FCBARCELONA.CAT

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

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”.