Puyol (3): "Every squad needs someone like Pique"

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona central defender and captain Carles Puyol (30) talked about the team and the club.

What do you say about the goals scored against the team? There are too much of them? The defense is making mistakes?

Not only the defense is to blame. The whole team needs to work together and when defending, everyone should help eachother. It's true that the opponents have few chances but score nonetheless. But we're aware that this is Barcelona, we're attacking and so we should try to minimize the counter attack risk. I don't see this as a big problem.

Rotations are necessary but regarding the central defenders, wouldn't it be better to play a fixed pair so the two can adapt better?

The rotations are a good thing. If we all play, we all feel part of the team and everyone is motivated. If on the contrary, you keep a basic team and everyhing goes wel for seven or eight matches but then suddenly someone gets injured, the player who has to replace him will lack match rhythm. It's a good thing that all players rest every now and then.

Tell us some more about the two new centre backs. Let's start with Piqué.

He returned home. He understands the football philosophy of the club, he is incredibly talented, he's very powerful in the air, he knows how to position himself and he has a great future ahead.

It's being said that he has installed himself very well in the group, that he's a bit of a joker...

The guy wouldn't stop talking under the water. He's always making fun. I have a very good relationship with him, it's actually one of the players with whom I connect best. A person like him is vital in a dressing room.

And Martín Cáceres?

Martín is also a very talented player with a great future. What happens is that it's not as easy for him since he has to adapt to a new idea of playing. He's doing very well and he starts to get mote confident.

Maybe he's a little too impulsive? He was lucky not to cause a penalty against Betis....

I understand him. The striker is ahead, you are confident to be able to get the ball... Everything goes very fast and sometimes you need to take some risks.

This was the third part of this interview. You can read the first and the second part here and here. The last part will follow tomorrow with Puyol talking, amongst other things, about his role in corner-kicks and the Rijkaard era.