six trophies-in-a-year triumph, yours truly scripted an editorial on these pages exploring whether Guardiola was a genius or a fluke who had garnered silverware in his first season as a top flight coach because of several factors combining together. The overwhelming response of the readers were that he was a genius but a number of them pointed out, perhaps correctly, that he must do it again in 2009-2010 to prove himself. Probably not illegitimate demands but daunting nevertheless.
But proven himself again he has and as Barcelona carry on what the South American writer Eduardo Galeano would define as "the forbidden adventure of freedom" and look to rewrite the history books yet again, Guardiola too is on course to better the European Cup record of the likes of Jose Mourinho and Del Bosque. In fact, Guardiola has already bettered Johan Cruyff's record at the Bernabeu: the Dutch legend won just once in Madrid in his eight years as coach of the Blaugrana, Pep has won two out of two.
Of course, it is a luxury for Guardiola that he is working with the best sets of players in the world but as has been illustrated by Real Madrid's spectacular collapse in crucial fixtures this campaign, having a string of world class players doesn't necessarily guarantee success. Last campaign, Guardiola put his team - which was virtually what Frank Rijkaard had - into sync, put them in the same rhythm, made them coherent and cohesive. And following Barca's unique footballing philosophy made Barcelona into Frankenstein's monster, only one that was good-natured.
The Improvisation
This season Guardiola has improved upon it. The import of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and export of Samuel Eto'o has made Pep alter his strategies and made Barca a bit slower upfront; with Thierry Henry radically losing his form, the former Barcelona midfielder switched Pedro to the inside-left channel. Moreover, he masterminded probably his best tactic this campaign: making Lionel Messi more of a withdrawn centre-forward on a more regular basis.
Last season Messi hogged the right side of the three-man attack, Henry the left and Eto'o the centre and while this time the trident system sustains itself with Pedro replacing Henry on the left and Ibra substituting Eto'o in the centre, Ibra's lack of goals on occasions has pushed Messi into the middle. Little Lionel has become a more versatile player because of Guardiola, and yes, a more 'complete' player.
Another Glorious Year Awaits
Guardiola has instilled a stubborn belief in his Barcelona players that was exhibited against Arsenal in the Champions League at Camp Nou when even after going a goal down his side didn't panic. It is this confidence in one's ability and in that of his team-mates that went starkly missing in the final two years of Rijkaard's reign and it is far from easy bringing back self-belief on an individual and collective level. Against Tenerife in January Barca could have been three goals down but eventually demolished the Chicharreros 5-0.
The Silk And The Steel
Against Real Madrid at the weekend Guardiola made an ambitious move by playing Dani Alves at right-wing behind Lionel Messi with Carles Puyol at right-back but before long with Alves and Messi failing to click, the Brazilian moved back to right-back and Puyol to the left. Messi drifted into the centre and even with Madrid closing down on the Barca team, committing fouls, punctuating the flow and making the game scrappy, Barca's passing game emerged victorious.
Mind you, Barcelona are not all about the silk; everywhere you look you find steel too. Guardiola has enforced a work ethic that is indiscernible in any other team. Messi drops deep inside his own half, Alves is so used to running up-and-down on the right that he has probably forgotten how to stand still, Gerard Pique has had more shots on goal than Sergio Busquets (in all competitions) and Pedro is fast becoming a complete left wing player. Guardiola's genius lies in making the Barca players 'total footballers', teaching them how to attack and defend both with the ball and without it.
Guardiola is an extension of Barcelona and his Pep Team is an extension of his own self. The Barca players are humble because Guardiola himself is humble; the Barca team play sensational football because Guardiola himself was an indispensable fragment of the Dream Team sensational of the 1990's.
And Pep is only in his second season as coach of a top flight club and is only 39.
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Watching Pep Guardiola on the touchline, you do get a somewhat similar feeling. What exactly has the Santpedor-born done with this terrifyingly exotic bunch of footballers who are a few steps away from re-creating history that they themselves created last year?
All that he does is wear a nice suit, spit instructions from the technical area, bring on a couple of substitutes when the result is virtually ascertained and make a few uninteresting remarks after the match. It appears so easy and smooth that you think that you yourself can replace him then and there without any degree in coaching. Even your grandma could replace Guardiola. And she is 80.
Problem is that the conductor of the orchestra does a very important job. His apparently random hand-gestures are what keeps the musicians playing in sync with each other; his actions give them the right balance and, more importantly, transfer his feelings to them so that the music that is eventually expressed trembles with emotion. What Guardiola does on the sidelines is a similar enactment on a football arena and although you think that you can be as good as him, fact is that you cannot and neither can your grandma. Even if she were 39.
