Or something. The GolTV commentator, Ray Hudson, saw what Andrés had done to his hair, and thought the young playmaker had lost a bet. Either that or he's fallen behind on payments to the Catalan mafia: "This time it's your hair. Next time, your toes." My advice to Iniesta is to just cut the whole thing. It really looks bad. Every time he got the ball in the match against Atletí my eyes couldn't help but gravitate to what he'd done to the hair on his head. Santa Maria, boy, clean that mess up!

6-1. I think that says it all really. Atletico's Coupet actually did well in front of goal, believe it or not, and it could've easily been 8-1 or 9-1. But if anyone were to tell me we were going to put three away by the ten minute mark, and five by the half hour, I might've suggested easing up on the Red Bull. To say it was the perfect start to a match is massive understatement. I mean, quite bluntly, the last thing any supporter wants to see is the opposition offering, well, opposition. We want our boys to win hands down, no questions asked, no mercy taken. And, yesterday that's exactly what Barça did.

The question, however, that always surfaces after a victory, at least for me, is just how convincing was the win? I want to know if I can at least rest a week, confident our squad are on the right track and in good form. If there's something that warrants cause for concern, I want to know about it beforehand to temper this happy culé heart with a dash of seny, if you will. The worst sort of supporter anguish is the one that blindsides you, and so if a world of hurt is bound for the Blaugrana, then I want it right up the middle, front and center, square on, brace for impact.

This match against Atleti at the Nou Camp was very encouraging (duh?). We saw creativity, craft, energy and focus among the squad. We also saw an Atletico side without Maniche, Forlan, Simao, Seitardis and Pablo. Maxi was injured in the game albeit while actually scoring their only goal. Agüero was walking wounded, and was eventually replaced too. And to take matters into undiscovered territory, the Atletico coach, Aguirre, decided that with players being called up from the youth squad to shore up their depleted ranks, he was actually going to play Barça. That may seem an odd thing to say. After all a football match is all about playing on a pitch and banging more balls into the net than the other guys, right? But, here's the thing: almost nobody plays Barcelona. It's virtually unheard of except from the really strong clubs, and even then these sides often weigh their tactics toward the defensive. Give Barça an inch of space in the final third, and they'll slice you up faster than a benihana chef disintergrating an onion. Hence, nobody really plays the Blaugrana. But, strangely enough, Atleti did. At least in the first half. Aguirre has gone on record as saying his squad's terrible defeat was all his fault, and though Antonio Lopez begs to differ with his coach, I'm going to have to side with the Mexican. I mean, what was he thinking? In some ways, it can be seen as a noble gesture, but nobility doesn't put money in the bank. Winning does. Or at the very least, not losing (the general strategy of most of FCB's opposition, I might add--with a certain sense of pride).

Where does that leave me in assessing Barcelona's performance this match? Hm, good question. On the one hand, the boys made the most of their chances, and that was good to see. That could be an indication of their luck changing. On the other hand, the Catalan side were pretty much served this victory on a silver platter. All they had to do was execute with focus and energy. If anything, it's showing that Pep is doing his job fairly well. When you think about it, given the match's situation, any other result would've been a disappoint for FCB. So, good on them. Barça definitely performed to expectations. You really can't complain about that. Bottomline though? It was a lot of fun to watch. Hence, long live the attacking game.

Long live Barça.

To watch Barcelona is to see a side that is almost firing on all cylinders ... but not quite. The squad still appears to be lacking that predatory instinct in front of goal, and even Guardiola is having a time trying to unleash that beast from the Catalan lair. The defense is not really inspiring much in the way of confidence either, and this might be exacerbated from the difficulty in scoring. What is looking rather nifty is the passing game when in possession and the pressing game when not. While fitness is an absolute must when employing pressing, a solid possession game does wonders to reducing the necessity of its employment. Always better to let the other side burn themselves out pressing anyway, since it'll open up some space for a crafty substitute late in the match. Pep is already trying his hand at alternate formations, which is fine by me. Matches are all unique with at least 11 (if not 22) characteristics to consider, so it makes sense that one formation might not fit all situations. All I ask is that if Guardiola does use a rare formation (such as 3-5-2) that it not fit right into the opposition's plans--like it possibly did against Shakhtar Donestk.

