Football Update

The concept of defence has never been a popular one at the Nou Camp. After all, why would a crowd fed on a diet of Cruyff, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi, to name just a few, care about what happens on the other end of the field? This lack of concern for the back third of the pitch is often reflected in the relative lack of funds directed at strengthening the defence over the years, often to the club’s detriment. This summer, however, the new regime has spent the majority of its money re-enforcing Barca’s back line.

Goalkeeper

For all their best defensive intentions, the decision by the new management not to sign a new keeper is a baffling one. Technically, they have made a permanent signing, in the form of Jose Manuel Pinto, who was on loan from Celta Vigo for the second half of last season. However, this is nothing more than a convenient way of covering for the long term injury of the previous second choice, Albert Jorquera. Despite being a fine goalkeeper in his prime, the ageing Pinto is not realistically going to provide competition to a keeper, Victor Valdes, who desperately needs it. It’s not that Valdes is a poor goalie, but rather that he is far too inconsistent for a club aiming to win every competition it enters. For every spectacular performance, such as the 2006 Champions League Final, there is a horror show, such as his catastrophic night at the Bernabeu last year, a woefully inept showing capped off by a comical booking for feigning injury. Of course, world-class keepers are a rare breed (oh, for a Casillas in every team), but one can’t help but feel that if Valdes was not Catalan, he would have been shown the door a long time ago.

Right Back

When Barca signed Gianluca Zambrotta two years ago, he was widely regarded as the best right back in the world. Two-footed, capable of playing on either flank, solid defensively, a dangerous attacker with a fierce shot to boot, there was no one to rival him. However, his performances for the Blaugrana left a lot to be desired, leading to his sale in the summer. His replacement? The undoubted heir to his throne, Daniel Alves. The rampaging Brazilian full back is worth every penny spent on him, and the prospect of an Alves-Messi combination will have left backs everywhere in serious depression.

Central Defence

Barca’s central defensive signings this year are more about squad depth than superstardom, thus addressing a serious problem from last season. With one of Puyol, Milito and Marquez usually injured, the only back up came in the form of an ageing Lillian Thuram and a clumsy Oleguer. While the former trio will still make up the first choice defence (Milito’s injury notwithstanding), new signings Martin Caceres and Gerard Pique will provide stiff competition at the very least. The Uruguayan Caceres impressed on loan at Recreativo de Huelva from Villarreal last year, and is definitely one for the future. The signing of Pique is somewhat more mysterious. While Barca fans are always happy to see players from the cantera in the team, some are questioning the wisdom of paying money to buy back a home grown player who left for nothing, particularly when, for all his promise, he has yet to prove himself as a first team regular at a big club. He has undoubted potential though, and being back at his dream club should help him harness it. When Henrique, the Brazilian Barca have signed from Palmeiras (although he will probably be loaned out to another club this season to gain experience) is factored in, Barca’s central defensive unit looks to have a solid future.

Left Back

Just as baffling as the faith shown in Victor Valdes is the retaining of Eric Abidal as Barca’s first choice left back. Consistently overshadowed by Patrice Evra, Abidal’s reputation only remained intact due to his continued selection by the frankly insane French manager, Raymond Domenech. A poor first season was followed by a dismal Euro 2008, in which his technical deficiencies were highlighted for the world to see. Abidal is atrocious going forward and unsteady at the back, and with the ageing Sylvinho as the only backup, the left side of defence is a serious liability.

While a few areas of Barca’s defence still exhibit signs of weakness, the general attitude towards improving this area shown by Guardiola and co. is an encouraging one. It is far from the finished product, but the rejuvenation of the back line should lead to a vast improvement on last season’s often dismal performances.

Arjun K Miglani