18.04.2009 22:52
Performance gives Guardiola grounds for confidence
Jordi Clos
Pep Guardiola congratulated his players on their performance at Getafe, especially their first half showing: “it’s clear they want this title from the way they are playing”, he insisted.
“When I see how the team is playing it makes me much more relaxed about the coming six weeks
of games. We should have won by more than just a single goal, because we didn’t sentence the
game in the first half, we were a little more cautious in the second, but we put in an
extraordinary game, especially in the first 45 minutes”.
Top marks for attitude
![ama18d07.057.jpg](/web/Imatges/2008-2009/futbol/noticies/partits/lliga/getafe-fcb/ama18d07.057.jpg)
Guardiola was again full of praise for his
players’ attitude: “the way they behaved on the pitch just showed that they are
determined to take this title –they played like champions. When a team plays like we did
tonight it’s very difficult to stop them. The fans can be proud of us, though maybe
they’d have been happier with a bit more precision up front”. On the subject of the
Barca supporters, Guardiola reminded them how important they are for the big games coming up in
Barcelona: “this is the time we need them, we have to take a big step forward”.
Ref’s performance
Although the Barca boss normally refuses to comment on the referee, he did make it quite
clear after tonight’s game that: “just because I don’t say anything certainly
does not mean I don’t see what is happening”. Guardiola accepted that Turienzo Álvarez
is “a good referee”, but insisted: “the penalty on Messi was too obvious to miss.
Sometimes decisions like that can decide titles”.