One thing about the modern game is that it's requiring an increasing amount of fluidity in the attack. Organization is still a must in defense, but in the attack a player of universal skill (playmaker + finisher + runner) is becoming highly valuable. As Jonathan Wilson points out in his book, Inverting the Pyramid, 4-6-0 looks to be the formation of the future. With this in mind how does Barça's squad hold up to this standard? Well, Keita is probably preferred to Toure, given the Malian's wider skill set in both attack and defense, but whether he's in form at the moment is another story. Iniesta, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Hleb, Busquets, Messi, Bojan and Eto'o are all good in attack as well as closing down an opponent, and all are willing to run the distance to do that. Henry is somewhat problematic in that while he does track back to a degree, I don't think it's frequent enough. Also, his ability to attack is weighted heavily from the middle, per the traditional No.9 route, and Thierry's difficulty on the left wing is well documented. So, FCB's attacking complement of the squad is overall not too shabby as far as fluidity and creativity go with only one or two concerns of a minor nature. Then again, there's that nasty problem with scoring, or at least getting a quality scoring chance. The problem might not be that Barça lack finishers, but more that they need players able to pierce the human equivalent of a can of sardines. Passing only works so far in that sort of teeming mass of flailing legs and colliding bodies. Dribblers may be what's needed in this situation. With that in mind, hopefully Hleb will see a rapid return to the squad (and with his Spanish vastly improved). His ball skills, along with Iniesta, Messi, and Bojan, could be crucial.

Taking the dribbling idea a step further, here's a tactical idea for Barça. For sides that play deep and work the counterattack, start the first half with a squad light on the dribbling talent and more with a pace-aggressive theme. Work on forcing the opposition to respond to an intense possession game, even to 'milking' the opposition to press as much as possible. Scoring is not the focus per se so much as wearing the other side down. After the restart, introduce three offensive dribblers into the game, maybe at the 60 minute mark. At that point, the opposition should be fatigued enough to allow for more space in the attacking third. Pep may have already figured this out from his introduction of Messi and Bojan late into the match with Shakhtar Donetsk. Here's hoping he has anyway.

For all Frank Rijkaard's success with Barcelona in his first three years there, the Dutchman seemed to be partially basing his instruction, and even his vision, on flawed or dated thinking. For one, the side seemed to live and die on the performance of Ronaldinho. Fluidity in attack cannot be predicated upon any one person, and in Pep's Barça there doesn't appear to be that limitation. Another thing Frank would not address was that modern footballers must be prepared to play quite literally anywhere on the field. This especially applies to attackers tracking back. Pressing was rarely seen in Rijkaard's Barcelona, and when it was seen almost looked like something instituted on a personal basis rather than as a system. With Guardiola this changed, and it's effect on Barcelona's defensive ability actually improved, since the Blaugrana are maintaining possession at even higher margins than before in many cases. And as we all know, if you have the ball, the opposition can't score.

Guardiola still has questions that need answering, but from what I'm seeing he's heading in the right direction with no small creativity and insight of his own in evidence. I do think the changes the team are undergoing under Pep are necessary for its long term success. They're painful shifts in some cases that have yet to yield the desired results, but that's the way of things sometimes especially when it's an unfamiliar direction. We still have a ways to go, but the season is young. I think it's going to be okay in the end.

You gotta love Sid Lowe. In his latest piece from the Guardian on La Liga, the Brit journalist offered what I thought was a great quote. Well, for a cule anyway.

"It's their worst start to the season since 1973-74. But then, in 1973-74 Barça won the league."

I'll have a post up in the next few days, offering thoughts on the Blaugrana's path so far, as well as Jonathan Wilson's new book on the history of football tactic, Inverting the Pyramid.

