The Man Barca Missed The Most: R10

By: Rob | April 30th, 2008

Can The Dhino Hear Milan Calling? So after 180 minutes of football, it is Manchester United who will play in Moscow in two weeks. The teams - to my surprise, I told you there would be goals - were seperated by just one goal (what a goal by the way). Barca lacked idea’s going forward, Messi became predictable, Henry was too deep, Eto’o couldn’t get into the game. During so many Barca attacks I began to think - It’d be different with Ronaldinho.

I’m not saying that if you chucked Ronaldinho in last night it would have suddenly changed the match, and Barca would have gone through. What I am saying is that if the whole Ronaldinho saga hadn’t happened, then it would have been completely different.

The main trouble with Barca over the two legs, was that they passed the ball around beautifully, dominated the midfield and posession, but then they got to within 20 yards of United’s goal and then nothing happened. The didn’t know how to get past the United defense.

All credit to United’s backline as well - as we discussed here - Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown (who did a magnificent job in covering for Vidic) were an absolute wall. But I was thinking that if Ronaldinho - and I mean 2005 Ronaldinho - was on the pitch, he would have produced the moments of magic to confuse the defense and created something beautiful.

Leo Messi is, undoubtedly one of the most talented footballers in the world. But the problem is he only has his left foot. Which means he constantly wants to cut inside onto his good foot from the right wing, which meant that pretty much every time he looked to jink, even I knew exactly where he was going to go - and I’m a useless defender. That is half the defender’s job done for him by the attacker.

Samuel Eto’o, I had a feeling tonight was going to be his night. Without Vidic to wind him up, I thought he would run absolutely riot. He was actually pretty quiet. Credit to Ferdinand and Brown, they frustrated Eto’o and there was nothing Barca could do to free him. I remember Messi played a pass into him and he tried a 1-2 with him, but he foolishly put it onto Messi’s right foot. Messi never even ran that way. Much as he would be the last person to admit it, Eto’o needed R10 last night.

Henry, when he came on, was all over the place. It highlighted his season, when he was pretty much playing at left-back at one point. He needs to be the central striker at Barca, or if not, a much much more attacking winger, who doesn’t need to defend.

Bojan, to his credit almost created a few things toward the end. Everytime I see him, I’m mighty impressed with him. I guess it was just inexperience and a bit of luck that cost him as much as anything. But he looked as threatning as anyone by the end.

The Ronaldinho transfer saga hasn’t ended either. Aware of the ‘Webster’ Clause, whereby any player can just buy out the remainder of thier contract, Barca have been offered £10m by Milan. (If they got Ronnie to buy out his contract it’d be roughly that). Barca however have slapped a giant transfer price on him, and Milan can’t afford to buy him - unless they get The Dhino to buy out his contract, something clubs are wary of because of the dangerous precendent it would set. As talented as R10 is, and how undoubtedly upset that Barca are that they could have had 50+m for him 3 years ago, they are never, ever gonna get that kind of money. Maybe from Chelsea.

So they are at a stalemate. And while The Dhino is in the void, Barca need him more than ever.

Ronaldinho Stands Alone