Vilanova: "It's important to talk straight"

Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





With ten points ahead of Sevilla, 11 on Atlético Madrid and Valencia and 12 on Madrid and Villarreal, who do you consider to be the main rival for the Liga?
I don't know, honestly. For a start, I don't know if we will be able to keep this rhythm going, if we will have a dip or get even better. And then you should still wait and see what the others will do. We'll have to go day by day.

And maintaining the rhythm will depend on what?
This has never been an easy club. Sometimes in the world of football, and you don't know why, everything that seemed marvellous starts to get more complicated and in two weeks the situation can turn around. Although if we keep this commitment, both in defense as in attack, we will be a team that's difficult to beat.

Taking into account the complexity of this club, is it important to be a good psychologist?
The players are intelligent enough to know these things, although it's good that Pep reminds them every now and then. But even then, the majority of the players have come from some marvellous years and afterwards, without knowing how or why, everything went down. That makes things much easier for us now.

You have been surprised by the capacity to react the players are having?
Not surprised. Although it's true that we have won some games at the end and that's always a good sign. Maybe I was more surprised with the pre-season because despite us having introduced new concepts, the players adapted quickly to it and we played and won in a good way.

What's your evaluation of the team so far?
I don't know. I would give them an "excellent". I don't know if it should be a 9 or a 10, but excellent for sure.

There's more pressure than with the second team?
I actually think that last year with Barcelona B we had more pressure than we have now.

Why was that?
Because it was the first year of Pep as a coach and we had the obligation to promote the team back to the third division. I don't know if we will feel more pressure once we start to lose, but for now I only felt pressure last season.

Your dealing with the dressingroom changed a lot compared with last year?
It's different, but that doesn't mean it's more or less difficult. One person is already something complicated and when several persons come together, it gets a lot more complicated. With the second team you have more authority because the players are motivated to get to the first team, while first team players are already there. But like in most other working places, it's important to talk straight and face-to-face with the player. Pep is very direct. If you're honest and straightforward, you will solve or even avoid the majority of the problems.

Is that the key to success?
I don't know if that's the key, but I do think it's very important that we all know that there are some basic rules of living together and of respect towards everyone that is working with them: coaches, masseurs, handymen...


This was the first part of this interview. You will be able to read the second part here in the coming days with Vilanova talking -among other things- about the performances of Henry, Messi and Eto'o.

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