Yup, on 31 August the 08/09 La Liga campaign launches and Barça kick it off on the road against newly promoted Numancia. It's about time, don't you think? Especially after the disaster of last term, the transfers and new leadership that followed, the vote of no confidence for Laporta. A lot has happened this summer. We've been plunged to deep despair and disgust, then saw a glimmer of hope, and now after this series of preseason matches under the leadership of Pep one can almost say we've come full circle. I say 'almost'. All we have to show so far is the Gamper trophy and one leg of a Champions League qualifier. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt that out of five friendlies we won them all. So, there's hope.  Definitely that.

In fact, there appears to be a lot to be hopeful for. This Barça squad seem really tight as a team. You can see it in their passing, which is as cutting and fluid as ever. Movement into space is good as well, and the confidence of the players is palpable. If anything, these guys look rejuvenated. Henry took a little while to get up to speed, but the Frenchman looked comfortable against Wisla--and more importantly, effective. And, Thierry still has that ungodly acceleration.

The new signings all appear to have found their niche, even Hleb and he's yet to understand Spanish reasonably well! I was impressed most with Alves and Caceres, but Keita is a great alternative to Yaya and Pique is not too shabby either in central defense.

Mostly, it was a welcome surprise to see Eto'o endure such a difficult period and end up with both the confidence of the fans and Guardiola, and deservingly. I was almost certain Eto'o would be gone after the end of last campaign. He'd been booed by the crowd, his loyalty was called into question by some in the Spanish press, and then the proud and outspoken Cameroon was designated as expendable by the new coach. No one could've blamed him if he had signed on with a club like Chelsea or Inter or even a Premiereship team. But he stuck it out. Was he angry? Well, yeah--he's Eto'o, dammit! But the man showed just how much grit he had, and after all those preseason goals (what was it, eight ended up in the back of the net?) could anyone doubt his level of commitment, not to mention his knack for bulging the 'ol onion bag? All I can say at this point is, glad to have you, Sammy!

I seriously doubt any of this would be possible without old No.4: Pep Guardiola. He injected this team with a heavy dose of spine stiffener laced with a will to win. Nothing wrong with a little discipline, I always say, and from the looks of it, FCB were in desperate need of some intestinal fortitude. Heck, anyone would be after experiencing the form of football hell known as Last Season. It looks like it's in the past now, and the players are hungry again, following their mentor, Pep. Time for some serious smack down with a team I like to call Real Meh. Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about. Fuhgedaboudit.

Having said all that, one must emphasize that Barça haven't actually done anything yet. Yet. But, here's bettin' they do. I see trophies, at least a couple. Maybe more. I see weeping women in the darkened alleys of Madrid while their men drink themselves into unconsciousness to escape the misery. I see Marca not saying a damn thing. Okay, so maybe I'm getting a little too worked up here, or maybe I oughta just lay off the peyote. Still, I see Barça going places, and I don't mean to hell in a handbasket either. Nope, we'll reserve that for the 'other guys'. So, get ready, folks. It's going to get interesting this time around. 

All this and Messi's as happy as Maniche with a box of chocolate eclairs. The Argentine has Olympic gold hanging from his neck. Man, he's going to shred. I already feel sorry for Numantia. They'll never know what hit 'em.

There's talk that Barça may not be done with the transfer season (oh really?). Rumors abound with both Berbatov and Silva remaining of interest to the Catalan side. I say rumors, since we're ultimately talking about the Spanish press, and one only has to see their coverage of Sylvie Mie-er, Rafa Van der Vaart's  arrival to Real Meh to get a proper understanding of what that means. Yeah. Still, it's enticing enough to this cule--not Sylvie, Silva, or Berbatov--to ponder the possibility of either joining the Blaugrana for this newest campaign. From what's being said, there's greater possibility with us acquiring David Silva than the Bulgarian striker. Tottenham are apparently asking for €35m and I doubt Barcelona will add to their present offer of €30m. The Valencian midfielder, however, might be had for a 'mere' €25m, given the financial crisis besetting Los Che. Personally, that's just as well, since I'd rather see David in the blue and maroon than Berbatov. But, of course, we'll see what unfolds. There's only 25 days left to the month, and after that it'll all be under the bridge as la Liga gets underway.

