FCBARCELONA.CAT

22.08.2009 12:03

Guardiola: “I’m not reserving anyone on Sunday”

Vanessa Forns

Josep Guardiola is treating the Spanish Super Cup very seriously. As Barça bid for their first trophy of the season, the manager said “we’re playing a final tomorrow, I’m not reserving anyone”.

Everybody has their minds focused purely on the game at the Camp Nou against Athletic Club Bilbao. Guardiola knows that “starting the season with a title is very positive … no titles are more important than any others.” He will be demanding the very best from his players in a game he considers it to be a privilege to be taking part in.

Going for the attack

Guardiola knows his players are in fine form, but turned to a curious statistic as a warning. “Of the nine times Barça have played the return leg of the Super Cup at home, only one of the games has been won … we have to be careful. Bilbao will be coming to create pressure.” Attack, believes Guardiola, is the best form of defence. “Will be very deliberate about the way we go forward” he said.

Time for Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic made his debut in Wednesday’s Gamper match, and a number of questions are already being asked about the Swedish striker. But Guardiola confirmed that Ibra “is ready to play an official match” but knows he will need time to adapt. “He should take all the time he needs, as long as he keeps showing the same implication he has shown up to now. He can play badly as many times as he has to. The harder it is for him, the more he will have me here to support him. It should be as hard as it has to be for him. I’m not worried. What he needs is playing time and that way he’ll adapt properly”.

Reserve input

Following the Gamper, it has generally been said that the youth players that have been helping the first team will be going back to their respective reserve teams. But the manager added that “if we don’t get reinforcements, some of them will be staying on, but not in the same way that we did things last year. I haven’t decided which ones yet”. But concerns have been voiced that some of these players do not yet have the experience required to cope with top flight football. Guardiola spoke with confidence when he replied that “they are inexpert because they are young, but they are ready. It was the same once for Iniesta and Xavi. We have some top class players coming through”.

Hard to repeat last season

The Barça manager did not want to speak about a possible extension to his contract, but did confess that it would be almost impossible for the first team to repeat its astounding successes of last season. “That’s very difficult” he said. “You have to remember that the treble was something the club has never done before in its entire history. But there is a better chance we can do it if we are able to concentrate. It is more than probable that we won’t win the treble again”.