To get a testimony of how bad this season performance is, don't have to look beyond the present Pichichis table. I can't remember the last time when we had a total absense from the Pichichis table top ten. The only guy who is near the top is Lionel Messi. This just shows how much we have missed Eto this season. He used to be in the top five evry season. Victor Valdez leads the Zamoras table just ahead of Cassilas. That also shows that our defense and Goal Keepers are not doing much wrong season. What is hurting us the most is inability to create Goal. Above all the shots on target and off target statistics looks like coming down this season by huge. Barcelona never used to convert everything they create. The maximum they used to convert was 30% of all shots on target. With those shots on Target coming down, logically goals have dried up. Anyway Messi and Eto still can make it to top ten.
Pichichi League Cup Europe Total(Penalties)
Luis Fabiano (Sevilla) 14 2 7 23 (4)
Kanouté (Sevilla) 8 4 5 17 (2)
Milito (Zaragoza) 14 2 0 16 (5)
Van Nistelrooy (R Madrid) 12 0 4 16 (2)
Agüero (Atlético) 9 1 6 16 (0)
Nihat (Villarreal) 11 0 3 14 (0)
Diego Forlán (Atlético) 7 1 6 14 (1)
Güiza (Mallorca) 11 2 0 13 (1)
Oliveira (Zaragoza) 10 2 1 13 (0)
Raúl (Real Madrid) 9 0 3 12 (1)
Messi (Barcelona) 8 0 4 12 (4)
January 30, 2008
A Pichichi without Barcelona Presence
September 4, 2007
A Nice Lionel Messi Compilation - Video
Found this amazing video compilation about Lionel Messi in net. Thought of sharing it. Its done by milankakabaros - visit him at www.milankakabaros.com
September 3, 2007
A Decent Win
The victory against Bilbao was secured in the first half. Barcelona went in to the match with al lot of criticism for their lackluster performance last week. Early on the first half, barca players hunger to keep the critics away was evident. They played like a team possessed. Athletic Bilbao should had considered themselves lucky at half time for trailing by only 2 goals. The second half in itself was a sharp contrast. Ronaldinho and Messi were setting the tone for the first half, every time Messi gets the ball there was a big anticipation for something big. And he didn't disappoint. Ronaldinho stellar performance should have subsidized all the Transfer rumors for now(its going to return in January, take a break). From the last some Liga games , its look like his free kick technique is coming back. But for me the star of the show was Eric Abidal - My God what a player. Its not surprising all of the Barcelona's attacks came either through him or Zambrotta. He should have solved our Left back misery, hope so. But whatever he is showing he is worth to watch.
In contrast to the first half, second half saw the last year Barcelona coming back(unfortunately). They were losing ball very easily, there was no conviction in the passing and it took the supporters booing to remind players they are there to win games. In contrast to first half - where the defence looked like compact and sealed, second half defence sometimes had no idea of what they were doing. The problem with Barca last season and still continues- is that after taking the early lead or control they tend to sit back. Because of which they end up conceding late equalizers. How many time did that happen last season. Rijkaard has to pay attention here.
It will be big injustice not to mention these two players in this article - Deco and Henry. Deco as usual is the marshal of Barca's Midfield. He was there all the time with all those tricks and turns. Hope he continues to find such form every night. When he moved to Barca, I thought he will not gel well with Barca system, I was proven wrong - He is looking good and he is due for his goal, mark my word he is going to get a lot.
May 18, 2007
Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi - Two sides of same Mirror
Whatever be the result of the Fifa investigation to WestHam's Tevez transfer saga, he is going to be alive in the hearts of millions of WestHam fan's for many more years to come. Let's hope they don't get relegated as their story in the latter part was one of hope and struggle. Before 10 matches if somebody told me they are going to survive the League I would have gladly said "Buddy I am not a fool to buy that". But yet again as many times i was again wrong, but this time it had a happy feeling. Tevez and Messi are the future of Argentinian football. They both are real contrast to each other. One is an unbelievably skillful maybe a once in a generation player, but the other one is very talented, hardworking and unselfish player. When Messi was brought into 1st Team everything was on his side - the Media, Management, Fans and Players. If you remember the players all of them used to protect him like anything. The best example was the CL 1st leg in Chelsea. Whenever Messi was fouled there was kind of scuffle between players. In contrast when Tevez came to WestHam along with Mascherano, he was welcomed by a contrasting feeling - Distrust by Fans, media and players. The one which mattered the most was the players were not ready to accept him as one of them. And things predictably should have gone worse with Javier Mascherano's loan to Liverpool. I believed he would have been a lone figure in the dressing room. But when you have Carlos Tevez in your hand predictions have no value. Now at the end of the season the fans have declared him a "Hammer legend 4 Life"(It just took one season). How can he do that? The answer is you have to be "Carlos Tevez" for doing that. He never gave hope and with his performance he started inspiring the players to believe in him(I think one man who believed in him more than everyone was Anton Ferdinand). The key was he didn't try to impress media or his coach but his fellow colleagues. The WestHam's Great escape is not a one man story, it is a story of a bunch of people(Noble,Zamora, Benyayoun,.....) led and believing in their Hero and trying to do something impossible. At last they did it in style by beating the Champions at their den.
One attribute which makes Tevez differ from other strikers of his age is his "Unselfish character". Always we have seen that young strikers tend to be more selfish than everyone. Till last season Ronaldo was one of that category, this season he reinvented himself and look at the result. This makes Tevez doubly dangerous as he is a striker who is made of a fatal combination of Latin American flair, Hardwork and unselfishness. Let's hope he stays in WestHam for next season(i.e they are not relegated).
There is soccer players of different kind - One with flair, One with Grit, One who struggles and then there is the Tevez type.
April 17, 2007
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