First of all, I commend merlin's new series on getting to know VC members better. And yes, I too do like Rammstein merlin.
Now coming to the point. Barcelona have had the whole world except Jose and Ibra wax lyrical about them. Just today morning I woke up to the news. An article titled 'sorry Chelsea, but Barcelona can start celebrating now'.
Here's the best part. I don`t remember the name of the writer. I think I did for 5 seconds but it's not in my nature to remember the names of unimportant people. Call me arrogant. But that's just me. I believe in confidence. I believe in having the balls (but not showing them around like Louis van Gaal).
Whoever wrote that can go feck himself. When the Manchester twins got kicked out in the group stages (by teams we eventually beat) the media was strangely quite. So here's what saber says to you:-
'why don`t you write about that. Why not ask Arsene why he never wins anything. But that's hardly news considering he always loses the plot in the business end. Why not ask 'King Kenny' why Liverpool will never walk again, or Old Arry as to why the spuds are back to being pathetic. I'm not even a professional journalist or a writer but I seem to do a better job than you guys do on a weekly basis. Who hired you in the first place?'
Yes Barcelona are good. But they do have tactical chinks in their armour which special coaches can exploit. Their weakness is their backline and the joke of a goalkeeper called Valdes. It's never exposed because most teams play with an inferiority complex and are too scared to fight these midgets.
They also have other weaknesses which I will expose as the discussion goes by.
1. Valdes - He's Spains third best goalkeeper for a reason. He's not exactly unbeatable. In fact he's their weakest link. He is not like other goal keepers who lob the ball up front. He tries to be cute and always passes the ball to the defence as Barca prefer to build the attack from the back. So I'd have my forward line run at him at full sprint menacingly. Two on him and one floating behind midfield at the ready to steal the ball as soon he screws up his pass under pressure.
2. The back 3 - Dani Alves is totally out of the defensive picture and is more interested in attacking down the right. So by defacto Barcelona end up with 3 centre backs, which brings me to point 3.
3. Puyol - is not a natural left back, leaving a huge weak gap on our right flank. I'd have someone with tricks and pace like Danny screwing him around. We can expose Puyol's age and Danny`s hammer of a left leg can catch lazy Valdez at any minute!
4. Mascherano - the former scouser has a weakness, his temper. Play at it. We need our centre forward to irritate this boy. Toy with him. Do what it takes. Get his temper fired up because when you do he's prone to the odd red mist moment where he'll run out of the back line at you for revenge forgetting his duty leaving a gaping hole or, make a silly challenge, or deliberately fight you. There's a penalty / booking / defensive error waiting in that psycho.
Normally you'd want the Drogs to do that part out. But these days he's become too much of a gentleman to do so. Plus he seems to lack pace. But what he does provide is an aerial threat which the midgets have a weakness for. Quick counter attacks on the flanks and crosses with some heading accuracy can rattle the Catalan actors. Torres when in form for Athletico made a habit of ghosting past the defence.
But the question is he good enough now. While he does suit the counter attacking style it's his mental toughness that I worry about. The Drogs always seems to turn up on the big occasions. However Torres's Spanish may help rile up the Argentine Mascherano. Whoever plays the role of centre forward will have to be a grade-A villain and beast over the two legs.
5. Piquet - Alves's attacks down the leaves Shakira's boyfriend doing both the right back and the centre back duties. This is where Rami's sheer pace on the counter can drag him out leaving poor old Mascherano with too much to do. Plus Rami can help out Cole defensively as Alves attacks from the right and Messi plays somewhat rightish as he is left footed.
6. Biscuits - will be shielding the back 3 and occasionally diving left right and centre. Mata must out smart biscuits, and use his growing reputation of being a cheat against him by indulging in the odd dive himself. I know some of you might cringe at the idea of play acting but there is a famous saying in my native tongue, 'to remove a thorn you need to use a thorn'...
7. Xavi and Iniesta - right now judged as the best players in the world following Messi and Ronaldo it will take something special to stop these two. I say a double pivot of Essien (if fully fit or Mikel in his place), and Luiz in front of our back 4 will screw up their midfield. Disruption is the name of the game. Ess will have to do what he did to Stevie G in that Champions League on Xavi, whose not exactly the fastest player around and pulls the strings from the centre. Luiz's pace and trickery can put Iniesta quiet and when he's not up to that he can do a job on Fabregas who sits being an attacking duo of Messi and Cuenca / Pedro.
8. Fabregas - to stop him we need our defensive midfielders and centre backs to work in tandem. It important our midfield and defence lines stay compact as it's the space in between where Fabregas operates from.
9. Messi - his right-ish positioning in an attacking duo means Cole has to play the game of his life. Alves will try to pull Cole out at which time Terry will have to watch Messi really carefully. This also why Rami must track back to help Cole and Terry to create a 3 on 2 situation. Meanwhile my other old fashioned centre back Cahill must be on an alert to mop up any mess while minding Fabre / Miniesta / Pedro surges with Iva's help.
10. Pedro / Cuenca - can be taken care of by an Iva and Cahill combo. Mind Miniesta and Fabre meanwhile. Luiz to help. And Sturridge, TRACK BACK AND DEFEND!
So basically we are playing a 4-4-1-1 in defence and 4-2-3-1 in quick counter attacks.
Team - Cech - Iva, Cahill, Terry, Cole - Mikel / Essien / Luiz - Rami, Mata. Studge - Torres / Drogs