FCBARCELONA.CAT

02.08.2009 17:10

Maxwell hoping to improve after making debut

David Saura (enviat especial) / Anna Segura

Maxwell made his Barca debut at the Rose Bowl after overcoming a slight muscle strain and though he was happy after the game, he admitted: “I’ve still got a lot of improvement to do”.

Two weeks after signing for the club, as the first arrival for the new season Maxwell finally made his debut against LA Galaxy on Sunday, having missed out on the first couple of games in London recovering from muscle problems in his right leg.

45 minutes

Guardiola started Maxwell for the game at full back alongside Alves, Muniesa and Márquez (who was subbed after 30 minutes by Henrique), before making wholesale changes at half time, but Maxwell was pleased to get his first 45 minutes as a Barca player under his belt, telling reporters: I’ve got to keep on improving, I’m not yet at my best and I’m looking forward to doing much better”.

Emphasis on defence

There weren’t many chances for Maxwell to push forward as he was under instructions from the boss “to keep my position as Alves would be going forward a lot from the other full back position”. Maxwell’s still assimilating the team’s tactics, which he admitted were very different from Inter’s: “we press much more to get the ball, which is more fun as a player, but I’ve still got a lot to learn”.

Guardiola: “a few small things to put right”

Guardiola himself praised Maxwell on his debut, but echoed the player’s feelings about certain tactical aspects: “he’s still got a few small things to put right, but when we signed him we knew what a good guy he was and if you’ve got that then the rest of the game will come on its own”.