Post-Valencia roundup!
Mourinho: "It was important to leave a different impression tonight at home."
Well, that was a bit of a nail-biter, wasn't it? I'm not going to lie: I had a few heart attacks this game, but I'm nevertheless relieved that we pulled off the win. Valencia isn't exactly the team you want to face straight after a Clasico defeat with your main striker sidelined and two starting defenders suspended. Fortunately, we showed the depth of our bench and prevailed, if shakily in the first half. Mou, who still seemed a little shocked by Monday's loss, spoke on his tactics, the strategy behind his substitutions, why his interaction with the team was limited, and the performance of our defenders. He did not (I repeat, did not) however, speak feistily about the refereeing.
"The most important thing for us tonight was to win a complicated match following a the terrible result we earned in our previous encounter."
"It was more important not to suffer at the start of the game than to attack too much given that we lacked some confidence and self-esteem. That's why I changed the lineup. Conceding a goal could have destroyed the confidence and self-esteem we had left. That's why I decided to use a fuller, more pressurising and defensively stronger midfield. It wasn't the day to play a great game or score many goals."
"The game changed. We played with three attackers when Karim came on; we dominated the match and won. It was important to leave a different impression tonight at home."
"The regulations allow assistant coaches to instruct the players. My team couldn't afford to feel pressure from me nor from outsiders today. It needed stability and we provided it without fearing we would lose or play a bad game. We were never scared about losing. We've won eleven of our 14 games so far, and all of our home games. We've also won four of our five Champions League clashes."
"I wasn't worried about having to use Albiol and Arbeloa in the starting eleven. They are very important players. They are both very good, serious and true team workers. They work to the fullest and they've always played well this season. This was Albiol's first league game as a starter in the present campaign and he was fantastic. It wasn't a problem for us not to have Ramos and Carvalho. I knew Albiol and Arbeloa would respond well."
"I don't want to talk about the referee, mainly because I can't, but also because, if I did, I couldn't just talk about Albelda's red card, but also about the penalty we weren't awarded, another possible red card and many other things."
"I respected Valencia for being a difficult opponent and I proved this by using a lineup that provided us with more stability."
Gee, Mou, I'm really glad you stayed quiet about the referee's mistakes! ;) Really, though, the guy screwed us out of more than one goal and several advantages, though I'm not going to chalk all of our difficulties up to that. Mou is clearly being diplomatic (which is, frankly, his style - he seldom calls players out for their failings in public), but I'm happy that he recognized Benz's contribution. The jury's still out on him as a starter for me, to be honest, in that I feel like he performs much better as a substitute. It could be a matter of a lack of playing time, but with the race so close and us 2 points behind, I'm not sure if he's going to have the opportunity to experience that learning curve. That said, I hope he starts in the next CL game, since it's sort of a free rest day on which to give our less experienced players some more opportunities.
Marcelo: "We concentrated on taking three points, so we are very happy that we did."
Marcelo ain't afraid of no ghosts.
Albiol: "It wasn't easy to pull through, but we showcased character and improved considerably in the second half after feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the first. What really mattered to us was to do well in the opening minutes."
Marcelo: "We didn't get many chances to score in the first half. Luckily, we improved in the second. We had chances and scored. The coach decided not to use Benzema from the start because he wanted us to be stronger."
I have to say that I was really impressed with both of them - Marcelo in particular. It continually amazes me how much Marcelo has shaped up under Mou's guidance, and I'm truly grateful that we didn't bow to the pressure to buy an expensive left-back. He saved us from trouble on more than one occasion today, much like he did in the Clasico. Likewise, Albiol once again displayed his defensive prowess and how strong our backline has really become this year. I no longer panic when one of our defenders is suspended or injured for a game. I really hope that these ~unsung heroes~ and our canterano get a chance to show their stuff in the Auxerre game. Can I get an Eze appearance? Just for a few minutes? Pretty please?
Cristiano has managed to stun even himself.
Valencia, I don't blame you for wanting a piece of Ozil, but you'd best step off.
Di Maria puts his extensive ballet training to use.
And reveals yet another tattoo I somehow didn't know about. ANY EXPERTS?
Why you gotta hate 'cause I'm getting my groove on?
Deep, shallow, left, right, center - Alvaro knows how to work the pitch (and my fluttering heart.)
BYE BITCHES.
Say hello to the real messiah.
Lass gets in on the Portuguese love-in.
In the wake of having his chest groped, Benz harnesses his nipple power.
Angel forgets to put on his brakes.
And ends up trapped in spiderman's web.
Marcelo huffs as Cris and Ozil prepare to promenade all the way down the line.
The best way to respond to a hard tackle is to try to stomp on the stomach of the victim.
Iker pioneers the as-yet-undiscovered art of operatic swearing.
Unfortunately, he didn't sing in German.
