Reuters reported that Gerardo 'TATA' Martino said 'I would have stopped playing for Argentina if I was Messi'. What do you say?
There is a huge difference when you are playing for a club and when you are playing for a country.For FCB, Messi is a phenomenon and they realise that - they treat him with respect and he rightfully deserves it. In short, the attitude of FCB towards Messi is warm and welcoming and it is like a home to him.The problem with Argentina is that they expect a lot from their players and even if the team is playing below par they want Messi to perform and single-handedly win them the cup (like Maradona did).The amount of criticism and hurt that Messi alone faces is unbelievable and Martino realised that Messi is a player who plays with heart and needs confidence and without that he is just another player - we saw Messi's game was fogged with injuries and bad performances since the world cup.Ronaldo does not have to go through all pf this as Portugal does not have the same expectations and they value CR7 for who he is, Messi does not get the same treatment from Argentinian fans.Therefore, what Martino said was justified and I don't think Messi can stop playing for Argentina but it takes a lot out of his game and head and heart with all the criticism he alone takes.May Argentina realise that football is a game of 11, and Messi is 1 - the best one there can be but he is human and needs to be treated like one.
Will Neymar go to Manchester City for Pep Guardiola?
Neymar is not likely to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City unless something dramatic happens. For one, the Brazillian is not one of Pep's protégés. He arrived at the club when Pep had left and as such doesn't have the emotional attachment that people like Messi and Busquets have towards Pep.Secondly, Neymar is seen by Barcelona as the heir apparent to Messi crown when the Argentine leaves the club or retires and as such it will take a lot of strain for the club to lose this precious jewel.Lastly, the Brazillian is about renewing his contract to stay with the Catalan club for many years. He could have chose to leave for money when Manchester United came calling last season but he didn't. This should tell you that Neymar inspiration is not money but trophies.
If FC Barcelona are to change their manager for the next season, who would be the best man to replace the current manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino and why?
Obviously, my sense is that Barcelona will choose from inside the system. If that happens, you'll see the following 6 possibilities:Tito Vilanova. Just because I want him to be fully healthy again.Luis Enrique Martínez García, if Vilanova isn't available. Played 207 games for Barcelona, and coached the B team before going to Roma and now Celta. Probably would have been in the mix after Vilanova's illness if he hadn't been with Celta.Don't underrate Eusebio Sacristán's chances - Barcelona B have been doing very very well. Jordi Vinyals is also very well rated in the youth system, but I see him more as a replacement for Sacristan on the B team if that's who gets the job.Frank de Boer is an interesting mix of inside and outside, having played 144 games and been coaching Ajax for the past few years. Michael Laudrup in a similar vein played 167 games for Barcelona (before moving to Real Madrid) before managing in Spain (at Getafe and Mallorca), as well as outside of it (Brondby, Spartak and Swansea.)Obviously there are some options outside of the Barcelona system, from Ernesto Valverde to Diego Simeone, but I really don't see that happening. If I had to bet money on it, I'd say Luis Enrique gets the job.
What went wrong under Tata Martino's Barcelona during the last season, 2013-14?
Barring Champions League, Barcelona finished agonizingly close to the other two titles. They lost the Spanish La Liga on the final weekend and had Neymar's shot not hit the woodwork in the Copa del Rey's final during the final minutes, things might have been different. But Tata Martino tried to change Barcelona as per his own means, which were limited given this was his first year of European football experience. Barcelona after probably 6 years finished a match with less than 50% possession. If you are die hard Cule, that's as bad as losing a match. Moreover, Barcelona scored a goal from a counter attack. This was so monumental that Carlo Ancelotti, (someone correct me if I am wrong) a rival manager, mentioned it during his interactions to a journalist.Teams saw how Bayern Munich had ripped Barcelona apart season before and done so consistently over 2 matchs. Atletico Madrid first and Real second adopted pretty much the same strategy. Atletico would be much successful playing Barcelona 6 times across competitions, drawing 5 and winning the all important tie in Champions League conceding only 3 goals.Absence of Carlos Puyol has been huge for Barcelona. Pique has called him his guiding angel and when an influential figure like Puyol leaves, it is felt across the team. Puyol was the absolute marshal in the defense making Pique look like an absolute rockstar all these year.Last but not the least, last season for Barcelon was also marred by injuries to Neymar, Alba, Bartra and Messi among other.
What is your bet for the upcoming Argentina vs Colombia match early tomorrow?
Argentina 1:0 ColombiaColumbia played a high pressing game and provided no room for the attackers to run with the ball in their game against Brazil. I think Columbia will take a similar approach with Argentina, but i think Argentinian attackers can overcome that with the pool of talent they have. Also Argentinian defense is Okay! But i don't trust Gerardo Martino