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14.07.2008 14:27
“I’ve got the squad I need”
Marc Guillén
At his first press conference of the season, FC Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola said he was very happy with the players he has as they are “very good”.
“I think that the players I have now are very good, both individually and I believe as a group. I’ve got the squad I need,” said Pep Guardiola the day the team came back from holiday. “There’s a lot of talent but effort comes before talent.”
Signing a centre forward not a problem
The new Barça coach was very happy with the players he has right now and said that they should be able to perform well.
There is still a month to go before the season officially starts and the club is open to signing a centre forward, but Guardiola is not worried as he has a lot of confidence in Henry and Bojan.
“I’m expecting a lot of Henry,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to him and I known that his first year wasn’t easy, but I think he
brings an awful lot to the team and I want to make the most of both him and Bojan.” Guardiola
also said the French international can play either in the centre or out on the left, even though he
intends to play him in the centre.
No excuses
Pep Guardiola firmly believes that things will go well and says that no-one is looking for excuses in the changes at boardroom level. “If the team doesn’t perform, that’s our fault, “he argued. “We need to make people proud of the way we play and behave and our attitude.”
The new manager knows that the team has to win and to do that playing in an attractive way. He said that maybe the players would prefer a “softer” coach but “unluckily” they have a 37-year-old manager who has great expectations.
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“People will have marvellous memories of Ronaldinho”
Pep Guardiola also spoke about the possible departure of Ronaldinho. The new Barça coach said that
he doesn’t know Ronaldinho personally, but that if the Brazilian does leave the club will be
very “grateful” to him because he has given a lot to Barça. As a fan, Guardiola has
enjoyed seeing Ronaldinho play and thinks that people will have marvellous memories of him.
When asked whether his announcement that he was not counting on Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Deco had harmed the club, Guardiola said that he didn’t think so as players and everyone else already knew it, but was “sorry” if it had. Guardiola also said that he wasn’t counting on these players in terms of planning but that if they did stay at the club that would be no problem.
When asked whether his announcement that he was not counting on Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Deco had harmed the club, Guardiola said that he didn’t think so as players and everyone else already knew it, but was “sorry” if it had. Guardiola also said that he wasn’t counting on these players in terms of planning but that if they did stay at the club that would be no problem.