Hey, this looks an awful lot like that penalty that Mou didn't mention going unawarded!
Uh oh, Mou is covering his mouth! Quick, someone get Xabi an acting coach!
Our noble captain shakes hands with Noble laureate Mario Vargas Llosa before the match.
Who has the honor of admiring Iker's oddly enticing glove-tightening rituals up close.
Di Maria's favorite movie? The Matrix.
The Mou sits alone, the Mou sits alone, hi ho the Berna-beu, the Mou sits alone.
Why your face gotta run into my elbow?
Go on, laugh #6. You won't be smiling when your ass is getting kicked down the tunnel.
Marcelo picks the wrong partner to try to Pasodoble with.
Promise me, Xabi. Promise me you'll never let go.
You don't impress Iker much.
Maybe you wouldn't get sent off if your fouls were more subtle.
Or have to face a charging Bavarian bull
It's lonely when you beat all of the defenders.
Arbeloa goes for the woefully underappreciated ass bump.
Just posing for my next Nike commercial.
And using you as human goal posts.
JUMP! For your love. Jump in!
Marcelo makes like a figure skater and glides.
IF YOU BREAK HIS ITTY BITTY ARM, YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE MORE THAN THREE POINTS.
In a world where warriors score goals, one saint stands alone.
Is this a hair ruffle-to-be?
Shall we dance?
Who da man? I'm the man.
My posse's better than your posse.
Mou isn't impressed by your Clasico-centric questions.
What is surreal about the coach demeanors in this picture? Mou ain't even bovvered.
HATERS TO THE GOD DAMNED LEFT.
Picture me rollin'.
If Mou's face in any indication, Tiny Tim won't be getting any turkey this Christmas.
Valencia is on a mission to fondle.
Don't fret, sugarplumb. One opportunity lost is another two goals gained.
Dr. Evil is pleased by this delightful turn of events.
And Cris is just happy to have his Ozil.
Question(s) of the day: Where do we go from here? This isn't where we intended to be. Specifically, what do you think we should do about our offense? Assuming Pipa is out for 2 months or more, who do you feel should replace him? Do you think we should turn the duties over to Benzema? Do you want to see Morata get a chance? More importantly, do you think we should take this as a wakeup call about our striker shortage and make a January purchase, or stick with what we've got? If the former, are you more inclined to a huge buy like Llorente, or a less expensive, but less demanding player like Almeida or Nilmar?
Match download (scroll down a little for the second half.)
Click to viewWell, that was a bit of a nail-biter, wasn't it? I'm not going to lie: I had a few heart attacks this game, but I'm nevertheless relieved that we pulled off the win. Valencia isn't exactly the team you want to face straight after a Clasico defeat with your main striker sidelined and two starting defenders suspended. Fortunately, we showed the depth of our bench and prevailed, if shakily in the first half. Mou, who still seemed a little shocked by Monday's loss, spoke on his tactics, the strategy behind his substitutions, why his interaction with the team was limited, and the performance of our defenders. He did not (I repeat, did not) however, speak feistily about the refereeing.
"The most important thing for us tonight was to win a complicated match following a the terrible result we earned in our previous encounter."
"It was more important not to suffer at the start of the game than to attack too much given that we lacked some confidence and self-esteem. That's why I changed the lineup. Conceding a goal could have destroyed the confidence and self-esteem we had left. That's why I decided to use a fuller, more pressurising and defensively stronger midfield. It wasn't the day to play a great game or score many goals."
"The game changed. We played with three attackers when Karim came on; we dominated the match and won. It was important to leave a different impression tonight at home."
"The regulations allow assistant coaches to instruct the players. My team couldn't afford to feel pressure from me nor from outsiders today. It needed stability and we provided it without fearing we would lose or play a bad game. We were never scared about losing. We've won eleven of our 14 games so far, and all of our home games. We've also won four of our five Champions League clashes."
"I wasn't worried about having to use Albiol and Arbeloa in the starting eleven. They are very important players. They are both very good, serious and true team workers. They work to the fullest and they've always played well this season. This was Albiol's first league game as a starter in the present campaign and he was fantastic. It wasn't a problem for us not to have Ramos and Carvalho. I knew Albiol and Arbeloa would respond well."
"I don't want to talk about the referee, mainly because I can't, but also because, if I did, I couldn't just talk about Albelda's red card, but also about the penalty we weren't awarded, another possible red card and many other things."
"I respected Valencia for being a difficult opponent and I proved this by using a lineup that provided us with more stability."
