FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.11.2007 23:59

“The opposition worked better as a team”

Jordi Clos

Frank Rijkaard was evidently not at all happy with Barça’s performance in Valladolid. He praised Valdés and Milito for avoiding further than damage in the side’s visit to the Nuevo Zorrilla.

Barça’s draw in Valladolid did not please Frank Rijkaard in the slightest. “We didn’t do out job in the second half. We didn’t play well, but we were lucky enough to get a few chances, like them” he said in his post-match conference. “We made too many errors, mainly positioning errors. We did not pick the right times to attack and we tried to go through the middle too much”.

Worried about image

Rijkaard was more concerned about the image his players gave of themselves than the fact they did not win the match. “The result isn’t what worries me most” he said. “We obviously want to win these games but Valladolid are a strong side whoever they play against.” He considered the home side to have been more aggressive and to have played more as a group. He also felt that Barça had looked better at the back than up front. “Valdés and Milito were the best players and that says something” he observed. He was also impressed with Bojan, who had shown “mobility, the ability to create spaces and to hold the ball up”.

More sacrifice

“The solution is hard work and sacrifice” he continued. “We have plenty of quality on paper but we need to show that on the pitch.” He added that Touré had been substituted as a precautionary measure, before ending on an optimistic note. “I don’t mind the fact that Madrid are four points ahead of us, as there is a long way to go and leagues are generally won in the second half. There is time and we need to get our form back”.