Season's greetings

Van Gaal, Figo have plenty to prove

Dear readers,

I am definitely excited about the new campaign and wanted to share some of my pre-season thoughts and concerns with you.

1. Louis Van Gaal

There are a few things in life I don’t understand and one of them is how this man got his job back at Barcelona. Picture this... you are the manager of a company. You are successful for two and a half years although you never get along well with any of your employees.

Suddenly things start going badly and you get the sack amidst claims of incompetence. Then, you get a job at another enterprise and fail miserably in your task. What are the chances your previous employers will take you back with open arms? Nil. That’s why I don’t understand how Barca President Joan Gaspart hired Van Gaal again. The fans don’t like him, neither do the players, so this second marriage is destined to fail.

He has already raised eyebrows by keeping Juan Roman Riquelme on the bench and playing Javier Saviola on the wing... Mis-using two of your most talented players is not a good way to start nor to get the supporters on your side. Good luck Van Gaal, or you could soon be Van Gone!

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2. Luis Figo

I had the pleasure of talking to the reigning FIFA Footballer of the year last week, and although I have nothing but great things to say about my compatriot as a person, I have to admit that I am worried about his future as a player.

He was extremely disappointing at the World Cup and seems slow in pre-season. Figo told me that his ankle still hurts sometimes. He needs to rest. The Portuguese winger used to instill fear in opposing defenses every time he touched the ball, but currently lacks the pace and that explosive first step which made and can make him so magical.

I hope Real Madrid will allow him to recuperate completely before putting his career on the line by putting him on the pitch too early and too often.

3. Real Madrid

I think this is the club to beat at the moment and I am tipping the Spanish giants to win at least four trophies this season. Manager Vicente Del Bosque has found a way to gel all the egos together and it is fantastic to watch them play.

With a healthy Zidane and Figo, they can win the Champions League, Intercontinental Cup, Supercup and La Liga. They may fall short of taking the Spanish Cup due to lack of interest.

4. Liverpool

The Anfield club has been progressing admirably under Gerard Houllier and I believe it will win the Premiership title this year, snapping out of a title drought which has lasted for over a decade. Its defense is as solid as ever with Sami Hyypia leading the way. With the addition of Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao their midfield has definitely become stronger, and El Hadji Diouf will certainly be deadly up front.

What will push Liverpool over the hump is the maturity of two crucial players: Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen . These are two of the best young stars in the world and have now learned enough to make the difference.

5. Italian clubs

I am worried about the defensive mentality of managers in the Serie-A. This new 4-3-3 system with only one striker is driving me nuts. Roma coach Fabio Capello told me “I play with three forwards.”

No, you play with one striker and two wingers. I watched Roma in pre-season and it has struggled to score every game. How can you keep Vincenzo Montella and Marco Delvecchio on the bench?

Also, the other day, in the Champions League, Inter Milan battled an under-strength Sporting Lisbon playing with nine men behind the ball.

Give me a break, Hector Cuper , you have some of the best players in the world! Attack!

I am aware that these are two of the most well-regarded managers around, and I respect their knowledge of the game, but they should be less worried about tactics and destructive systems, and more concerned about scoring goals.

Well, these are a few of my pre-season thoughts. I am sure I will hear what you think about them soon.

Pedro Pinto

 

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