Gee, Mou, I'm really glad you stayed quiet about the referee's mistakes! ;) Really, though, the guy screwed us out of more than one goal and several advantages, though I'm not going to chalk all of our difficulties up to that. Mou is clearly being diplomatic (which is, frankly, his style - he seldom calls players out for their failings in public), but I'm happy that he recognized Benz's contribution. The jury's still out on him as a starter for me, to be honest, in that I feel like he performs much better as a substitute. It could be a matter of a lack of playing time, but with the race so close and us 2 points behind, I'm not sure if he's going to have the opportunity to experience that learning curve. That said, I hope he starts in the next CL game, since it's sort of a free rest day on which to give our less experienced players some more opportunities.
Marcelo: "We concentrated on taking three points, so we are very happy that we did."
Marcelo ain't afraid of no ghosts.
Albiol: "It wasn't easy to pull through, but we showcased character and improved considerably in the second half after feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the first. What really mattered to us was to do well in the opening minutes."
Marcelo: "We didn't get many chances to score in the first half. Luckily, we improved in the second. We had chances and scored. The coach decided not to use Benzema from the start because he wanted us to be stronger."
I have to say that I was really impressed with both of them - Marcelo in particular. It continually amazes me how much Marcelo has shaped up under Mou's guidance, and I'm truly grateful that we didn't bow to the pressure to buy an expensive left-back. He saved us from trouble on more than one occasion today, much like he did in the Clasico. Likewise, Albiol once again displayed his defensive prowess and how strong our backline has really become this year. I no longer panic when one of our defenders is suspended or injured for a game. I really hope that these ~unsung heroes~ and our canterano get a chance to show their stuff in the Auxerre game. Can I get an Eze appearance? Just for a few minutes? Pretty please?
Cristiano has managed to stun even himself.
Valencia, I don't blame you for wanting a piece of Ozil, but you'd best step off.
Di Maria puts his extensive ballet training to use.
And reveals yet another tattoo I somehow didn't know about. ANY EXPERTS?
Why you gotta hate 'cause I'm getting my groove on?
Deep, shallow, left, right, center - Alvaro knows how to work the pitch (and my fluttering heart.)
BYE BITCHES.
Say hello to the real messiah.
Lass gets in on the Portuguese love-in.
In the wake of having his chest groped, Benz harnesses his nipple power.
Angel forgets to put on his brakes.
And ends up trapped in spiderman's web.
Marcelo huffs as Cris and Ozil prepare to promenade all the way down the line.
The best way to respond to a hard tackle is to try to stomp on the stomach of the victim.
Iker pioneers the as-yet-undiscovered art of operatic swearing.
Unfortunately, he didn't sing in German.
Hey, this looks an awful lot like that penalty that Mou didn't mention going unawarded!
Uh oh, Mou is covering his mouth! Quick, someone get Xabi an acting coach!
Our noble captain shakes hands with Noble laureate Mario Vargas Llosa before the match.
Who has the honor of admiring Iker's oddly enticing glove-tightening rituals up close.
Di Maria's favorite movie? The Matrix.
The Mou sits alone, the Mou sits alone, hi ho the Berna-beu, the Mou sits alone.
Why your face gotta run into my elbow?
Go on, laugh #6. You won't be smiling when your ass is getting kicked down the tunnel.
Marcelo picks the wrong partner to try to Pasodoble with.
Promise me, Xabi. Promise me you'll never let go.
You don't impress Iker much.
Maybe you wouldn't get sent off if your fouls were more subtle.
Or have to face a charging Bavarian bull
It's lonely when you beat all of the defenders.
Arbeloa goes for the woefully underappreciated ass bump.
Just posing for my next Nike commercial.
And using you as human goal posts.
JUMP! For your love. Jump in!
Marcelo makes like a figure skater and glides.
IF YOU BREAK HIS ITTY BITTY ARM, YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE MORE THAN THREE POINTS.
In a world where warriors score goals, one saint stands alone.
Is this a hair ruffle-to-be?
Shall we dance?
Who da man? I'm the man.
My posse's better than your posse.
Mou isn't impressed by your Clasico-centric questions.
What is surreal about the coach demeanors in this picture? Mou ain't even bovvered.
HATERS TO THE GOD DAMNED LEFT.
Picture me rollin'.
If Mou's face in any indication, Tiny Tim won't be getting any turkey this Christmas.
Valencia is on a mission to fondle.
Don't fret, sugarplumb. One opportunity lost is another two goals gained.
Dr. Evil is pleased by this delightful turn of events.
And Cris is just happy to have his Ozil.
Question(s) of the day: Where do we go from here? This isn't where we intended to be. Specifically, what do you think we should do about our offense? Assuming Pipa is out for 2 months or more, who do you feel should replace him? Do you think we should turn the duties over to Benzema? Do you want to see Morata get a chance? More importantly, do you think we should take this as a wakeup call about our striker shortage and make a January purchase, or stick with what we've got? If the former, are you more inclined to a huge buy like Llorente, or a less expensive, but less demanding player like Almeida or Nilmar?
Match download (scroll down a little for the second half.)