An elegy for Carles Puyol, part 2: on Paul Chapman and personal reflections

Also for my sister.

I first heard of Carles Puyol in the winter of 2003, well before my world soccer fixation had taken root. I was visiting my sister, who had lived for a year in Barcelona, and she told me with absolute certainty that she was going to marry a footballer that she called “the Poo”, Carles Puyol.

“It’s OK” she told me, “none of the other girls will like him, he’s ugly”. The ugly part may have been true (I think of him more as “designer unkempt”) but Carles Puyol was steeped in Catalan colours and already a local icon; she was also pretty seriously involved with a local Francophone.

Suffice to say, my brother in law has never played for Barcelona, at least not to my ken.

An elegy for Carles Puyol, part one

For my sister.

Central defenders come in many shapes, sizes and styles – they range from ball-carriers tall and elegant to frenetic barnstormers. There are plenty of variants between. However, the people’s choice award for centre-backs goes to the broad-chested titan – ideally with head wrapped in loosely woven cotton – whose Heimdall-like presence exists only to safeguard their territory from imps of the dark.

This week, one of those defenders is moving on as Carles Puyol has announced that he will leave the only club he as an adult has known.  

en.wikipedia.org

Puyol was described by theScore as the lion to Gerard Pique’s gazelle; a great shaggy mane belying a forty-axe-handle front. Were it not for him, Spain would certainly not have the first of their two European championships and, with the confidence gained therein, maybe the World Cup and second Euro crown. He was that team’s leader as he had been at Barcelona for a decade.

It is therefore difficult to see immediately who will feel less complete without the other – Barca without Puyol, or the player without the club.

The Heimdall defender stands vigilant and resolute at the entry to Asgard. It is this quality that provokes such a confidence in a club’s support that they, more than a player in any other position, fuse with the club and the two entities become indivisible.

It is no coincidence that the Heimdall defender captains his side. The very concept of the club is meshed so intimately with that centre-back that the player becomes the defining representation of club. John Terry is “Mr. Chelsea” for that same reason. Watching Nemanja Vidic at Inter is likely to feel very odd indeed*.

While many of these players aren’t in fact one-club men, de-fusing them from the club with which they are so readily identified becomes impossible. Part of that comes down to the emotional connection they share with their supporters – I have no desire to see Carles Puyol in any uniform that doesn’t rely heavily on wide blue and burgundy stripes.

Even though I don’t want to see Carles Puyol play for another club, if his choice is to move, I would fully support him. His devotion to Barcelona, outstanding play and nonpareil hair mean he deserves whatever football destination he chooses. In the (extremely) unlikely even he should cross the breach to stand alongside Spain counterpart Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, Carles Puyol would lose none of my appreciation for all that he has given.

Carles Puyol’s career feels complete. He has worked and he has won. He has nothing left to prove. However, such things often have little impact on when a career ends. Should he want to continue his career at any other club – perhaps on a valedictory tour of MLS with NYCFC – then he should do so with all of our gratitude.

*While these two players are perhaps the best modern comparisons for Carles Puyol and what he represents to their club, it is interesting to note that precisely zero transfer rumours have followed Puyol and he has never been implicated in anything remotely tawdry. Can you imagine Terry or Vidic’s reactions to the play in those heated Barca-Real games of a few years back?

The end of the world as we know it ? Or at least Barcelona

Mark Twain once famously said "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated". After Tuesday's draw with Italian champions AC Milan, perhaps we cannot say this of Barcelona FC. Without trying, alliteration rolls off the tongue when you describe Barcelona's method of football: power, pace, precision and passing. Now we can add another - paper-thin.

In them match prior to Tuesday's encounter, Barca lost new signing Alexis Sanchez to a long-term hamstring tear. Just before half-time against the Rossoneri, influential midfielder Andres Iniesta succumbed to a similar injury. Captain Puyol has barely played so far this year and his partner, the classy Gerard Pique is still to return from injury, leaving the centre-back positions in the hands of midfielders Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets.

To write Barcelona off would of course be a nonsense. But it must be said that replacements Pedro and Cesc Fabregas, while obviously no slouches, are not of true World's-Best quality. With Barca's squad possessing only implied - rather than proven - depth, the next six weeks will determine this year's La Liga title. Should the champs falter, the ominous shape looming in their rear-view mirror is shaded in the black and white of Real.

With all their talent, if Barcelona are to stumble this season it will be during the next six weeks. Fortunately, their schedule is hardly rough - their trickiest match is away to Valencia next weekend. With the quality of their incoming replacements it's possible that they take maximum points from these upcoming matches, irregardless of who plays. But with four first-XI players out, they haven't appeared this fallible since their Champions' League semi-final escape against Chelsea in 2009.

