minithoughts

Messi and Zambrotta, it is true that it is not a connection that is working. I believe that perhaps Zambrotta is used to having someone covering him, when he attacks and as no one does, it schizofrenizes him. A solution to the problem, could well be switching Xavi and Eidur. At least then you will have one player who defends one either side, someone helping out and covering the full backs runs. It is also true that Messi sometimes forgets that there are players around him, and on occasions Zambrotta is free, but Messi tries one of his slaloms. I guess that is fine, when he is winning games, it will be another story and another worry on the days when he doesn't.


This moment has finally arrived, Eto'o is backed. I admit that I fear that he won't be himself. That two crucial injuries will both slow him down and somehow tame him. He needs to be the Lion we all know and want to be. With him, it won't be a problem that Messi doesn't defend (as you can have one player with total freedom, but not more). I sincerely have missed him, he is one of these players that scores at that crucial moment. I remember all these matches when the team played badly, especially away, but we had that goal from Eto'o. That goal that won us so many games. His character can be discussed forever, but it is something the team needs. Someone who never takes a game lightly, someone who has something to prove, every day, every hour, every minute, every second.



It has long been thought that Zambrotta simply doesn't perform well enough at Barcelona. That going forward he doesn't bring much more than Oleguer, that Puyol is so much better and should play in Zambrotta's position. That said Puyol is very good in that position, but against Espanyol he was exposed for the goal that Coro scored from (the person he was supposed to mark Riera's pass). I would like to put the blame further up the field. In previous year the other side was the open motorway and teams used that flank to attack, in some sense a solution has been brought to that by playing Iniesta, who does track back and defend, and Eidur or Deco when he plays. On the other side, the full back is extremely exposed, as Messi defends extremely well, it is just that it is very sporadically and Xavi does run back, but little more than that, he seems totally inefficient at defending. Perhaps he should open his eyes and learn a little more from players such as Cocu, Touré, or Deco.





Is the neurotic moment finally over. Will we be spared those frantic runs by Puyol when he is gesturing the air. Will he be able to impose his captaincy. Will we see Rijkaard shaking his head in that special motion way that he does? Will he holds his hands in front of him hoping to be living a nightmare?
Or has the moment arrived when he shows his balls?

ps. sometimes the scans make the picture better, but int he case of Eto'o/Rijkaard it actually made it worst. It is a nice little drawing. The other ones are so so. Puyol and Rijkaard if you did not notice. Zambrotta and Messi in a moment of intimacy. Rijkaard and his balls. I am still awful at maing faces, shadows are slightly overdone (although fun to do). The main thing I dominate is colours, chose of pictures. I guess the rest is practice, practice and practice.