by L r d Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:59 pm
Seen as United fans are more concerned with this than their massive game against, err, Lille...
Turmoil in Barcelona- Good for Liverpool, Bad for United
Barcelona football club has just entered one of its periodic rounds of infighting which is characteristic of a club where the demands on players and coaching staff are extreme to say the least. The reactions provoked from the Premiership’s elite clubs are likely to be varied.
Liverpool face Barca in the Champions League last 16 and the shenanigans in Catalonia have to be good news for the Reds. At the centre is the recently returned Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o who refused to come on for 10 minutes in a recent game, according to boss Frank Rijkaard.
For this breach of discipline, Eto’o also got a lecture on team etiquette from forward partner Ronaldinho. Not one to take this lying down. Eto’o refuted the allegation and received backing from club President Joan Laporta.
It led to an accusation by the Cameroon striker of ‘two sides’ in the Barca dressing room- one bunch Laporta’s squad, the other in the camp of Vice-President Sandro Rossel- a big wheel with Nike and very close to Ronaldinho.
How true all this is, it’s difficult to say but its hardly the best preparation for the most important clashes of the season. Having said that Barca still top the Spanish League and they are a club who can carry a bit of baggage and perform- it almost goes with the territory when so many egos collide in one dressing room.
Looking back though, Barcelona is certainly a club that has underachieved given their playing talent- there should have been many more European Cups and their combustible mixes seem to produce either genius or dissension.
It’s easy to see why Sir Alex Ferguson values such a talent like Henrik Larsson, who brings not only his skill but his keen football intelligence to the squad, both on and off the park. Barca are missing him this season.
All of which means, that Liverpool will go into their tie in a fairly positive frame of mind and determined to exploit any weaknesses. The Reds are likely to put up a tough barrier, keep it tight and see if the various talents in the Barca side can be goaded to try to win it individually, instead of applying their collective brilliance.
For Manchester United though, these spats are not good news. One of the outcomes of the upheaval could be a move for Ronaldinho- Chelsea and Milan are already said to be in the hunt. If that happens the pressure will be on to deliver another’ signature’ player- and because of his Iberian status and his fabulous ball skills, Christiano Ronaldo is target No 1.
United could be about to learn a hard lesson about the pecking order in the world transfer market. While they have quietly destabilised Bayern Munich in their efforts to get Owen Hargreaves the Spanish clubs are past masters- and fairly shameless about it- at getting the players they want.
It is difficult to see that United could hold on to Ronaldo if he really wants to go. In the Bosman era the cards are stacked in favour of the top players if they don’t want to stay. Ronaldo may have settled brilliantly after all the World Cup fallout but he may still decide he’d like the climate and atmosphere of Spain more.
Whether English fans may agree, Ronaldo certainly feels that he doesn’t receive enough protection from referees in England and he would be bound to get more in Spanish football. That’s one thing Sir Alex Ferguson can’t control.
The fight isn’t over, as Arsenal proved when they held on to Thierry Henry against the overtures from Catalonia but it would certainly be a whole lot easier if Ronaldinho stays put. Winning the Champions League would be the best case that United could make though.
In a twist that would appeal to Liverpool fans, knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League would pile extra pressure on Manchester United in their battle to keep Ronaldo. Not that Benitez’ side need any extra motivation but it would be an added bonus for their fans.
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