I watched the friendly between FCB and Chivas Guadalajara on Fox Soccer Channel. It was my first time to actually see the 'new' squad under Guardiola. It's old news that the Catalan side trounced the Mexicans 5-2, but how Barça played was of more interest to me. What I saw was promising.

First off, one can see the greater emphasis for defense Pep has. When possession was lost I saw both the midfield and back lines fall back into their own third in an organized manner. There was no more of the impromptu rallying toward the box by whoever was closest. I would've liked to have seen the forwards being more aggressive in regaining the ball or frustrating Chivas' buildup, but it was a start in the right direction.

Offensively, tactics were different as well. Under Rijkaard it was standard operating procedure for Barcelona's buildup to begin in an organized, deliberate manner. Pressure was steadily increased as Barça pushed more players into the attacking third of the pitch. In consequence, the counterattack was rarely seen. With Frank it was always about the deliberateness of the attack, as if to showcase the adroitness and finesse of FCB when on the offensive. While I saw some of this style in the Chivas game, it was only one element of several for how Barcelona attempted to score goals. The deliberateness is largely gone, replaced by something I would say is more flexible, opportunistic. It seems that as far as Pep is concerned, scoring goals has several possible methods and he's elected to employ a few of them. Besides a steady diet of tiki-taka, Guardiola also advocates a full bore counterattack style, and maybe even a long ball style to mix things up once in awhile. But it's the first two that look to be Pep's bread and butter for goals. 'Tiki-taka' and the 'fast break'. And when I say 'fast break' I call to mind Real Zaragoza of the 05/06 season and how they employed a blitzing counterattack to embarrass the Blaugrana on more than one occasion.

Overall, I thought Barça had more pace to their movement than in years past. An immediacy as opposed to the more accustomed calm, somewhat distracted, manner of moving the ball about under Rijkaard.

Guardiola's trend of flexibility extends to the choice of tactical formations. For Frank before him, 4-3-3 was the foundation of FCB's play. At times, Rijkaard would use a 3-4-3 when he felt the risk was warranted, but by and large 4-3-3 was it. With Pep I saw the employment of both 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 in the match. I never understood why Rijkaard refused to use 4-4-2, even when injuries made its employment seem more sensible. That Guardiola has no qualms using either formation is a point to his favor.

I was impressed with a number of players (even Abidal!), which is promising too. There was a lot of movement on the pitch, and the players were giving as good as they got by and large. Bojan even got a yellow card for a two-footed tackle, seemingly done out of spite for the Mexican side who didn't bother kicking the ball out when Jeffren fell from a hard challenge. The one who did not impress was Henry, which was worrying. I'll hold off judgement until I see more of the Frenchman, since he was looking good at the end of last season.

I guess the differences I see between what Frank Rijkaard did and what Guardiola is doing now is that Frank had a deliberateness to his game style, whereas Pep appears more opportunistic. That is to say, for Rijkaard it was all about a philosophy of precision, a focused grace that had one setting, and one he tried to nurture through 'artistic license' where his players were concerned. With Guardiola one sees his foundation as more traditional, grounding his training on uncompromising discipline and fitness. From there his game tactics are centered on the attack but with a steady eye to defense. How Pep conducts this balance of attack and defense appears to vary according to the situation at hand.

They make for an interesting juxtaposition, Rijkaard and Guardiola. Frank's style may have collapsed upon itself far sooner than expected, but it did bring home two league championships as well as the coveted Champions League trophy within 5 years time. Whether Guardiola can equal this remains to be seen. But from what I've seen so far, it looks promising. Very much so.