Conducting The Orchestra
You could argue that a team that is comprised of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta doesn't need much coaching, or 'conducting': after all, what exactly do you 'coach' into well-drilled, well-functioning, well-oiled supremely talented individuals? When Vicente del Bosque was the coach of Real Madrid during the Galacticos era, many felt that he didn't do much except line out his players in a predetermined formation and allow them to play and enjoy. After all, there was nothing much to 'teach' the likes of Zidane, Figo, Raul and Roberto Carlos.
Guardiola Giving His Pep Talk
In the aftermath of Barcelona's record-setting six trophies-in-a-year triumph, yours truly scripted an editorial on these pages exploring whether Guardiola was a genius or a fluke who had garnered silverware in his first season as a top flight coach because of several factors combining together. The overwhelming response of the readers were that he was a genius but a number of them pointed out, perhaps correctly, that he must do it again in 2009-2010 to prove himself. Probably not illegitimate demands but daunting nevertheless.
But proven himself again he has and as Barcelona carry on what the South American writer Eduardo Galeano would define as "the forbidden adventure of freedom" and look to rewrite the history books yet again, Guardiola too is on course to better the European Cup record of the likes of Jose Mourinho and Del Bosque. In fact, Guardiola has already bettered Johan Cruyff's record at the Bernabeu: the Dutch legend won just once in Madrid in his eight years as coach of the Blaugrana, Pep has won two out of two.
Of course, it is a luxury for Guardiola that he is working with the best sets of players in the world but as has been illustrated by Real Madrid's spectacular collapse in crucial fixtures this campaign, having a string of world class players doesn't necessarily guarantee success. Last campaign, Guardiola put his team - which was virtually what Frank Rijkaard had - into sync, put them in the same rhythm, made them coherent and cohesive. And following Barca's unique footballing philosophy made Barcelona into Frankenstein's monster, only one that was good-natured.
The Improvisation
This season Guardiola has improved upon it. The import of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and export of Samuel Eto'o has made Pep alter his strategies and made Barca a bit slower upfront; with Thierry Henry radically losing his form, the former Barcelona midfielder switched Pedro to the inside-left channel. Moreover, he masterminded probably his best tactic this campaign: making Lionel Messi more of a withdrawn centre-forward on a more regular basis.
Last season Messi hogged the right side of the three-man attack, Henry the left and Eto'o the centre and while this time the trident system sustains itself with Pedro replacing Henry on the left and Ibra substituting Eto'o in the centre, Ibra's lack of goals on occasions has pushed Messi into the middle. Little Lionel has become a more versatile player because of Guardiola, and yes, a more 'complete' player.
Another Glorious Year Awaits
Guardiola has instilled a stubborn belief in his Barcelona players that was exhibited against Arsenal in the Champions League at Camp Nou when even after going a goal down his side didn't panic. It is this confidence in one's ability and in that of his team-mates that went starkly missing in the final two years of Rijkaard's reign and it is far from easy bringing back self-belief on an individual and collective level. Against Tenerife in January Barca could have been three goals down but eventually demolished the Chicharreros 5-0.
The Silk And The Steel
Against Real Madrid at the weekend Guardiola made an ambitious move by playing Dani Alves at right-wing behind Lionel Messi with Carles Puyol at right-back but before long with Alves and Messi failing to click, the Brazilian moved back to right-back and Puyol to the left. Messi drifted into the centre and even with Madrid closing down on the Barca team, committing fouls, punctuating the flow and making the game scrappy, Barca's passing game emerged victorious.
Mind you, Barcelona are not all about the silk; everywhere you look you find steel too. Guardiola has enforced a work ethic that is indiscernible in any other team. Messi drops deep inside his own half, Alves is so used to running up-and-down on the right that he has probably forgotten how to stand still, Gerard Pique has had more shots on goal than Sergio Busquets (in all competitions) and Pedro is fast becoming a complete left wing player. Guardiola's genius lies in making the Barca players 'total footballers', teaching them how to attack and defend both with the ball and without it.
Guardiola is an extension of Barcelona and his Pep Team is an extension of his own self. The Barca players are humble because Guardiola himself is humble; the Barca team play sensational football because Guardiola himself was an indispensable fragment of the Dream Team sensational of the 1990's.
And Pep is only in his second season as coach of a top flight club and is only 39.
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