Neither their game or mindset is up for question, but their bodies. As defensive midfielders, Busquets and Mascherano are very good; as centre-backs they are slow and easily beaten in the air. Fabregas, Thiago and Pedro will bear the load in the midfield; the hope will be that Puyol and Pique will return to full health soon. Some small saving grace comes in the form of los merengues' fixture list: Madrid face troublesome ties at Espanyol and nouveau riche Malaga.

As top football leagues across Europe become increasingly fought out between two teams (who said Scottish football wasn't progressive?!), injury looks like becoming a prime indicator for title favouritism.

Man U need efficiency to beat Barcelona in Champions' League Final

Sir Alex Ferguson says that his oppoenets are stronger, having grown in strength since their last encounter. That match, the 2009 Champions' League final, was almost the archetypal Barcelona symphony: composed by Pep Guardiola, conducted by Iniesta and Xavi and ultimately won through brilliant solos by Messi and Eto'o. United were second best that day, suffering from a lack of match-fitness and the unthinkably-important-in-2004 Darren Fletcher.

It was a magical match, even though after about sixty minutes it left the United fan with that horrible sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach. Remember, this was after Barcelona grew their halo but before their aura had fully taken hold. While the Catalans had been very lucky to escape Chelsea in the semi final (Didier Drogba's supernovaic "f*****g disgrace" match) and appeared to have trouble breaking down the Blues' defence. Popular opinion before the final swung to the Red Devils based on the flawed theorum of "Chelsea's defence troubled them and United' defence is better than theirs".

This year United appear in better touch and health, with the possible exception of Fletcher, who is still on the road back from a virus. They also, however, face an opponent who have become more machine than man in the time since they last played. Barcelona's gameplan will be the same as always: death by a thousand cuts, tiki-taka, pass-and-move offense. They can play that way due to defensive stanchions Pique and Puyol whose steadfastness is often overlooked when referring to world football's ultimate "goodies".

How can United's take Barcelona down?

Firstly, Sir Alex Ferguson can't afford to be sentimental with his team selection. Anderson has been in good touch and has solidified his position as a central midfielder of the future at Old Trafford, while Paul Scholes' legs, great servants though they be, have gone. Both have never been the most elegant defensive players, even if they do try. That means United's central midfield partnership should probably be Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher which, while capable defensively, lacks a certain deconstructive element.

Ferguson's preference for a 4-5-1 away from home means that only one further central midfielder and that position belongs unquestionably to Ryan Giggs who provides that creative element. He, unlike contemporary Scholes, still deserves a starting berth as the team's creative hub. When faced with a minimum of possession, it's imperative to use best what you get: Fletcher and Carrick can keep the ball but it will be Giggs, Scholes or Anderson who use it.

Secondly, man-marking Messi, though potentially minimising his influence, would disregard the threat of Xavi and Iniesta, not to mention willo-the-wisps Villa and Pedro. United need to absorb Barca's pressure yet still have enough to counter-attack. While Jose Mourinho's Copa del Rey tactics won them the Cup, they proved only moderately successful (at best) during the other three Clasicos and it took Los Merengues away from their strengths. United's strength in 2010-11 has been their attitude and endeavour: they'll need both to win the ball from Barcelona.

Counterattacking could work but would would go against the 58% possession they've accumulated over the course of their Champions' League campaign. Over Guardiola' reign at the Camp Nou, they've lost eight league matches - five in that glorious first year - and four in the Champions' League. In those La Liga games, they've condeded an average of 34% possession (in 2010's only loss to Atletico) and 22% in this year's blemishes against Hercules and Real Sociedad. In the Champions' League, they've gone down to Rubin Kazan, Inter Milan, Shakhtar and Arsenal while controlling the ball a combined 69.25% of the time. United must understand that no matter how good they are, Barca will control the ball. Therefore, the Red Devils must make the most of whatever chances they get.

Thirdly, they need efficiency from the wings. Nani, while having almost every trick in the book, often tries to do too much, stifling attacking fluency. When on his game he's outstanding, but when he's not, it's obvious to see why Ferguson prefers Park and Valencia on the flanks. The Ecuadorian has been outstanding in an injury-limited campaign and lines up against possibly Barca's weakest position, left-back. Should Puyol play there, Valencia has the speed to take advantage of Captain Caveman's ageing wheels while alternative Adriano is a hot-and-cold proposition. Park's "up and at 'em" style where he tracks back to defend is a good option for negating the presence of Dani Alves, if not attacking a player who's renowned for his offensive prowess and spasmodic defense.

There's no strict way of beating the Catalans. Both Inter Milan and Chelsea proved the best way of beating Barca is to be solid defensively, to do everything possible to disrupt their game and hope like crazy that they have a bad day. Scoring from set pieces or from afar is a bonus. United should defend, defend, defend but to play their own game going forward whenever possible, using Valencia, Rooney and Park's creativity and Javier Hernandez's in-the-box predation.

Valencia Image courtesy telegraph.co.uk