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29.01.2010 14:56
Guardiola warns of Sporting danger at home
Vanessa Forns
Josep Guardiola knows it won’t be easy to win three points at El Molinón. He has noted how strong Sporting are at home, where they have won 18 of their 24 points.
Speaking to the press after training on Friday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Guardiola pointed out that “El Molinón is a very difficult ground this season. Sporting are very strong at home and of the 24 points they have, they got 18 on their home ground, where the have only let in six goals. Those figures say it all.”
El Molinón the only concern
Guardiola said the game with Preciado’s side is the only matter on
his mind right now and iterated that “there is no other concern.” On Barça’s
opponent on Saturday, he spoke of an “orderly” side made up of “happy and very
dynamic players … at home they have scored as many goals as we have”.
No Alves
Guardiola will be travelling without Dani Alves, who has failed to recover in time from a muscle pulled on Thursday. He said the Brazilian is staying behind because “he is not fully fit … but he is a player who has made a huge leap forward in a footballing sense … though whoever takes his place will provide us with something different”.
Touré and Sergio back
Sergio Busquets, meanwhile, has been declared fit, while Touré Yaya is
back from the African Nations Cup. On Busquets, the manager said “he does things that make
the players around him play better … he is noble and playing strongly, but always with the
right intention”. As for Touré, he said “if he is in the squad it is because we
consider that he is ready to play. He seems fine to me, he’s smiling”.
Big demands
As demanding as ever, Pep said that although his team has just scored 12
goals in 3 games, they can still do better. “We can still generate more chances and gain more
control of matches”. He added that although they had only leaked two goals from set pieces
all season “these are still dangerous moments and require a lot of care. We have to apply
ourselves better”.
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Election date
In reference to the next FC Barcelona presidential elections, Josep Guardiola was not clear about
his preferences regarding the date. “There are pros and cons” he said. “The Board
of Directors have much more information and know more about these things than I do, it’s
their responsibility. They have to set the date. I think they’ll do what’s best for the
club. I know they’ll do things correctly, and that the date they give will be a good
one.”
However, he did speak of the effect elections can have on his players. “Possible names can come up without there being elections. That always happens and it is best to make the best of it, and carry on as normal. I feel sorry that some players give all they have got and then other names crop up, but we can’t do anything. I haven’t spoken to the players, so I don’t really now what they think. It is better for them to concentrate on their work and forget the rest of it. We will have to get through this in the best possible way”.
However, he did speak of the effect elections can have on his players. “Possible names can come up without there being elections. That always happens and it is best to make the best of it, and carry on as normal. I feel sorry that some players give all they have got and then other names crop up, but we can’t do anything. I haven’t spoken to the players, so I don’t really now what they think. It is better for them to concentrate on their work and forget the rest of it. We will have to get through this in the best possible way”.
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