Henry: "Messi sometimes looks like Maradona"

Barcelona player Thiery henry spoke at a press conference.





Last Sunday, Messi came on, he scored two goals and Barcelona won a game you were losing. That isn't called "dependency"?
It's incredible what Leo is doing, but we all know already what he's capable of. For me, it's the best player at this moment, and we should be happy that he's playing at Barcelona. To depend on Messi is normal because he's the best.

It's more and more difficult to avoid comparisons with Diego Maradona...
I don't want to put more pressure on Messi, but the only player I have seen doing things like that is Maradona. So you have to say it: sometimes Messi looks a lot like him. And Maradona was the best player I've ever seen in action, especially during the World Cup in 1986.

Did you want to score Barcelona's league goal number 5000?
Yes, because it's something very special, but I think that Messi deserved it. It's an important goal in the history of the club and that's why it's good that it has been scored by someone who has been here for a long time, like Puyol, Xavi, Messi or Eto'o.

Barça keeps leading the Liga, 12 points ahead of the second placed. You're already counting when you can win the title?
We're trying to play without thinking about other things. We play against teams that do everything to defeat us but we always fight until the end. We know that we have a lead of 12 points, but in football things can change very quick. There are still a lot of points to win, anything can still happen.

Your performances are better than last season. This has to do with being happier in your personal life?
I'm going through a good time and I'm very happy. It's clear that when the team is playing well, everything is going well. We're very united and you can see that when we celebrate the goals. You can see we have a close group and that the team is enjoying on the pitch. When the players are feeling better, then it's easier to perform well. This year we play like a team and that's the best way to play.

The main realization of Pep Guardiola is to have imposed more discipline?
Last season's coach had won several trophies with another way of handling the dressing-room. We're on the right path, but we still didn't win anything this season.

Since your arrival at Barça, one and a half year ago, you seemed to be fond of Bojan Krkic. What do you think about his situation now that he's playing less than last year?
He's feeling very good, he uses the Copa games to show his worth. We have a very good squad, you don't see the difference whoever is playing. Bojan always gives his best and it's a very important player for Barcelona.


Read more:
Manchester City preparing a move for Henry
Henry not thinking about leaving Barcelona
Ribery or Gourcuff to replace Henry next summer

Madrid presidential candidate approached Eto'o

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that former Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who is expected to be a candidate in the Madrid presidential elections in the summer, has given orders to his team to sound out Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27).

One of Pérez' closest staff members would have met with Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, to ask if the Cameroon striker would want to join his bid.

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Barcelona wants to renew the contract of Eto'o, who is ready to hold talks, but only at the end of the season because he now wants to focus on the rest of the season (read more here).

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, who last summer said Eto'o could leave the club, has changed his opinion because of the performances and the attitude of the player and the technical staff is now in favour of a renewal of the contract that expires in the summer of 2010.

Asked about his statements that he would like to finish his career at Mallorca (read more here), Eto'o has meanwhile repeated this wish in an interview with Mallorca local radio station Ràdio Mania and the club's official website: "I insist that I like this club a lot, it's in my heart. I insist that I would like to finish my football career playing one or two years at Mallorca. Whatever division they play in, although hopefully it will be the first."

Read more:
First positive meeting on Eto'o renewal
Could Eto'o join Real Madrid?
Eto'o postpones renewal negotiations

Match preview: Barcelona-Mallorca

Barcelona vs Mallorca
Venue: Camp Nou


A Copa del Rey once again in sight. Can we do it after 11 years? Time and again Barca have lost in the semifinals. For a team like Barca to keep reaching the semifinals of a tournament and losing against lesser opposition is frustrating. Mallorca on the other hand won the Copa in 2003 and it is pretty much all they have to hope for this season. Last weekend’s defeat to Osasuna means that Mallorca are now at the bottom of the league table and though the relegation dogfight is far from over the Copa offers them their best shot at redemption.

Teams often count themselves lucky when drawn to play away in the first leg of a knock-out stage but on this occasion I suspect that is not quite the case. Indeed Mallorca’s woeful away form means Manzano’s team may be faced with a daunting task in the 2nd leg at the Ono Estadi next month. Mallorca last won away in the league back in September, their last draw was also in September. In the Copa, Mallorca have drawn all their away games and won all the home games.

Mallorca’s poor form this season is slightly surprising as they do have a decent squad with some very versatile players. Perhaps part of their downfall has to do with the ambivalence of their approach. Possessing promising attacking players Mallorca have lacked commitment in closing down spaces during defense while the attackers have failed to deliver. The result: 21 goals scored (2nd lowest) in the league against 39 conceded (3rd highest) with only 5 goals being scored away from home in the league and 2 in the Cup.

Mallorca’s team line-up is hard to predict with various players being used in different positions through the course of the season but I think the formation Manzano fielded against Barca in the league would still be his best bet to counter Barca’s formidable attack.

Aouate has been preferred to German Lux in goal of late. Josemi should start at right back while Nunes and Ramis normally form the central defensive pairing although David Navarro could replace one of the two. Corrales will play at left-back. Marti plays in front of the defense and Manzano will most likely opt for a defensive minded player in Saurez to partner him sacrificing Cleber Santana who takes a roaming playmaker role when playing with a more attacking setup. Varela could be used in midfield to counter Barca’s rampant right flank while Scaloni will perform the same function on the opposite flank.

Manzano will probably decide that pace upfront to catch the Barca defense out will be his best chance to get some goals and replace club captain Arango with the more nimble Jurado. The athletic Eto'o-like Webo will attempt to spread the Barca defense and isolate defenders while Aduriz will probably start on the bench.

Guardiola has a tiring squad, which with the end still distant is eking out the results in the most tedious stage of the season. While Pep has destroyed all notions of a first and second team certain players like Sylvinho, Pinto and Bojan have been reserved almost exclusively for the Copa matches. All three will almost definitely start on Thursday.

Caceres should get a chance to prove his worth and partner Pique in defense, the youngster's role will be important in combating Mallorca’s agile forwards. Alves’s hyperactivity turned a little edgy in the last game, maybe he is spending too much time playing with his kids. Well, he will have a chance to get some rest on Sunday while he serves out his suspension. In the meantime its back to the grind or in his case tearing up and down the pitch. Busquets will play the pivot in midfield and hope to redeem himself from a slightly disappointing performance over the weekend.

I expect Guardiola to reserve Seydou Keita for the Gijon game; field Iniesta and Gudjohnsen in his 100th game in Blaugrana colors. Hopefully this time Pep will have Iniesta taking charge of the distribution with Xavi anyway unavailable nursing a flu. Messi didn’t start the last match and Pep will be looking for a comprehensive win to take into the 2nd leg so he will probably start Messi in this one and look to take him off once we are 3 or 4 goals up... sic.

I am certainly hoping Hleb doesn’t start or even take the field tomorrow but Henry’s aging legs do need to be saved. Maybe Hleb will do better on the left without the burden of expectation hanging too heavily on him with the portentous Messiah cutting swathes through the defense from the right.

A big win at home would be a great result for Barcelona and Mallorca lack the confidence or the discipline to stand in their way. Mallorca’s all-time highest goal-scorer Samuel Eto’o can watch benignly from the Barcelona side of the bench as an upbeat young pretender Bojan stakes his claim to the spot Barca have invested years training him for.

Prediction : Barca should slice Mallorca open early but the tiredness might show in the 2nd half so I wouldn’t blame them for slacking off after getting say… 4-1 up.

kamikaze kontiki

Number of the day: 6

6

number of goals scored by Lionel Messi so far this season when he came on as a substitute

more quotes and numbers

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